Travel Week in Review – November 10th, 2023

On the list of ways people want to spend their time, sitting on a plane for hours on end is probably not very high. But long-haul flights are a necessary reality if you need to travel far. “A long-haul flight can certainly be daunting and stressful,” Casey Brogan, a consumer travel expert at Tripadvisor, told HuffPost. “Airports and security lines definitely generate traveler anxiety, especially with new guidelines and ever-changing restrictions. But it is important to remind ourselves that the journey to get…” Read More…

Economists can’t seem to agree on whether a recession is coming or how severe it will be. But experts say travel is well positioned to weather a choppy financial climate. For the past 18 months, Americans have been living with anxiety over the possibility that we will enter a recession. Apprehension is only heightened by predictions that seesaw between “certain” and “unlikely” on an almost daily basis. For members of the travel community, the question has serious ramifications. Leisure travel is fueled by discretionary… Read More…

As a frequent flyer, one of the things I hate the most is the long lines at security and waiting at airports. Although very necessary for security matters, they can be a headache for travelers. However, there are four tools, some are paid and others are free, that help me save time at airports. Here are my favorites: 1.) Mobile Passport Control (MPC) — a secure and free application that allows you to store your travel documents, photos and customs declaration from your mobile. Read More…

Complaints against U.S. airlines and ticket agents surged this year in the first and part of the second quarter, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday after a several-month delay. DOT released consumer service complaint data against airlines and ticket agents for March, April, and May as well as for the first quarter of 2023. DOT most recently released complaint data in August for February 2023. DOT in March received nearly 7,500 complaints from consumers. Read More…

Business travel is tracking to reach pre-pandemic levels in terms of dollars spent next year, but a recovery in terms of volume is nowhere in sight, according to analysis from PwC U.S. airline and travel practice leader Jonathan Kletzel. Corporate travel has continued to “inch up,” Kletzel told BTN. “Events are back, and they’re back with what seems like a vengeance, and traditional corporate travel is climbing back,” he said. At the same time, the economy “is still in a weird place” which has led to some tentativeness. Read More…