Travel Week in Review – July 5, 2024

European aviation giant Lufthansa Group is to introduce a new “environmental cost surcharge” of up to €72 per flight to cover part of the cost of complying with new green regulatory rules for airlines. The group, which also includes Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, said the new environmental surcharge would apply to all tickets issued from 26 June 2024 for departures from 1 January 2025.Lufthansa said it was facing “steadily rising additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements”. Read More…

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it broke the record for most people screened on a single day, screening nearly three million (2.99 million) individuals on Sunday, June 23. The record-breaking total comes just days before the Independence Day holiday travel period kicks off, which TSA officials believe will feature a sustained period of high passenger volumes. The TSA expects to screen more than 32 million individuals from Thursday, June 27, through Monday, July 8. Read More…

The kids are out of school, bags are packed, and most Americans will hit the road in July. Travel demand is so high that the Transportation Security Administration forecasts it could break records screening more than 3 million passengers nationally on July 7. In this peak travel period, airlines continue to grow. New routes take off catering to one of the biggest events of the month, expanding some key airline partnerships, and adding new competition in some already competitive markets. Read More…

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has added four carriers to its PreCheck program, including Aer Lingus and Saudia, the agency announced Monday.  TSA also has added Air New Zealand and Ethiopian Airlines to PreCheck, in which low-risk travelers can pay a fee for an expedited security process. TSA now includes 102 airlines in PreCheck, according to its website. Read More…

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will launch a new flight between Portland, Oregon, and Amsterdam in October, replacing a flight from partner Delta Air Lines between the two cities. The new KLM flight will operate year-round on a Boeing 787-9 aircraft between Portland International Airport (PDX) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), KLM shared with Travel + Leisure. The new route launches on October 27 and will represent KLM’s 21st city in North America. Read More…