Travel Week in Review – April 26, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday issued two final rules related to airline refunds and ancillary fees, the agency announced. The refund rule sets the terms for when and how an airline is required to provide a refund. The ancillary fee rule requires airlines and ticket agents to tell customers upfront the fees they charge for first or second-checked bags, carry-on bags, and for canceling or changing a reservation. Corporate travel transactions made with business travel agencies are exempt from the new ancillary fee rule, according to DOT.  Read More…

If there’s anything that sparks spirited debate among airline passengers, it’s the flight boarding process. No matter what system the airlines develop, the process always feels like a struggle, and some passengers are invariably left disgruntled. Airlines must balance the often-conflicting goals of loading a plane quickly and efficiently with rewarding passengers who purchase high-fare tickets or have airline status that includes an early boarding perk. Given airlines’ constantly increasing fees for checked bags, the passenger battle over early boarding in order to snag coveted carry-on space is likely to only get worse. Read More…

Several senators are looking to ban most facial recognition technology at airports, a move that the U.S. Travel Association says would “undermine aviation security, delay millions of flyers [and] set TSA screening back decades.” What you need to know: Senators Jeff Merkley and John Kennedy, alongside four other cosponsors, have introduced an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill that would “immediately prevent the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from using most automated facial matching technology at airport checkpoints,”  Read More…

Southwest Airlines is pulling out of some airports and cutting costs as it grapples with lackluster earnings and as delays of new Boeing planes dim its prospects for the year.Southwest said it now expects to receive just 20 new Boeing planes this year—less than half the number it had been expecting as recently as March and well below the 79 total 737 MAX deliveries it had expected before that. Read More…

Be smart about your money when you travel overseas. Planning an international vacation can seem like a lot of work from figuring out your itinerary to making sure your passport is valid and even deciding on what clothes to pack. But one aspect many fail to consider until the last minute involves financial details of how much cash you will need and the best way to plan ahead of time.. Read More…