Travel Week in Review – March 10th, 2023

Navigating the process of flying without an ID is one of the greatest nightmares for novice travelers and intrepid globetrotters alike. You pack your bags, get to the airport early, check into your flight, and then it hits you—your ID is sitting on your nightstand. That weekend getaway to Cancún, you were about to enjoy? Cancel it. All your friends that are meeting you there? They’re not your friends anymore. Read More…

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday filed a suit to block the proposed $3.8 billion merger of JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, citing competition concerns. The antitrust regulator claimed that the merger would negatively impact consumers by raising airfares by, on average, 30 percent, particularly in markets where both JetBlue and Spirit are large. That impact would be felt by at least the 30 million passengers that Spirit carried last year, plus everyone that pays less. Read More…

Renewing a US passport is an archaic process. You have to obtain a printed photo, write a check or money order, and then package up all your forms and old passport and go to the post office to mail it – and then cross your fingers that your important and sensitive documents don’t get stolen or lost in the post. After all that, you then have to wait for the State Department to receive your application (which can take up to two weeks, depending on where you mail your package). Read More…

The European Commission has delayed the start of a travel authorization fee to enter Europe for another year until at least 2024. The new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) was initially supposed to be operational in 2021 but had since been delayed until November 2023. And now, the European Commission said travelers won’t have to pay the fee until the start of 2024, according to the government. “It is expected that the ETIAS will be operational in 2024.”  Read More…

Our condolences to those of you that fly American. It looks like your summer trip could be in jeopardy. The Texas-based carrier is cutting 50,000 summer flights in key US hubs. The move comes as a major surprise given that in January, the airline’s executives said they will offer between five and eight percent more seats than the previous year. It’s also a bit odd given that summer travel is expected to be in full force with high demand from travelers. Read More…