Created Wednesday 15 July 2020

See also: Aviation | FAA

Benet Wilson - Sep 5, 2020

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Before flying home — on Southwest Airlines, of course — on Aug. 25, it had been 184 days since my last flight, on Royal Air Maroc. So as a longtime flyer and true aviation geek, I was excited for my flight from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) to Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI).

https://thepointsguy.com/news/what-to-do-when-someone-asks-to-sit-next-to-you-on-an-empty-plane/

Coronavirus has hit few sectors harder than air travel, wiping out tens of thousands of jobs and uncountable billions in revenue. While most fleets were grounded, the industry was forced to reimagine its future

by Samanth Subramanian - Tue 29 Sep 2020 01.00 EDT / Last modified on Wed 30 Sep 2020 05.09 EDT

When an airline no longer wants a plane, it is sent away to a boneyard, a storage facility where it sits outdoors on a paved lot, wingtip to wingtip with other unwanted planes. From the air, the planes look like the bleached remains of some long-forgotten skeleton. Europe’s biggest boneyard is built on the site of a late-30s airfield in Teruel, in eastern Spain, where the dry climate is kind to metallic airframes. Many planes are here for short-term storage, biding their time while they change owners or undergo maintenance. If their future is less clear, they enter long-term storage. Sometimes a plane’s limbo ends when it is taken apart, its body rendered efficiently down into spare parts and recycled metal.

In February, Patrick Lecer, the CEO of Tarmac Aerosave, the company that owns the Teruel boneyard and three others in France, had one eye cocked towards China. Lecer has been in aviation long enough to remember flights being grounded during the Sars epidemic in 2003. This year, when the coronavirus spread beyond Asia, he knew what was coming. “We started making space in our sites, playing Tetris with the aircraft to free up two or three or four more spaces in each,” he told me.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/29/inside-the-airline-industry-meltdown-coronavirus-pandemic

Howard Slutsken, CNN • Updated 1st December 2020

(CNN) — The team at Jet Test and Transport runs a global airline – but the planes fly on a one-way trip without passengers or cargo.

They are experts in ferry flights, moving empty aircraft around the world.

In the age of Covid-19, with airlines parking and shedding jets, co-founder Steve Giordano and his pilot partners are some of the busiest guys in the sky.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/ferry-flights-jet-test-transport/index.html

The complex history of a simple safety device.

By Jan Bridgeford-Smith, Air & Space Magazine - August 2021

Charles N. Monteith, chief engineer at Boeing Airplane Company, was upbeat when he gave his presentation at the May 1929 aeronautical meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He suggested that airplane passenger cabins would soon afford the same amenities as rail travel. Parlor-car comfort, Pullman style, was the aesthetic aircraft designers hoped to emulate.

With prophetic certainty, Monteith proclaimed that “…sleeping compartment, smoking rooms, an observation platform and arrangements for serving meals” would soon be standard features in commercial air travel. The engineer assured his audience that safety was also at the top of Boeing’s agenda. Parachutes—once contemplated for passengers—were rejected, the proposal nixed by American and European carriers. “As for safety belts,” he said, “British and Dutch opinion is against their installation. Most of the transports operating in the United States today do not provide belts for the passengers, but it is being demonstrated rapidly that they are sometimes very necessary.”

https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/how-airline-industry-got-wise-seat-belts-180978271/

Dario Leone - Oct 4 2021

A pilot is usually fired either before or after a flight, even if there is a third pilot on board (for rest breaks) to fill the seat.

‘A pilot is usually fired either before or after a flight, even if there is a third pilot on board (for rest breaks) to fill the seat,’ Corey Hawke, L-1011 TriStar pilot says on Quora.

‘Anyway, I was on a red eye [In commercial aviation, a red-eye flight is a flight scheduled to depart at night and arrive the next morning. The term “red-eye” derives from the symptom of having red eyes, which can be caused by fatigue.] from Ankara to NYC via Athens. The flight was run by a small company that only ran two Lockheed L-1011 TriStars back and forth on the same run between Athens and NYC.

‘On the way over the plane had been slam packed and was literally half full of young students screaming and yelling. It was like Animal House only in the air and with no Belushi. To this day it still ranks as one of the most miserable airline flights I have even been on… I felt sorry for the clean-up crew.’

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/l-1011-tristar-pilot-tells-the-story-of-when-he-and-his-entire-crew-were-fired-with-no-notice-in-the-middle-of-a-transatlantic-flight/

November 5, 2018 - travelstatsman

I like to board last. I’ve never understood the appeal of being on the plane any longer than I need too (I’m yet to travel in business class).

A lot of my travel is international, and it often involves flying on the giants of the sky, including Boeing 747s (not for much longer) and the huge Airbus A380.

As I waited to board an A380 on a trip to San Francisco from London this year I did some back of the napkin (literally) calculations at the departure gate. Assuming the 469 seats on the flight were occupied sold at the approximate cost I paid for the ticket ($1000), equals a potential ticket revenue for that flight of $469,000 for the airline. Bear in mind, it is estimated an A380 costs between $26,000 – $29,000 per hour to operate (and the flight is almost 12 hours)!

https://www.travelstatsman.com/05112018/the-billion-dollar-airline-routes/

Oriana Pawlyk - Sat, November 20, 2021, 4:01 AM

The wave of airline cancellations that snarled thousands of flights over the past three months did more than strand passengers at airports from Florida to Indiana and points in between.

It also angered lawmakers who had given the airline industry more than $50 billion in pandemic relief money over the last year and a half — based on the carriers’ promise that the cash would help them be ready for travelers' return to the skies. Now Congress is demanding answers about why airlines have been so unprepared for the inevitable upswing in passenger demand, a question with big implications for the holiday travel season that kicks off this weekend.

“There should have been every reason, particularly given the bailout money for the airlines, to prepare for the surge we're seeing now,” Democratic Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s representative in Congress, told POLITICO. “This money was for a very specific purpose.”

https://news.yahoo.com/airlines-got-50b-pandemic-bailout-120154635.html

Feds investigating wild party on Sunwing flight

Federal officials are investigating a Dec. 30 Sunwing flight where Quebec reality stars were seen partying and drinking maskless.

Virginie Ann, The Canadian Press - January 5, 2022 1:46PM EST / Last Updated Wednesday, January 5, 2022 8:22PM EST

MONTREAL - Passengers who filmed themselves partying maskless aboard a chartered Sunwing Airlines flight from Montreal to Mexico last week have become pariahs and now face being stranded after two more airlines announced Wednesday they will not fly them home to Canada.

Following Sunwing's cancellation of the return charter flight from Cancun scheduled for Wednesday, Air Transat and Air Canada both said they will refuse to carry the passengers, who were called “idiots” Wednesday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Air Transat said on Twitter the “disruptive passengers” from the Sunwing flight had been trying to return home on its flights, but they were denied boarding based on the company's obligation to ensure passenger and crew safety.

https://www.cp24.com/news/airlines-won-t-fly-home-quebec-passengers-from-sunwing-party-flight-to-mexico-1.5728747

Airlines claim they're sending thousands of empty flights out in an attempt to maintain market share despite the environmental damage.

Isaac Schultz - 7 January 2022 5:00PM

Few industries have been affected more by the covid-19 pandemic than air travel; with so few people flying for business or pleasure, airlines have taken to flying “ghost flights” to secure their takeoff and landing slots at airports.

Such flights—devoid of passengers but still burning up fuel on their phantom journeys—became a familiar term in the early days of the pandemic, but have remained in the air since covid-19 gripped the world two years ago. Ghost flights are a point of contention in Europe this week, as airlines complained that they’ll be forced to fly more of them as air travel took another dip.

https://gizmodo.com/ghost-flights-are-polluting-the-skies-thanks-to-omicron-1848321733

Stephen Jones - Mon, July 4, 2022 5:15 AM

An airline passenger who was asked to check his luggage into the hold shortly before boarding his flight said it still hadn't arrived 16 days after he landed in Toronto.

The man, who was identified only as Dean, told Canadian news outlet CP24 on Saturday that he landed at Toronto Pearson International airport on June 17 after flying from Calgary. He said he was asked to check his bag in at the last minute.

After landing at 12.30 a.m., he waited three hours for his bag to show up, and when it didn't, he waited at the customer service desk for a further hour but heard nothing about his missing luggage, per CP24.

Despite returning to the airport three times and making repeated calls to the airline's customer service line, Dean had yet to receive an update on his luggage, per the publication.

https://news.yahoo.com/passenger-said-bag-hadnt-showed-121556472.html

Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday August 06, 2022 03:34PM

1,975 flights were cancelled in the U.S. today. 2,919 flights were cancelled Friday. And 28,118 more flights were at least delayed. That's according to the flight tracking site FlightAware, which also showed another 1,248 flights cancelled Thursday, according to CNN.

They note that America's “massive flight cancellations” started Thursday when “thunderstorms pounded major airports on the East Coast.”

Southwest Airlines canceled 370 flights, or 9% of its Thursday schedule. Southwest delayed another 1,800 flights, 46% of its Thursday schedule. “We are working through a variety of weather-related challenges that are affecting a number of our larger operations across the country this week,” Southwest Airlines said in a statement on Friday…

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/22/08/06/2231248/us-airlines-are-cancelling-thousands-of-flights

The mystery of cabin crew language

Patricia Green - 20 September 2022

As cabin crew we tend to shorten a lot of words, some are very technical and some just have become part of our everyday language. It's just how we speak and understand each other. Of course not all terms are the same worldwide and have their own differences. Technical words are mostly the same no matter what part of the world or what airline.

https://simpleflying.com/cabin-crew-another-10-phrases/

Johnny Jet - September 23, 2022

If you love lists, then you will be interested to know that today, Skytrax, a UK-based airline and airport ranking site, just released the World’s Top 10 Airlines of 2022.

According to CNN, Skytrax “conducted more than 14 million customer surveys in more than 100 countries between September 2021 to August 2022 to find out the world’s current favorite airline.”

Skytrax’s website says they’ve been doing the World Airline Awards since 1999 and it’s based on their customer satisfaction survey. “It is not restricted to member airlines or a pre-selected choice of airline, and any airline in the world can be nominated. There are no survey entry fees, no payment to attend the awards event, and no charges for any use of the award logos and results by winning airlines.”

https://www.johnnyjet.com/the-worlds-best-airlines-were-just-announced-and-not-a-single-us-carrier-made-the-list/

robomartin - 16 April 2023

Every time I fly I see the same problem. Planes are boarded front-to-back. You always get a “traffic jam” of passengers stowing their gear and waiting for others to sit down and get out of the way.

If they boarded staring from the rear, this should be mitigated to a large extent.

This seems common sense. Why don’t they do it? There must be a reason.

They could board first and business class and then reverse board.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35591781

Posted by msmash on Monday July 17, 2023 07:40AM

Passengers have flooded the FAA with complaints about narrow seats and scant legroom. From a report:

Passengers have been sounding off for years about airline seating – no legroom, thin cushions, too narrow. Now politicians are listening. A bill introduced in Congress last month to update aircraft evacuation standards would compel federal regulators to study seat sizes and spacing. Tito Echeverria, who used to travel frequently as a plant manager for a manufacturing company, has had too many awkward interactions with other squished travelers. “You end up having to consistently rub legs with someone, even though you're not really trying to,” said Echeverria, 32, from Ontario, Calif. “You're just freaking there next to them.”

https://news.slashdot.org/story/23/07/17/1136218/can-airline-seating-get-any-worse-a-new-form-of-torture-chamber

Check out the best and worst airlines to book for your next vacation as Summer 2023 shapes up to be one of the biggest years for travel.

Nikki Main - 28 July 2023 1:55PM

More Americans plan to travel this year than in 2022, and even as revenge travel has slowed down, and despite inflation, a potential recession, nationwide mass layoffs, and disastrous travel delays, more people are flocking to airports than in recent years.

In fact, an overwhelming 85% of Americans said they planned to travel during the summer, with more than 54% saying they would travel by plane, according to a survey by The Vacationer.

As airline travel continues to surge, a new report published by AirAdvisor revealed which popular airlines flyers should flock to and which ones they might want to avoid. The research looked at nearly one million reviews and more than five million flights to discern the reliability, safety, cost, customer reputation, and other factors that make some airlines better than others.

https://gizmodo.com/top-10-u-s-airlines-ranked-best-to-worst-1850686536

Henrik Pettersson and Marco Chacón, CNN - September 2, 2023

A treasured memory from a flight that started a new life abroad. Tangible proof of how far someone has come from humble beginnings. A perfect book mark. A memento from travels with a loved one. A reminder of a flight turned around on September 11, 2001.

For many travelers, a paper boarding pass from an airline is a lot more than a set of directions to help you get to your airplane seat on time.

Emirates Airlines announced earlier this year that they are getting rid of physical boarding cards for some of their customers, prompting the question of whether other airlines will follow suit. Whether this is the beginning of the end of the physical boarding card is yet to be seen, but the mere idea of it made hundreds of CNN readers write to us to share why they save old boarding passes and the stories behind them.

See how the paper boarding pass has changed over the decades, and read why so many people have saved boarding passes for as long as 50 years.

https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2023/09/travel/paper-boarding-pass-history-emirates-dg/

Global Airlines founder James Asquith has bought four Airbus A380s and has hugely ambitious plans to launch an upmarket transatlantic service, free from the misery of low-cost carriers

Ben Machell - Saturday October 14 2023, 12.01am, The Times

When James Asquith was eight years old, he and his family flew from Gatwick to Orlando on a great big Virgin Atlantic 747. He was excited. He was, in fact, unable to remain in his seat. At some point early in the flight, he unclipped his belt, got up and asked if he could help the cabin crew on their rounds. This was not a common request, but the stewards and stewardesses decided to accommodate this oddly enthusiastic young boy, and so gave him various jobs to do. “I went up and down the plane helping them give out meals and stuff,” he remembers today. By the time they touched down in Florida, the crew were so impressed with his commitment that they all chipped in a few dollars by way of payment, then posed for a group photo with Asquith in the middle. What they perhaps hadn’t noticed was that he had also been helping himself to the cutlery. “I remember taking the little plastic forks and stuff off the plane and hoarding them,” he says, “and thinking, ‘I’ll keep these for when I have an airline one day.’ ”

This was not a sudden whim. Asquith was a child who had become fixated with the idea of running his own airline. “It was the ultimate ambition,” he says, without self-consciousness. He knew exactly what it would be called — “Global Airlines” — and he would absently jot these two words on his school books or turn them over and over in his mind, mouthing them like a mantra as he imagined all the different Global Airlines routes that would crisscross the planet, the Global Airlines livery, the Global Airlines uniforms and the Global Airlines planes themselves, sleek and huge and regal. It was a fantasy. But Asquith was a child, and that’s what childhood is for. At some point reality would hit, as it always eventually does, and he would put away childish things and move on.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/james-asquith-global-airlines-transatlantic-travel-richard-branson-wkznrzhvw

Everyone wants that upgrade.

Veronika Bondarenko - Nov 14, 2023 10:27 AM EST

Even as airlines try to maximize their route networks and fly more planes closer to full than ever before, many travelers are still hoping old tricks around “asking nicely for an upgrade” will work for them.

Earlier this year, longtime flight attendant Patricia Green wrote a post saying that “can I have an upgrade?” is both the single most frequently asked and annoying question for flight attendants due to their limited ability to help.

Another flight attendant with a commercial airline, 25-year-old Destanie Armstrong became the latest to speak up against such actions on social media platform TiKTok.

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/flight-attendant-get-into-first-class

Packing for a flight? See where your airline falls in this hall of shame.

Thomas Germain - 21 November 2023 11:00AM

You’re not imagining things: air travel has gotten a lot worse. No checked bags, less and less legroom, charging for wifi when it costs the airline the same amount whether or not you use it — it’s all part of a strategy that experts call “calculated misery,” where companies make your experience more unpleasant on purpose to encourage paid upgrades.

But even in a generally despised industry, any frequent flier will tell you that some airlines are better than others. We’ve lined up the worst airlines based on the annual Customer Satisfaction Index from Statista, a market research firm that’s been running a survey on airlines since 1995.

https://gizmodo.com/worst-airlines-for-customer-satisfaction-ranked-spirit-1851032385

FlightConnections.com provides an overview of all flight routes worldwide. Find scheduled flights from all airports in the world. Discover airline routes and flight schedules globally. Compare direct flights or connecting flights to find new possibilities. Wherever you want to travel, with our flight finder you will find your best flight route. Find airports, airlines and hotels. Plan your leisure or business trip here!

https://www.flightconnections.com/

Flyers now know the total number of flights removed from all three major New York airports for the summer of 2023, and it affects frequent flyers of American and United the most.

Joe Cortez - April 11, 2023

Travelers flying out of two of New York’s airports and Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C. this summer will have fewer options, as over 11,000 flights will be paused.

TheStreet reports American Airlines and United Airlines made the most cuts between May 1 and September 30, 2023, followed by JetBlue and Delta Air Lines.

https://www.flyertalk.com/articles/over-11000-flights-cut-from-new-york-and-washington-schedules-for-summer-2023.html

CNBC - Jun 6, 2023

With the demand for converting retired passenger planes into cargo haulers surging, this lucrative trend allows these older jets to serve a new mission, transporting goods ranging from produce to pharmaceuticals worldwide. Despite the high cost of over $30 million per plane, the business of converting planes remains in high demand, with conversion slots sold out for several years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FDznXX-F7w

How to decipher the language of cabin crew

Patricia Green - Jul 10, 2022

As a passenger, during a flight you might hear the cabin crew using words that you don't understand or know. Time to decipher the language of cabin crew.

https://simpleflying.com/another-language-altogether-10-phrases-only-cabin-crew-know/

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Patrick Smith, a commercial-airline pilot, the creator of “Ask The Pilot” and author of “Cockpit Confidential.” It has been edited for length and clarity.

Claire Turrell - Aug 31, 2022, 9:39 AM

I fly a Boeing 767 across the United States and to Western Europe, Africa, and South America. Flying a plane is something that I've wanted to do since I was a little kid.

I used to spend my weekends watching planes fly in and out of my local airport from the observation deck. I've been a commercial pilot for 30 years now.

https://www.businessinsider.com/airport-travel-chaos-airline-pilot-worst-seen-in-30-years-2022-8

Posted by msmash on Wednesday June 11, 2025 @11:25AM from the closer-look dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report:

A data broker owned by the country's major airlines, including Delta, American Airlines, and United, collected U.S. travellers' domestic flight records, sold access to them to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and then as part of the contract told CBP to not reveal where the data came from, according to internal CBP documents obtained by 404 Media. The data includes passenger names, their full flight itineraries, and financial details.

CBP, a part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), says it needs this data to support state and local police to track people of interest's air travel across the country, in a purchase that has alarmed civil liberties experts. The documents reveal for the first time in detail why at least one part of DHS purchased such information, and comes after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detailed its own purchase of the data. The documents also show for the first time that the data broker, called the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), tells government agencies not to mention where it sourced the flight data from.

“The big airlines – through a shady data broker that they own called ARC – are selling the government bulk access to Americans' sensitive information, revealing where they fly and the credit card they used,” Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement. ARC is owned and operated by at least eight major U.S. airlines, other publicly released documents show. The company's board of directors include representatives from Delta, Southwest, United, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, and European airlines Lufthansa and Air France, and Canada's Air Canada. More than 240 airlines depend on ARC for ticket settlement services.

https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/06/11/1825215/airlines-dont-want-you-to-know-they-sold-your-flight-data-to-dhs

August 17, 2022 - Beat of Hawaii

We are grateful for the tips received from our savvy, loyal readers. One person tipped us off to a flight diversion we had not seen and have since confirmed, and this time it was onboard bellwether Hawaiian Airlines. Tallying the mid-Pacific flight diversions in the past three weeks, it goes like this. There were 7 mid-Pacific diversions in three weeks and 5 in just about one week alone.

Hawaiian Airlines had a flight diversion on July 22 onboard flight 57 from San Diego to Maui. The plane, an Airbus A321neo, departed on time at 10:25 AM. Something happened that caused the pilot to turn the plane back to the mainland for an expected landing at LAX. Commentor Shan M. reported, “Flight HA57 from San Diego departed, and 2 hours later we turned around and landed at LAX. We spent the night in Los Angeles and flew out the next day. They didn’t give much information other than “airplane issues.”

https://beatofhawaii.com/hawaiian-joins-mid-air-diversions-now-7-in-three-weeks/

Suzanne Blake - 14:04 ET, Sep 11 2023 / Updated 16:08 ET, Sep 11 2023

PASSENGERS have been disappointed to know they might be facing an extra surcharge the next time they book a flight from American Airlines.

Millions of people book their flights for personal or business travel every year, and many of them do it via third-party sites like Expedia.

However, a potential danger rests in booking from a third party – while you might initially earn savings on tickets, you could end up with a hefty surcharge.

A couple traveling to their home in Pennsylvania from the Jacksonville International Airport recently told local station News4Jax they were shocked to learn they would earn an extra $50 surcharge — all for speaking to an American Airlines agent.

The reason? They had originally booked their flight through a third-party site.

https://www.the-sun.com/money/9061257/american-airlines-third-party-website-surcharge/

They make more money from mileage programs than from flying planes—and it shows.

Ganesh Sitaraman - September 21, 2023, 7 AM ET

Last week, Delta Air Lines announced changes to its SkyMiles program that will make accruing status and taking advantage of perks much harder. Instead of relying on a combination of dollars spent and miles traveled in the air, Delta will grant status based on a single metric—dollars spent—and raise the amount of spending required to get it. In short, SkyMiles is no longer a frequent-flier program; it’s a big-spender program. These changes are so drastic that one of the reporters at the preeminent travel-rewards website The Points Guy declared that he’s going to “stop chasing airline status.”

When even the points insiders are sick of playing the mileage game, something has clearly gone wrong. In fact, frequent-flier programs are a symptom of a much deeper rot in the American air-travel industry. And although getting mad at airlines is perfectly reasonable, the blame ultimately lies with Congress.

From the late 1930s through the ’70s, the federal government regulated airlines as a public utility. The Civil Aeronautics Board decided which airlines could fly what routes and how much they could charge. It aimed to set prices that were fair for travelers and that would provide airlines with a modest profit. Then, in 1978, Congress passed a sweeping law deregulating the airline industry and ultimately abolishing the CAB. Unleashed from regulation, airlines devised new tactics to capture the market. American Airlines was one of the most aggressive. In the lead-up to the deregulation bills, it created discount “super saver” fares to sell off the final few remaining seats on planes. That meant cheap prices for last-minute travelers and more revenue for American, because the planes were going to take off whether or not the seat was filled. But these fares upset business travelers, who tended to buy tickets further in advance for higher prices. So in 1981, American developed AAdvantage, its frequent-flier program, to give them additional benefits. Other airlines followed suit.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/airlines-banks-mileage-programs/675374/

Russell Falcon - Oct 21, 2023 10:00 AM CDT / Updated Oct 21, 2023 10:30 AM CDT

(NEXSTAR) — Watch any old movie where the characters take a flight and it looks like a glamorous getaway in-and-of-itself — but the days of comfort in the skies are long gone for most of us. And it may not surprise you to know that air travel these days is designed to be less comfortable.

Have you ever heard of “calculated misery“? It’s the theory behind what we all know deep down: airlines want us to be miserable so we pay more for upgrades.

The idea was first distilled in this way back in 2014 by Columbia Law School professor Tim Wu for the New Yorker.

“Here’s the thing: in order for fees to work, there needs be something worth paying to avoid. That necessitates, at some level, a strategy that can be described as “calculated misery.” Basic service, without fees, must be sufficiently degraded in order to make people want to pay to escape it,” Wu writes. “And that’s where the suffering begins.”

Wu explains that under calculated misery, services or features that were once expected (think of leg room) are made worsened (leg room is reduced as rows are moved closer together). Want a little more leg room? You’ll likely need to upgrade your airfare to business or first class or even ordinary coach seats with added leg room.

https://wgntv.com/news/calculated-misery-heres-why-airlines-want-you-to-be-uncomfortable/

The USDOT final rule also applies to checked bag fees and charges for inflight WiFi

Ryan Erik King, Jalopnik - 24 April 2024

The Department of Transportation announced a final rule mandating that airlines automatically give cash refunds to passengers and inform passengers of their right to a refund on Wednesday. The policy change highlights the Biden Administration’s continued hardline support of consumer rights in the skies. The USDOT forced airlines to pay out over $600 million in refunds in 2022. The agency also levied a record $140 million fine against Southwest for its 2022 holiday season meltdown.

The final rule requires any airline to provide an automatic refund for canceled or significantly changed flights within seven days for credit card payments and within 20 days for other forms of payment. This stipulation also applies to checked bag fees and charges for ancillary services like inflight WiFi.

It’s important to note that the refund is only required if the passenger rejects or isn’t offered alternative transportation or compensation, like credits for another flight. Airlines have to inform customers of their right to a refund, but people wanting refunds will have to be knowledgeable enough to turn down alternatives.

https://gizmodo.com/airlines-will-now-have-to-give-you-cash-when-they-screw-1851433533

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the new rules Wednesday.

Ayesha Ali, Sam Sweeney, and Sarah Beth Hensley - April 24, 2024, 8:06 AM

Good news for airline travelers: the Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced it is rolling out new rules that will require airlines to automatically give cash refunds to passengers for canceled and significantly delayed flights.

“This is a big day for America's flying public,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at a Wednesday morning news conference. Buttigieg said the new rules – which require prompt refunds – are the biggest expansion of passenger rights in the department's history.

Airlines can no longer decide how long a delay must be before a refund is issued. Under the new DOT rules, the delays covered would be more than three hours for domestic flights and more than six hours for international flights, the agency said.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/airlines-give-automatic-refunds-canceled-flights-delayed-3/story?id=109573733

The DOT cracks down on airlines over their refund policies

Olivia Harden - April 24, 2024

Air travel passengers might not have to suffer from jumping through hoops to receive a refund if an airline cancels a flight.

The Biden administration and the Department of Transportation announced Wednesday a new policy that streamlines the air travel system by requiring airlines to provide automatic cash refunds for flight cancellations, significant delays and other travel inconveniences caused by an airline.

The policy shift comes after the DOT began investigating how airlines reimburse passengers for delays and cancellations in the years following the start of the pandemic. Frontier Airlines, for instance, was issued a $2.2 million penalty in 2022 after the DOT determined the airline failed to provide customers with timely refunds for flights that Frontier had significantly changed.

Under the new policy, for significantly altered flights, airlines must issue full refunds within seven business days for credit card purchases or 20 calendar days for purchases via other payment methods.

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/dot-new-rule-for-airline-refund-policies-19420634.php

May 29, 2025 - Kyle Potter

Yesterday, we discovered that Delta was charging solo and business travelers higher fares per ticket than when booking for two or more passengers. But it turns out that pricing quirk goes far beyond just Delta.

Since we published that story, we've searched through hundreds of fares and found plenty of examples that prove it: All three of the country's largest carriers (American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta) are penalizing solo travelers with higher ticket prices than you can book when traveling with a group – sometimes, significantly higher.

Our Thrifty Traveler Premium team of flight deal analysts search hundreds of routes each day and has confirmed that while it's not exactly widespread – you won't see it on each and every route – it's real and undeniable. And while it's unclear how long this pricing tactic has been utilized, it doesn't really matter: Whether it's been just days, months, or even years, it's something that few everyday travelers may realize is happening … or how much it might be costing them.

For example, a search for one passenger flying United from its Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) hub to nearby Peoria (PIA) next month yields a $269 one-way fare.

https://thriftytraveler.com/news/airlines/airlines-charging-solo-travelers-higher-fares/

Posted by msmash on Friday May 30, 2025 09:13AM

The three largest U.S. airlines are charging solo travelers higher fares than passengers booking for two or more people on select domestic routes, a pricing strategy analysts believe targets business travelers, according to fare analysis by travel publication Thrifty Traveler.

American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines implement the practice by opening different fare categories based on passenger count. United charges $269 for a solo traveler flying from Chicago O'Hare to Peoria, while two passengers pay $181 each for identical seats. American's Charlotte-to-Fort Myers route costs solo travelers $422 versus $266 per person for pairs.

The airlines appear to be “segmenting” customers by charging business travelers paying with corporate cards more while offering better deals to families booking together. Solo travelers are more likely to be business flyers using employer funds and “less likely to care about paying another $80 or more,” according to the analysis.

https://slashdot.org/story/25/05/30/1614212/us-airlines-are-quietly-hitting-solo-and-business-travelers-with-higher-fares

Why were in-flight meals so much better in the past?

Diana Hubbell - May 8, 2023

We were 30,000 feet above Utah when I found myself wondering, What the hell happened here? After four hours or so up in the sky, I had cracked and handed over my credit card to purchase food. The “snack pack” that arrived verged on parody: a dozen almonds, a shriveled turkey jerky stick, a bizarre hybrid between a granola bar and a cookie.

Airline food has long been a subject of ridicule, but as of late, it’s gotten downright depressing—especially within the continental United States. From desiccated chicken in questionable cream sauce to pasta lightyears past al dente, I’ve lost track of the number of tragic, bland meals I’ve picked at while flying over the years.

In fairness to the chefs who engineer these meals, the deck is stacked against them. Our ability to taste sweet and salty flavors drops by around 20 percent while flying. And even though airline meals tend to add extra sodium to compensate, it can still feel like you’re eating with your taste buds on mute.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/airline-food-history

Gary Leff - March 12, 2024

Airline deregulation in the United States didn’t mean that airlines were no longer regulated. In fact airlines are one of the most heavily regulated businesses in the country. Instead what it meant was that the government would no longer be the one to decide which routes airlines could fly, and what prices they had to charge.

The Civil Aeronautics Board focused on eliminating ‘ruinous’ competition and ensuring prices were high enough, and competition limited enough, that airlines could earn a consistent profit.

However when you set prices high, airlines compete for customer business in other ways. Each ticket was lucrative, so they’d spend money on customers – for instance on service and food and beverage – to attract more ticket sales.

Airlines also colluded to limit inflight drink service. U.S. airlines entered into an agreement not to serve customers more than two drinks back in 1956, but the agreement fell apart in 1971 as carriers competed for business.

The CAB actually discussed whether they needed to regulate the thickness of sandwiches on board, because airlines were getting too competitive on food. They were charging high prices for tickets, but spending that money right back on the customer – and the government meant to stop it.

https://viewfromthewing.com/airlines-colluded-bad-food/

Leo Collis - Sun, October 1, 2023 at 3:00 PM PDT

In August, the Guardian reported that Qatar Airways was flying 354-seater planes between Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia despite having little to no passengers on board.

According to the publication, the airline was exploiting a loophole in Australia’s aviation laws, enabling it to make extra flights to Australia by registering its take-off and landing location in one city but flying initially to another.

https://news.yahoo.com/major-airline-faces-backlash-using-220000546.html

After years of bad service and cancelations, finally airlines got pushed back. Secretary Pete Buttigieg and President Joe Biden imposed new rules on the industry. And got Congress to go along.

Matt Stoller - May 11, 2024

Today’s piece is about how airline lobbyists were soundly thrashed in a fight over whether and how to offer refunds for flights that are canceled. While you would think something so simple would have been fixed long ago, it turns out that airlines have been stiffing people, on the order of potentially tens of billions, for years. Finally, this week, they lost, and Congress, yes, the dysfunctional body everyone hates, passed a law mandating that airlines give automatic refunds when your flight is canceled and you aren’t rebooked.

But it’s how the airlines lost that matters, because their loss implies that it is in fact possible to govern. The dispute represents, in miniature, the broader rethink of regulating corporations in America going on right now. You won’t hear this kind of good news most places, because we’re so inured to imagining politics can’t work. But it can. And it just did.

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/how-airline-lobbyists-just-got-humiliated

Gary Leff - September 20, 2025

Frequent flyer loyalty is a promise that if you stick with one airline, they’re going to treat you better on your future flights. You ‘build up’ status, and benefit most elite flyers cherish is the upgrade. In the U.S., if the airline doesn’t sell first class seats they say they’ll hand those out to passengers in the order of their status… starting several days prior to departure.

For years this was a consistent benefit that flyers could count on, and it kept them loyal – buying less convenient flight schedules, connections instead of non-stops, and paying more for tickets to stick with their preferred airline. But the upgrade benefit has become a mirage.

Here’s one American Airlines passenger complaining that their status only gets them upgrades “5-10%” of the time, and they’re frustrated because there are of open first class seats for a flight they’re about to board – more empty first class seats than there are elite flyers hoping to upgrade, even – and the airline hasn’t awarded any yet.

https://viewfromthewing.com/30000-in-loyalty-still-stuck-in-coach-airlines-now-sell-first-class-to-once-a-year-flyers-for-40/

Posted by msmash on Wednesday March 06, 2024 07:28AM

Carriers have gotten stricter about how many items you can take on board, no matter how small they are. From a report:

Fanny packs. Cross-body bags. Shopping bags. Pillows and blankets. The Southwest Airlines gate agent rattled off so many items that counted toward the two carry-on bag limit on my flight to Baltimore, I thought it might be a playful jab at Spirit and Frontier and their rigid carry-on policing to collect more fees. But this was no joke. Southwest quietly began cracking down on carry-on bags on Feb. 22, ahead of the spring and summer travel rush, advising gate agents of the changes in a memo. This crackdown isn't about bag size. It is about how many bags you have.

https://slashdot.org/story/24/03/06/1528238/airlines-are-coming-for-your-carry-ons

A live ranking of airlines by how much luggage they are losing right now

by @levelsio and part of Airline List - Updated 30 June 2024 (from 1,296 live sources)

https://luggagelosers.com/

Don't panic — your airline must still get you to your final destination, and you may come away with a reasonable compensation package.

Stefanie Waldek - December 2, 2023

Imagine this: You arrive at the airport, ready to kick off your vacation — but not so fast. You’re now being told your flight is overbooked, and you can’t get on the plane. What gives?

As surprising as it may seem, flight overbooking is extremely common in the U.S. Most airlines sell more tickets for a flight than there are available seats on the aircraft because they anticipate some passengers may cancel their reservations, miss their flights, or change their travel plans at the last minute. By overbooking, airlines aim to maximize their revenue and fill as many seats as possible on each flight, thus increasing profitability.

While overbooking can be financially beneficial for airlines, it can also lead to situations where there are more passengers with valid reservations than there are seats on the plane. In such cases, airlines must ask for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for compensation, which can include things like meal vouchers, cash, or credit for a future flight. If there are not enough volunteers, airlines may involuntarily deny boarding to some passengers. Of course, this usually leads to angry passengers, but it can also result in compensation for those passengers and/or legal issues for the airline if they don't follow federal regulations.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/what-to-do-if-your-flight-is-overbooked-8409858

Gary Leff - August 4, 2024

Two flights in a row an American Airlines passenger found that overhead bins were virtually empty yet people were being required to gate check their carry-on bags. They weren’t allowed to bring their bags onto the plane, even though there was plenty of space.

This is one of the most frequent complaints about airlines I see in social media, day after day, alongside damaged checked bags. Those two complaints are related! Who wants to waste time at baggage claim when they land, only to find their bags lost or damaged?

Yet airlines don’t take advantage of the space they have in the cabin to accommodate their customers. Here’s why that happens.

You’re allowed to carry bags onto the plane – but only if there’s enough space on board. That’s the main reason it’s better to board planes early, rather than being last onto the plane. Priority boarding is a benefit to ensure you get access to overhead space. Otherwise you wouldn’t want to spend more time on board the aircraft than you have to.

https://viewfromthewing.com/airline-outrage-why-passengers-keep-getting-forced-to-gate-check-bags-when-overhead-bins-are-empty/

Posted by msmash on Thursday December 26, 2024 03:02AM

Airports are facing a growing nuisance as travelers increasingly watch videos and take calls on speakerphone without headphones, creating tension among passengers at gates and lounges (https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/flying-was-already-the-worst-then-america-stopped-using-headphones/ar-AA1wuzpU).

Flight attendants at American Airlines, Alaska Air, and Delta have begun addressing the issue through announcements and website notices, though enforcement remains challenging, WSJ reports. Passengers report confrontations rarely end well, with offenders often dismissive or hostile when asked to use headphones. The story adds:

The headphones-optional attitude isn't limited to air travel. Podcasts and sports games blare in open-plan offices. You can catch snippets of conversations on the sidewalk, some phones held aloft for video calls. Transit authorities in big cities have struggled to get passengers to keep their music to themselves on subways and commuter trains.

Witnesses say offenders span the generational and socioeconomic spectrum, from grandparents on speakerphone to toddlers on iPads and from first class to coach.

Air travel already overloads the senses with a cacophony of boarding announcements, beeping vehicles and crying babies. U.S. airlines generally don't allow voice and video calls in the air. But by takeoff, the damage has been done.

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/26/0912215/flying-was-already-the-worst-then-america-stopped-using-headphones

Robert Jackman - Mon, April 21, 2025 at 8:54 AM PDT

Telegraph readers are a conscientious bunch, so I wasn’t surprised to see that, when we recently invited questions to put to a flight attendant, one correspondent asked for her tips on how to be the “ideal passenger”.

It turns out our reader isn’t alone. If you search online, you’ll find dozens of suggestions and guides from flight attendants about how to be the perfect passenger, with plenty of replies from members of the public. All of which gave me an idea: what would happen if I put those tips into practice on my next flight?

Like most people, I certainly don’t think of myself as a bad passenger. Even when I’ve been lucky enough to fly in premium cabins, I’ve never taken it as a license to be extra demanding. But have I ever sat down to think about how I can make an eight-hour flight easier on those in charge of serving me? I confess that I have not.

My social experiment started at 7:00am in the Hudson concession store at JFK airport. I’d read from more than one flight attendant that one of the best ways to endear yourself to the staff on a flight is to present them with a box of chocolates and tell them that you appreciate what they do.

It seemed a very American gesture, admittedly, but would that be a problem on a British Airways flight? The cabin crew seemed pleased to receive my offering – three cinema-style packets of sickly Hershey’s chocolates. As expected, it didn’t bag me an instant upgrade or an extra champagne, but it did make for a more pleasant interaction as I shuffled towards the economy cabin.

After take-off, I got the chance to try other tips provided by a flight attendant. Top of the list was to try to make the trolley service as painless as possible, by making my order as quick and concise as I could. That way the cabin crew wouldn’t have to test their patience asking various follow-up questions.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/perfect-plane-passenger-down-giving-155456144.html

Video

A new proposed bill could soon force airlines to give customers a full cash refund.

Artem Golub and Passant Rabie - 3 August 2022

https://gizmodo.com/you-could-soon-get-cash-back-for-your-canceled-flight-1849368471

A proposed bill would require airlines to give customers a full refund for cancellations or significant delays.

Passant Rabie - 3 August 2022 10:35AM

It’s been a messy season for airline travel, with thousands of flights getting canceled or delayed this year. In response to all the chaos, a new proposed bill could soon force airlines to give customers a full refund for their canceled or delayed flights.

The bill, under the name Cash Refunds for Flight Cancellations, aims to codify a rule that offers customers a full cash refund for flights that have been canceled or significantly delayed with less than 48 hours notice, according to a press release published by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, on Monday. “While federal law requires airlines to provide cash refunds when they cancel a flight, most airlines only offer to rebook passengers or provide a voucher as the default option instead, forcing customers to jump through hoops to claim their rightful refund,” the release reads. Instead, the bill would give customers an enforceable right to a full cash refund for flights canceled by the airline.

https://gizmodo.com/airlines-canceled-flight-refund-1849364651

A trade group representing major airlines claims the government's request will raise the cost of travel and cause confusion.

Channing Reid - 23 October 2022

The United States Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposed plan to update its airline customer service dashboard is facing opposition from major US carriers. The dashboard, which was rolled out last month, showcases new customer service commitments made by airlines after a slew of delays and cancelations this year.

In its recent effort to decrease the number of flight issues and hold airlines accountable, the DOT is pushing carriers into providing additional incentives to impacted passengers.

The bureau has reportedly asked in emails to major airlines whether they would voluntarily provide travel vouchers, additional frequent flyer miles, or compensation up to $100 if the airline is liable for a delay that is three hours or longer. Carriers have also been urged to book passengers on non-partner airlines and provide compensation for a canceled flight that resulted in at least a three-hour delay.

https://simpleflying.com/us-carriers-dot-delay-compensation-push/

05 Jan 2022 08:54 - The Bulletin

Brussels Airlines has operated 3,000 empty or near-empty flights this winter to avoid losing take-off and landing rights at major airports, it has been revealed.

The airline's parent company, Lufthansa, operated 18,000 flights this winter that would otherwise have been cancelled due to lack of passengers, including 3,000 flights under the Brussels Airlines banner, reports Le Soir and RTBF.

The news has prompted the Belgian federal government to write to the European Commission, urging it to rethink the rules on securing slots.

Before the pandemic hit, the rule was that airlines must operate flights in at least 80% of their scheduled take-off and landing slots, or they risked losing them.

https://www.thebulletin.be/brussels-airlines-makes-3000-unnecessary-flights-maintain-airport-slots

Giovanni De Luca, 19, was charged with two counts of grand theft after authorities recovered the stolen items from his home, authorities in Florida said.

Aug. 17, 2022, 11:12 AM PDT - Elisha Fieldstadt

An Apple AirTag led to the arrest of an airline subcontractor accused of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of items from luggage at a Florida airport.

Giovanni De Luca, 19, was charged with two counts of grand theft after authorities recovered the stolen items from his home, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release last week.

Authorities said a traveler reported last month that her luggage never made it to her destination. The items inside were worth about $1,600.

She said an Apple AirTag, a tracking device that triggers alerts on iPhones, iPads and Apple computers, had been in her luggage and showed that it was on Kathy Court in Mary Esther, about 50 miles east of Pensacola.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/airtag-leads-arrest-airline-worker-accused-stealing-least-15000-items-rcna43547

ADAM SCHUPAK - 5 August 2023

It has been one and a half years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since the onset of the war, many sanctions have been placed on Russia, including on the country's aviation industry. Many parts in (western made) Russian passenger aircraft that would normally be easily replaced are rapidly wearing out with no replacement parts in sight due to the import of spare aircraft parts from Boeing and Airbus being banned since March 2022.

Due to the aforementioned sanctions, Russian flag carrier Aeroflot is experiencing problems replacing worn-out brakes on “foreign” (non-Russian-made) aircraft.

https://aeroxplorer.com/articles/aeroflot-deactivates-brakes-on-nine-aircraft-relies-solely-on-reverse-thrust.php

Airline tried arguing virtual assistant was solely responsible for its own actions

Katyanna Quach - Thu 15 Feb 2024 21:50 UTC

Air Canada must pay a passenger hundreds of dollars in damages after its online chatbot gave the guy wrong information before he booked a flight.

Jake Moffatt took the airline to a small-claims tribunal after the biz refused to refund him for flights he booked from Vancouver to Toronto following the death of his grandmother in November last year. Before he bought the tickets, he researched Air Canada's bereavement fares – special low rates for those traveling due to the loss of an immediate family member – by querying its website chatbot.

The virtual assistant told him that if he purchased a normal-price ticket he would have up to 90 days to claim back a bereavement discount. Following that advice, Moffatt booked a one-way CA$794.98 ticket to Toronto, presumably to attend the funeral or be with family, and later an CA$845.38 flight back to Vancouver.

He also spoke to an Air Canada representative who confirmed he would be able to get a bereavement discount on his flights and that he should expect to pay roughly $380 to get to Toronto and back. Crucially, the rep didn't say anything about being able to claim the discount as money back after purchasing a ticket.

https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/15/air_canada_chatbot_fine/

The airline tried to argue that it shouldn't be liable for anything its chatbot says.

Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica - Feb 17, 2024 12:12 PM

After months of resisting, Air Canada was forced to give a partial refund to a grieving passenger who was misled by an airline chatbot inaccurately explaining the airline's bereavement travel policy.

On the day Jake Moffatt's grandmother died, Moffat immediately visited Air Canada's website to book a flight from Vancouver to Toronto. Unsure of how Air Canada's bereavement rates worked, Moffatt asked Air Canada's chatbot to explain.

The chatbot provided inaccurate information, encouraging Moffatt to book a flight immediately and then request a refund within 90 days. In reality, Air Canada's policy explicitly stated that the airline will not provide refunds for bereavement travel after the flight is booked. Moffatt dutifully attempted to follow the chatbot's advice and request a refund but was shocked that the request was rejected.

https://www.wired.com/story/air-canada-chatbot-refund-policy/

22 January 2023

After months of tracking their lost luggage with an AirTag and trying to retrieve their belongings, one couple was stunned to learn that Air Canada had allegedly donated their suitcase to a charity.

Nakita Rees, a dancer, choreographer, and athletic therapist from Ontario, took to TikTok to describe their ordeal after returning from their honeymoon in Greece.

After landing in Montreal, Rees said they had to recheck their bags for their flight to Toronto. After arriving at Toronto Pearson Airport, she said, “My bag made it back; my husband’s did not.”

They filled out a lost bag report and checked their AirTag tracker, which showed that the bag was still in Montreal, where it sat for four weeks.

“We were a little frustrated but weren’t upset,” she said.

As they saw their bag being transported from Montreal to Etobicoke, they said they were “pumped,” assuming their bag was headed for a storage facility.

https://www.blogto.com/travel/2023/01/ontario-couple-tracking-lost-baggage-shocked-air-canada-gave-it-charity/

Linda Royle says airline initially wouldn't compensate because she can't prove ownership of missing items Elizabeth Whitten - Jul 25, 2025 1:30 AM PDT / Updated July 25, 2025

When Linda Royle opened up her returned carry-on suitcase, she was disgusted to find not only her personal possessions missing, but several items — like two toiletry bags, a ticket scanner and a knife — were now in her bag.

Royle said her suitcase had been waylaid during a stopover at Toronto Pearson International Airport in late March. When it was returned to her, she said she was initially pleased to have her belongings back.

But her relief soon turned to frustration.

“It was shocking, like, I flipped it open and I unzipped the side and I'm there like 'What?'… I couldn't believe it,” Royle told CBC News.

Air Canada initially refused to compensate the Newfoundland woman, but told CBC News in a statement Thursday that it had looked at her case again and would contact Royle to “finalize her claim.”

Royle says hundreds of dollars' worth of shoes, books, medication and clothing were missing, but in their stead were items she didn't own, like two old shaving kits, which included personal hygiene items like nail clippers, small scissors, shaving items, a comb, body wash, floss and toothpaste.

Her carry-on luggage also now included a knife and a man's boarding pass dated April 2020, she said.

There was also a scanner device, similar to the ones airports use to check boarding passes.

“You feel violated,” said Royle. “Somebody … literally picked through all of my personal belongings to see what they wanted.”

She said finding those unwanted items in their place is “bizarre.”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/air-canada-mystery-baggage-1.7592756

'I paid $12,000 so that I wouldn’t have to sit in economy with my baby on my lap for a 17-hour flight.'

Braden Bjella - Sep 18, 2022 / Updated on Sep 18, 2022, 9:56 am CDT

A user on TikTok has gone viral after calling out Air France for putting her family in the economy class after they paid $12,000 for premium seats.

In a video with over 541,000 views, user Eleanor (@dwell_nicely) claims she bought premium seats to accommodate her 6’4” tall husband, their daughter, and, more importantly, their baby. The couple and baby were set to fly from Rio de Janeiro to London via Air France, a trip that requires a layover in Paris and one leg that is over 10 hours long.

“I don’t normally have any problems sitting in economy if I’m traveling by myself, but firstly, I paid $12,000 so that I wouldn’t have to sit in economy with my baby on my lap for a 17-hour flight, or 15 hours—I don’t know. It’s really fucking long,” she says. “My husband doesn’t even fit in the economy seats!”

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/air-france-economy-seats-premium-price/

Derrick Flanagin - July 6, 2023

Missing a connection can turn a routine trip into a real slog.

There’s good news, though. Airlines that operate flights from/within Europe (or from anywhere on an EU carrier) are required by law to get you to your final destination within a specific timeframe. If they don’t, you’re entitled to a good amount of cash thanks to the EU’s passenger protection legislation called EU 261/2004. Outside of the EU; countries like Brazil, Canada, and the UK all have similar laws.

Unfortunately, there is nothing stopping an airline from denying a legit claim. They know you wont chase them down in courts, and there’s no automatic oversight.

https://airdisputes.com/air-france-denied-my-delay-compensation-so-i-challenged-them-and-won/

Julia Buckley, CNN - Updated 7:10 AM EDT, Thu July 6, 2023

Pondering on the cleanliness of airplanes is not something most of us like to think about when flying.

But while you might think your neighbor using a sick bag is as bad as things can get, one man was confronted by bodily fluids of a different kind when he found his feet on an airplane carpet still wet with a previous passenger’s blood and diarrhea.

Habib Battah was flying from Paris to Toronto on Air France on June 30 when he noticed a strange smell coming from the footwell under his and his wife’s seats shortly after takeoff.

“It smelled like manure,” he told CNN.

The pair were traveling on the Boeing 777 with their two cats – each in a separate carrier, in the footwell in front of the couple. They were moving temporarily from Lebanon to the US, where Battah, a Beirut-based journalist, will spend a stint as a university lecturer.

“It was our first time traveling with the cats, and I was thinking, ‘Oh god, they’ve had an accident, I’m so embarrassed.’

https://www.cnn.com/travel/airline-passenger-air-france-blood/index.html

Ian Petchenik - June 9, 2023

On 6 June, Air India flight 173 from New Delhi to San Francisco experienced a problem with one of its engines and diverted to Magadan, Russia. The aircraft landed safely in Magadan at 08:36 UTC, about 90 minutes after diverting off its course to San Francisco. The flight was operated by a Boeing 777-200LR registered VT-ALH. The aircraft is powered by two GE90-115B engines.

Magadan’s Sokol Airport is located 50 kilometres (31 miles) north Magadan proper in Sokol, which has a population of approximately 5,000. Due to the lack of hotels in Sokol, the 216 passengers were sheltered at a local school awaiting a second aircraft.

https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/air-india-russia-diversion/

19th September 2022

Air New Zealand was forced to leave dozens of bags behind on its very first flight from New York JFK to Auckland after a weather system over the eastern seaboard of the United States forced a small reroute that pushed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner close to its limits.

To ensure the four year old aircraft had enough range to fly 14,207 km distance to Auckland, the Aotearoa flag carrier had to offload at least 40 bags from the hold to reduce the overall weight of the aircraft.

Air New Zealand’s flagship flight NZ1 departed New York JFK nearly two hours late on Saturday night and eventually landed at 8:27 am on Monday morning after a flight time of 16 hours and 36 minutes.

The airline first announced its intention to serve the New York area with direct flights from Auckland a couple of years ago but the pandemic quickly put those plans on hold and it wasn’t until March that Air New Zealand finally confirmed it was launching its first ever JFK service.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/09/19/air-new-zealand-forced-to-leave-dozens-of-bags-behind-on-flagship-inaugural-flight-from-new-york-jfk-to-auckland/

Posted by msmash on Tuesday May 30, 2023 11:40AM

New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority is asking that its national airline weigh passengers departing on international flights from Auckland International Airport through July 2, 2023. From a report:

The program, which Air New Zealand calls a passenger weight survey, is a way to gather data on the weight load and distribution for planes, the airline said. “We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft – from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold,” Alastair James, the airline's load control improvement specialist said in a statement. “For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.” Still, weight is a personal thing that not everyone wishes to disclose. In order to protect individuals' privacy, the airline says it has made the data anonymous.

https://news.slashdot.org/story/23/05/30/1739214/air-new-zealand-to-weigh-passengers-before-they-board-the-airplane

Air New Zealand is conducting a survey of 10,000 passengers to understand the overall weight and balance of the plane.

Nikki Main - 31 May 2023

A New Zealand airline is weighing passengers before boarding as part of a month-long survey to gauge the overall weight of the plane. Air New Zealand says it hopes to weigh 10,000 passengers to help pilots better understand the weight and balance of the plane before takeoff.

The weigh-in will be voluntary the airline said in a press release, and will allow Air New Zealand to create better fuel efficiency based on the findings. Airlines have historically implemented a maximum weight permitted for carry-on and checked bags and have taken into account the number of passengers, food and drinks on board, and the fuel needed to get to the destination.

“It’s a regulatory requirement for us to know the weight of everything that goes on the aircraft and there’s a good reason for that,” Alastair James, a load control improvement specialist for the airline said on TODAY. He said in a separate press release that knowing the overall weight of planes during flight is “essential to the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft.”

https://gizmodo.com/air-new-zealand-summer-travel-airlines-weight-1850490750

An aircraft mass properties engineer and an eating disorder therapist weigh in on Air New Zealand's plan

Laura Dobberstein - Wed 31 May 2023 06:29 UTC

Airline travellers are long familiar with having their luggage weighed before boarding a flight – but beginning this week until July 2, Air New Zealand will also be weighing passengers. To be specific, 10,000 international passengers on international flights.

Air New Zealand called the effort a “survey” and explained it is part of a Civil Aviation Authority requirement. It's also completely voluntary.

The airline completed a similar survey in 2021 of domestic passengers, but that was pre-COVID.

“Now that international travel is back up and running, it's time for international flyers to weigh in,” said the airline.

For airlines, weight equals cost, and having accurate weight is important to ensuring there's enough fuel – which of course also adds to the weight.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/31/air_new_zealand_to_get/

21st September 2022

An accessibility rights activist and blogger has claimed that she was forced to drag herself along the aisle of a Boeing 737 jet after cabin crew refused to help her get to the onboard lavatory.

Jennie Berry from Hartlepool is a seasoned traveller who often shares TikTok and Instagram videos of her experiences in everyday situations as a disabled person who is paralysed from the waist down.

In a now-viral video that has already been viewed more than five million times on TikTok, Berry alleged that one of the flight attendants on a recent flight told her that she should wear a nappy rather than being helped to use the lavatory.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/09/21/disabled-passenger-forced-to-drag-herself-along-aisle-as-flight-attendants-looked-on-and-continued-to-sell-snacks/

The device was burned “beyond recognition,” but the passenger helpfully identified it as a Samsung Galaxy A21.

Shoshana Wodinsky - 25 August 2021 12:20PM

Another day, another story of a Samsung phone turning into a ticking time bomb. On Monday, an Alaska Airlines flight was forced to evacuate all 129 passengers after landing at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport after one of those passenger’s phones caught ablaze.

According to one spokesperson for the airline, crew members aboard Flight 751 from New Orleans noticed something was amiss when a passenger’s phone “overheated and began sparking,” while waiting for a gate at the airport on Monday night. He went on to add that the crew was able to use extinguishers and a fire containment bag to stop the phone from belching out too much smoke, but the “hazy” conditions onboard meant they needed to get out using the plane’s inflatable evacuation slides pretty soon after.

https://gizmodo.com/alaska-airlines-flight-forced-to-evacuate-after-passeng-1847554923

Posted by BeauHD on Thursday August 26, 2021 03:00AM

Passengers escaped an Alaska Airlines jet via emergency slides on Monday night after a malfunctioning smartphone filled the cabin with smoke. The Register reports:

The pilot ordered the evacuation of flight 751 from New Orleans to Seattle after someone's cellphone started to spit out sparks and smoke just after landing. As the aircraft was still waiting on the tarmac at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for a gate, the slides were deployed and all 129 passengers and six crew made it out. The errant mobile was also stuffed in a bag to curb its compact conflagration. Two people, we're told, were taken to hospital.

https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/21/08/25/2325219/smoking-smartphone-sparks-emergency-evacuation-of-alaska-airlines-jet-two-taken-to-hospital

April 7, 2022 - Ali Garbino

At the beginning of this month, we let down some of our valued guests by canceling an unusual number of flights. To all of you who were impacted, we are deeply sorry. We put you in a frustrating situation—most likely when you were looking to take a fun trip, family vacation or needed to get somewhere important to you. We must do better. Over the last few days, we looked at how we got here, and are taking action to get back on track. We’re committed to being the airline you love.

Sharing what happened and what we’re doing about it doesn’t fix upended plans, but we value our relationship with our guests, and that means being transparent with you when we fall short.

https://news.alaskaair.com/alaska-airlines/operations/spring-operation-update/

Pocharapon Neammanee - Sat, August 27, 2022 at 8:18 AM

An Alaska Airlines flight going to California was forced to return back to Seattle after reports of an “ unusual” vibration.

Alaska Airlines Flight 558, carrying 176 passengers and six crew members, was forced to divert its flight from Seattle to San Diego on Tuesday after the crew reported an unusual vibration coming from the left side of the plane shortly after taking off, according to reports by 9news.

Passengers on board the flight revealed videos and images of metal ripping off the plane's engine during the emergency landing at Tacoma International Airport in Seattle.

https://www.yahoo.com/now/alaska-air-flight-carrying-176-151857499.html

Reuters - April 17, 20248:56 AM PDT

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - An issue with the system that calculates weight and balance of Alaska Airlines, opens new tab planes, causing all of its flights to be halted on Wednesday morning, has been resolved and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) canceled a ground stop.

The ground stop, which halted all Alaska Airlines departures as well as for Horizon Air, a regional carrier owned by Alaska Air Group, was instituted at approximately 7:50 am PT (1450 GMT), the airline said. It lasted for about an hour.

“This morning we experienced an issue while performing an upgrade to the system that calculates our weight and balance,” the airline said in a statement. Residual flight delayed are expected throughout the day, the airline said.

In a statement earlier, the FAA said the carrier “asked the FAA to pause the airline's mainline departures nationwide.” Shares of Alaska Air Group, which owns the airline, pared gains after the advisory, and were last up 2.6% at 11:51 ET (1551 GMT).

Responding to passenger complaints on social media platform X, the airline said it was working on getting people moving as soon as possible.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-faa-issues-ground-stop-advisory-alaska-airlines-2024-04-17/

The airline announced new changes intended to streamline how passengers navigate the airport lobby. But convenience comes at a price.

Lauren Leffer - 18 April 2023

Alaska Airlines is flying forward into the future. Or, trying to do something like that at least. The company announced a suite of changes, soon to be coming to airport lobbies, in a Tuesday press release.

For one, Alaska Airlines has proclaimed there will be no more check-in kiosks. Instead, customers will have to check in prior to arriving at the airport on their phones, personal computers, or with a gate agent in person. iPads that print bag tags will supplant kiosks. This transition will be complete at most Alaska Airlines airport locations by the end of 2023. The change will probably result in a significant user surge of the company’s smartphone app, which is probably bad for customer privacy. But don’t worry—it gets much worse.

https://gizmodo.com/alaska-airlines-kills-check-in-kiosk-adds-face-scanners-1850347504

Frederic Lardinois - 18 April 2023

Alaska Airlines recently started a three-year, $2.5 billion project to improve the airport experience at its hubs and focus cities like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. As a part of this project, the airline is looking to modernize the lobby experience — and as the company announced today, the most visible change here will be the removal of the good old check-in kiosk.

Alaska will encourage fliers to check in at home or on their smartphones and instead of the kiosks, the airline will introduce single-function, iPad-based bag tag stations, where fliers can scan their boarding passes to get a bag tag, and automatic bag drops. These bag drops will also mark the first time Alaska will use biometric data to authenticate travelers.

The airline started testing this system at a number of airports, including Palm Springs, in recent months, but it’s now announcing this wider rollout.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/18/alaska-airlines-does-away-with-check-in-kiosks/

Now flying again, but not saying what went wrong

Simon Sharwood - Mon 21 Jul 2025 06:29 UTC

UPDATED US carrier Alaska Airlines has grounded its fleet due to an unspecified IT issue.

At the time of writing, the airline’s website includes a banner that reads: “We are experiencing issues with our IT systems. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to resolve the issues.”

The carrier is a little more verbose on social media, where it’s stated “Alaska Airlines is experiencing an IT outage affecting operations. A temporary ground stop is in place. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you're scheduled to fly tonight, please check your flight status before heading to the airport.”

The airline lists 325 aircraft in its fleet. At the time of writing, plane-tracking site FlightAware reports just eleven Alaska Airlines flights in the air.

The IT incident is clearly one reason for that number, but it’s also worth noting that late hour in the US markets the airline serves: At the time of writing it is 11:00PM on the West Coast, and 02:00 AM on the East Coast. Few customers want to fly late at night, or overnight, so airlines fly fewer domestic flights at those times.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/21/alaska_airlines_it_incident_grounding/

Posted by BeauHD on Monday July 21, 2025 04:40PM

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air grounded all flights Sunday night due to a major IT outage, prompting a system-wide FAA ground stop that lasted until early Monday. Although operations have since resumed, passengers are still facing delays and residual disruptions. Gizmodo reports:

The airline requested a system-wide ground stop from federal aviation authorities at about 11 p.m. ET on Sunday night. That stop remained in effect until around 2 a.m. ET Monday, when the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it had been lifted. But disruptions didn't end there. Alaska warned passengers to brace for likely delays throughout the day. […] The FAA's website listed the stop as applying to all Alaska Airlines aircraft.

Gizmodo notes that the incident comes nearly a year after the massive 2024 CrowdStrike crash, which has become known as the largest IT outage in history. “The July 2024 outage brought down an estimated 8.5 million Microsoft Windows systems running CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor software, disrupting everything from hospitals and airports to broadcast networks.”

“There's no word yet from Alaska on whether the outage ties into a broader software problem, but the timing, almost exactly a year after the CrowdStrike crash, isn't going unnoticed on social media, with users wondering if the events are related.”

https://it.slashdot.org/story/25/07/21/2025255/alaska-airlines-resumes-operations-after-system-glitch-grounds-all-flights

Alaska Airlines - Oct 23, 2025

Friday, Oct. 24 – 6 a.m. Pacific Time

Alaska Airlines is working to restore operations to normal as quickly and safely as possible after a significant IT outage led to a systemwide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights. The ground stop was lifted at 11:30 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, Oct. 23; the issue began earlier that day at approximately 3:30 p.m. when a failure occurred at our primary data center.

Throughout Thursday and into Friday morning, we have canceled more than 360 flights on Alaska and Horizon. Additional flight disruptions are likely as we reposition aircraft and crews throughout our network. Hawaiian Airlines flights are not impacted. The IT outage is not a cybersecurity incident.

We sincerely apologize to our guests whose travel plans have been disrupted. We’re working to get them to their destinations as quickly as we can. Before heading to the airport, we encourage flyers to check their flight status. A flexible travel policy is in place to support guests as operations return to normal following the IT outage.

https://news.alaskaair.com/on-the-record/alaska-statement-on-it-outage/

Failure at primary datacenter leaves planes parked and passengers angry, second incident since July

Richard Speed - Fri 24 Oct 2025 11:58 UTC

Updated Timing is everything – except when it isn't. US carrier Alaska Airlines has grounded its fleet once again due to a mystery IT issue.

The problem began at 3:30 pm Pacific Time on October 23 with a “failure” at the company's primary datacenter. Alaska Airlines insisted it wasn't a cybersecurity event or related to “any other events.”

The result? A system-wide ground stop of Alaska and Horizon Air flights, though Hawaiian Airlines (which joined Alaska in 2024) was apparently unaffected.

“The IT outage has impacted several of our key systems that enable us to run various operations, necessitating the implementation of the ground stop to keep our aircraft in position,” Alaska Airlines said. “The safety of our flights was never compromised.”

The ground stop wasn't lifted until 11:30 pm Pacific Time, by which point more than 229 flights had been canceled. The company didn't confirm delay numbers but warned that “additional flight disruptions are likely as we reposition aircraft and crews throughout our network.”

Customers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with both the airline and its customer service. Some reported being on hold for hours as they attempted to contact the airline to find the fate of their flight, while others found themselves stranded.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/24/alaska_airlines_calls_a_ground/

See also: https://dokuwiki01.tbruce.com/doku.php?id=transportation:airlines#us_airways_us_air (History)

By Jace Moseley - July 15, 2020 8:12 pm ET

American Airlines became the most recent carrier to send Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letters to its employees. These letters indicate that potential layoffs or furloughs are possible in the near future as air travel demand continues to suffer due to COVID-19.

In a letter to employees, CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom stated that they had hoped the CARES Act would have covered payroll until the industry started to rebound by Oct. 1. However, with cases spiking and travel restrictions being put into place by certain states, this seems increasingly more unlikely to happen. The letter stated, “Our passenger revenues in June were more than 80% lower than June 2019.”

https://airlinegeeks.com/2020/07/15/american-airlines-announces-furlough-notices/

By Jackie Wattles, CNN Business - Updated 7:55 AM ET, Fri August 21, 2020

New York (CNN)American Airlines will temporarily stop flying routes to 15 small cities across the United States in October, signaling that some areas could wind up underserved as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate the travel industry.

American said that, for now, it plans to halt service during its “October schedule period,” which runs from October 7 to November 3, but there are no guarantees service will return after that.

American “continues to evaluate its network and plans for additional schedule changes in the coming weeks,” the company said in a press release.

The affected cities are Del Rio, Texas; Dubuque, Iowa; Florence, South Carolina; Greenville, North Carolina; Huntington, West Virginia, Joplin, MiIssouri; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Lake Charles, Louisiana; New Haven, Connecticut; New Windsor, New York; Roswell, New Mexico; Sioux City, Iowa; Springfield, Illinois; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/20/business/american-airlines-domestic-route-drop/index.html

The weather in its hubs has been unpleasant at times, but by no means unprecedented.

Dharna Noor - 21 June 2021 5:05PM

With vaccination rates for covid-19 on the rise, U.S. airlines are seeing a surge in demand. Yet American Airlines has already or will soon be canceling hundreds of flights. The airline is blaming recent “unprecedented weather” that has led to hundreds of flight cancelations through mid-July. The reality, though, is a little murkier.

It’s true that storms did blast Chicago, one of American’s hubs, yesterday, including one that spun up a damaging tornado. Charlotte, another American hub, was clipped by Tropical Storm Claudette over the weekend, though the storm delivered a fairly marginal amount of rain and its winds didn’t pack that much of a punch. While it’s still early in hurricane season, it’s by no means out of the ordinary for a storm of Claudette’s magnitude to make landfall. American’s third hub, Dallas, also received one day of relatively heavy rain in early June, though the total was less than an inch.

Unpleasant weather? I’d say so. Rough weather? Perhaps a stretch, but I’ll allow it. Unprecedented, though? Hardly.

https://gizmodo.com/american-airlines-unprecedented-weather-excuse-for-ca-1847141984

Matthew Klint - July 16, 2021

An update to my story from my last week in which passengers onboard an American Airlines 777-300ER to Miami were forced to place their hands on their head and ordered not to take pictures for the final hour of the flight. We now have further details as to what happened onboard.

New Details: What Happened To Cause American Airlines Pilot To Order Passengers To Keep Hands On Head For The Last Hour Of Flight

https://liveandletsfly.com/american-airlines-hands-on-head/

Gary Leff - January 19, 2022

American Airlines has been clamping down on websites that work with AAdvantage member data for their customers. They made Award Wallet stop tracking member accounts and they sent a cease and desist letter to Red Ventures, which owns The Points Guy, over its TPG app which – among other things – lets customers track their frequent flyer program balances.

The app didn’t have authorized access to American AAdvantage accounts. Instead, as I understand it, it had been ‘screen scraping’ accounts for members, who provide their login credentials. American sought to stop the practice, and so Red Ventures first sued American Airlines seeking declaratory relief. And now American Airlines and its loyalty subsidiary have countersued in the Northern District of Texas.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-and-the-points-guy-are-suing-each-other/

You want to know how airlines are thinking about the world these days? Please come this way.

Chris Matyszczyk, Contributor, Posted in Technically Incorrect - April 15, 2022

Airlines have needs.

They tend to revolve around money.

Which is harder to make when you fire a lot of people during the pandemic and then find it difficult to hire more people once the pandemic begins to recede.

Despite the claims of many, business travel hasn't reached pre-pandemic levels. Leisure travelers, however, are desperate to get on a plane and get out of wherever here is.

So how can airlines make more money out of this less-than-ideal situation?

A clue emerged last week when details of a new American Airlines plane were leaked.

As the Points Guy reported, the airline is expecting new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.

Should you never have flown one of these things, they're smaller than your older-world large plane and have quite a few comfortable, modern aspects, such as progressive window shades.

https://www.zdnet.com/google-amp/article/american-airlines-just-showed-the-door-to-customers-who-arent-rich/

Beatrice Nolan - Fri, July 15, 2022 at 5:13 AM

An American Airlines passenger said the carrier changed his family's flights back to the US to depart from a different country in the Caribbean, Denver7 reported on Wednesday.

Sam Taussig told the broadcaster he was checking the seating arrangements on the airline's app on July 4 when he realized the flight had been changed from what he booked in January.

“I noticed we were flying out of a different country,” Taussig said.

“We were flying out of St. Lucia instead of St. Vincent, and I thought that was really strange. It must have been a mistake. The customer service agent said, 'Yes, I'm sorry, sir. You're in an overbooked situation, and we have moved your flight from St. Vincent to St. Lucia,' which is about 100 miles away as the crow flies and five islands north. And I said, 'Well that's insane. We have to change this back. This is not acceptable.'”

https://news.yahoo.com/american-airlines-passenger-filed-19-121356468.html

Jyoti Mann - Jul 23, 2022, 3:33 AM

A mother said her 10-year-old daughter's love of traveling has been destroyed after American Airlines canceled her connecting flight but failed to inform her parents.

The child was traveling alone from Richmond, Virginia to visit family in Boston on July 18 with a connection at John F. Kennedy airport in New York City.

Miesha Vargas, the child's mother, said she only learned the flight was canceled when her daughter called.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-canceled-10-year-olds-flight-but-didnt-tell-parents-2022-7

Haley Chi-Sing, Fox Business - July 21, 2022 7:14pm

An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing at a local Alabama airport due to extreme turbulence, leaving eight people hospitalized due to injuries.

American Eagle Flight 3609 was en route to Nashville from Tampa with 52 passengers on board when it experienced “unexpected turbulence” and was forced to divert to Alabama, according to a statement from American Airlines.

The plane landed “without incident” at 3:17 p.m. CT and taxied to the gate at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport after the crew declared an emergency landing.

Eight individuals were hospitalized shortly after due to injuries sustained, including two flight attendants and six passengers. They were transported to a local hospital for “further evaluation”, according to American Airlines.

https://nypost.com/2022/07/21/american-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-landing-leaving-8-injured/

Grace Dean - Wed, July 20, 2022 at 5:41 AM

The day after he got home from a trip to Europe, Jamie O'Grady, a native of North Carolina, got a text from a stranger saying he'd just found his missing luggage lying in the baggage-reclaim area at London Heathrow.

Speaking to Insider, O'Grady said he told American Airlines about the text, only for the airline to ask him to collect the bag himself, despite being 4,000 miles away.

O'Grady flew from Faro, Portugal on July 9 and arrived in Raleigh, North Carolina the next day following a layover at Heathrow. He'd booked the flights through American Airlines, but the first leg of the flight appears to have been operated as a codeshare with Finnair.

O'Grady dropped off two bags when he checked in at Faro — one with his general luggage and the other with his golf clubs.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-flyer-tracked-lost-luggage-124130960.html

Beatrice Nolan - Jul 27, 2022, 5:41 AM

American Airlines held passengers on a hot plane with no food or drink service for six hours on Sunday afternoon, according to a reporter for The Charlotte Observer.

According to The Charlotte Observer, the flight from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to New York City JFK was scheduled to depart in the early afternoon, but due to issues with the fuel tank, the airline transferred passengers to another plane before holding it on the runway.

Genna Contino, a reporter for the news outlet who was on the flight, said the first plane had “limited” air conditioning for the first three hours, while the second plane had no air conditioning or food-and-drink services.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-travel-chaos-left-hot-plane-sobbing-2022-7

Sam Tabahriti - Jul 30, 2022, 2:14 AM

Two American Airlines passengers and their baby were left stranded after a connecting flight was canceled in the middle of the night.

Donna, her 9-month-old baby, and her husband were stuck in Charlotte airport at 130 am after taking a flight on July 25 from the Dominican Republic bound for Raleigh, North Carolina.

However, after landing in Charlotte at Douglas International Airport, Donna told Insider they “started receiving alerts from the airline saying our flight was delayed.”

The couple, who did not want their last name to be used, finally boarded at 1230 am but the plane remained at the gate for more than an hour while a copilot was sought.

https://www.businessinsider.com/canceled-american-flight-left-couple-with-9-month-old-baby-stranded-2022-7

Sam Tabahriti - Jul 31, 2022, 7:37 AM

American Airlines lost a passenger's luggage containing audio-visual equipment worth more than $70,000 that he needed for an exhibition.

Ashkan Aghassi, who is in the top tier of the airline's frequent flyer program, was traveling from Phoenix to Dallas on May 26. When he landed, he waited for his two Pelican cases that contained the equipment but they failed to arrive.

Aghassi told Insider as soon as he realized his luggage was delayed, he filed a claim as “the value of the Pelican cases and their contents was well over $100,000,” but he was only able to produce receipts to the value of $72,796.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-lost-cases-holding-equipment-worth-more-than-70000-2022-7

Genevieve Curtis, wsoctv.com - August 04, 2022 at 6:43 pm EDT

CHARLOTTE — A family of six traveling through Charlotte Douglas International Airport got a nasty surprise this weekend when a gate agent kicked them off a flight and then told them they were banned from flying on American Airlines.

The Meyer family told Channel 9 it took them 36 hours to get back to Denver from the Virgin Islands, but they’re traumatized after the experience during a layover in Charlotte.

A recording shows a gate agent with American Airlines in Charlotte telling the family they wouldn’t be able to fly with the carrier.

“You are not going to be able to fly on American, so you will have to go out through security,” the gate agent said.

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/family-put-no-go-list-during-layover-charlotte-douglas-airport/TE2T4Q4FYZC35ITIOFZMNBNNXQ/

Jyoti Mann - Aug 6, 2022, 3:16 AM

American Airlines told the mother of a 10-year-old passenger that she couldn't pick up her daughter after its system failed to correctly record who was collecting her from the airport.

Alexis Westergren's daughter was flying unaccompanied to Chicago on July 9 from Portland, where she had been visiting her father.

Westergren went to the AA ticketing desk to get a gate pass but was told that she was not authorized to take her daughter home. “They said that her dad was supposed to pick her up,” she told Insider.

An information sheet attached to a lanyard worn by the child showed that Westergren was listed as the person meeting her at the destination. Flight details and other information have been verified by Insider.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-told-10-year-old-passengers-mom-she-couldnt-pick-her-up-2022-8

Sam Tabahriti - Sun, August 14, 2022 at 2:02 AM

A family was not allowed to board an American Airlines flight after telling staff their daughter had special needs.

Insider verified flight tickets as well as email exchanges with the airline. The father did not want his name to be used due to privacy concerns but Insider has verified his identity.

The family were flying from Orlando, Florida to Richmond, Virginia via Charlotte on June 6 when they missed their connection due to a two-hour delay on their first leg.

After being allocated new seats that were not grouped together, they told staff they needed to be next to their 13-year-old daughter because she had special needs and could suffer a seizure.

The family also explained they did not want to be seated at the rear of the aircraft, which they said was louder and bumpier and could trigger a seizure in their daughter. They had paid for seats towards the front of the plane.

https://news.yahoo.com/american-airlines-stopped-family-boarding-090224660.html

Grace Dean - Aug 16, 2022, 4:41 AM

An American Airlines passenger told Insider that her daughter still hadn't gotten back her carry-on luggage two months after she had to check it on a flight to North Carolina from Arizona.

“We purposely packed carry-on bags because I didn't want to have to worry about going through baggage claims and having to get our luggage,” Beth Gill said, echoing sentiments shared with Insider by other travelers.

Gill, her husband, and two daughters went in June on a two-week vacation in Las Vegas and were set to fly from Phoenix to Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 16 with a connection to Raleigh, North Carolina.

On the first leg of the flight, which was delayed, American Airlines told her husband and their 11-year-old daughter they needed to check their carry-on bags because there was no room in the overhead compartments, she said. Gill said there was space in the compartments at the back of the plane.

https://www.businessinsider.com/lost-luggage-travel-chaos-check-in-carry-on-missing-raleigh-2022-8

Beatrice Nolan - Sun, August 21, 2022 at 4:05 AM

A passenger said American Airlines rebooked his family onto a flight to a different country and then canceled the replacement flight.

Grady R. Heins, a lawyer from Washington state, had booked in January to fly from Seattle to Vermont for his brother's wedding in May.

He bought tickets for himself and his three children on the fastest trip he could find on American Airlines via Chicago.

Before his departure, he was surprised to receive an email from the airline asking him to prepare for his “upcoming trip to Canada.”

He told Insider that he logged into his account only to see that his destination had been changed from Burlington, Vermont, to Montreal, Canada, without his permission.

Heins said he attempted to rectify the situation on the phone but when he couldn't get through, he decided to travel to Seattle airport to rebook his flights in person, taking an afternoon off work to do so.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-drove-family-night-brothers-110510491.html

Grace Dean - Aug 25, 2022, 4:23 AM

An American Airlines passenger said a stranger discovered her lost luggage in Hamburg even though the airline doesn't fly there and she hadn't visited Germany.

Michelle and Christopher May were scheduled to fly from Edinburgh, Scotland, to London, England, on July 2, with connecting flights to New York and then Charlotte, North Carolina. British Airways operated the first two flights, and American operated the third.

The couple's travel agent emailed them the day before departure saying British Airways had canceled their flight from London to New York, so they switched to an American Airlines flight directly to Charlotte from London the next day. They stayed overnight in an airport hotel before checking in their four bags at the American priority desk for their business-class flight to Charlotte.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-lost-luggage-hamburg-never-visited-aa-doesnt-fly-2022-8

Kate Duffy - Aug 30, 2022, 3:23 AM

Passengers onboard an American Airlines flight said they were stranded for 20 hours on an island in the Atlantic Ocean after the flight diverted because of a possible mechanical breakdown, British news agency the Press Association reported.

The flight departed from Miami on Sunday evening and was scheduled to fly to London Heathrow, but was forced to divert to Bermuda — a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean — because of a “possible mechanical issue,” American told Insider in a statement.

Flight-tracking site FlightAware shows the plane took off from Miami International airport, flew past Bermuda, and then made a U-turn to head towards the island for landing.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-passengers-stranded-atlantic-island-flight-diverts-mechanical-breakdown-2022-8

Jyoti Mann - Sep 3, 2022, 2:05 AM

American Airlines did not allow a 15-year-old to buy food during a layover between flights after he asked staff for permission multiple times.

The teenager was flying unaccompanied from Jacksonville, Florida, where he was visiting his sister, back home to Albany, New York via Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The layover was supposed to be for an hour, but ended up being almost two as his flight was delayed, which Insider verified via flight details.

The incident is the latest involving American Airlines' treatment of unaccompanied minors reported by Insider amid a summer of travel chaos. The airline sent a 12-year-old child to the wrong state in June, and it lost a child's passport in July.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-did-not-let-unaccompanied-minor-get-food-during-layover-2022-9

BrilliantEven when everything goes wrong, you can still make it right.

Jason Aten, Tech columnist - Aug 30, 2022

A few weeks ago, I was supposed to take a flight from what is basically my home airport of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to New York City's LaGuardia Airport. I make the trip on Delta Air Lines almost every month. On this trip, however, just about everything went wrong.

It started the night before when I received an email that the inbound flight to Grand Rapids had been canceled. At that point, my flight still looked fine. The morning of my flight, however, that changed. I received another email that it was delayed by an hour.

Quick pro tip: If your flight is ever delayed by exactly an hour, it means the airline is probably just waiting to decide what to do about your flight. The delay time is when they plan to make a decision, not when your flight is going to actually depart. Sure enough, just as I was arriving at the airport, the flight was canceled.

https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/i-flew-american-airlines-for-first-time-in-15-years-it-didnt-go-well-pilots-2-word-response-was-brilliant.html

Another American Airlines 777 was forced to divert while en route to Heathrow from the US for a mechanical issue.

Riley Pickett - 6 September 2022

An American Airlines Boeing 777 diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma, only 50 minutes after departing Dallas, Texas. Flight number AA80 registered N717AN departed Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) at 21:54 CT on Monday, September 5th. The flight was bound for London Heathrow Airport (LHR).

At flight level 330, the captain announced that the flight would be diverted to Tulsa International Airport (TUL) due to a mechanical issue aboard the aircraft. The announcement came when the plane was northeast of Springfield, Missouri. The flight landed safely at 23:20 CT. All passengers and crew were accounted for.

https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-777-diverts-50-minutes-london-flight/

Oct. 07, 2022 - Michelle Couch-Friedman

An American Airlines flight delay recently set off a chain of events that plunged Brett Smith into a travel nightmare.

After an extended weekend getaway to the Cayman Islands, Smith and his pregnant wife were looking forward to getting home to the U.S. But a minor two-hour delay somehow ended with American Airlines flying the couple to a third country instead.

That delay and subsequent flight diversion caused the couple to incur over $1,500 in expenses. Now Smith wants American Airlines to pay up – and he hopes TPG can help make that happen.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/american-airlines-flight-delay-nightmare/

Johnny Jet - 29 October 2022 8:02 AM

My buddy Jeremy, who I met years ago, I believe on an Air New Zealand delivery flight for their new 777-300, is a popular and talented aviation photographer. Last night, he tweeted something concerning, a risk which all travelers should know about.

“Honest question: can a crew member physically prevent me from getting off of the airplane until I showed them the contents of my phone (they wanted to see the last 3 photos) to verify that I did not take a photo that contained them in it.”

After looking at his timeline, the incident happened yesterday (October 28) on an American Airlines flight (AA 854) between Seattle and Charlotte. Jeremy was tweeting back and forth with other avgeeks and included some disturbing details.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/american-airlines-flight-attendant-physically-detains-aviation-photographer-until-he-showed-images/ar-AA13w3Rk?li=BBnb7Kz

Gary Leff - January 13, 2023

When a flight delays, airlines almost always blame weather. Factors outside of their control mean they don’t owe you anything, like a hotel to spend the night in or meals at the airport. But American Airlines CEO Robert Isom now says that when his airline fails to recover from problems, that’s on them and they owe their customers. That’s a sea change, following on the Southwest Airlines debacle over the holidays. But not everyone in the company’s customer service department may be ready to change.

https://viewfromthewing.com/america-airlines-announces-new-policy-use-this-the-next-time-they-blame-weather/

Up to 60 CRJ-200s will return under the American Eagle brand.

Luke Bodell - 25 November 2022

American Airlines is set to bring back the 50-seater CRJ-200 following its agreement with regional airline Air Wisconsin, despite competitors phasing out their single-cabin regional planes. Let's take a closer look at AA's plans for the CRJ-200 below.

https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-50-seat-air-wisconsin-details/

Gary Leff - June 6, 2025

On Monday, June 2 2025, American Airlines flight 780 took off from Philadelphia for Naples, Italy. They sent the wrong plane – and passengers wound up having to land 124 miles away in Rome.

Normally this flight is operated by a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. However, on Monday American used a larger Boeing 787-9 – which isn’t permitted at the Naples airport.

So while the flight took off at 7:42 p.m. with a full load of summer travelers headed to this leisure destination, crew were told on descent that they weren’t cleared to land and would be touching down in Rome instead.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-flew-passengers-on-the-wrong-plane-for-8-hours-too-big-to-land-diverted-to-rome/

Ben Schlappig - 6 September 2025

Well here’s something you don’t see that often, as flagged by JonNYC. This month, American Airlines is intentionally operating 20 roundtrip flights across the Atlantic without any passengers or cargo. What’s the logic for this? Well, there’s an interesting explanation, as you’d expect…

American’s empty Philadelphia to Edinburgh flights

American operates a daily seasonal flight between Philadelphia (PHL) and Edinburgh (EDI), using a Boeing 787, which is currently scheduled for several more weeks. Separate from that, between September 4 and September 24, 2025, American is operating daily flights in the market using a standard domestic configured Airbus A321neo. The flight has no passengers or cargo, and operates daily with the following schedule:

AA9805 Philadelphia to Edinburgh departing 8:40PM arriving 8:30AM (+1 day)

AA9806 Edinburgh to Philadelphia departing 9:30AM arriving 12:00PM

The flight is even expected to be operated by the same exact aircraft every day — a brand new A321neo with the registration code N471AN. Why would American operate 20 empty roundtrip transatlantic flights? Well, it’s about training check airman.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/american-flying-empty-airbus-a321neo-across-atlantic/

14th October 2022 - Mateusz Maszczynski

American Airlines is using sophisticated ‘bot detection’ software to stop the developer of an iPhone app that has become popular amongst the airline’s flight attendants from accessing vital data that is needed to keep the app working.

The ‘Sequence Decoder’ app has become a must-have tool for American Airlines flight attendants because it displays information required by crew members to manage their rosters and work lives in a single app.

The app is particularly popular among the large number of ‘reserve’ flight attendants at American Airlines because it gives them more control over their schedules, and the app has other features such as a calculator to make sure crew are working to legal limits.

American Airlines does not offer its own version of the app and has allegedly turned down requests from the app’s developer Jeff Reisberg to collaborate on the app. Instead, the Jeff’s self-developed app relies on bots to ‘scrape’ the data required to power it from AA’s computer systems.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/10/14/american-airlines-is-trying-to-stop-a-popular-iphone-app-thats-become-a-must-have-for-its-flight-attendants/

'You're kidding me.'

Stacy Fernandez - Jun 29, 2023

A TikToker is going viral after sharing the tiny amount American Airlines credited her after leading her to lose time and money with a canceled flight.

In the video, Gianna (@giannaalexis8) explains that she recently flew with American Airlines from New York to Miami on a Sunday night.

“I got delayed, delayed, delayed, canceled and then pushed to the next flight and then delayed, delayed, delayed, canceled,” Gianna says in the clip.

She then called the popular airline, and they told her not to worry because they got her a new flight for the next day at 7 p.m.

“Uh-uh,” Gianna says, shaking her head no. “I gotta go to work.”

https://www.dailydot.com/news/american-airlines-cancellation-25-dollar-credit/

Ben Schlappig - July 16, 2023 / Updated July 20, 2023

I’d like to think that I have pretty reasonable (low) expectations of customer relations departments at airlines, but even by that standard, this seems especially bad to me.

I recently wrote about a trip that Ford had booked to Canada on American, as he was scheduled to fly American from Miami to Toronto and then American from Montreal to Miami:

• American canceled his outbound flight
• American delayed his return flight, so he misconnected, causing an overnight in Philadelphia

Obviously operational issues happen, but what was so frustrating is how American handled the situation on the return. Usually it’s hard to hold airlines accountable, though in this case there’s at least some recourse.

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has some great consumer protections, entitling passengers to cash compensation in the event of delays or cancelations within a carrier’s control. This is somewhat similar to the EU261 policy in Europe, and it clearly outlines what passengers are entitled to in the event of operational disruptions.

https://onemileatatime.com/insights/american-airlines-denying-compensation-claims/

Gary Leff - January 8, 2024

American Airlines flight 697 from Kauai to Phoenix on Sunday departed three hours late. The flight was overbooked, because of weight issues with the Airbus A321neo. They weren’t getting volunteers at $500 in travel credits per person, on your own for hotel. (Hotels aren’t cheap on Kauai!)

It appears that American actually boarded the flight, but may have been unable to carry everyone. Without volunteers they needed to involuntarily deny boarding to passengers. But people were already on board. Airlines learned in April 2017 the perils of calling law enforcement to remove passengers already boarded from a plane.

https://viewfromthewing.com/overbooked-and-overwhelmed-inside-american-airlines-controversial-flight-697/

Gary Leff - April 4, 2024

Airlines want you to join their frequent flyer programs so that they can market to you. When these programs began it was so that they’d know who their best customers were, and because one-to-one marketing was more effective than placing ads about new flights in a magazine. Now it’s mostly about convincing you to apply for their co-brand credit cards.

Delta incentivizes passengers to join SkyMiles by making it a requirement of free inflight wifi. (American’s wifi is the most expensive among U.S. airlines.)

American’s approach to getting customers to join the AAdvantage program has been restricting certain flight benefits to members. For instance, you have to join AAdvantage to stand by for a flight.

Also, only Platinum Pro status members and higher can be added to a flight at the gate, everyone else now has to do it via self-service online or in the app at least 45 minutes in adva

https://viewfromthewing.com/why-you-should-always-cancel-american-airlines-trips-at-the-last-minute/

Gary Leff - June 13, 2023

The Dallas Morning News covers American Airlines’ attack on Dallas-based aviation startup JSX. American has piled on pilot union lobbying which doesn’t like that the air carrier is allowed to:

• offer a better and more convenient product
• using retired senior captains from American and Southwest, and relatively green first officers who can use JSX as a way to build up flying hours while being paid and eventually expand the pool of commercial pilots

American and Southwest, for their part, face competition in their home market. JSX is allowed to offer convenient scheduled service from private terminals, using their own security (which includes scanners, bag swabs, and ID verification), because they operate with no more than 30 seats per aircraft. American is explicit that their concern is the competitive advantage this gives to JSX:

https://viewfromthewing.com/the-galling-hypocrisy-of-american-airlines-which-wants-the-government-to-ban-a-competitor/

Gary Leff - October 24, 2023

American Airlines, Southwest, and major unions (especially pilot unions) have lobbied the federal government to put upstart Dallas-based competitor JSX out of business. They want the federal government to change regulations to make the business model that lets JSX fly 30 seat planes out of private terminals, with co-pilots that have fewer than 1,500 hours of flying, illegal.

JSX’s business model is perfectly legal and consistent with 30 years of regulatory practice. There’s also no data, evidence or anecdote suggesting concerns over safety. But that doesn’t stop advocates of the status quo in aviation from lobbying to shut them down.

Nobel laureate economist George Stigler laid out “regulatory capture,” as “the problem of discovering when and why [the biggest companies in an] industry…use the state for its purposes”. While many consumers want regulation to benefit them, regulation usually winds up benefiting incumbent businesses, protecting them from upstart competitors.

https://viewfromthewing.com/in-closed-door-meeting-american-airlines-explains-battle-to-shut-down-jsx-is-about-competition-not-safety/

Gary Leff - July 29, 2024

Doug Parker is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Airlines, and the man most responsible for consolidation in the U.S. airline industry. He succeeded in his single-minded quest to lead the world’s largest airline, and he has government cronyism and taxpayers to thank.

Now he’s a board member at Qantas, and has a charitable foundation that supports minorities in aviation careers – especially pilots – though he shouts American Airlines interests from the rooftops even when they’re contrary to developing minority talent in aviation (by blocking non-traditional paths to becoming a pilot when it favors American Airlines competitive interests).

He owned over 2 million shares of American Airlines stock when he stepped down. At Investor Day in 2017 his company stock was worth about $100 million. Today those same shares are worth around $20 million. Lucky for him, he sold millions of shares before the crash – with today’s share price hovering around the lowest level since bottoming during the pandemic, when credit default swaps suggested high likelihood of bankruptcy for the airline.

https://viewfromthewing.com/doug-parkers-54-billion-heist-ex-american-airlines-ceo-takes-victory-lap-after-destroying-u-s-commercial-aviation/

22nd August 2022 - Mateusz Maszczynski

The rate at which American Airlines is moving to terminate flight attendants for a variety of disciplinary issues has allegedly tripled in the last year and the union that represents crew at the Dallas Fort Worth-based airline says it is “inundated” with requests to help flight attendants facing the sack.

The alarming rise in flight attendant terminations was revealed during a recent executive committee meeting of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA).

The union’s regional representatives, who are dotted across the United States, are each handling at least ten flight attendants facing termination for a slew of transgressions.

Despite well-publicized staff shortages across the aviation industry, American Airlines has made no secret of the fact that managers are looking to strictly enforce a wide range of rules and policies that may have previously been allowed to slip.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/08/22/american-airlines-is-sacking-triple-the-number-of-flight-attendants-it-would-in-a-normal-year-and-the-union-says-its-inundated-with-disciplinary-cases/

Mateusz Maszczynski - 27th September 2022

American Airlines has agreed to pay moving expenses for the 403 flight attendants who have been displaced from the soon-to-be-closed San Francisco crew base. Flight attendants will have to pick between nine bases with vacancies, and some might be forced to move 2,692 miles away to Boston.

The airline made the surprise announcement that its more than 50-year-old flight attendant base in San Francisco would be shuttered because there are “no future flying prospects” for flight attendants in Northern California based on American’s “current network strategy”.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/09/27/american-airlines-will-now-pay-moving-expenses-for-flight-attendants-at-shuttered-san-francisco-base/

Gary Leff - November 11, 2022

It used to be that when the doors of the aircraft closed, passengers could re-arrange themselves freely. If there were empty seats, you’d see passengers spread out for more room. That made sense.

However airlines now charge for seats, and they don’t even just charge for extra legroom seats. An aisle seat and even a window can cost more than a middle. A seat towards the front of the cabin might cost more, too.

I’ve seen United Airlines flight attendants policing this for awhile, although enforcement varies. Five years ago American Airlines had no real policy, and passengers could mostly still move freely unless a flight attendant told them not to (and of course moving to an exit row seat required being eligible to sit in one of those seats).

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-tells-flight-attendants-crack-down-on-passengers-moving-to-extra-legroom-seats/

5th December 2022 - Mateusz Maszczynski

Flight attendants at American Airlines say they are “sick and tired of being ignored” by their own management, who they claim are “intent on punishing” crew for what they describe as the company’s “inability to properly staff and run the airline”.

In an extraordinary memo, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) claims managers have ignored their suggestions and instead threatened crew with more volatile working conditions as an “implicit punishment” for the union’s “audacity to raise concerns.”

The root cause of the bad blood between the union and the Dallas Fort Worth-based carrier is the company’s apparent reliance on so-called ‘reserve’ flight attendants who don’t have guaranteed trips and don’t know what they’ll be working from one day to another.

Being on ‘reserve’ can be an understandably stressful experience and is normally only something that the most junior flight attendants have to endure before they become a ‘line holder’ with a set monthly schedule of flights.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/12/05/american-airlines-flight-attendants-say-they-are-sick-and-tired-and-the-company-is-intent-on-punishing-them/

Gary Leff - May 23, 2023

The captain of an American Airlines flight comes out into the cabin – into economy, no less – to talk to passengers about their flight delay. He explains what happened, that the aircraft had arrived late from Puerto Vallarta, and he offered that they planned to make up a few minutes in the air if they could. He even offered to take passenger questions.

He could have made the same announcement from the cockpit. Hearing from the captain carries more weight than hearing from cabin crew. But hearing from the captain in person shows that someone in authority (of the aircraft) cares and respects you and your time. That diffuses the tensions in the cabin.

But talking to passengers in person isn’t all that the captain did.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-pilot-comps-drinks-for-the-whole-flight/

An American Airlines flight to Guyana returned to JFK Airport after a passenger and crew member had a heated exchange

Paurush Omar - Jul 26, 2023 10:46 PM IST

An American Airlines flight bound for Guyana took an unexpected detour back to JFK Airport in New York City after a heated exchange between a passenger and a crew member. The flight, numbered 2557, was on its way to Georgetown, Guyana, when it was forced to return due to the incident involving Joel Ghansham, a passenger from Guyana. American Airlines flight bound for Guyana took an unexpected detour back to JFK Airport in New York City after a heated exchange between a passenger Joel Ghansham (right) and a crew member. American Airlines flight bound for Guyana took an unexpected detour back to JFK Airport in New York City after a heated exchange between a passenger Joel Ghansham (right) and a crew member.

According to local reports, the trouble began when Ghansham asked a flight attendant for assistance in storing his luggage in the overhead compartment due to recent spine surgery. Instead of offering help, the crew member allegedly dismissed the request, prompting Ghansham to share his displeasure with the service.

During the beverage service, the same crew member approached Ghansham again, offering him a drink. In response, Ghansham referred to the crew member as a “waiter” - a remark that didn't sit well with the flight attendant. The situation quickly escalated as the crew member warned he had the power to turn the plane around.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/guyana-bound-flight-takes-u-turn-to-jfk-airport-in-new-york-city-after-passenger-calls-flight-attendant-waiter-101690390204854.html

Both airlines have faced accusations about terrifying actions on their planes that anyone flying would want to know about.

Daniel Kline - Sep 5, 2023 6:01 PM EDT

There's nothing nice or comfortable about an airplane bathroom. Perhaps some airlines have fancier lavatories in first or business class, but the traditional coach bathroom makes the ones offered in cruise ship cabins look positively spacious.

In a broad sense, airplane bathrooms are tiny, rarely smell great, and are often not the cleanest place on a plane. That's not the fault of flight attendants or even always passengers.

Airplanes are moving, leading to more restroom mishaps than you might see in a typical public restroom on land. In addition, while the airlines do their best to keep their bathrooms clean during a flight, in many cases, there are lines for the limited amount of available facilities.

People may complain, and flight attendants may want to clean, but the line of people waiting sometimes makes it difficult. It's fair to say that a few people opt not to use an airplane bathroom unless they simply can't wait until they land.

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/american-follows-united-airlines-with-a-horrifying-issue

by Gary Leff - November 7, 2023

American Airlines has sent a reminder to flight attendants not to go above and beyond for passengers in economy, as first revealed by aviation watchdog JonNYC. The airline told cabin crew that they shouldn’t give economy passengers blankets, pillows, or treats from business class. American framed this as consistency, which is to say making sure that there are no occasional surprise and delight moments in the coach cabin.

  As part of our commitment to ensuring a consistent customer experience, please refrain from offering Premium Cabin amenities/service items (i.e. pillows, blankets, amenity kits, and certain food items) to customers who are not seated in a Premium Cabin.

No meaningful effort is being made, of course, to ensure a consistent customer experience in premium cabins – such as that predeparture beverages are provided consistently.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-reminds-flight-attendants-not-to-provide-better-service-to-coach-passengers/

Gary Leff - January 6, 2024

Seth Dillon, CEO at news satire website Babylon Bee, was flying American Airlines out of Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday morning and reported that the flight was oversold by 20 passengers. He suggests that 70 people checked in for a flight that only seated 50.

The airline’s gate agent had a unique threat to get passengers to make their way to Charlotte by car instead of plane: threatening that if there weren’t 20 volunteers to do this, then nobody would be flying and they’d cancel the flight instead. Apparently the threat worked, but it was a complete fabrication.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-gate-agents-bold-bluff-ill-cancel-this-flight-unless-20-of-you-drive-instead/

The man allegedly secretly recorded the girl in a plane bathroom

Rick Sobey - January 19, 2024 at 5:07 p.m. / UPDATED January 20, 2024 at 4:25 p.m.

The American Airlines flight attendant accused of secretly recording a 14-year-old girl on a flight to Boston was confronted on the plane by the girl’s “angry” father who “saw the color drain out of” the airline employee’s face.

The 36-year-old male flight attendant, Estes Carter Thompson III, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly secretly recording the girl using an aircraft bathroom last September. The North Carolina man also allegedly had recordings of four other girl passengers using airplane lavatories.

“We take these allegations very seriously,” American Airlines said in a statement. “They do not reflect our airline or our core mission of caring for people.

“We have been fully cooperating with law enforcement in its investigation, as there is nothing more important than the safety and security of our customers and team,” the airline added.

After the Sept. 2 incident on the flight to Boston Logan International Airport, Thompson was immediately withheld from American Airlines’ service. He hasn’t worked since.

https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/01/19/american-airlines-flight-attendant-arrest-the-alleged-victims-father-confronted-the-attendant-and-saw-the-color-drain-out-of-his-face/

Matthew Klint - January 20, 2024

A friend of mine was traveling yesterday and ran into a standby problem that showcases how poorly American Airlines trains its airport agents and supervisors. Yes, you are allowed to standby on an earlier American Airlines flight. No, American Airlines does not only allow standby at certain airports.

American Airlines Agent Says Standby Is only Available At Certain Airports

My friend was flying from Burbank (BUR) in Southern California to Phoenix (PHX) on American Airlines yesterday afternoon. He booked his ticket using Alaska Airlines miles. Upon checking in, he was offered the chance to confirm himself on the evening fight to Phoenix, but the option to go standby or confirm on the morning flight was not offered (because the flight was zeroed out at the time).

He showed up at Burbank Airport a hour before the morning flight, without checked baggage, and asked to be placed on the standby list. He reasonably figured there might be no-shows and wanted to get on his way as soon as possible to Arizona.

Turns out, there were no-shows and a number of seats available on the earlier flight, even after employee standbys were cleared. But a supervisor told him:

  “Upper management does not allow it at Burbank…Standby policy varies by location and they don’t allow standby at Burbank.”

https://liveandletsfly.com/american-airlines-standby/

Gary Leff - March 9, 2024

American Airlines flight attendants have a status conference with the National Mediation Board this upcoming Wednesday over whether the federal government will allow them to strike.

And flight attendant social media is lighting up over an incident on board a flight from Dallas to Denver this week where the airline’s Senior Vice President of Inflight and Premium Guest Services, Brady Byrnes, was traveling with his family and reportedly wrote up the crew for failing to deliver proper service.

Flight attendants say the allegations are false and petty, and their claim is stoking anger at the carrier at a crucial moment. In a nutshell, Byrnes lodged a complaint despite his family receiving their choice of beverages during turbulence when the captain had restricted service. As one of the crewmembers being called in to explain themselves tells it:

https://viewfromthewing.com/onboard-spat-between-flight-attendants-and-american-airlines-senior-vp-sparks-outrage/

WKRCSun, May 5th 2024 at 12:42 AM / Updated Mon, May 6th 2024 at 12:13 PM

NEW YORK CITY (WKRC) - An American Airlines flight turned around two hours in after a passenger called a flight attendant “waiter.”

According to WECB, American Airlines Flight 2557 turned around after two hours of flying because a passenger called a steward “waiter.” Per the outlet, the flight took off from New York on July 18, 2023, with a destination of Georgetown, Guyana.

According to The New York Post, the passenger, who had been flying business class, asked an attendant to help him put his luggage in an overhead bin because he had recently underwent surgery on his spine. Per the publication, the attendant allegedly replied, “No, I don't do that. I don't get paid that kind of money, but if you don't like it, there is always another airline.”

Per The Post, another flight attendant eventually helped the passenger, identified as Joel Ghansham.

https://local12.com/news/nation-world/american-airlines-flight-turns-around-2-hours-after-passenger-calls-attendant-waiter-steward-business-class-dispute-respect-common-courtesy-cincinnati-policy-policies-escorted-off-pilot-referred-cabin-crew-technical-guyanese

Jun 07, 2024 at 1:37 PM (UTC+4) - Claire Reid

Last updated on Jun 21, 2024 at 3:53 PM (UTC+4) - Tom Wood

An American Airlines Boeing 777 flying from New York’s JFK airport to London Heathrow cut almost an hour off flight time after traveling at almost the speed of sound.

Setting off from the US, the transatlantic flight took just six hours and seven minutes to get to London in October last year.

It reached a top speed of 778 miles per hour during the journey, which – according to NASA – is faster than the speed of sound.

In ‘sea-level standard conditions’, the speed of sound is 761 mph, the US space agency says.

The American Airlines flight wasn’t the only one to experience a faster-than-usual journey last autumn – in November, an Emirates flight from Dallas to Dubai arrived 57 minutes early and hit a top speed of 675 mph.

On the same day, a Delta flight from Los Angeles to London also shaved an hour off its flight time after traveling at speeds of up to 760 mph.

https://supercarblondie.com/american-airlines-boeing-777-cut-nearly-an-hour-off-trip-after-hitting-speed-of-sound/

Gary Leff - January 30, 2024

American Airlines engaged in mass shutdowns of AAdvantage accounts four years ago over customers who used invitations to apply for Citibank credit cards which didn’t say circumvented rules limiting how often one could get a bonus. People lost millions of miles. And there’s a new lawsuit against American Airlines over taking these miles away.

What happened is that some people created fake accounts to get these mailers that allowed them to apply for cards over and over – at scale. Some people may have gotten caught up in the account shutdowns who were far more innocuous.

https://viewfromthewing.com/millions-of-miles-lost-the-full-story-behind-american-airlines-massive-aadvantage-account-shutdowns/

Gary Leff - August 24, 2024

American Airlines has been sending out emails telling people that their AAdvantage frequent flyer accounts are going to be closed – unless they have some activity within the next month.

These aren’t the usual emails saying ‘your miles will expire’. And I’ve gotten several questions about what’s going on. In fact, in some cases people don’t even recognize the account numbers, and they wonder if it’s a mistake or some sort of phishing scam. It’s not.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-purging-aadvantage-accounts/

Despite winning the case, there were no windfall damages awarded to the airline.

Luke Peters - 23 May 2022

A legal case initially brought by US Airways and inherited by American Airlines after the merger of the two carriers in 2013 has resulted in the Dallas-based mega-carrier being awarded just a single dollar in damages by a US court, despite winning the case. Let's unravel the background of the legal action to discover why the airline's victory leaves it with little to celebrate.

https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-wins-1-dollar/

Kaley Johnson - June 07, 2022 11:57 AM

A man’s life was changed after he spent 17 days in a New Mexico jail because American Airlines wrongfully accused and identified him to police as a shoplifter at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

Michael Lowe boarded a flight at DFW Airport in May 2020. More than a year later, he said, he was on vacation in New Mexico when he was arrested on warrants he had never heard of for a crime he did not commit.

For more than two weeks, Lowe was held in Quay County Jail at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in “grossly unsanitary conditions,” according to the lawsuit. Lowe said he didn’t even find out what he was charged with until after his release.

“I’ve never heard of this fact pattern in my life or my career,” said Lowe’s attorney, Scott Palmer. “If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.”

The lawsuit names American Airlines as the sole defendant. In response to requests for comment, an airline representative said Tuesday the company is reviewing the lawsuit.

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article262126407.html

Hannah Towey - Dec 3, 2022, 3:45 AM

The mass email hit some flight attendants' inboxes mid-flight. 

“Today it's with great regret that I let you know about our decision to close the SFO flight attendant base,” American Airlines executive Brady Byrnes said in the September memo obtained by Insider.

In closing its San Francisco base, citing economic factors and shifting customer demand, American presented 400 flight attendants with a choice that many said felt impossible to make: leave the airline or leave the state. 

The base is home to some of the carrier's most senior flight attendants, two-thirds of whom have been at the airline for 13 years or more, according to the union representing American Airlines flight attendants. By January 31, they must select an airport from a list of the airline's hubs outside of California to work out of. For those who can't or won't, the only options are to retire early (if eligible) or resign, the union told Insider.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-flight-attendants-react-to-sfo-base-closure-2022-12

May 20, 202312:48 AM ET - The Associated Press

American Airlines and JetBlue Airways must abandon their partnership in the northeast United States, a federal judge in Boston ruled Friday, saying that the government proved the deal reduces competition in the airline industry.

The ruling is a major victory for the Biden administration, which has used aggressive enforcement of antitrust laws to fight against mergers and other arrangements between large corporations.

The Justice Department argued during a trial last fall that the deal would eventually cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/20/1177295597/american-airlines-jetblue-must-end-partnership-judge

Gary Leff - April 4, 2025

A passenger is suing American Airlines because a flight attendant fell on her. The airline told the judge the incident was entirely the fault of another unruly passenger – but the judge wasn’t buying it – and the case is allowed to proceed, even though that other passenger allegedly pushed the flight attendant onto the seated customer, resulting in injuries.

On May 30, 2021, Njeri Williams was on American Airlines flight 2123 from Washington National to New York JFK, and had fallen asleep prior to takeoff. While the plane taxied out, a passenger further back in the cabin was having a loud and aggressive FaceTime conversation – and refused instructions from the crew to stop the call and switch the device to airplane mode.

The flight returned to the gate to offload the disruptive passenger. However, they didn’t remove her immediately. They reportedly paused for a discussion with her in the forward galley. That’s when she bumped the flight attendant who was walking down the aisle – pushing the crewmember onto Williams, who claims to have suffered a serious back injury that required hospitalization and physical therapy.

https://viewfromthewing.com/passenger-pushes-flight-attendant-onto-sleeping-woman-judge-says-american-airlines-may-be-held-responsible/

Shira Li Bartov - 9/20/22 at 6:16 PM EDT

An American Airlines passenger has urged travelers to steer clear of the carrier, saying they were stranded for five hours after workers forgot to load their wheelchair.

Xavi Santiago, who uses the pronouns they/them, said they were flying from Los Angeles to Orlando with a layover in Miami last week. The customer described their ensuing ordeal in a video that went viral on TikTok, amassing over 220,000 views.

“In Miami, after having a whole kerfuffle with no one being there to load me onto the plane and me having to wait until the plane finished boarding to actually get transferred on, they didn't put my chair on the plane,” said Santiago.

Upon landing in Orlando, the passenger learned that their wheelchair hadn't made it. Airline staff put Santiago in a manual airport wheelchair and promised their wheelchair would arrive on the next flight from Miami, landing around 9 or 9:30 p.m. The customer was also told they would receive a temporary wheelchair.

https://www.newsweek.com/customer-says-american-airlines-lost-wheelchair-stranded-hours-1744685

They ended up stranded at an airport after employees forgot to load it onto the plane.

Pocharapon Neammanee - Oct 1, 2022, 11:06 AM

A passenger who flew on American Airlines said they were stranded at the Airport after the airline employees forgot to load their wheelchair.

“The entire time, I had no idea if my chair was going to show up. If it was going to be damaged, what was going to happen,” Xavi Santiago, 23, told Insider.“This is not a lost bag. This is my mobility. These are like my legs.”

Santiago, who posted about their travel experience in a vial TikTok video said they along with their partner and friends were stranded at the Orlando Airport for almost five hours. The group, which was on vacation, was unable to leave because they were told that Santiago's power wheelchair was not loaded onto their one-way flight from Los Angeles, California, to Orlando, Florida.

A week before departure, the flight had changed to include a layover in Miami, Florida, Santiago said.

https://www.insider.com/american-airline-passenger-stranded-at-airport-staff-forgot-their-wheelchair-2022-9

July 11, 2023 8:05 PM ET

On the Fourth of July, Nekrogoblikon, the goblin metal band, took to Twitter to express their frustration with American Airlines for damaging and losing over $20,000 worth of their gear during a flight. The incident occurred as they were set to start their midwest tour with Dropout Kings and Summoning the Lich. The band publicly called out American Airlines, criticizing their negligence and lack of care for their equipment.

https://www.lambgoat.com/news/39534/nekrogoblikon-has-20000-worth-of-gear-lost-and-damaged-on-aa-flight-offered-luggage-in-return/

Grace Dean - September 13, 2022 8:05AM

A passenger said American Airlines checked her cabin luggage after she boarded her flight, then lost it.

More than three weeks later, the passenger still hasn't been reunited with her bag, she said.

Lara Watson flew from Wilmington, North Carolina to Toronto on August 21 with a layover in Washington, DC. Her American Airlines flights were operated by Republic Airways as American Eagle.

She told Insider that she had flown with just hand luggage because she had “heard news about bags getting lost.”

On her flight from Wilmington to Washington, however, the flight crew told passengers after they boarded that they couldn't fit all their bags in the overhead lockers and asked some people to pass their bags to the front, Watson said.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-checked-cabin-bag-lost-it-luggage-travel-chaos-2022-9

Beatrice Nolan - Mon, October 17, 2022 at 3:46 AM

American Airlines has agreed to pay at least $7.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the airline of charging some passengers incorrect baggage fees.

The accusation in the lawsuit, which forced the airline into two years of litigation, related to a period between 2013 and 2021.

Five passengers said the airline had failed to honor its pledge to allow checked baggage at no extra cost for some credit card holders and frequent or first-class flyers.

The claimants accused the airline of breaching its contract, claiming they were “improperly charged” and “forced to pay baggage fees,” according to the original complaint, filed in February 2021.

https://news.yahoo.com/american-airlines-agrees-pay-minimum-104639567.html

Ben Schlappig - November 20, 2023

Customer service in the airline industry can often leave a bit to be desired, to put it mildly. However, our average grievances about airlines pale in comparison to what many with limited mobility deal with, where complete disregard is shown for their basic needs. Here’s the latest example of that…

Gate checked wheelchair goes flying

A video posted on TikTok yesterday shows how some American Airlines ramp workers were handling wheelchairs on a flight. Jet bridges (through which passengers board aircraft) often have chutes that lead down to the apron. This is so that gate checked belongings can be transported there, and then placed in the cargo hold.

In a video that has been posted online and has already been viewed well over a million times across platforms, you can see a wheelchair being sent down a chute, and then going flying. Not surprisingly, when you send something with wheels down a ramp, it’s not necessarily going to slow down.

What makes this even worse is that the person who took the video claims that this had been done to two wheelchairs before the video started, so this was just how they were handling them. The TikTok user also claims that the baggage handlers were laughing while doing this.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/american-airlines-wheelchair-mishandling/

Gary Leff - June 19, 2024

An American Airlines passenger’s luggage went missing. Sam Brinton had nothing to do with the disappearance. Instead, her Apple AirTag allowed her to track it to a Southern California homeless encampment.

After flying from Dallas – Fort Worth to Burbank on May 29th, Aunny Grace’s luggage went missing. American Airlines operations melted down at the end of May, as a result of North Texas weather, running out of reserve crew, and flight attendants being unwilling to pick up premium pay hours due to ongoing protracted labor negotiations at the carrier.

Her original May 29 flight was cancelled, and she was rebooked onto a flight the next day. She overnighted in the airport. Her bags didn’t get transferred and American promised to deliver the delayed luggage the next morning. Five days later, the wrong suitcase arrived at her home.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-passenger-tracks-down-missing-luggage-at-homeless-camp-outraged-by-27-compensation-offer/

A rash of noises described as “explosive diarrhea, vomiting, and a weird, vaguely sexual moan” hit an American Airlines flight last week. It's not the only one.

Lucas Ropek - 26 September 2022 5:05PM

The flight from LAX to DFW did not go as planned. Emerson Collins, an actor from Los Angeles, remembers the noises started before the plane even took off: strange grumblings, a weird sound like somebody was on the verge of throwing up. They were coming from the plane’s loudspeaker. Flight attendants assured passengers it was a technical mixup. It was presumed that once the flight got underway, the noises would cease. Instead, they continued for hours: weird guttural moans and grunts projected over the intercom, apparently coming from nowhere.

“These sounds started over the intercom before takeoff and continued throughout the flight. They couldn’t stop it, and after landing still had no idea what it was,” Collins later tweeted with a video of the flight, which subsequently went viral, racking up nearly 5,000 retweets and over 30,000 likes.

https://gizmodo.com/american-airlines-haunted-noises-emerson-collins-1849581010

The crew told passengers that the source of the sounds was unknown

Ashley Nash - Sept 28, 2022, 6:29pm PDT

Passengers from several different American Airlines flights have reported a series of odd and unsettling moaning and screaming sounds over the plane’s PA system that the crew had no explanation for.

What’s that noise? The phenomenon gained traction when Emerson Collins, a Los Angeles-based actor and producer, uploaded a video of the sounds on his flight, which eventually went viral.

https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2022/9/28/23376951/american-airlines-intercom-noises

A video was recently posted to Twitter showing a passenger aboard an American Airlines flight smoking a cigarette.

Riley Pickett - 12 December 2022

This past week, a video was posted showing a passenger lighting a cigarette aboard an American Airlines flight. The four-second video shows the man lighting the cigarette and nothing else. However, the filming passenger Sara Radosevich stated in the accompanying tweet that a flight attendant snatched the cigarette out of the man's hands.

https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-passenger-lights-cigarette-flight/

(Humor)

CF - Apr 1, 2023

On the heels of its decision to pull forty percent of its fares from sale through traditional third party channels, American has now made the even bigger decision to stop selling tickets entirely, seeing opportunity to completely revolutionize how airline travel works.

The original shift in fares was meant to allow American to sell more through what it calls “Modern Retailing,” but its projections now don’t provide enough cost benefit to the airline, which has been struggling to boost margins. In order to reduce those costs further, American began experimenting with a broader cost reduction program.

https://crankyflier.com/2023/04/01/american-to-stop-selling-advance-tickets-for-all-flights/

Gary Leff - May 2, 2023

Two comedians wrapped up performing in Las Vegas and were headed to Dallas on American Airlines. They report being forced to change their clothes at the gate because staff claimed what they were wearing was too revealing. They were mortified, they say, that they were stuck changing in front of everyone. And what they changed into – which the airline accepting – was even more revealing!

Here’s how Keanu Thompson and Chrissie Mayr were dressed heading to the airport.

When they got to the gate they were told their clothes were too revealing to fly. Since it was “minutes before” departure, they didn’t have time to go to the restroom to change. If they didn’t want the door to be closed they’d have to change on the spot – in front of everyone. One of the women noted, “Not all of us wear underwear.”

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-forces-two-women-to-change-into-more-revealing-clothes-in-order-to-fly/

'I was accused of not going to the funeral, that was something they actually said.'

Phil West - Jun 14, 2023

An aggrieved American Airlines customer says she’s out $350 after confusion over her flight schedule while attending a family member’s funeral — and she contends the company’s customer service added insult to injury.

The TikTok video documenting the situation comes from creator Liv Paxton (@thingsrecordedby_liv), who shared that she recently flew from Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) to Jacksonville, Florida, to attend her aunt’s funeral. The trip included a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina.

She shared the clip Monday, getting more than 25,000 views to date.

“American Airlines just stole $350 from me,” Paxton contends in her video, noting that the issue with the company started when she and her family made the six-hour drive from Jacksonville to Charlotte, North Carolina, where her return flight had been scheduled to Baltimore, Maryland.

https://www.dailydot.com/news/american-airlines-350-dollar-charge-skipped-city/

What caused the family of four to be removed from the aircraft just prior to departure?

Steven Walker - 18 July 2023

A family of four was kicked off a United Airlines flight due to an unusual error with their ticket. As reported by ABC News, retired school teachers Wendi and Rob Meehan, together with Wendi's parents, had booked a trip to Europe, with a routing that would take them from Tampa (TPA) to Amsterdam (AMS) via Chicago (ORD) and Frankfurt (FRA).

Their ticket was issued by Lufthansa, with the German flag carrier operating the flights from Chicago to Amsterdam, via its Frankfurt hub. Fellow Star Alliance member, United Airlines, operated the first leg of the journey.

https://simpleflying.com/ticketed-united-airlines-passengers-blocked-flying-wholesale-flights/

Gary Leff - August 17, 2023

An American Airlines passenger bought a seat for her 18 month old child. A flight attendant refused to allow them to use it, saying children under two weren’t allowed in seats without a car seat. This was wrong. The passenger is suing, because American wouldn’t refund the seat they’d purchased but weren’t permitted to use.

And One Mile at a Time reports that the airline is making two claims in response to the suit,

• They’re only required to transport a passenger, not to transport them in a seat. Since the toddler flew, they got the full value of their ticket.
• The flight attendant, who threatened to kick the passengers off the flight and who denied use of the seat all based on a misunderstanding of policy, was within their rights to do so even though they were wrong.

This is literally insane, but it comes from an airline so seems about right. In 2015 they actually changed the terms of their frequent flyer program to specifically disclaim “any duty of good faith and fair dealing” towards customers.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-passengers-arent-entitled-to-fly-in-seats-can-be-kicked-off-for-any-reason/

An American Airlines passenger helped herself to a first class seat but was asked to move back to economy. Then another passenger was upgraded to the seat.

Kyle Stewart - October 25, 2023

A woman recorded herself interacting with a manager from American Airlines on the jetbridge outside her flight as she was asked to speak with him off the aircraft. Watch the video below, details to follow.

The claim was that she took a seat that was still for sale at a discount at check-in but went unsold. As the seat was empty, she moved to that seat before being asked to return to her seat in economy at 14A. Another passenger, purportedly “white” was then given the seat in first class. Flight attendants alerted the pilot to a disruption, the door to the plane was reopened where the woman in the video was asked to speak to the manager on the jetbridge.

She recorded the interaction which was helpful because it is all clearly explained and the staff did what they were supposed to do. It’s important to note that as she was not asked to retrieve her bag and the door had not been closed again, this was just to explain the process and not to remove her from the aircraft. In fact, the manager then asked if she would like to continue the flight at which point she said she was “uncomfortable” and did not want to continue the journey on that aircraft.

https://liveandletsfly.com/american-airlines-passenger-upgrades-herself-asked-to-move-for-white-people/

Stephen M. Lepore For Dailymail.Com - 01:51 EST, 7 November 2023 / Updated: 10:06 EST, 7 November 2023

A Florida mother is filing a lawsuit against American Airlines after she claims the airline lost her two children after putting them in a room overnight that was similar to a jail cell while they were traveling by themselves.

Amber Vencill alleges that her 12 and 10-year-old sons were left without food, water, blankets or pillows after their flight was canceled.

The boys, who have only been named as 'JV' and 'RV,' were using American Airlines' unaccompanied minor service on July 30, 2022.

They were scheduled to take a flight from Missouri to upstate New York, where Vencill's partner was to pick them up following a layover in Charlotte.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12718989/florida-mom-american-airlines-children-jail-cell.html

Gary Leff - April 16, 2024

Michael Trager, who runs frequent traveler and casino loyalty site TravelZork, had one of the most interesting “bump” stories I’ve heard in a long time. He was involuntarily denied boarding on an American Airlines flight last week, and airport staff refused to provide him any compensation saying that they “do not care about DOT Rules.”

When you’re confirmed on a flight – boarding pass in hand, even – and the airline tells you they don’t have a seat available for you they are ‘bumping’ you off the trip. And when they aren’t offering you enough compensation to take another flight willingly, that’s an “involuntary denied boarding.” Under federal rules, an airline owes you cash. But what happens when they just tell you to pound sand?

The interesting wrinkle here is that Trager was confirmed onto the flight after first standing by for it.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-bumps-passenger-off-flight-agent-says-they-do-not-care-about-dot-rules/

Joe Tidy,Cyber correspondent - 27 April 2024

A 101-year-old woman keeps getting mistaken for a baby because of an error with an airline's booking system.

The problem occurs because American Airlines' systems apparently cannot compute that Patricia, who did not want to share her surname, was born in 1922, rather than 2022.

The BBC witnessed the latest mix-up, which she and the cabin crew were able to laugh off.

“It was funny that they thought I was only a little child and I’m an old lady!” she said.

But the centenarian says she would like the glitch to be fixed as it has caused her some problems in the past.

For example, on one occasion, airport staff did not have transport ready for her inside the terminal as they were expecting a baby who could be carried.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wz7pvvjypo

Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday April 28, 2024 09:35PM

Though it's long past Y2K, another date-related bug is still with us, writes Slashdot reader Bruce66423, sharing this report from the BBC.

“A 101-year-old woman keeps getting mistaken for a baby, because of an error with an airline's booking system.”

The problem occurs because American Airlines' systems apparently cannot compute that Patricia, who did not want to share her surname, was born in 1922, rather than 2022…. [O]n one occasion, airport staff did not have transport ready for her inside the terminal as they were expecting a baby who could be carried…

[I]t appears the airport computer system is unable to process a birth date so far in the past — so it defaulted to one 100 years later instead… But she is adamant the IT problems will not put her off flying, and says she is looking forward to her next flight in the autumn. By then she will be 102 — and perhaps by then the airline computers will have caught on to her real age.

https://idle.slashdot.org/story/24/04/28/2345217/airline-ticketing-system-keeps-mistaking-a-101-year-old-woman-for-a-1-year-old

Mateusz Maszczynski - 18th May 2024

A female entrepreneur who was flying with American Airlines for the launch of her new startup claims she was arrested on suspicion of fraud in front of other passengers at Dallas Fort Worth Airport after the airline accidentally sent her booking details to a random person in Tennessee.

Kavita Raymond, a published author and regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times, says she was left humiliated after she was taken into custody by three police officers who demanded proof that she had booked her plane tickets despite the fact that AA’s gate agents had access to computer systems which would have immediately proven her innocence.

Instead, the mother of two, who was recently widowed at the time of her arrest, was booked into the DFW airport jail on suspicion of credit card fraud, had her mobile phone and laptop seized, and was held for hours before being released in the middle of the night without any help.

In a new lawsuit that has recently been filed in a California District Court against American Airlines, Kavita says the drama started when she used Orbitz to book a flight from Burbank to Charleston with a short layover in Dallas Fort Worth in September 2022.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/05/18/businesswoman-says-she-was-arrested-on-suspicion-of-fraud-after-american-airlines-accidentally-sent-her-booking-details-to-a-random-person/

Airline later attempted to distance itself from the statement

Shaun Chaiyabhat (WCVB) - Updated: 4:30 PM EDT May 22, 2024

American Airlines is trying to distance itself from a controversial statement in a legal document responding to a civil lawsuit against the company and one of its flight attendants, who is accused of secretly recording five girls in airplane bathrooms.

Estes Carter Thompson III, 36, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was indicted last month in connection with an incident that happened on a Boston-bound American Airlines flight late last summer.

Federal prosecutors said that on Sept. 2, 2023, Thompson video-recorded or attempted to surreptitiously video-record a 14-year-old female passenger with a cellphone as she used the aircraft lavatory while he was working as a flight attendant onboard American Airlines Flight 1441 from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport.

As a result of an investigation into that incident, prosecutors said videos of four additional girls using aircraft lavatories were found on Thompson's iCloud account that were recorded between January 2023 and August 2023. Authorities said those four girls were 7, 9, 11 and 14 years old.

https://www.wcvb.com/article/american-airlines-claims-9-year-old-at-fault-secret-recording/60863951

‘We’re on hour seven of being here—no food, no water.’

Braden Bjella - Aug 8, 2024 / Updated on Aug 8, 2024, 7:30 am CDT

A group of American Airlines passengers alleged the airline dropped them off in the Bahamas on a domestic flight. As many did not have their passports, this left them no way to exit the terminal for around seven hours.

American Airlines has received significant online criticism in the past. One internet user claimed that the airline left her 15-year-old brother stranded at the airport alone for almost 24 hours, providing him with only a single $12 snack voucher over the course of the wait. Another described a nightmare experience in which their flight was repeatedly delayed. They said they were offered no information about the reasons for, and the possible resolution time of, this delay.

A recent video from TikTok user Kate (@italiankate) documents how a recent flight from Puerto Rico to Miami left numerous passengers stranded in the Bahamas. It’s received over 3.5 million views.

https://www.dailydot.com/news/american-airlines-strands-passengers-in-bahamas-no-passports/

Gary Leff - August 27, 2025

A passenger flying American Airlines out of Orlando Melbourne International Airport says he was effectively removed from his flight thanks to understaffed and unresponsive employees. “Rules are rules.”

• He arrived at the airport roughly 50 minutes before departure—within American’s published 45-minute cutoff for checked bags at most airports.
• There was no one at the check-in counter. Eventually, an employee emerged from the back – he says that she was eating food as she came out.
• After handing over his ID, she told him he had missed the baggage cutoff by two minutes and could not check his golf clubs.

Thinking quickly, the customer handed his golf club bag to his friend that had taken him to the airport to ship them separately and headed to TSA. But his mobile boarding pass had been deactivated. His electronic check-in was canceled.

He rushed back to the check-in counter, but once again there was nobody there. A TSA screener tried to help, taking his ID to the gate to try to get his boarding pass reinstated so he could clear security and fly – but he says the agent there refused. (Sidenote: screen shot your mobile boarding passes.)

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-first-class-passenger-shows-up-on-time-gets-kicked-off-flight-when-agent-vanishes-for-donuts/

Posted by msmash on Tuesday August 16, 2022 11:02AM

American Airlines has agreed to purchase 20 supersonic Overture planes from Boom Supersonic, the companies announced Tuesday. From a report:

The deal is the second firm order in the last two years for Boom, still years from building its first commercial airplane. United Airlines made a commitment last year to buy 15 Overture jets. “Passengers want flights that are faster, more convenient, more sustainable and that's what Overture delivers,” Boom CEO Blake Scholl told CNBC. “Flight times can be as little as half as what we have today, and that works great in networks like American where we can fly Miami to London in less than five hours.” Boom says the Overture jet will fly as fast as Mach 1.7, or 1,304 mph, dramatically cutting trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flight times. For example, a flight from Seattle to Tokyo, which typically takes just over 10 hours, could be completed in six hours in an Overture, according to Boom.

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/22/08/16/1733233/american-airlines-agrees-to-buy-20-supersonic-planes-from-boom

The carrier could buy as many as 60 planes from the startup.

Igor Bonifacic - August 16, 2022 3:14 PM

One of the world’s largest airlines has placed a big bet on supersonic jet startup Boom. On Tuesday, American Airlines announced that it had recently agreed to buy 20 Overture aircraft from Boom, with the option to purchase an additional 40 planes if all goes well. The deal is one of the strongest shows of support for Boom yet, surpassing the potential 50-jet commitment United Airlines made last year. That’s all for a startup that has yet to build a working passenger jet.

https://www.engadget.com/american-airlines-boom-overture-jet-purchase-191453014.html

American, the world’s largest airline, poised to have the world’s largest supersonic fleet with new Boom Supersonic aircraft

Aug 16, 2022 - Boom Aviation

FORT WORTH, Texas, and DENVER, Aug. 16, 2022 — American Airlines and Boom Supersonic today announced the airline’s agreement to purchase up to 20 Overture aircraft, with an option for an additional 40. American has paid a non-refundable deposit on the initial 20 aircraft. Overture is expected to carry passengers at twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft.

Boom Supersonic’s Overture would introduce an important new speed advantage to American’s fleet, which is currently the simplest, youngest and most efficient among U.S. network carriers. Under the terms of the agreement, Boom must meet industry-standard operating, performance and safety requirements as well as American’s other customary conditions before delivery of any Overtures.

https://boomsupersonic.com/news/post/american-airlines-announces-agreement-to-purchase-boom-supersonic-overture-aircraft-places-deposit-on-20-overtures

Gary Leff - July 22, 2023

Did you know that American Airlines has its own credit card, aside from the Barclays and Citibank-issued AAdvantage cards?

The American Airlines Credit Card stopped taking applications in May. It’s a credit card used only for purchases with American. In other words, it’s a store card like a Macy’s credit card or a Best Buy card.

It’s a no annual fee card that offers six months to pay for tickets, usable at ticket counters, in lounges and at aa.com.

While there’s no interest on charges of $150 or more paid in full within 6 months, interest accrues on balances beyond that at a rate of approximately 30%.

Buy Now Pay Later was big even before the pandemic, with up to 15% of people financing their vacations. This exploded in an era of zero interest rates, but the business model faced challenges with rising rates.

According to an internal memo, American Airlines is even dropping the ability to pay with the American Airlines Credit Card at aa.com. Anyone wishing to use an existing card account will have to call reservations.

https://viewfromthewing.com/the-american-airlines-credit-card-will-longer-accepted-for-payment-online-by-american-airlines/

Struggling to find a good job, Kate Fredericks signed a “training repayment” agreement with her new airline. She soon came to regret it.

Dave Jamieson - Jan 31, 2023, 09:26 AM EST / Updated Jan 31, 2023

Kate Fredericks quit her job flying for the cargo airline Ameriflight in late November 2021, six and a half months into her stint as a pilot based out of Puerto Rico. It was the most expensive resignation she could imagine.

Ameriflight told Fredericks she owed the company $20,000 for the cost of her training since she was leaving before working for 18 months. Fredericks had signed an agreement to those terms when she was hired, so she wasn’t surprised the company expected her to pay up.

She had heard stories of other erstwhile Ameriflight pilots getting calls from debt collectors. Fearing the bill could wreck her good credit, she negotiated a payment plan directly with the company: $250 a month for nearly seven years. She started mailing the company a handwritten check each month because she was told they couldn’t accept electronic payments.

“I was terrified. I didn’t want someone banging on my door,” said Fredericks, who’s 37 and lives in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. “Some tried to ignore it and had collections scare the living daylights out of them.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ameriflight-pilot-training-repayment-provisions_n_63a2214ee4b04414304bc464

AIRLIVE - March 9, 2024

Both pilots fall asleep on Batik Air Airbus A320 for 28 minutes in a report published by Indonesian authorities.

On 25 January 2024, the Airbus A320 was being operated as scheduled passenger flight from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (WIII), Jakarta to Halu Oleo Airport (WAWW), Kendari and return. The aircraft was operated by two pilots and four flight attendants.

As the aircraft reached the cruising altitude of 36,000 feet, both pilots took their headsets off and the cockpit loudspeaker volume was increased. The PIC then asked permission to rest from the SIC and was granted. A few seconds later, the PIC slept and the SIC then took over the PIC duty as PM.

The PIC woke up and at 0122 UTC, asked whether the SIC wanted to rest. The SIC responded that he did not want to rest. Both pilots then had a non-related-duty conversation for about 30 seconds and then the PIC continued to sleep.

https://airlive.net/reports/2024/03/09/report-both-pilots-of-an-a320-fall-asleep-in-the-cockpit-for-28-minutes/

A tale of two holes and two mechanics of two different heights

Gareth Corfield - Mon 19 Jul 2021 / 18:01 UTC

A British Airways Boeing 787's landing gear collapsed during a botched test after a short mechanic asked a taller co-worker to insert a lock-out pin into a hole he couldn't reach – only for the second mechanic to put it in the wrong place.

The Laurel and Hardy-style failure was detailed in a bulletin from Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), explaining why the 787's nose landing gear (NLG) was accidentally retracted during maintenance at Heathrow Airport in June.

“To prevent the landing gear from retracting, the procedure required pins to be inserted in the nose and main landing gear downlocks. However, the NLG downlock pin was installed in the NLG downlock apex pin bore which was adjacent to the correct location to install the downlock pin,” said the AAIB in its report.

https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/19/ba_787_landing_gear_pin_aaib_report/

4th December 2021 - Mateusz Maszczynski

British Airways has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Chicago after three of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners were left badly damaged and inoperable while they were at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

The airline says damage sustained to the three Dreamliner aircraft cost more than $3 million to be repaired and left hundreds of passengers stranded. Lawyers acting on behalf of British Airways claim the airline incurred significant additional costs because several flights had to be cancelled while the planes were fixed.

The damage occurred across two days last year on November 30 and December 1 when the three Dreamliners were taxiing around Chicago O’Hare. The lawsuit alleges that foreign object debris or FOD as it is commonly known was sucked into the engines and caused damage including to the inlet cowels.

All six engines were damaged so badly that the aircraft were left inoperable and had to be removed from service for “complete tear downs and inspections” of the engines. As British Airways doesn’t have a base in Chicago, the only option was for the airline to cancel several flights while the aircraft were fixed.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2021/12/04/british-airways-sues-the-city-of-chicago-for-3-million-for-causing-damage-to-boeing-787-dreamliners/

The crew then escorted him to the premium cabin section, where they secured him in a luxury seat for the flight's duration.

Helen William - May 31, 2025

LONDON- A British Airways (BA) cabin crew member was arrested at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) after colleagues discovered him dancing naked in a business class lavatory during a transatlantic flight.

The incident occurred on a San Francisco (SFO) to London (LHR) service, prompting an investigation into suspected drug use aboard the aircraft, The Sun reported.

The steward disappeared from his duties during meal service on the busy flight carrying approximately 470 passengers and crew.

Flight attendants initiated a search of the Airbus A380-800 aircraft when the crew member failed to report for his assigned responsibilities serving food and beverages to passengers.

Colleagues discovered his absence as they distributed meals throughout the cabin during the ten-and-a-half-hour journey across the Atlantic. The aircraft was cruising at 37,000 feet when the search began, with crew members checking various sections of the double-decker plane.

The in-flight crew supervisor located the missing steward in the Club World cabin restroom, where he was found completely nude and dancing. The discovery shocked the crew supervisor, who immediately took action to address the situation.

Flight attendants quickly clothed the steward using spare pyjamas designated for First Class passengers. The crew then escorted him to the premium cabin section, where they secured him in a luxury seat for the flight’s duration.

https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/05/31/british-airways-crew-of-san-francisco-london-flight-arrested/

At least until government subsidies dried out and the short-hop helo industry went belly up.

Andrew Tarantola - April 24, 2023 11:37 AM

We’ve all been there: sitting in the back of a cab as it crawls through downtown traffic, the clock on the dash mocking you with its inexorable march towards a missed final boarding call and non-refundable ticket fees. Racing to make your flight is an experience nearly as old as commercial aviation itself — and one which has seen repeated solutions attempted throughout the years. Today, companies like Uber and Hyundai or United Airlines and Archer are working to get fleets of eVTOL aircraft to serve as short-hop air taxis, ferrying travelers from city centers to airports while avoiding the mess and hassle of ground-based traffic. In the ‘60s, companies like Chicago Helicopter Airways (CHA) just used a bunch of repurposed US Navy helicopters whose rotors almost never catastrophically failed. Almost.

Following WW2, the US government found itself with a massive surplus of military aircraft — we’re talking North of 150,000 individual planes, helicopters and sundry whirlybirds that all needed somewhere to go that wasn’t storage or a scrap yard. At the same time, an emergent middle class got the chicken in every pot and car in every driveway it was promised, along with all of the traffic and congestion that that particular American dream creates. So, in the early 1950s, the Federal government launched a series of grant programs to promote commuting via helicopter as an intra-city alternative to driving, simultaneously addressing both issues.

https://www.engadget.com/chicago-helicopter-airways-taxi-airports-transportation-153747571.html

Cathay Pacific flight CX870 bound for SFO first diverted to OAK before deboarding at LAX

Silas Valentino - Feb 7, 2024

The first time her flight tried to land at a windswept San Francisco International Airport during the atmospheric river on Feb. 4, passenger Crystal Ross told SFGATE that she felt her body leave the seat.

But when the Cathay Pacific pilot tried for a second time to land at SFO, Ross said the dramatic drop in the sky sent half the people around her reaching for barf bags. “The plane was rocked so hard each time that half the plane was getting sick,” she said.

Following a third failed attempt to land, Cathay Pacific flight CX870, which originated from Hong Kong, diverted to Oakland International Airport to wait out the storm. Instead of being allowed to disembark, though, the passengers were kept sitting on the tarmac for hours before taking off again for another attempt to land at SFO.

This, too, ended in failure — at which point the decision was made to carry on to Los Angeles International Airport, over 300 miles away from its intended destination. Even after landing in Los Angeles at 3:41 p.m., Ross said passengers sat on the tarmac for nearly two hours. In the meantime, the airline failed to meet the passengers’ basic needs, according to Ross.

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/passenger-explains-sfo-flight-diverted-to-lax-18654603.php

An exceptional jet stream boosted a China Airlines flight over the Pacific

Matthew Cappucci - January 26, 2024 at 1:37 p.m. EST

China Airlines Flight 5116 rocketed to a speed of 826 mph as it bolted eastward across the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, potentially breaking informal records for passenger travel. The commercial flight, which departed from Taipei, landed more than an hour early in Los Angeles, propelled by exceptionally strong tailwinds.

A roaring Pacific jet stream, supercharged by the El Niño climate pattern and moving at more than 250 mph, gave the flight a boost.

Official records for commercial flight speeds aren’t kept, but a recent article in Simple Flying said a British Air Boeing 747 flying near Greenland had set a record when it reached 825 mph in February 2020.

Other flights were also hurled by this week’s extra-swift high-altitude winds. For example, China Airlines Flight 6, flying the same route as Flight 5116 on Friday, hit 822 mph.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/01/26/airplane-flight-record-speed-pacific-jetstream/

Gary Leff on January 20, 2023

CommuteAir, which operates Embraer ERJ-145s for United Airlines, left the entire U.S. federal No Fly List on a server that was easily hacked.

While the original requirement to show ID at the airport was a political decision, in order to appear to be ‘doing something’ after TWA flight 800, the reason you have to show I.D. at airport security now is so that the government can compare you against its various watch list, from the No Fly List to various enhanced screening lists.

If you didn’t have to be ID’d, you could fly under any name you wished. The government might be looking for Ayman al-Zawahiri, but he could just buy a ticket under a different name.

The lists themselves are secret. They won’t tell you that you are on them. They may assign you a redress number to show that you’re not the Ayman al-Zawahiri they happen to be looking for but they won’t ever say that name was on the list.

And people get on these lists by mistake, for instance because an FBI agent checked the wrong box on a form. Or they get on out of revenge, against people who refused to act as informants. It’s pre-crime profiling, a bureaucrat puts your name on the list and imposes a punishment without any due process or even proof you’ve actually done anything to warrant it.

Still, the list is considered both highly secret (but not classified) and crucial by the federal government. But it’s also given to airlines.

https://viewfromthewing.com/oops-airline-leaked-the-entire-federal-no-fly-list/

Posted by BeauHD on Friday January 20, 2023 04:02PM

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Daily Dot:

An unsecured server discovered by a security researcher last week contained the identities of hundreds of thousands of individuals from the U.S. government's Terrorist Screening Database and “No Fly List.” Located by the Swiss hacker known as maia arson crimew, the server, run by the U.S. national airline CommuteAir, was left exposed on the public internet. It revealed a vast amount of company data, including private information on almost 1,000 CommuteAir employees. Analysis of the server resulted in the discovery of a text file named “NoFly.csv,” a reference to the subset of individuals in the Terrorist Screening Database who have been barred from air travel due to having suspected or known ties to terrorist organizations.

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/23/01/20/2238232/us-airline-accidentally-exposes-no-fly-list-on-unsecured-server

Ax Sharma - January 30, 2023 07:00 AM

A U.S. No Fly list with over 1.5 million records of banned flyers and upwards of 250,000 'selectees' has been shared publicly on a hacking forum.

BleepingComputer has confirmed the list is the same TSA No Fly list that was discovered recently on an unsecured CommuteAir server.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-no-fly-list-shared-on-a-hacking-forum-government-investigating/

Russ Niles - October 31, 2022

A Delta Air Lines captain has won a complete legal victory when the company finally threw in the towel on a six-year dispute that one judge said “weaponized” a mental health investigation against her. As we reported in 2020, Capt. Karlene Petitt was awarded $500,000 by a Labor Department tribunal. The airline was also forced to reinstate her as an international captain after determining airline executives plotted to use a bogus bipolar disorder diagnosis to bar her from flying. The action came after Petitt, who was working on a doctoral thesis, submitted a 43-page report critical of Delta’s safety culture. The airline paid a since-discredited doctor $76,000 to supply the diagnosis, which was twice refuted, including by a panel of Mayo Clinic experts. Delta vowed to appeal the award in the name of safety but made a “business decision” and folded its case last week.

“We made a business decision to settle the matter rather than appeal a decision that we disagreed with,” Delta spokeswoman Catherine Morrow told the Seattle Times. “Delta’s fitness for duty testing process for pilots is in place to ensure safety and it works.” Ironically, Petitt declined comment to the Times in observance of a company policy against talking to the media about work. She’s currently flying A330s between Seattle and Europe.

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/delta-abandons-appeal-of-pilot-suspension-award/

Bill Murphy Jr. - Jul 15, 2023

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. In other words, it was a typical airline travel tale in modern America.

This one has a happy ending, fortunately, and a lesson for any business that would like to be on the right side of a viral story.

Let's set the stage: A newlywed couple, Lawryn and Joe Fellwock, were flying on Delta Air Lines from Detroit to Puerto Rico, where they planned to take a cruise for their honeymoon.

Everything was going great, until shortly after taking off, when Lawryn realized she had left her passport at home in Michigan.

No passport, no international travel, and since their cruise was set to make ports of call in several different countries, their honeymoon plans seemed ruined.

https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/a-delta-air-lines-passenger-forgot-her-passport-flight-attendants-solution-was-a-stroke-of-genius.html

A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a case in which their business class award on KLM issued using Delta SkyMiles was canceled, and Delta failed to inform them.

John Ollila - June 16, 2024

I’d like to share my first, truly bad experience with an award flight, hoping it might be useful to other travelers who find themselves in a similar situation.

On March 3rd, I purchased a business class award ticket for 4 people through Delta’s website for the route LIN-AMS-ICN (all on KLM departing June 10th) for a total of 80,000 miles per passenger plus €219. Delta sent a confirmation email, and the tickets were issued (ticket number 006…).

A couple of days later, I also booked seats for both legs. We then organized the rest of the trip to Korea, including booking the return flight in Premium Economy with Air France (June 23rd). When we tried to check in online on the day of departure, the Delta website stated that the reservation did not exist.

Since it was Sunday, we contacted Delta’s call center in the United States. To our great surprise, they told us that the reservation had been canceled by an unspecified “agent” during March. Unfortunately, no cancellation confirmation was ever received, the money was never refunded to AMEX, nor the miles credited back to the Delta account, making it impossible to notice the issue until the online check-in.

https://loyaltylobby.com/2024/06/16/reader-email-delta-award-ticket-on-klm-cancelled-passengers-not-informed/

Jhansi - Updated 17:20 June 01, 2025

A passenger traveling first-class on a US domestic flight from Delta Air Lines claims to have faced a total breakdown at every step of his journey.

The person took to social media to share that their flight from Jacksonville to Seattle with a layover in Atlanta, was delayed by two hours due to “staffing issues.” There was no further explanation and no crew was present.

But passengers were still told not to worry as the connecting Seattle flight would wait. Both gate agents and flight attendants gave that assurance, which soon turned out to be a white lie.

When the plane finally landed in Atlanta, 12 passengers sprinted to catch the Seattle flight, just 90 seconds late. What they faced was a rude gate agent munching Doritos, laughing, and refusing to let them board.

At customer service, the staff appeared completely zoned out. The “help” they received was two $12 meal vouchers that had to be literally printed to be redeemed.

They took the next flight and after some pushing, they were at least seated together. The only positive moment in a 19-hour journey was that the flight attendants on that flight were great.

Read more at: https://www.m9.news/usa-news/delta-first-class-disaster-us-flights-meltdown/

Matthew Klint - August 8, 2022

A group of passengers is threatening a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines after experiencing a bizarre flight to Ghana, with a law firm retained to send a formal complaint to governmental authorities in the USA and in Ghana.

I wrote about this flight from the context of a polyglot YouTuber who I found far too dramatic in claiming to have experienced horror and anxiety after the pilot announced a fuel problem 2.5 hours over the Atlantic Ocean. The Delta flight from New York (JFK) to Accra, Ghana (ACC), already severely delayed, returned to JFK.

The flight was originally scheduled to leave JFK on July 24, 2022 but one of the pilots did not show up and the flight was delayed until the following afternoon. Some passengers claim that Delta left people stranded without hotel and meal vouchers, which I find very hard to believe.

On July 25th, the flight was further delayed due to bad weather, but finally took off. Bu after 2.5 hours in the air, the flight turned around, with the pilot noting a fuel problem.

https://liveandletsfly.com/delta-ghana-lawsuit/

Ben Schlappig - August 22, 2022

Delta’s controversial New York to Accra diversion

Delta Air Lines’ service to Accra has been getting quite a bit of media attention in Ghana in recent weeks. This all involves the carrier’s New York (JFK) to Accra (ACC) route.

The issue started on July 24, 2022, when DL156 from New York to Accra was canceled, because the airline was short on pilots to operate the route. Many passengers complained the airline did a poor job taking care of passengers.

The next day (July 25, 2022), Delta arranged a replacement flight for these passengers, DL9923. The flight was operated by a roughly 25 year old Boeing 767-300 with the registration code N195DN.

Unfortunately there was a mechanical issue that was discovered after takeoff, as the plane allegedly had a fuel imbalance. Well over two hours after takeoff, while over the Atlantic, the decision was made to return to New York out of an abundance of caution. In the end the plane operated a nearly five hour flight to nowhere.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/ghana-bans-delta-boeing-767/

He's suing for $1 billion.

Mariella Moon - July 15th, 2021

A Delta pilot has sued the airline for $1 billion, accusing it of trade secrets theft over a communications app he developed a few years ago. According to Bloomberg, Captain Craig Alexander pitched the QrewLive app, which he reportedly developed with $100,000 of his own money, to the company as a way for crew to easily communicate in case of disrupted flights. However, Delta turned him down and then launched what he says is an identical tool a few years later.

Alexander apparently contacted Delta CEO Ed Bastian back in 2016 after a computer system meltdown put all flights on hold and cost the company over $150 million. He told the CEO that he had a solution for issues like that, which resulted in several meetings with executives who gave him verbal assurances that they were going to acquire his app.

https://www.engadget.com/delta-pilot-sues-airline-app-063637349.html?src=rss

Gary Leff - February 27, 2024

Delta appears to be eliminating its checked baggage delivery guarantee (“Bags on Time”) program next month.

Customers could claim 2,500 miles whenever their bags failed to show up on the carousel within 20 minutes of arrival on a domestic flight. You could request the miles on your phone while standing at baggage claim, and in my experience claims were approved instantly.

When asked about an upcoming elimination of the checked baggage guarantee, a Delta Air Lines spokesperson wouldn’t deny it and only offered, “We have not made any announcement about a change to our program.” (I said in response, “well, if you’d made an announcement I wouldn’t be asking!”)

The person who shared this with me attributed it to the high cost of the program driven by awareness in viral TikTok videos and increasing ‘gaming’ of compensation.

https://viewfromthewing.com/delta-air-lines-ending-checked-baggage-guarantee-program-next-month/

One mother had no formula for her baby, and a disabled veteran had to sleep on the hard floor overnight.

Dawn White - 10:16 PM EDT June 17, 2022 / Updated: 4:16 PM EDT June 18, 2022

ATLANTA — Frustrated Delta Air Lines customers reached out to 11Alive saying they've been stranded at the airport for more than 24 hours after multiple flight cancellations. This comes after Delta previously announced it would cut 100 flights a day this summer.

One of the stranded passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said her flight has been cancelled or changed four times already.

The issues aren't just with Delta. Flight boards inside the airport showed cancellations for virtually all major airliners.

“Instead of it being a happy honeymoon, it became a very miserable plane ride waiting for this hell hole to let us finally leave,“ Joe Reis said.

Disabled U.S. Army veteran Joe Reis said he had no choice but to sleep on the hard floor overnight after flying back from his honeymoon.

https://www.11alive.com/article/travel/flight-cancellations-delta/85-83ecfcb2-6ff3-4384-9e48-00296d79c09f “I have to rely on hearing aids, and so my charging port is actually in my bag in Omaha,” Reis said.

Jyoti Mann - 2022-09-04

A father whose child flew solo on Delta said the airline didn't tell him its system had logged her as having not been collected from the airport.

Richard Fritz said his 13-year-old daughter flew unaccompanied from Burlington International Airport to Detroit Metro Airport, where he did in fact collect her, in the spring.

He told Insider: “When I returned her to the airport a week later, the agent who was trying to check her in said 'our system says she is still waiting for you to pick her up at the gate from last week'.”

Fritz said Delta's system apparently hadn't “released” his daughter from her arrival gate at Detroit, even though he'd collected her from the airport.

He said he asked the agent why he or the child's mother weren't informed that the system indicated his daughter hadn't been collected from the airport the week before.

https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-told-father-he-didnt-pick-up-child-from-airport-2022-9

My parents and I booked a flight to Rio de Janeiro for the holidays. We started off in Columbus, Ohio, and had a layover in Miami before our 11 p.m. flight to Brazil.

Suneil Kamath - Dec 31, 2022, 3:30 AM

On December 10, we arrived at the Miami airport from our first American Airlines flight from Columbus, Ohio, at around 8 p.m., so we had a few hours to spare before our journey to Rio de Janeiro.

We booked the entire journey with American and didn't check any luggage.

The gate agent said the delay was only for an hour, and I was happy that we wouldn't be traveling on a plane with mechanical issues. 

In fact, I'm glad that airlines have procedures in place to ensure passengers and crew are safe.

However, closer to midnight, when we still hadn't boarded yet, I had a hunch we would be further delayed. The gate agent soon confirmed my suspicions by announcing that the flight was delayed to 12:20 a.m.

https://www.insider.com/american-airlines-flight-delayed-for-21-hours-miami-to-brazil-2022-12#about-an-hour-before-boarding-a-gate-agent-announced-over-the-loudspeaker-that-the-flight-was-delayed-due-to-the-airplanes-brakes-malfunctioning-2

The airline made the offer but never followed through and canceled the original flight.

Lukas Souza - 30 December 2022

On Christmas day, Delta Air Lines planned to operate a flight from Oakland to Salt Lake City that was overbooked, and the airline offered passengers $8,000 vouchers to give up their seats on the flight. David Reeves, traveling with his family of three, volunteered for the voucher but never got the money.

Overbooking and offering a lot of money

Unfortunately for passengers, airlines in the United States routinely overbook flights, i.e. selling more tickets than seats onboard. While airlines want to squeeze every penny of profit possible, passengers get the short end of the stick at times. When flights are overbooked, airlines must bump travelers to other flights. However, in the US, carriers are required by law to offer compensation in exchange for voluntarily being bumped from a flight before involuntarily bumping passengers.

https://simpleflying.com/delta-air-lines-offers-family-24000-to-give-up-seats/

John Annese, New York Daily News - Jul 30, 2023 at 10:11 am

A woman and her teenage daughter say Delta Air Lines staff served a boorish passenger drink after drink, then did nothing when he manhandled and sexually assaulted them on a long flight from JFK Airport to Greece, according to a federal lawsuit.

The pilot and flight attendants didn’t even call police to have the man arrested after the eight-hour and 40-minute ordeal, and offered the traumatized mom an insulting 5,000 “SkyMiles” as an apology, the lawsuit alleges.

The mother and her 16-year-old daughter, New York State residents identified in court papers as A.A. and N.A., filed a $2 million negligence and civil rights lawsuit against Delta in Brooklyn Federal Court on Tuesday.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-mom-daughter-sue-delta-airlines-drunken-passenger-sexual-assault-20230730-ytoiuk7qevaknmqvlebmogbwwq-story.html

Soo Kim - 9/14/23 10:34 AM EDT

A Delta Air Lines passenger is seeking compensation after his wife—and potentially more than 100 other passengers—was unable to board a “near empty” flight after the airline allegedly “screwed up” and her booking was canceled due to a “system error.”

Mike Smith, a 40-year-old engineer in Winnipeg, Manitoba, told Newsweek that his family of five (including his wife, Shannon, a 37-year-old teacher, and their three sons aged 10, 8 and 5) were due to fly back home to Canada from their vacation in Orlando, Florida.

The family was scheduled to travel on Flight DL2504 (from Orlando to Minneapolis) and then Flight DL1663 (from Minneapolis to Winnipeg) on April 2.

When Shannon checked in online about 14 hours before the flight to Minneapolis, she saw that both legs of her return journey were canceled, while Smith and their three kids were to fly as scheduled. Delta never informed Shannon about her flight cancellations, according to Smith.

https://www.newsweek.com/delta-flight-cancellation-error-passenger-compensation-canada-aviation-regulations-1826929

Mateusz Maszczynski - 30th December 2023

A Delta Air passenger who worked in the aviation industry for more than 20 years after leaving the US Air Force says she was thrown off a flight to Jamaica after he offered to help fix the inflight entertainment system, which was suffering technical issues before departure.

Bindley Sangster was flying from his home in Georgia to Jamaica, where he produces single-estate Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee for his own company but claims he was removed from the flight because the pilot deemed him a ‘flight risk’.

The incident unfolded when Sangster went to use the restroom onboard the aircraft during a departure delay on December 6, 2021. After exiting the restroom, he heard the flight attendants discussing a problem with the inflight entertainment system, so Sangster offered to help.

His offer was immediately declined, and Sangster was ordered to return to his seat. Sangster says he immediately complied, but while waiting for departure, he decided to take the opportunity to write a complaint on the Delta app about the delay.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2023/12/30/man-says-he-was-thrown-off-delta-air-flight-because-he-offered-to-fix-broken-inflight-entertainment-system/

Gary Leff - November 21, 2024

A long-time reader shared their experience flying Delta this past weekend from Dallas to Detroit. They’re a Diamond Medallion member, and they were flying on a paid first class ticket. When they boarded the narrowbody jet, they discovered that their seat had no tray table. It was missing, “so I can’t eat, drink or do work with my computer.”

In his opinion, he should have been given another seat in the cabin. There was one passenger upgraded at the gate. That shouldn’t have happened. The tray table was taped off, so Delta was aware of the issue prior to boarding. And he thought – and asked a flight attendant – maybe this could be addressed?

  Flight attendants agreed with me but the gate agent wouldn’t call maintenance or 
  hold the flight for it to be fixed. I asked for a red jacket. He refused to downgrade 
  the one passenger who got a complimentary upgrade and put me in that seat. 

Delta ‘red coats’ are elite customer service agents distinguished by their red jackets. They are trained to handle complex passenger issues, including rebooking flights, issuing compensation, and providing assistance to passengers with disabilities.

https://viewfromthewing.com/deltas-premium-promise-falls-apart-first-class-passenger-told-youre-entitled-to-a-seat-not-a-tray-table/

The screen will debut at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport starting at the end of the month.

Andrew Liszewski - 9 June 2022 10:50AM

Finding your flight information on those giant densely packed airport screens can often feel as daunting as trying to interpret a wall of hieroglyphics without the Rosetta Stone. But Delta passengers traveling through Detroit will have a much easier time as a new display being installed there tailors the on-screen information to whoever’s looking at it: up to 100 travelers at once.

The displays, developed by a company called Misapplied Sciences, will be ready to greet passengers at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport starting on June 29 as part of a beta program with Delta Air Lines. Most modern display makers pride themselves on the expansive viewing angles of their TVs or computer monitors, ensuring that even people viewing the screen from the sides see exactly the same thing in terms of color and contrast as someone parked front and center. Misapplied Sciences has instead created a display technology it calls Parallel Reality that can completely customize what’s seen on-screen depending on the angle from which it’s being viewed.

https://gizmodo.com/delta-s-airport-display-uses-face-recognition-for-fligh-1849039403

Dr. Omar Memon - 28 October 2022

Sixteen years ago, on October 28th, 2006, a Boeing 757-200 landed on a taxiway due to a runway misidentification.

Before its merger with United Airlines in 2010, Continental Airlines flew a scheduled passenger service between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) using a Boeing 757-200 aircraft. The narrowbody 757-200 has a typical capacity of 200 passengers across two classes and a range of 3,900 miles (7,250 km).

https://simpleflying.com/continental-airlines-flight-1883-taxiway-landing-story/

Gary Leff - February 17, 2024

YouTuber Josh Cahill, who has nearly 700,000 subscribers, reviews flights and courts drama, it seems. Just a couple of months ago he was banned by Qatar Airways over a negative review.

Now he’s taken on East Timor’s Aero Dili. He flew the carrier from Bali to Dili Airport in East Timor, posted a negative review of his trip on the airline’s only jet, and claimed to have gotten food poisoning on board.

In response, the airline took to Facebook to accuse Cahill of trying to extort them, demanding the following for a positive review:

a free flight
hotel accommodations
per diem to cover food
$50,000 cash

They didn’t post messages to support this demand. Instead, the airline posted a photo of his… passport?

https://viewfromthewing.com/airline-takes-revenge-after-bad-review-posts-passengers-passport-online/

Matthew Klint - July 10, 2023

Let’s start the week off with a riddle. Why were 19 passengers bumped off a flight after boarding when none of them did anything wrong…nor did the airline? 19 Passengers Bumped. AFTER Flight Had Already Boarded!

We often see passengers bumped due to oversell situations (more seats sold than are available onboard). Sometimes we see passengers bumped when there is reason to believe they are intoxicated. But that is the not the only reason passengers may get bumped…

On an EasyJet Airbus A320 flight from César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport (ACE) in Spain to Liverpool (LIV), not one, not two, but 19 passengers were bumped. But why?

There were four factors at play:

Heavy aircraft
Short runway
Excessive heat
Windy conditions

But in short, the plane was too heavy, despite not being full.

https://liveandletsfly.com/19-passengers-bumped/

29th August 2022

The low-cost airline EasyJet has been forced to apologise to customers after it claimed they weren’t entitled to compensation for a delayed flight because there was snow on the runway that needed to be cleared – the only problem was that the flight was in August and the temperature on the day in question hit 22 °C (71.6 °F).

EasyJet flight 5104 from Jersey to London Gatwick on August 15 was scheduled to depart at 8:45 am but didn’t end up taking off until gone midday. Passengers on the short 35-minute hop over to Gatwick Airport aboard the Airbus A320 eventually arrived just over three hours late.

Under long-standing European compensation rules, airline passengers delayed for more than three hours are entitled to compensation, and in this case, a payout of €250 per passenger was potentially owed unless EasyJet could prove that the delay was an ‘exceptional circumstance’ outside of its control.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/08/29/easyjet-apologises-for-refusing-compensation-because-of-snow-on-runway-in-the-middle-of-summer/

8th March 2023 - Mateusz Maszczynski

A group of airline passengers were forced to call 911 to get the police to rescue them after they were held onboard a plane for nearly six hours following a weather-related diversion to Fort Lauderdale Airport.

As noted by aviation journalist Seth Miller, details of the incident were made public on Wednesday after the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that it had decided to fine the airline $250,000 for failing to deplane the passengers after the tarmac delay hit the four-hour mark.

U.S. law requires airlines that operate flights to, from or within the United States to have contingency plans in place for lengthy tarmac delays. In most cases, airlines are required to allow passengers the opportunity to deplane once the delay has hit a certain length.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2023/03/08/passengers-called-911-to-get-police-to-rescue-them-from-plane-after-being-held-on-tarmac-for-nearly-six-hours-airline-fined-225000/

The passenger in question allegedly groped two flight attendants and assaulted another before being restrained.

Tom McKay - 3 August 2021 4:40PM

Frontier Airlines initially suspended a flight crew for failing to follow “proper policies” by duct-taping a hostile passenger to his seat, but it appears to have now walked back the disciplinary measures after social media users and the flight attendants’ union judged the crew’s actions to be quite reasonable.

According to ABC 6, a 22-year-old Norwalk, Ohio resident, Maxwell Berry, allegedly assaulted a male flight attendant and groped two other female flight attendants while onboard a flight from Philadelphia to Miami. A police report obtained by the network stated that after consuming two drinks, Berry brushed his empty cup against a female attendant’s backside, spilled a drink on his shirt, and returned shirtless. After an attendant helped Berry get another shirt from his carry-on luggage, the report continued, he walked around for 15 minutes before groping two female flight attendants’ chests and punching a male flight attendant in the face.

https://gizmodo.com/frontier-airlines-attendants-put-on-paid-leave-after-du-1847416779

Posted by msmash on Monday November 28, 2022 06:05AM

Say goodbye to the airline call center – at least at Frontier Airlines. From a report:

The budget carrier has completed its transition to online, mobile and text support, which enables it to ensure that customers get “the information they need as expeditiously and efficiently as possible,” spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz told CNBC in an e-mailed statement. Passengers who call the customer service number Frontier lists on its website now get the message: “At Frontier, we offer the lowest fares in the industry by operating our airline as efficiently as possible. We want our customers to be able to operate efficiently as well, which is why we make it easy to find what you need at Flyfrontier.com or on our mobile app.” Those who want to text with the carrier can get a link to do so sent to their phone. Most major carriers still offer customer service lines. But Frontier, which charges fees for everything from advanced seat assignments to carry-on luggage and snacks, is often looking for ways to cut expenses. During its investor day earlier this month, Frontier hinted that it would stop offering customer service by phone, a change that travel site Travel Noire reported earlier this week.

https://it.slashdot.org/story/22/11/28/145242/frontier-airlines-gets-rid-of-telephone-customer-service

Gary Leff - May 3, 2025

A reader was refused check-in by Frontier Airlines in Raleigh when they were trying to fly to Boston. They report showing up at the airport counter 50 minutes prior to departure, thinking that’s plenty since they have CLEAR for security and didn’t expect more than 5 minutes to the gate.

There were three things they weren’t expecting.

  Frontier’s check-in rules that require you to arrive at least one hour before departure (they booked through an online travel agency and didn’t know to look for this)

  That Frontier charges extra for a printed boarding pass at the airport

  And that Frontier staff are… a little different than what you find at most airlines. They don’t exude the usual professionalism other airlines expect.

The couldn’t use a kiosk and were told they had to check in at the counter. Initially the agents were happy to help – for a $25 fee. He pushed back, “I’ve never experienced that and they said it’s on their website. I said I wouldn’t have known to look at the website.”

https://viewfromthewing.com/never-flying-this-airline-again-watch-as-frontier-threatens-ban-calls-police-when-passenger-complains-about-25-fee-just-to-check-in/

Kieran Press-Reynolds - Updated Thu, July 27, 2023 at 2:32 PM PDT

A woman said she wasn't allowed to board a Frontier Airlines flight even though she arrived on time.

Frontier offered to rebook her on another flight leaving two days later — and with a 12-hour layover, she said.

Though she's made it to her destination (San Francisco) successfully, she told Insider she has not gotten her money back.

20-year-old Marley Stevens has put out a viral PSA on TikTok not to fly with Frontier Airlines after she claimed the airline wouldn't let her on her flight over the weekend — and proceeded to reschedule her for a flight leaving two days later. She told Insider she flew to her destination on a different airline, but she's still awaiting her refund for the gaffe.

A spokesperson for Frontier Airlines told Insider that they will honor a refund, however, their records indicated that Stevens “failed to appear for boarding within the required timeframe” — a claim that Stevens vehemently disputes.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/woman-urging-tiktokers-not-fly-174025646.html

The airlines keep getting worse as noted by this 20 year-old woman who was not allowed to get on her Frontier flight because of their mistake.

Jennifer Tisdale - Aug. 4 2023, Published 6:11 p.m. ET

People from a certain era love to wax poetic about how sophisticated flying used to be. Someone is usually talking about how folks used to really dress up just to sit in a piece of metal hurtling through the sky. And you know what, I would also dress up if the seats were still that big and the food was somewhat edible and perhaps I wasn't charged for my baggage, emotional or otherwise.

I agree, flying absolutely looks like it used to be better. It seems like nowadays if your flight isn't canceled, then you're dealing with unruly passengers, weird fees, and taking off your shoe in a public place.

For Marley Stevens, who goes by @m.stevens03 on TikTok, she made it all the way to boarding before she was unceremoniously stopped by Frontier Airlines. The fun part is, Marley couldn't get on the plane because of a mistake they made.

https://www.distractify.com/p/20-year-old-kicked-off-frontier-flight

'Is that allowed?'

Grace Fowler - Feb 8, 2024 / Updated Feb 9, 2024, 1:18 pm CST

A Frontier Airlines customer says after booking a flight but not selecting a seat online, the front desk told her she couldn’t get on the plane.

P (@therealpwizz) posted a viral video that has reached over 411,000 views and 20,000 likes by the publication of this story.

P captioned her TikTok, “has this ever happened to anyone before???”

She begins her video by saying she was at the airport with her Frontier Airlines boarding pass, ready to fly home after a trip.

“There wasn’t a seat on [the boarding pass], and I was just chilling,” P says. “I was like, ‘Oh, they’ll just give me my seat when I go to get on the plane.'”

“That’s happened before,” she adds.

P says while she was waiting to board, the front desk made an announcement saying, “If you don’t have a seat on your boarding pass, please come up to the desk.”

https://www.dailydot.com/news/frontier-airlines-no-seat/

Bethany Biron - Sun, July 17, 2022 at 10:19 AM

A man who was kicked off a Hawaiian Airlines over an “invalid ticket” after boarding a flight to Maui with his daughter, took his frustrations to TikTok as part of a viral cautionary tale.

In a series of videos, now viewed milions of times, passenger Ryan DeMarre detailed his confounding experience with the airline, which took place on a flight from Seattle to Maui on July 2.

“Kicked off with 'invalid' ticket. How do we get through TSA and on a place with an invalid ticket and a minor,” he wrote in the first video, which showed DeMarre and his daughter being removed from the plane.

https://news.yahoo.com/hawaiian-airlines-passenger-kicked-off-171928271.html

JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER - January 13, 2023

HONOLULU (AP) — A cloud shot up vertically like a plume of smoke in a matter of seconds before a Hawaiian Airlines flight last month hit severe turbulence and 25 people on board were injured, according to a preliminary report Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The captain of the Dec. 18 flight from Phoenix to Honolulu told investigators that flight conditions were smooth with clear skies when the cloud shot up in front of the plane and there was no time to change course, the report said. He called the lead flight attendant and told her there might be turbulence. Within one to three seconds, the plane “encountered severe turbulence,” the report states.

Shortly afterward, the lead flight attendant told the crew there were multiple injuries in the cabin.

Twenty-five of the 291 passengers and crew members on board were injured, including four passengers and two crew members who were seriously hurt, the report says. The plane sustained minor damage.

https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-honolulu-business-820eb47d03bd6744419e75d50be43266

The new ITA Airways livery takes inspiration from Italy's 'azzuri.'

Julia Buckley, CNN - Published 15th October 2021

(CNN) — They've long dominated the food and fashion worlds, this year they've dominated sports, and now they're aiming for the skies.

Italy's new national airline, ITA Airways, launched on Friday with a promise to bring pride back to its national flag carrier, after Alitalia, Italy's legacy airline, went bankrupt and ceased operations a day earlier.

Executives unveiled plans for the new network, airplanes, staffing and livery at a press conference livestreamed from Rome.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/ita-airways-launch/index.html

Concerns over fuel capacity with wrestlers onboard led to national carrier taking the ‘unusual step’ of transferring sumo rikishi to another flight

Justin McCurry - Mon 16 Oct 2023 00.16 EDT

Weighty issue: Japan Airlines lays on extra plane after sumo wrestlers make aircraft too heavy to fly

Concerns over fuel capacity with wrestlers onboard led to national carrier taking the ‘unusual step’ of transferring sumo rikishi to another flight Justin McCurry in Tokyo Mon 16 Oct 2023 00.16 EDT Last modified on Mon 16 Oct 2023 21.30 EDT

Japan’s flagship carrier has been forced to lay on an extra flight at short notice after concluding that two of its planes were at risk of exceeding their weight limits. The culprit was not excess baggage, however, but a passenger list that included some of the country’s heaviest men.

Japan Airlines took the “very unusual” step of transferring a number of sumo wrestlers to a hastily arranged special flight last week over concerns that the two aircraft they had originally been due to fly would be unable to carry sufficient fuel due to weight restrictions.

The sumo rikishi were scheduled to take Boeing 737-800 flights from Haneda airport in Tokyo and Itami airport in Osaka to Amami Oshima, an island in the far south, where they were due to compete in a sports festival, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/16/weighty-issue-japan-airlines-lays-on-extra-plane-after-sumo-wrestlers-make-aircraft-too-heavy-to-fly

Posted by msmash on Monday March 04, 2024 06:40AM

JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines announced on Monday that they would walk away from their planned $3.8 billion merger after federal antitrust regulators successfully challenged the deal in court. JetBlue said it would pay Spirit $69 million to exit the deal. From a report:

A federal judge in Boston blocked the proposed merger on Jan. 16, siding with the Justice Department in determining that the merger would reduce competition in the industry and give airlines more leeway to raise ticket prices. The judge, William G. Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, noted that Spirit played a vital role in the market as a low-cost carrier and that travelers would have fewer options if JetBlue absorbed it.

https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/03/04/1423247/jetblue-and-spirit-call-off-their-merger

Sun, October 23, 2022 at 11:58 AM

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Korean Air plane overshot the runway while landing in bad weather in the central Philippines late Sunday, but authorities said all 173 people on board were safe.

The airport on Mactan Island in Cebu province was closed indefinitely due to the stalled aircraft, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said.

Photos it released showed the front underbelly of the plane partly ripped away, but the airline and aviation agency didn’t give details on the damage.

“All passengers are safe and being attended by ground personnel,” the Philippine aviation agency said in a statement.

The Airbus A330 from Incheon, South Korea, attempted to land twice before overrunning the runway on the third attempt, Korean Air Lines Co. said in a statement.

https://news.yahoo.com/korean-airlines-overshoots-cebu-runway-185853065.html

Beatrice Nolan - Thu, August 11, 2022 at 6:36 AM

A wheelchair user said she was left 'humiliated' during a flight after the captain repeatedly told passengers that the plane was delayed because of a problem related to her chair, the BBC reported.

The passenger, Geraldine Freeman, was traveling from Bristol in the south west of England to the Spanish island of Tenerife on a Jet2 flight in July when the incident occurred.

Freeman, who uses an electric wheelchair, told the BBC she felt she was treated in a “very undignified way,” and that her journey was “embarrassing, uncomfortable, stressful and humiliating.”

She said Jet2 partially dismantled her wheelchair in the airport, something that she had never been asked to do on a flight before, and she was not boarded first, going against standard convention when it comes to wheelchair users on planes.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/wheelchair-user-says-she-left-133611629.html

Matthew Klint - October 13, 2022

Two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets escorted a Jet2 Airbus A321 to London Stansted after a bomb threat was made against the flight. Bomb Threat Prompts RAF Escort, A321 Diversion To London, And Passenger Griping…

LS922 departed from Dalaman, Turkey (DLM) for Manchester (MAN) on time at 6:55 pm on October 12, 2022. It was due to arrive in Manchester at 9:40 pm.

However, as the aircraft crossed the English Channel, RAF jets were scrambled and the flight was diverted to London Stansted (STN), landing at 9:20 pm.

The aircraft parked at a remote stand, where law enforcement officers carefully searched the plane before determining there was no bomb onboard. Passengers were apparently kept onboard during much of the search.

https://liveandletsfly.com/a321-bomb-threat/

Ben Schlappig - 8 May 2022

Did you know that Lufthansa operates a twice monthly flight between Frankfurt and Strasbourg, with a huge business class cabin, and with disproportionately expensive fares? Neither did I, until I stumbled upon this FlyerTalk thread.

Lufthansa’s twice monthly Frankfurt to Strasbourg flight

Two times per month, Lufthansa operates a route between Frankfurt, Germany (FRA), and Strasbourg, France (SXB). At just 111 miles, this is also one of Lufthansa’s shortest routes. The route is so short that it’s ordinarily operated by a bus… except for those two times per month.

These flights typically operate around the middle of each month, from Frankfurt on Mondays, and to Frankfurt on Thursdays, with the following schedule:

LH1072 Frankfurt to Strasbourg departing 1:25PM arriving 2:20PM LH1073 Strasbourg to Frankfurt departing 2:05PM arriving 3:00PM

https://onemileatatime.com/news/lufthansa-strasbourg-shuttle/

Jyoti Mann - Jul 16, 2022, 7:28 AM

A Lufthansa passenger was told to wait up to two months to get her luggage back after being told to check in her carry-on bag for a flight that was then canceled.

Dunja Ivic, who is based in Berlin, was set to board a flight home to Zagreb, Croatia, via Frankfurt, Germany, on July 2 when she found out that her flight was canceled.

The ecommerce manager planned to take hand luggage on the flight but had been told to check it in. She is still waiting for it to be returned.

“I had my prescription glasses in the suitcase and didn't have contacts so I haven't been able to see properly and had to order new contact lenses but wait days to receive them,” Ivic told Insider.

https://www.businessinsider.com/lufthansa-told-passenger-to-wait-two-months-to-receive-luggage-2022-7

Using Ditto's edge-based platform, the global airline's flight crew automatically shares and views data collaboratively on tablets while going about a digital check of safety equipment and conditions before each flight.

Claire Swedberg - Nov 16, 2022

Airline company Lufthansa is using an edge-based application to manage its preflight checks, leveraging software provided by Ditto. At its core, the wireless system enables workers to conduct preflight screenings with a tablet, thereby saving time employees previously spent manually doing so via paper and pen. Additionally, Ditto's Intelligent Edge Platform enables the sharing of data between inspectors via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connectivity. The Intelligent Edge Platform database runs across edge devices and in the cloud.

In what is now a trial deployment across all aircraft and flights, users conduct inspections on Lufthansa's new Crew App, which the airline built using Apple's SwiftUI framework. The solution was initially trialed on select parts of the Lufthansa fleet, and the app is now available for use by the crew on all Lufthansa passenger flights, according to a company spokesperson. Lufthansa is the second largest airline in Europe, with hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, and it operates worldwide and employs 105,290 people.

https://www.rfidjournal.com/lufthansa-conducts-preflight-checks-digitally-with-iot

Ben Schlappig - November 11, 2023

A San Francisco-bound Lufthansa jet recently had to divert to Oakland due to a company policy, even though the weather was nice, and all other planes were having no issues landing in San Francisco. Were air traffic controller just being petty, is Lufthansa’s policy unnecessary, or is this just the price you pay when you err on the side of extreme caution?

Lufthansa pilots can’t do visual approaches at night

This incident happened on Monday, October 16, 2023, and involves Lufthansa flight LH458 from Munich (MUC) to San Francisco (SFO). The flight was operated by a six-year-old Airbus A350-900 with the registration code D-AIXC. VASAviation did a great job creating a video that has both a visualization of the flight path, plus the audio between the Lufthansa pilots and the air traffic controller.

This incident revolves around how Lufthansa reportedly has a company policy whereby pilots can’t do visual approaches at night, but rather require instrument landing system (ILS) approaches. I wasn’t aware of this restriction, and I’m not sure if it only applies on certain flights (like long hauls), or what. I assume the intent is that this is an extra operational safety layer.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/lufthansa-a350-oakland-diversion/

The captain was in the bathroom when his colleague lost consciousness, leaving the aircraft carrying 199 passengers without a pilot

dpa - 1:15am, 18 May 2025 / Updated 1:17am, 18 May 2025

A Lufthansa flight was flown by autopilot when the co-pilot, alone in the cockpit as the pilot had stepped away to use the bathroom, fainted, Spanish investigators said in a report about an incident last year that was released on Saturday.

The Airbus A321 flew without a pilot in charge for 10 minutes, the Spanish accident investigation authority CIAIAC said of the flight on February 17, 2024 from Frankfurt to Seville.

Lufthansa confirmed it was aware of the report and said its flight safety department had conducted an extensive internal investigation into the incident. But the company did not disclose the results of its investigation, stating: “We ask for your understanding that we will not comment beyond the investigation report.”

Although the unconscious co-pilot apparently unintentionally operated the controls, the aircraft continued to fly stably thanks to the active autopilot.

The voice recorder captured strange noises in the cockpit during this time which were consistent with an acute medical emergency, the report said.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310779/lufthansa-plane-flown-autopilot-after-pilot-faints-cockpit

Jennifer M. Wood - Sat, May 17, 2025 at 10:43 AM PDT

A medical emergency and one ill-timed bathroom break combined to create what could have been a disaster for 200 passengers traveling from Spain to Germany.

Though the incident occurred last year, details about what could have easily become a disastrous scenario are only just now coming to light following Spanish investigators publishing a full report on the February 2024 event.

As Business Insider reports, a Lufthansa flight traveling from Frankfurt, Germany to Seville, Spain was left pilot-less for approximately 10 minutes due to unsettling circumstances. As the flight prepared to cross the border into Spain, with about 30 minutes of travel time left, the captain used the opportunity to take a quick bathroom break.

When he attempted to re-enter the cockpit eight minutes later, he was unable to do so despite attempting to input the door’s security code five separate times. A flight attendant attempted to assist by using the intercom to contact the first officer, but with no response.

While nothing had seemed amiss with the captain’s 38-year-old co-pilot, he reportedly lost consciousness at some point during his superior’s trip to the john. Eventually, the first officer regained consciousness and was able to open the door for the captain—leaving the flight unmanned for an estimated 10 minutes.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/flight-carrying-200-passengers-flew-174320412.html

Airline passengers on 177 flights were impacted when a construction company accidentally cut fiber optic cables, effectively shutting down the airport.

Nikki Main - 15 February 2023

Thousands of Lufthansa Airlines passengers were stranded in Germany on Wednesday after an IT outage shut down half of its inbound and outbound flights. The company confirmed the outage on Twitter and Bloomberg reported that several Deutsche Telekom AG fiber optic cables were cut during construction at the Deutsche Bahn rail station in Frankfurt.

The outage resulted in more than 120 flight cancelations and nearly 80 delays as of mid-day Wednesday, according to Flight Aware, The New York Times reported. Lufthansa encouraged affected passengers to rebook their travel on trains or book a different flight later in the day. Frankfurt is a major airline hub for international travel, serving as the largest airport in the country.

https://gizmodo.com/lufthansa-air-travel-airport-flight-cancelations-1850117614

Posted by msmash on Wednesday February 15, 2023 06:00AM

Deutsche Lufthansa has grounded all of its flights because of company computer issues. From a report:

A Lufthansa spokesman said Wednesday the company is urgently investigating the matter. It wasn't immediately clear whether Lufthansa flights that were already airborne were instructed to land. Lufthansa's stable of airlines includes its namesake brand and the national flag-carriers Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss. The company also operates low-cost carrier Eurowings as well as other smaller airlines. In total, the group operates around 700 aircraft, making it Europe's largest airline by fleet size.

https://it.slashdot.org/story/23/02/15/105242/lufthansa-says-it-system-issues-are-grounding-all-its-flights

Resilience, we've heard of it

Paul Kunert - Wed 15 Feb 2023 12:34 UTC

German airliner Lufthansa Group is working to restore services after an unspecified IT glitch – which it says was caused by a sliced broadband cable – forced it to delay or cancel flights.

The company confirmed to The Register: “Fiber-optic cables belonging to a telecommunications service provider were damaged during construction work in Frankfurt, causing an outage of Lufthansa's IT systems at the airport in Frankfurt. Flight operations are expected to stabilize in the early evening.

Deutsche Telekom has confirmed to us that it's cables were also cut.

“Late yesterday afternoon, a drill cut four fiber optic cables from Deutsche Telekom during third-party construction work on a rail line in Frankfurt. As a result, Lufthansa is also experiencing IT problems.

“Two cables have already been repaired overnight by our technical team and many customers are already back online. We are continuing to work at high pressure on the repairs. The situation is improving continuously.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/15/lufthansa/

Paris to New York fliers miss immigration check.

Brian O'Connell - Apr 8, 2023 3:27 PM EDT

Bargain airline Norse Atlantic Airways may be new to the international flight market, but one rookie mistake may cost it plenty.

After an April 4 flight from Paris to New York landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport and its passengers were able to skip passport control and head straight into the Big Apple.

Norse Atlantic, which only started operating its Paris-to-New York route on March 26, allowed its passengers to disembark without clearing the standard immigration check. Flight travelers reported they weren’t required to pass through immigration checkpoints and instead were deplaned at the terminal leading straight into the airport.

“We are investigating a disembarkation issue that took place on arrival at New York JFK on Tuesday evening concerning a Norse Atlantic Airways flight from Paris,” A Norse Atlantic statement said, as reported by Insider. “A small number of customers who did not clear US immigration has been directly contacted regarding this matter.”

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/multiple-passengers-skipped-customs-on-us-bound-international-flight

Flight Crew Is Still Stuck In The Dominican Republic 6 Months After Finding & Reporting Drugs

The crew were detained after reporting their findings of around $25 million worth of cocaine in their aircraft.

Charlotte Seet - 12 October 2022

For the past six months, Pivot Airlines Captain Robert Di Venanzo and his four colleagues have been detained in the Dominican Republic under what was described as inhumane and humiliating conditions, with accounts of extortion and death threats. However, the situation could take a turn for the worse as the crew is set for a court hearing that could sentence them back to prison.

https://simpleflying.com/flight-crew-still-stuck-dominican-republic-drugs-fid/

Jyoti Mann - Sat, August 6, 2022 at 5:27 AM

A Qatar Airways passenger was forced to spend five days on vacation without her wheelchair after the airline lost it on her trip from Australia to Scotland.

Jamila Main, 28, was told by its staff 30 minutes after landing in Edinburgh on July 30 that her wheelchair was missing and that she would have to return one supplied by the airport when leaving the terminal.

“It's taken away my independence,” Main told Insider. “I'm relying on my family to drive me around and take me on public transport. I've had to delay some parts of my holiday as well as do seated activities and plan every minute of the day.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/qatar-airways-passenger-forced-spend-122703692.html

Sam Tabahriti - 2022-09-04

Ainsley Ashton's 16-year-old daughter was stranded overnight in an airport more than 3,000 miles away on a journey from Africa to London.

The teenager was flying unaccompanied on August 28 from Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to Heathrow via Doha, Qatar.

The flights were booked with British Airways with the Doha-Kilimanjaro legs operated by Qatar, its codeshare partner. Insider has verified the itinerary from travel documents.

https://www.businessinsider.com/mother-of-unaccompanied-minor-pleaded-security-guard-look-after-daughter-2022-9

Ben Schlappig - 17 December 2023

Qatar Airways has reportedly banned a YouTuber after he posted a negative review of a flight, and also fired the crew. The carrier’s approach here simply defies logic…

Josh Cahill is a popular YouTuber who reviews flights, and on Saturday he published a roughly 20-minute video about how he was “banned and bribed” by Qatar Airways. This followed an August 2023 video review he published, entitled “the shocking decline of Qatar Airways,” about an economy class flight that he took from Colombo to Doha.

Let me try to summarize what happened as briefly but accurately as possible, according to Josh:

https://onemileatatime.com/news/qatar-airways-bans-youtuber-negative-review/

Kate Duffy - Tue, August 9, 2022 at 5:38 AM

An Australian couple say they were left nearly $12,000 out of pocket after a booking error by Qantas meant their 13-month-old baby was seated on a different flight home.

Andrew and Stephanie Braham ultimately spent 12 days stuck in Rome, Italy, while waiting to fly home as a family, spending thousands on accommodation, baby care, travel, and food.

The Brahams spent three and a half weeks touring Europe before discovering Qantas had moved their baby daughter onto a separate connecting flight on their trip home to Australia.

They were supposed to start their journey home from Rome on July 14 but Qantas could only fly the three of them home together on July 26.

Andrew and Stephanie told Insider it cost them an “absolute fortune” to stay in Rome, Italy's capital and a tourist hotspot, for an extra 12 days. They said there were worse places to get stuck, but they were nonetheless restricted with what they could do.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/qantas-booking-error-seated-baby-123825322.html

Gary Leff - February 7, 2024

A baggage handler who resented having to lift a bag tagged as heavy so much that he stopped to write a profane note to the customer has been disciplined.

The customer had checked a 68 pound bag with Qantas. That’s overweight for Southwest Airlines, but within the baggage allowance for a first class passenger or oneworld elite elite traveling on American Airlines. Even overweight bags are often acceptable for an additional fee.

  “Clearly the Qantas baggage handler at Perth Airport wasn’t happy lifting my bag,” the man shared. “He left me a nice note to read on arrival.”

  After being alerted to the incident Qantas condemned the act and took drastic measures to ensure it never happens again.

Since it’s Qantas, there should be no surprise that ground services were outsourced. And in this case to famously low cost provider Menzies.

https://viewfromthewing.com/from-bag-to-worse-profane-note-from-baggage-handler-sparks-major-airline-discipline/

Mateusz Maszczynski - 15th June 2023

A Ryanair flight attendant on a recent flight from Italy to Tel Aviv reportedly announced that the aircraft was landing in “Palestine”, prompting a furious response from Israeli passengers who demanded the crew member either correct herself or issue an apology.

Passengers onboard the plane told local media that the flight attendant announced the destination as Palestine several times in both English and Italian. The announcement caused an angry response from some of the passengers, which resulted in the crew allegedly threatening to call the police.

According to the United Nations, Tel Aviv is located in Israel – Tel Aviv is the second most populous city in Israel, and its location in the State of Israel is widely accepted by most governments.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2023/06/15/ryanair-flight-attendant-provokes-furious-response-after-announcing-flight-to-tel-aviv-as-landing-in-occupied-palestine/

Anglia - Friday 6 January 2023 at 4:12pm

Dozens of passengers missed their Ryanair flight as they were left locked in an airport corridor - only being released when they began shouting and banging on the walls to be let out.

The incident happened on Monday at London Stansted Airport when 23 passengers for a flight to Zagreb filed into a corridor after showing their boarding passes and passports at the gate.

But after the corridor was locked at both ends, they became concerned, allegedly banging on the walls and screaming for help, before setting off the fire alarm to be rescued.

But by that point the flight had already departed - with all the passengers' bags on board.

Ryanair said the issue was caused by a human error by handling staff.

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2023-01-06/passengers-miss-flight-after-being-locked-in-corridor-at-airport

Beatrice Nolan - Jun 3, 2023, 9:48 AM PDT

Ryanair reportedly tried to charge a couple almost $100 to bring two small pastries onboard, saying the food exceeded their baggage limit.

Citing the Balearics' tourism minister, Iago Negueruela, The Guardian reported that the airline wanted each passenger to pay €45, or $49, to travel with their ensaïmadas, a traditional Spanish pastry.

The couple was carrying the small snacks, along with their hand baggage on their flight from Palma de Mallorca airport, The Mirror reported. They eventually decided to ditch the snacks rather than pay the airline's fee.

Representatives for Ryanair did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the incident.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ryanair-airline-charge-passengers-pastries-spain-2023-6

Matthew Klint - March 15, 2022

Days after SkyWest announced that it would end service to 29 cities due to an ongoing pilot shortage, the U.S. Department of Transportation has blocked the plan, arguing the carrier must continue to serve each city until a replacement is found.

https://liveandletsfly.com/skywest-end-eas/

The pilot told passengers he would take the plane back to the gate and call security if passengers continued sending the unwanted photos.

Mack DeGeurin - 31 August 2022 1:35PM

A cabin full of Southwest Airlines passengers recently tried to recreate a scene from Snakes on a Plane IRL, except they replaced the snakes with unwanted dick pics.

The rowdy Summer passengers were en route to Cabo San Lucas (because of course they were) when an outpouring of unsolicited, AirDropped nudes started pinging their way through the plane’s aisles. With the nude onslaught getting out of hand, the plane’s pilot felt compelled to grab ahold of the intercom and threaten to return the taxiing aircraft back to its gate. The pilot’s frustrated plea was captured through this August 25, TikTok uploaded by user Teighlor Marsalis (@teighmars)

https://gizmodo.com/southwest-airlines-airdrop-nudes-cabo-1849478920

A small test could be the sign of a big change to come.

Jason Aten, Tech columnist - 2022-12-08 03:30:00

The thing about Southwest Airlines is that it does things differently from, well, every other major airline. For example, they only fly one type of aircraft, the Boeing 737. There's no first class. The tickets are generally less expensive. Oh, and you can't reserve seats. 

That last one is probably the most well-known differentiator. It's also one of the most divisive things about Southwest since it's the reason some people choose to fly other airlines, even when the fare is less expensive. I get it. I'm someone who likes to have a little control over things like where I'm going to spend a few hours on an airplane–the idea of walking on board without knowing where I'm going to sit gives me anxiety.

A lot of people, however, love it. According to a spokesperson for the company, there's nothing sacred about Southwest's boarding policy, but that its passengers prefer it that way.

“This is not a religious belief,” Andrew Watterson, Southwest's chief operating officer, told The Wall Street Journal. “It's a business decision based upon what customers tell us. And right now each time we ask, customers tell us, 'We prefer it this way.' If customers tell us they want it differently, we'll change it like that.”

https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/southwest-airlines-is-testing-family-boarding-its-making-some-people-upset-why-its-a-brilliant-idea.html

Passengers should be very concerned about the message being sent by the airline's pilots.

Daniel Kline - Jan 16, 2023 11:09 AM EST

Southwest Airlines (LUV) - Get Free Report had a high-profile meltdown that stranded tens of thousands of passengers over the holidays. The airline then fumbled its response to those problems multiple times.

First, Southwest blamed the weather – and while storms led to the problem, it was clear by how the other airlines were operating that something deeper had gone wrong. After that, Southwest dropped the ball in how it apologized and compensated its passengers who got stranded, had to rent hotel rooms during the busy holiday season, or had to find another way to get home.

It was a series of errors that left customers angry and questioning whether they could trust the airline. That's a huge problem for a company that has built its reputation on being honest and transparent with its passengers.

In reality, though, people only have so many choices when it comes to air travel. That means that while people may be wary about flying Southwest, the airline's combination of value and flying to an awful lot of places probably will have them doing it anyway.

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/southwest-airlines-has-a-problem-bigger-than-its-technology

Posted by msmash on Monday December 25, 2023 11:00AM

After thousands of U.S. flights were canceled or delayed over the holidays in 2022, most holiday travelers this year are off to a cheerier start this Christmas. But a few trouble spots were emerging on Christmas Day. From a report:

Roughly 135 flights to, from or within the U.S. had been been cancelled as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time, while just over 1,100 were delayed, according to tracking service FlightAware. Airlines had canceled only 1.2% of U.S. flights so far this year as of Dec. 22, the lowest in five years. Nearly 3 million passengers were expected to pass through domestic airports during the busy holiday period, up 16% from 2022. Not everyone got off so lucky.

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/12/25/1823219/southwest-airlines-cancels-hundreds-of-flights

A memo from Southwest to Denver ramp workers shows they were ordered to mandatory overtime. They then suffered through -15 F temperatures.

Kyle Barr - 28 December 2022 4:15PM

As angry as passengers have been during this past week of delayed and canceled flights, lost luggage, and being stranded far away from friends and family during Christmas, that was apparently nothing compared to what Southwest Airline ground crew workers experienced, according to a union letter claiming some workers developed frostbite during 16-hour shifts where they were exposed to sub-zero temperatures for extended periods.

The Transport Workers Union of America Local 555 claims to represent 17,000 Southwest Airlines ground crew workers. On Wednesday, TWU Local 555 President Randy Barnes said in a release that a good chunk of their members were working 16- to 18-hour shifts this holiday season. Some were getting sick, and he said some experienced frostbite during the incredibly cold temperatures seen this past week.

https://gizmodo.com/southwest-workers-frostbite-flights-cancelled-delayed-1849935287

The company expects “minimal disruptions” on Friday. Southwest has cancelled about 15,700 flights since Dec. 22.

Jody Serrano - 29 December 2022 7:30PM

The travel nightmare wreaking havoc on the lives of thousands of Southwest Airlines passengers and staff may finally come to an end on Friday, at least according to the company.

In a statement on Thursday, Southwest said it expected to return to “normal operations with minimal disruptions” on Friday, capping off a week of hell that reportedly saw it cancel about 15,700 flights beginning on Dec. 22. The nightmare scenario stranded countless passengers far away from their destinations, sent their luggage to who knows where, and gave Southwest workers frostbite after working grueling shifts in the cold weather.

https://gizmodo.com/southwest-airlines-resume-normal-operations-december-30-1849939147

Lorin Hochstein - December 28, 2022

What happens to a complex system when it gets pushed just past its limits?

In some cases, the system in question is able to actually change its limits, so it can handle the new stressors that get thrown at it. When a system is pushed beyond its design limit, it has to change the way that it works. The system needs to adapt its own processes to work in a different way.

We use the term resilience to describe the ability of a system to adapt how it does its work, and this is what resilience engineering researchers study. These researchers have identified multiple factors that foster resilience. For example, people on the front lines of the system need autonomy to be able to change the way they work, and they also need to coordinate effectively with others in the system. A system under stress inevitably need access to additional resources, which means that there needs to be extra capacity that was held in reserve. People need to be able to anticipate trouble ahead, so that they can prepare to change how they work and deploy the extra capacity.

https://surfingcomplexity.blog/2022/12/28/southwest-airlines-a-case-study-in-brittleness/

Our system is set up to create mutual antagonism between members of the working class. Meanwhile, faceless corporate executives remain shielded like mob bosses.

Adam Johnson - Dec 27, 2022

Recent viral images of Southwest agents getting yelled at and crying have resurfaced a valuable lesson about the nature of our economic system that’s worth examining this holiday season: the deliberate, built-in ways corporate “customer service” is set up to not only shield those on the top of the ladder—executives, vice presidents, large shareholders—but pit low-wage workers against each other in an inherently antagonistic relationship marked by powerlessness and frustration. It’s a dynamic we discussed in “Episode 118: The Snitch Economy—How Rating Apps and Tipping Pit Working People Against Each Other,” of the Citations Needed podcast I co-host, but I feel ought to be expanded on in light of recent events. Watching video after video, reading tweet after tweet, describing frustrated stranded holiday travelers yelling at Southwest Airlines workers, and hearing, in turn, accounts of airline workers and airport staff breaking down crying, is a good opportunity to talk about how none of this is natural or inevitable. It is a choice, both in corporate policy and government regulation.

https://thecolumn.substack.com/p/southwest-airlines-christmas-meltdown

Asking us to 'submit a receipt for consideration' just doesn't cut it, claims would-be class action

Jude Karabus - Fri 6 Jan 2023 12:30 UTC

The nationwide systems meltdown at Southwest Airlines should have prompted a quick return of funds to ticketed customers after thousands of flights were cancelled between December 24 to January 2, according to a freshly filed lawsuit.

In the first of what is sure to be many sueballs over the Christmas and New Year IT calamity, lead plaintiff Eric Capdeville, looking to lead a class action against the US-based airline, says he booked two tickets for travel Tuesday, December 27, 2022. Capdeville claims when he found he could not take the flight he booked, and Southwest “could not offer any comparable accommodations on another flight,” he was “not given a refund, but was only offered a credit for use on a future flight.”

The suit [PDF], filed in Louisiana at the weekend, goes on to allege that Southwest's response to its “internally created crisis was to suggest customers could submit receipts for flight cancellations… for consideration reimbursement.”

https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/06/southwest_airlines_lawsuit/

Flyers have fewer rights when interacting with airlines than with just about any other industry.

Jan. 3, 2023, 4:01 PM PST - William J. McGee, senior fellow for aviation at American Economic Liberties Project

There’s little question that Southwest’s holiday meltdown was the worst customer service debacle in U.S. airline history, setting a new low by stranding more than 1 million paying passengers. But some of us weren’t at all surprised: Southwest’s crisis was inevitable after years of lax oversight by the Transportation Department, as well as the airlines’ prioritizing stock dividends and executive compensation over necessary investments, including the frighteningly outdated IT and crew scheduling systems that Southwest’s own employees warned about.

As an aircraft dispatcher licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration who spent seven years in airline flight operations management, and as someone who has been advocating for passengers since 2000, I can assure you that last week was not about snowstorms (or just about Southwest). The travel chaos resulted from all airlines’ straining their operations to the max by not making proper investments in personnel and technology, scheduling flights without adequate staffing and filling cabins to the bursting point so that any interruption spurred massive disruptions, stranding passengers and baggage alike from coast to coast.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/southwest-airlines-flight-delays-cancellations-are-only-tip-iceberg-rcna64055

Have they tried turning it off and back on again?

Tobias Mann - Wed 28 Dec 2022 20:31 UTC

Winter storms and staff shortages were only the tipping point that sent Southwest Airlines IT infrastructure over the edge, leaving thousands still stranded across the US, chief operating officer Andrew Watterson has explained.

In a call with employees, Watterson blamed the extended delays and cancellations on outdated scheduling software, according to a transcript obtained by CNN.

In effect the winter storm that flowed across much of the US triggered a cascade event from which the company's IT infrastructure was ill-equipped to manage. Matching crew members with aircraft broke down as the airline struggled to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

Southwest was ultimately forced to schedule crews to flights manually. A process Watterson described as an “extraordinarily difficult” and “tedious, long process.”

https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/28/southwest_outdated_it/

Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday December 31, 2022 03:34PM

Computer programmer Zeynep Tufekci now writes about the impact of technology on society. In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Tufekci writes on “the shameful open secret” that earlier this week led Southwest airlines to suddenly cancel 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours. “The recent meltdown was avoidable, but it would have cost them.”

Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes that the piece “takes a crack at explaining 'technical debt' to the masses.” Tufekci writes:

Computers become increasingly capable and powerful by the year and new hardware is often the most visible cue for technological progress. However, even with the shiniest hardware, the software that plays a critical role inside many systems is too often antiquated, and in some cases decades old. This failing appears to be a key factor in why Southwest Airlines couldn't return to business as usual the way other airlines did after last week's major winter storm. More than 15,000 of its flights were canceled starting on Dec. 22, including more than 2,300 canceled this past Thursday — almost a week after the storm had passed.

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/22/12/31/2044253/the-shameful-open-secret-behind-southwests-failure-software-shortcomings

Posted by msmash on Tuesday January 03, 2023 08:41AM

The Southwest Airlines meltdown that stranded thousands of passengers during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year exposed a major industry shortcoming: crew-scheduling technology that was largely built for a bygone era and is due for a major overhaul. From a report:

Southwest relies on crew-assignment software called SkySolver, an off-the-shelf application that it has customized and updated, but is nearing the end of its life, according to the airline. The program was developed decades ago and is now owned by General Electric. During the winter storm, amid a huge volume of changes to crew schedules to work through, SkySolver couldn't handle the task of matching crew members and which flights they should work, executives of the Dallas-based carrier said.

https://it.slashdot.org/story/23/01/03/1446244/southwest-meltdown-shows-airlines-need-tighter-software-integration

Unions claims management is the flying company into a 'graveyard spiral'

Brandon Vigliarolo - Tue 10 Jan 2023 23:00 UTC

In the wake of a Christmas meltdown that saw it cancel some 16,700 flights, one would expect heads to roll at Southwest Airlines, but that's not the case: Instead, several of the company's leaders - including the VP in charge of planning its aircraft network - are being promoted.

Southwest announced a quintet of leadership promotions Monday that it said are part of structural changes that began last September and which “will strengthen our operational execution and better serve our people and customers.”

The most notable promotion is going to Adam Decaire, SWA's former vice president of network planning, who is now the company's senior veep of network nlanning and Network Operations Control (NOC).

https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/10/southwest_promotes_directors/

Tue, Apr 18 2023 10:43 AM EDT - Leslie Josephs

Southwest Airlines briefly paused its departures on Tuesday after reporting technical problems, delaying half of its planned flights.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the ground stop had been lifted, but more than 2,100 flights were delayed as of 4 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. The delays accounted for more than half of U.S. flights on Tuesday.

“Early this morning, a vendor-supplied firewall went down and connection to some operational data was unexpectedly lost,” Southwest said in a statement. “Southwest Teams worked quickly to minimize flight disruptions.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/18/southwest-airlines-departures-pause.html

Southwest Air Briefly Halts Flights Due to Technology Issue

Carrier resuming normal operations after requesting stop
Passengers had complained on social media of travel delays

Mary Schlangenstein and Alan Levin - April 18, 2023, 2:46 PM UTC / Updated April 18, 2023, 4:28 PM UTC

Southwest Airlines Co. temporarily halted flights nationwide as it grappled with “intermittent technology issues,” just four months after an operations meltdown drew heavy scrutiny to the budget carrier.

The airline said Tuesday that it was resuming normal operations after requesting a nationwide halt in flying from federal regulators earlier in the day. In an emailed statement, Southwest blamed a failure in a “vendor-supplied firewall” that interrupted the flow of data for flight operations.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-18/southwest-airlines-halts-flight-departures-amid-technology-issue

Aisha Malik - 18 April 2023

Southwest Airlines is resuming operations after the airline briefly paused departures due to a “technical issue” earlier this morning. The airline says it had to address data connection issues cased by a firewall failure.

“Southwest has resumed operations after temporarily pausing flight activity this morning to work through data connection issues resulting from a firewall failure,” the company said in a statement. “Early this morning, a vendor-supplied firewall went down and connection to some operational data was unexpectedly lost. Southwest Teams worked quickly to minimize flight disruptions.”

https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/18/southwest-airlines-resumes-operations-after-briefly-halting-flights-due-to-technical-issue/

Southwest said its services were back up by the afternoon on Tuesday after 'technology issues' caused scheduling chaos on the ground.

Kyle Barr - 18 April 2023

The flying punching bag that is Southwest Airlines once again had to temporarily cancel flights due to computer issues. Mid-morning on Tuesday ET, Southwest said it halted operations at some airports due to “intermittent technology issues.” The company wrote on Twitter that it was working to get things operational again after users complained about canceled and delayed flights.

On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Authority also tweeted Monday that Southwest requested the agency pause all of its departures. Just before 12 p.m. ET, a company spokesperson told Gizmodo that the airline had resumed operations after temporarily pausing flights.

https://gizmodo.com/southwest-airlines-technology-issues-ground-flights-1850348244

Beatrice Nolan - Tue, January 3, 2023 at 5:30 AM PST

Passengers say Southwest flew their bags to Denver without them after the airline canceled their Christmas Day flight.

The couple, Bri Murphy and Peter Ferguson, said they were planning to fly from Nashville, Tennessee, to Denver on December 25 when their flight was canceled, NPR reported.

Murphy told the news outlet their flight was delayed multiple times before it was eventually canceled altogether.

However, despite the cancellation, the couple learned that their bags had arrived in Denver without them, per NPR.

Murphy told NPR that her father-in-law was able to drive to Denver airport and find two of the bags. Another bag, which contained her medication and Christmas gifts, was not with them.

Murphy said she had spent hundreds of dollars on transport and replacing some of her lost belongings, per NPR.

https://news.yahoo.com/passengers-southwest-flew-bags-denver-133051650.html

A lawsuit was filed against Southwest Airlines by a disgruntled passenger who claimed he was refused a refund for his canceled flight.

Nikki Main - 3 January 2023

A Southwest Airlines passenger filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the airline on Friday, claiming the company did not refund passengers’ money amidst thousands of cancellations following a severe winter storm that swept through the U.S.

In the lawsuit, Eric Capdeville, says he purchased tickets for himself and his daughter for flights from New Orleans, Louisiana to Portland, Oregon set to depart on December 27, but upon arrival at the airport, Capdeville says in the lawsuit, he was informed his flight had been canceled.

https://gizmodo.com/southwest-refund-airlines-air-travel-1849945175

‘It ended up being a bunch of finger pointing.’

Tiffanie Drayton - Jul 28, 2023

One woman has issued a warning to all who fly Southwest Airlines: Do not use Apple Pay to book your flight.

In a viral video with over 39,000 views, TikToker Hanna Anderson (@hann.anders) urged the use of other payment methods to make bookings with the airline to avoid having their money in limbo, which happened to her when making a $400-plus purchase.

@hann.anders @Southwest Airlines please fix this feature or take the apple pay option away from your website because this isnt right… im just trying to save someone else from going through this trouble & fingers crossed that I get my money back 🤞🏼⚠️ #psa #southwestairlines #applepay ♬ original sound – Hᴀɴɴᴀ Aɴᴅᴇʀsᴏɴ 🦋

“Okay huge PSA if you’re booking a plane ticket through Southwest Airlines,” her video began.

Though Anderson says she never had problems with bookings before, despite using the airline for just about all of her life, that all changed when she booked a ticket to Nashville to visit some friends. At checkout, she explained she was given three payment options: pay now with a debit or credit card, book now pay later or use Apple Pay.

https://www.dailydot.com/news/southwest-airlines-apple-pay-fiasco/

Gerrard Kaonga - 8/4/23 at 6:17 PM EDT

A lawsuit against Southwest Airlines alleges that a white woman and her 10-year-old daughter, whom she said is mixed-race Black, were victims of racial profiling during a flight after an airline employee, suspecting that the child was being trafficked, called police.

Mary MacCarthy, who filed the suit Thursday in Colorado, said the Denver Police Department was called after they arrived at Denver International Airport from California on October 22, 2021.

Police eventually let the pair go, but not before causing “extreme emotional distress,” according to the lawsuit, which requests economic damages, compensatory damages, as well as punitive and exemplary damages.

“To this day, when Moira and I are out in public—and especially at airports or on planes—I'm hyperaware that we might be judged and reported for any interaction we have with each other,” McCarthy, who lives in Los Angeles, told Newsweek on Friday.

https://www.newsweek.com/southwest-airline-accused-white-mom-human-trafficking-black-daughter-lawsuit-1817559

September 24, 2023 - james vaughan

I spent a recent flight finding out what I could do with a connection to the flight’s wifi, but without access to the internet.

I was on my way home from Strange Loop, a direct flight from St. Louis to Oakland. It’s a long enough flight that I planned to purchase the $8 internet access and get some work done, but Southwest’s wifi portal wouldn’t accept any form of payment. The web page didn’t give me any helpful error messages, so I opened up my browser’s network dev tools to see if I could figure out what was going wrong.

I found the failing request, but it didn’t provide any useful hints to point me toward a solution. While I was there, I saw another request that caught my eye: A repeating successful request for current.json.

https://jamesbvaughan.com/southwest-wifi/

Matthew Klint - May 8, 2023

Spirit Airlines Passengers Miss Las Vegas Flight After Boarding Door Closes Early…Do They Have A Right To Be Angry?

Last night I flew out of Burbank-Hollywood Airport, a lovely alternative to Los Angeles International that makes it possible to arrive just 25-30 minutes before your flight departs and comfortably make it through security and onboard.

Unless your flight departs ahead of schedule…

I reached the gate area at exactly 5:51 pm and witnessed a pair of passengers yelling at a Spirit Airlines gate agent. The doors had closed on a flight to Las Vegas (6:05 pm departure) and these passengers had missed it.

You can picture the conversation: they insisted they had been waiting for two hours and never heard the boarding call while the gate agent insisted multiple boarding calls had been made.

This was in Terminal B, a small terminal shared by Alaska, American, Avelo, Spirit, and United. The gate area was fairly full, with three flights (an Alaska flight to Seattle, the Spirit flight to Las Vegas, and my United flight to San Francisco) departing at roughly the same time.

https://liveandletsfly.com/spirit-airlines-flight-leaves-early/

Tom McKay - 4 June 2021 10:32AM

United Airlines has agreed to purchase 15 jets that fly faster than the speed of sound from Boom Supersonic, with options to purchase 35 more. The purchase means United is on track to reintroduce the first commercial supersonic flights since the retirement of the Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde in 2003.

The return of supersonic jets is a boon for people wealthy enough to afford tickets on them. But air travel is harmful to the planet, with a 2020 study in Atmospheric Environment finding it amounted to 3.5% of all global warming currently caused by humans. Business- and first-class are the worst culprits. Perhaps in an attempt to get ahead of criticism, United said that when Boom jets roll out of factories in 2025 and hit the skies in 2026, they’re “expected to be the first large commercial aircraft to be net-zero carbon from day one, optimized to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel.”

https://gizmodo.com/united-s-supersonic-jet-sustainability-claims-sure-soun-1847029684

Darrell Etherington / 4:52 AM PDT•June 3, 2021

United Airlines is the first official U.S. customer for Boom Supersonic, a company focused on making supersonic commercial flight a reality once again. Boom unveiled its supersonic sub-scale testing aircraft last year, and intends to start producing its Overture full-scale commercial supersonic passenger jet beginning in 2025, with a planned 2029 date for the beginning of commercial service after a few years of flight testing, design refinement and qualification.

United agreed to purchase 15 of the Overture aircraft, provided they meet United’s “safety, operating and sustainability requirements,” and the agreement also includes an option for the airline to purchase an additional 35 after that. United is obviously interested in the benefits of supersonic flight, which aims to reduce travel times by half, but it’s also looking to boost its sustainability profile with this deal with Boom.

https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/03/united-airlines-agrees-to-purchase-15-boom-supersonic-airliners/

A flight from SFO for Orlando was evacuated “out of an abundance of caution” after the teen sent “inappropriate pictures” to strangers over AirDrop.

Shoshana Wodinsky - Friday 23 July 2021 5:15PM

A United Airlines flight headed out of San Fransisco International Airport was hurriedly deboarded Thursday afternoon after staff aboard the plane announced an urgent threat. Someone was AirDropping “inappropriate pictures” onto passenger’s phones, and everyone on board needed to be evacuated and re-screened before they could take off.

Those pics apparently featured an airsoft gun, SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel told a local NBC affiliate. After multiple passengers reported getting the threatening photos dropped onto their iPhones, Yakel told the station that everyone was taken off “out of an abundance of caution.”

https://gizmodo.com/entire-plane-evacuated-over-a-teen-s-moronic-airdrop-pr-1847352123

The company briefly paused its flights in airports across the U.S. and Canada on Friday morning but won't say why.

Shoshana Wodinsky - 17 September 2021

United Airlines was forced to hit pause on all of its flights across the U.S. and Canada early Friday morning due to an IT hiccup, the airliner said. Thankfully, it looks like the company’s got it under control: United confirmed in a statement to Gizmodo that whatever “technical system issues” that were impacting the company’s technical ops have “since been resolved.”

“All systems are now working normally and we are working diligently to get customers to their destinations,” a spokesperson said.

https://gizmodo.com/united-airlines-grounded-u-s-flights-due-to-technical-1847695510

Sam Tabahriti and Hannah Towey - Jul 16, 2022, 7:09 AM

As a seasoned traveler, Flavia Acosta Fox is used to dealing with cancelations and delays, but a recent journey with United Airways will forever be etched in her memory.

“This trip was the worst airport experience of my life and I know there were some laws disregarded and broken,” she told Insider after being left stranded in Newark airport for almost 24 hours.

Insider reviewed flight receipts and a screenshot of the airline's app showing the status of her flight.

Almost all airlines are struggling to meet post-pandemic demand for air travel, resulting in thousands of flight cancelations, lost luggage, and even leaving some stranded in airports far away from home.

https://www.businessinsider.com/united-passengers-left-stranded-at-newark-airport-for-23-hours-2022-7

Bill Murphy Jr. - Aug 6, 2022

The opposite of love isn't hate. It's apathy.

Most of us know this deeply. It's why the silent treatment hurts so much.

It's why sometimes it actually feels better if someone you care about is angry at you – even demonstrably, loudly angry – than if they don't show any concern about you at all.

With that in mind, let's talk about United Airlines. Or perhaps more specifically, United Airlines flight attendants.

Over the last week or so, the union representing United Airlines flight attendants has been rolling out what it says will be a weekly rating showing how their members feel about United Airlines management.

https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/united-airlines-flight-attendants-just-made-a-big-announcement-basically-nobody-is-happy.html

United Airlines flight was eventually cancelled, almost nine hours after passengers boarded

Aisha Rimi - 23 August 2022

A United Airlines flight due to journey from Newark to Denver taxied for so long on a New York runway, it was forced to refuel.

The plane stayed on the runway for more than six hours, before returning to the terminal as it “no longer had enough fuel for the whole trip”, a United spokesperson told The Independent.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/plane-taxis-new-york-runway-fuel-b2150979.html

One customer said eating their egg breakfast felt like ‘biting a Goodyear tire’

Lamiat Sabin - 2 September 2022

Disgruntled United Airlines passengers have panned the quality of their inflight meals, sharing images of the “inedible” food on Reddit.

One Reddit user said they forked out $7,700 (about £6,665) for their Polaris business class ticket from Paris to Chicago earlier this week.

They said they were handed a pre-landing snack that they would be “really embarrassed” to serve.

A photo they posted on the website shows a grey-tinged burger patty in a bun with cheese on top that appears to have a red substance embedded.

The forum user wrote: “Is this what $7,700 gets you? Any guesses as to what we think this is?

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/united-airlines-business-class-meals-reddit-b2158205.html

Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday October 09, 2022 09:34PM

It's one of the largest airlines in the world. But now Futurism reports that United Airlines “is projecting it could have electric powered commercial flights by the tail end of this decade, potentially laying the groundwork for a much more environmentally friendly future for air travel.” “Initially we want to fly on routes that are 200 miles or less,” Mike Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures, told CNBC [at CNBC's ESG Impact Virtual Conference on Thursday]. “But as that energy density increases, that same aircraft will have a range of 250 miles, 300 miles, which is going to give us a lot more utility here connecting our hubs.”

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/22/10/09/2218231/united-airlines-hopes-to-use-electric-planes-for-flights-under-200-miles-by-2030

DAVID KOENIG - Updated 8:26 AM PST, January 23, 2024

The United Airlines CEO says he is “disappointed” in ongoing manufacturing problems at Boeing that have led to the grounding of dozens of United jetliners, and the airline will consider alternatives to buying a future, larger version of the Boeing 737 Max.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said Tuesday that Boeing needs “real action” to restore its previous reputation for quality.

Kirby’s comments came one day after United disclosed that it expects to lose money in the first three months of this year because of the grounding of its Boeing 737 Max 9 jets.

United has 79 of those planes, which federal regulators grounded more than two weeks ago after a panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines Max 9 in midflight, leaving a gaping hole in the plane. Investigators are probing whether bolts that help hold the panel in place were missing or broke off.

https://apnews.com/article/united-airlines-ceo-boeing-manufacturing-problems-4090ea6176ef59e382dd18e9522596bc

The planes feature automated signage, but the 1990 rule requires manual operation.

Lawrence Bonk, Contributing Reporter - Tue, Feb 13, 2024, 9:36 AM PST

United Airlines briefly grounded its fleet of brand-new Airbus A321neo planes, according to a report by Gizmodo. This had nothing to do with safety, as was the case with that recent Boeing controversy. Rather, it was due to the aircraft running afoul of a 1990 regulation regarding “no smoking” signs.

The 1990 ruling mandates that “no smoking” signs found on aircraft must be manually operated by the crew. The newly-designed Airbus A321neo features software that automatically displays the signage during a flight, so the crew doesn’t switch it on and off. That’s pretty much it. Meanwhile, smoking itself was fully banned from both domestic and international flights nearly 25 years ago.

https://www.engadget.com/united-airlines-grounds-airbus-a321neo-fleet-over-antiquated-no-smoking-sign-law-173652417.html

A law requires that the signs can be manually operated.

Mat Smith - Updated Wed, Feb 14, 2024, 4:15 AM PST

United Airlines had to ground its new Airbus A321neo planes, not due to a major safety issue, but because the light-up “no smoking” signs are automated.

A 1990 ruling mandates that the signs on aircraft must be manually operated by the crew. Airbus A321neo features software that automatically displays the signage during a flight, so the crew doesn’t switch it on and off. Bear in mind that smoking was fully banned from both domestic and international flights nearly 25 years ago.

Even more frustratingly, automated signage systems are not even new. Many air travel companies apply for exemptions with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) – which United did for its entire fleet back in 2020. However, the company's Airbus A321neo is so new that it doesn’t fall under that protection.

https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-united-airlines-grounded-its-new-airbus-fleet-over-no-smoking-signs-101534262.html

Gary Leff - February 20, 2024

United Airlines flight 354 from San Francisco to Boston was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Denver on Monday due to damage observed on the aircraft’s wing.

While the aircraft was cruising at 31,000 feet, passengers reported seeing damage to the slats on the right wing. Slats are adjustable panels situated on the wing’s leading edge, crucial for controlling the aircraft’s lift during takeoff and landing phases. It’s not clear what caused parts of the slat to be torn away.

Crew reported a potential flap issue and landed safely on runway 16R. A replacement Boeing 757-200 was used to complete the journey to Boston, where passengers arrived about three and a half hours late.

According to one customer on board, there was a violent vibration. A pilot came out to inspect the cabin. Then an announcement was made of minor damage to the aircraft’s right wing, necessitating the diversion.

https://viewfromthewing.com/pilot-comes-into-the-cabin-sees-wing-damage-leading-to-emergency-landing-for-united-flight/

From chatbots to pilot announcements, AI is starting to gain traction

Frederic Lardinois - 8:00 AM PDT April 21, 2024

When you board a United Airlines plane, the gate agents, flight attendants and others involved in making sure your plane leaves on time are in a chatroom coordinating a lot of the work that you, as a passenger, will hopefully never notice. Is there still space for carry-on bags? Did the caterer bring the missing orange juice? Is there a way to seat a family together?

When a flight is delayed, a message with an explanation will arrive by text and in the United app. Most of the time, that message is generated by AI. Meanwhile, in offices around the world, dispatchers are looking at this real-time data to ensure that the crew can still legally fly the plane without running afoul with FAA regulations. And only a few weeks ago, United turned on its AI customer service chatbot.

Jason Birnbaum, who became United’s CIO in 2022, manages a team of over 1,500 employees and about 2,000 contractors who are responsible for all of the tech that makes this happen.

“What I love about our business is also what you hate about the business,” he told me in a recent interview. “I was at GE for many years in the appliance business; we could go down for a day, I don’t think anyone would notice. They’d be: ‘All right, the dishwashers aren’t rolling off the line.’ But it wasn’t newsworthy. Now if something happens, even for 15 minutes, not only is it all over social media but the news trucks head out to the airport.”

https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/21/how-united-airlines-uses-ai-to-make-flying-the-friendly-skies-a-bit-easier/

Gary Leff - April 24, 2024

Last month a Chase Ultimate Rewards member transferred their points to United, in order to book an award that showed as available at United.com, but wasn’t really available. United wouldn’t send his points back to Chase, and he complained to the Department of Transportation that this was an unfair and deceptive practice.

• They needed 193,000 more miles than they had in their account. United’s website suggested they buy the miles. They transferred the points in from Chase Ultimate Rewards instead.
• The award space for business class travel on EVA Air from Chicago to Singapore via Taipei turned out to be phantom and unbookable. The website errored out after they transferred the points.
• While the space still showed up online, a phone agent said the space wasn’t available and also that they couldn’t send their points back. Those were now stuck at United, instead of back at Chase where they could be transferred somewhere else that there was available award space to book the trip.

United offered a ticket for sale on its website. It tried to sell the customer miles to purchase the ticket. The airline got paid for the points transferred in (by Chase). They couldn’t sell the ticket, but wanted to keep the money they’d gotten even though they have the ability to send the points back.

https://viewfromthewing.com/failed-united-miles-transfer-sparks-dot-showdown-airline-says-tough-luck-it-issues-are-customers-problem/

Severe weather this week hampered 280 flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport, with United bearing the brunt of the cancellations.

Kevin Hurler - 28 June 2023

As hundreds of flights to and from the East Coast were canceled this week due to severe weather, the CEO of United has an axe to grind. In a leaked email, Scott Kirby, the airline’s head honcho, blamed the Federal Aviation Administration for the cancellations.

The email from Kirby to staff was leaked on Twitter on Tuesday. In the communication, Kirby validates his team with a classic CEO’s “I’m proud of you” while promptly passing the buck to the FAA—and he did not mince words. Kirby says the FAA “failed us” and that cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) just outside New York City was something the administration should have been able to navigate.

“I’m also frustrated that the FAA frankly failed us this weekend,” Kirby wrote in the email. “As you know, the weather we saw in EWR is something that the FAA has historically been able to manage without a severe impact on our operation and customers.”

https://gizmodo.com/united-ceo-points-finger-at-faa-over-flight-cancellatio-1850585877

Gary Leff - June 30, 2023

United Airlines has so far cancelled 234 or 8% of its mainline flights today, and fully one-third were delayed. That’s down markedly from the last several days, but compares to just 13 total cancellations at Southwest, 2 at Delta, and not a single one at American. While weather and air traffic control issues snarled the airlines, United lost control of its operations.

• It cancelled 529 flights on Wednesday (1415 flights delayed) and
• 786 flights on Tuesday (1304 flights delayed).

Fortunately it appears to be recovering. Planes are full of passengers trying to get where they’ve been, taking up every empty seat, and it’s taking several days to accomplish this. A number of people on my United flight to Austin on Thursday were flying between United hubs by connecting in my home town. Originating at Washington Dulles they were trying to get to Houston, Denver, and Los Angeles. Some had been trying to get home for three days.

https://viewfromthewing.com/uniteds-operations-have-been-so-bad-this-week-ceo-scott-kirby-flew-private/

Matthew Klint - July 1, 2023

Another story on United Airlines today thanks to a long note to staff that CEO Scott Kirby just sent out. Kirby has put together a timeline seeking to explain what happened and exactly why United suffered an operational meltdown this week. It is helpful to examine and yet the takeaways are unsettling.

Scott Kirby Explains Why United Airlines Faced Operational Meltdown This Week

A very detailed note was just posted to United’s internal website and shared with Live And Let’s Fly.

https://liveandletsfly.com/united-airlines-explains-meltdown/

Matthew Klint - July 6, 2023

I’ve heard of some crazy delays over the years, but nothing quite like the delay of United Airlines flight UA19 to Milan on Sunday. On the one hand, the delay was pathetic. On the other hand, it was genius. UA19 EWR-MXP Delayed…Due To EXPIRED Business Class Meals (And How United Airlines Solved The Problem)

The incident was shared on FlyerTalk:

  On July 2nd, 2023, I boarded flight UA19 EWR-MXP. Departure of the flight was delayed by approximately one hour (as usual on this route). After we were all onboard, an additional 30 minutes passed without any information regarding the delay. It was only when the [purser] made an announcement that we were informed about the extended delay. Apparently, the delay was caused by expired meals loaded for the business class passengers.

Wow.

We are not talking about an out-station airport or a spoke on the network; this occurred at a major United hub and its main transatlantic gateway.

https://liveandletsfly.com/united-catering-delay/

United Airlines pilots aren’t happy that contract negotiations are still lingering, and they expressed their frustration to the CEO in a pretty bold way.

Ben Schlappig - 8 December 2022

United Airlines pilots have been picketing around the country in recent weeks. The airline had a board meeting at the Four Seasons Houston yesterday, and a group of roughly 300 United employees came to picket the event.

As noted by View from the Wing, United CEO Scott Kirby came out to meet the employees who were there, but they turned their backs on him. They’re pretty proud of it, too, since they specifically Tweeted about this, saying “the company has turned its back on pilots, today we did the same.”

https://onemileatatime.com/news/united-airlines-pilots-disrespect-ceo/

Gary Leff - May 13, 2023

United Airlines pilots are frustrated by the lack of a new contract. Delta’s pilots got one, with big pay raises. Back in December they picketed, CEO Scott Kirby came down to meet them on their turf, and they literally turned their back on him.

• United Airlines actually came to an agreement on a contract with its pilots union. Then they rejected that contract after seeing other negotiations going well at competitors. American announced that they were willing to pay more than was in the United agreement, though that contract hasn’t happened yet.
• Kirby went on television and declared that the richer pilots deal that Delta’s union got was a good thing and would be a pattern for other airlines to match, paying pilots more. He argued higher pilot pay across the industry is great – because it hurts low cost competitors more.
• But an updated deal hasn’t happened yet. And United pilots coordinated a massive protest.

There’s a shortage of pilots, and that’s great for pilot bargaining strength.

• Pilots were paid to retire during the pandemic
• Airlines weren’t hiring and training more pilots during the pandemic
• There’s a real moat that pilots have – legal requirements that restrict the supply of pilots (like the 1500 hour rule and mandatory retirement age)

This cashes out as a lack of pilots for regional airlines, with regional jets parked. And it means there’s no reserve army of pilots waiting to be picked up by the majors.

https://viewfromthewing.com/what-do-united-pilots-think-theyre-accomplishing-by-picketing/

Reuters - July 20, 2023 2:59pm

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has acknowledged that the carrier’s pilots are shunning promotion to the captain’s chair, hurting its flight capacity in the fourth quarter, confirming what Reuters reported earlier this week.

Multiple pilots at United told Reuters that senior first officers have been avoiding promotion to captain as they do not want the unpredictable schedule that comes with the bigger paycheck, creating headaches for the Chicago-based company.

“It’s the first time that I’ve ever known it to happen in the airline industry,” Kirby said in response to a question on the company’s earnings call on Thursday. “It is going to impact capacity in the fourth quarter.”

A first officer helps navigate and operate flights, but a captain is the pilot in command of the plane and is responsible for its safety. Airlines cannot fly their planes without a captain in the cockpit.

https://nypost.com/2023/07/20/united-airlines-says-pilots-turning-down-promotions-for-captains-chair/

United Airlines is telling flight attendants to wear bigger, baggier dresses after a major design flaw in its new uniform left some crew members unable to raise their arms above their shoulders. The issue is still unresolved with just weeks before the full rollout.

Mateusz Maszczynski - 3rd May 2025

United Airlines is telling flight attendants to wear bigger dresses to get around a problem with its eagerly anticipated new uniform, which prevents dress wearers from raising their hands above their shoulders – essential for doing basic jobs like closing overhead bins or dealing with potential emergencies like an onboard fire.

After a development process that dragged on for more than seven years, flight attendants at the Chicago-based carrier are meant to start wearing the new Brooks Brothers and Tracy Reese-designed dresses from May 28, but staffers claim the program is riddled with problems.

  “Foolish of me to think they’d actually correct the issue instead of blaming us FAs [flight attendants] for ordering our actual sizes,”
  United Airlines flight attendant

One of the most significant issues with the uniform rollout is the dress’s design, which features elbow-length sleeves.

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2025/05/03/united-airlines-tells-flight-attendants-to-wear-baggy-dresses-after-botched-uniform-design/

Mateusz Maszczynski - 10th May 2025

Unexpected money troubles forced a new-hire United Airlines flight attendant to quit her dream job just three months after completing training. It was a crushing defeat, but what she didn’t expect was for United to start hounding her for a “sketchy” and “manipulative” loan.

“I quit United last year after 3 months of flying due to [the] unforeseen financial stress of the role,” the unnamed woman said on the popular social media site Reddit. “Here I am trying to get back on my feet, still unemployed 6 months later, and I get an invoice in the mail from United saying I owe ~$1300.”

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2025/05/10/money-troubles-forced-her-to-quit-her-dream-job-as-a-united-flight-attendant-now-the-airline-wants-payback/

Jennifer Henderson, Michelle Watson and Ross Levitt, CNN - Updated 10:05 AM EDT, Fri September 15, 2023

A United Airlines flight bound for Rome returned to New Jersey just after midnight Thursday “to address a possible loss of cabin pressure,” according to a statement from the airline.

Data from the tracking site FlightAware show the plane rapidly descended over about 8 minutes from 37,000 feet at 10:07 p.m. to just below 9,000 feet at 10:15 p.m. Pilots will often quickly descend to lower altitudes when there is a concern about the plane’s pressurization.

United Airlines Flight 510 returned safely to Newark Liberty International Airport around 12:25 a.m. ET on Thursday after the crew reported a “pressurization issue,” according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/united-airlines-flight-drops-pressurization/index.html

Gary Leff - February 3, 2024

United flight 35 from San Francisco to Osaka returned to San Francisco on Friday after dumping fuel. The aircraft was unable to make two way voice communication with air traffic control or with the airline’s dispatch.

The pilots of the aircraft communicated via text message – first with ACARS messages and then Controller Pilot Data Link Communications for air traffic control clearance to return to San Francisco.

The exchange between the cockpit and United dispatch is fascinating.

https://viewfromthewing.com/flight-drama-over-san-francisco-uniteds-mid-air-communication-breakdown/

6 million viewed tweets as Valerie Szybala posted updates of lost luggage moving from restaurants to shopping malls

Scott Broom - 6:40 PM EST January 2, 2023 / Updated: 7:39 PM EST January 2, 2023

WASHINGTON — A D.C. resident is accusing United Airlines of lying and gaslighting after she went to extraordinary extremes to track down some lost luggage during the holiday travel meltdown.

Valerie Szybala found her luggage Monday in the possession of a courier miles from her home and days after the luggage was lost during a trip.

Her tweets documenting the five-day saga chasing her lost suitcase racked up more than 6 million views.

Szybala claims an Apple tracking device known as an AirTag made a mockery of United's claims that her bag was either en route to her home or being held in a secure storage facility.

https://www.wusa9.com/article/travel/woman-tracks-lost-luggage-airtag/65-89514c8b-3562-44f0-976a-fc20b9d39aa8

United Airlines reportedly told Valeria Szybala that her luggage was in a service area, when it was actually tracked elsewhere.

Kevin Hurler - 3 January 2023

Traveling has been an absolute nightmare for many over the past few weeks, to put it mildly. Flights have been cancelled, airports have been mobbed, and luggage has been lost—or has it? A traveller’s lost luggage journey has gone viral on Twitter after she documented her belongings moving across Washington D.C. with an Apple AirTag, contradicting United Airlines’ claims to her.

According to her Twitter thread, Valerie Szybala claimed on January 1 that United Airlines lost her bag and was lying to her about its whereabouts. Szybala’s Apple AirTag that was attached to her luggage led her to an apartment complex where she found other bags (but not her own) from United Airlines flights near the building’s dumpsters, as seen in photos she shared on Twitter. After reaching out to United’s customer service via Twitter DM’s, and explaining that she tracked her back to a random apartment complex, Szybala was told to “calm down” and that United would deliver her bag to her since it was sitting “at the delivery service.”

https://gizmodo.com/united-apple-airtag-air-travel-lost-luggage-1849943841

Jonathan Edwards - January 6, 2023 at 3:43 a.m. EST

Valerie Szybala knew the United Airlines representative she was messaging through the company’s customer service portal was wrong about the location of her luggage.

The nameless representative assured her that her suitcase was at a secure storage facility and would be delivered to her soon. But Szybala had slipped an Apple AirTag tracking device inside her TravelPro suitcase, and her iPhone was telling her that it was not at such a facility. Instead, it was at an upscale apartment building in Northeast Washington called the Chase.

Unsure that United would reunite her with her bag, Szybala started an investigation. Over the next four days, the 39-year-old research analyst repeatedly returned to the Chase on Rhode Island Avenue. She schmoozed with concierges, pleaded with police and rallied local news crews to document her efforts to find the suitcase — and put pressure on United.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/01/06/united-luggage-lost-suitcase-airtag/

Julia Buckley, CNN - 4:24 AM EDT, Sun August 6, 2023

Tales of airline passengers tracking their own lost bags are becoming ever more popular, as numbers of suitcases mishandled by airlines continue to spiral, and travelers invest in tracking devices.

But a passenger flying back to the airport where the tracker is showing, to collect it themselves when all official avenues fail? That’s a new one.

Sandra Shuster, from Denver, took matters into her own hands when her lost bag was showing as being at Chicago O’Hare airport – but her airline, United, was doing nothing about it.

Shuster and her 15-year-old daughter Ruby, who plays lacrosse, were flying back from Baltimore via Chicago on July 17, when their checked bag went missing.

The pair – who’d been to Baltimore for a tournament – had traveled with carry-on bags for their clothes, but had checked one bag containing Ruby’s lacrosse kit. When they arrived at Denver after midnight, the bag wasn’t on the belt. United representatives at Denver gave them a case number and told them the bag should arrive on the 8.30 a.m. flight from Chicago in just a few hours. When it didn’t, Shuster called the toll-free number for lost baggage that she’d been given.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/airtag-lost-luggage-flight/index.html

Matthew Klint - November 3, 2022

With the average weight of an American rising, United Airlines has been forced to block a number of seats onboard its Boeing 757 aircraft. Savvy travelers, however, can take advantage of this to ensure an open middle seat on their flight.

United Airlines Blocks Middle Seats On 757

This winter, you will notice a number of seats permanently blocked onboard United’s 757 series of aircraft.

https://liveandletsfly.com/united-airlines-blocks-seats-757/

Southwest Airlines has some major problems and passengers may be wary of flying the airline, but its current problems don't tell the whole story.

Daniel Kline - Jan 28, 2023 10:23 AM EST

Basic economy fares have become an increasingly popular way for full-fare airlines to rival budget, low-cost airlines. Basically, these fares offer nothing except the right to a seat on the plane. You don't get to bring a carry-on, check a bag, or even get a seat assignment.

In most cases, basic economy is simply a way for higher-end airlines like Delta and United to show up at the top of the list when people sort by price on sites like Priceline or Expedia. Low-cost carriers including Spirit and Frontier use similar tactics while Southwest Airlines and JetBlue offer prices that more closely reflect what your final price will be.

Basic economy or the basic fares offered by Spirit and Frontier allow or force customers to pay for everything they need on their flight. If you want a carry-on or a seat assignment you will pay more. And, in a broad sense, the more you pay, the earlier you will get on the plane.

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/united-airlines-has-a-problem-blame-greed

Ben Schlappig - 5 August 2023

A United Airlines top-tier Premier 1K member named Sam shares the wild story of how he was threatened to be put on United’s “no fly list” by a flight attendant because… another flight attendant made a nice gesture, by offering him some manicotti? Sam wrote about this on Reddit, but he also emailed me a more detailed version of events.

Manicotti in economy leads to no fly list threat

A couple of days ago, Sam was flying from New Orleans (MSY) to Denver (DEN) to Seattle (SEA). His upgrade cleared on the first flight, but not on the second flight. While the first flight was supposed to have a meal, it accidentally wasn’t catered correctly, which he said wasn’t a huge deal.

Both flights were operated by the same aircraft and the same crew, which is pretty rare. So as he was leaving the plane from the first flight, he said to one of the flight attendants how he’d love one of the manicotti dishes from first class on the next flight (where he’d be in Economy Plus) if there were any left over. The polite flight attendant said she would see what she could do.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/united-flyer-threatened-no-fly-list/

Sam Smink and Gray News staff - Aug. 4, 2023 at 6:11 AM PDT

Seven hours in unbearable heat, with no food or water available: That’s how one Connecticut woman is describing her experience with a delayed international flight that ended up being canceled.

Now the U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating.

In a TikTok that has since gone viral, critical care nurse Christine Ieronimo is heard telling a United Airlines worker about the experience she and hundreds of other passengers just went through.

“The girl had a panic attack and passed out. We had elderly people, we had babies. We had pregnant women, not even water. You didn’t even pass around water,” says Ieronimo.

Ieronimo and the passengers are seen in the video standing at their gate in Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Their flight was delayed for seven hours, canceled at 1 a.m.

The passengers tell the worker, “We were trapped on that plane for 7 hours in 70-80 plus heat.”

“It was hot, thick. It was hard to breathe,” says Ieronimo. “I’m surprised somebody didn’t die because there were elderly people on the plane.”

The passengers were headed to Rome on an overnight flight July 3 when shortly after being seated, things started to go wrong.

https://www.kcbd.com/2023/08/04/passengers-were-stuck-plane-7-hours-with-no-air-conditioning-no-food-or-water-provided-woman-says/

'I will never fly United again'

Vladimir Supica - Feb 17, 2024 / Updated on Feb 17, 2024, 6:54 pm CST

A woman with a disability has gone viral on TikTok after claiming that United Airlines staff refused to help her board a plane.

TikTok user Jacqueline (@jac.rose8) posted a video that begins with a stitch from another TikToker who declares, “I will never fly United again.” Jacqueline responds, “I will also never fly United, and let me tell you what they did to me a month ago, so no one else will fly United either.”

The TikToker, who has cerebral palsy and uses a transport wheelchair began her story by revealing that United broke her wheelchair during her first flight with them. “They broke my wheelchair and didn’t do anything to fix it. They didn’t even apologize,” she said in the video.

The situation went from bad to worse on her return flight. When Jacqueline requested wheelchair assistance, she was met with an unexpected response. “The woman looks dead in my eyes and says, I’m sorry, we can’t guarantee you someone to push you in a wheelchair,” Jacqueline recounted. This was a first for Jacqueline, who says she frequently flies and utilizes wheelchair services.

https://www.dailydot.com/news/dont-fly-united-airlines-psa/

Gary Leff - May 16, 2024

United Airlines denied boarding to a passenger and wouldn’t provide a refund – because they were traveling on a basic economy ticket and weren’t checking a bag.

The self-identified opera singer slash pole dancer writes,

@united screwed my whole trip to key west for my friend’s birthday weekend and they refuse to make it right, refund, or credit me, when i arrived over an hour early with just a few bathing suits and a book

She showed up at the airport with plenty of time to make it through security and to the gate, and just assumed she’d check in electronically. United wouldn’t let her because she didn’t check a bag. So she had to wait in line for the kiosk, but the line was too long and by the time she made it to the front she was inside the check-in cutoff time. They wouldn’t even let her check in and run to the gate at this point – she was just turned away.

And since she didn’t make the flight, United cancelled her ticket – including leaving her without a return trip – and since she was deemed a no show, rather than a denied boarding, she doesn’t get her money back.

https://viewfromthewing.com/united-airlines-denies-boarding-keeps-passengers-money-over-basic-economy-check-in-ban/

When the father arrived in Pittsburgh (PIT), he inquired with United staff about his son's removal.

Kevin Derby - May 10, 2025

CHICAGO- A standby passenger was removed from a United Airlines (UA) flight at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) after initially being allowed to board.

According to OMAAT, the traveler was separated from his elderly father when gate agents refused to allow him back onboard despite earlier assurances.

The incident raises serious questions about United’s passenger handling protocols and denied boarding compensation policies. The elderly father remained onboard UA1905 to Pittsburgh (PIT), unable to communicate with his son, whose phone remained in the seat pocket.

https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/05/10/united-airlines-cheats-passenger-during-boarding/

The route will connect O'Hare International Airport and downtown Chicago in 10 min.

Jonathan M. Gitlin - 3/24/2023, 7:40 AM

In 2025, United Airlines will fly an air taxi service between the downtown Vertiport Chicago and O'Hare International Airport, using electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft it is purchasing from Archer Aviation. The Archer Midnight eVTOL aircraft will complete the route in about 10 minutes; according to local resident and Ars Managing Editor Eric Bangeman, that journey by car can take over an hour due to road construction.

“Both Archer and United are committed to decarbonizing air travel and leveraging innovative technologies to deliver on the promise of the electrification of the aviation industry,” said Michael Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures. “Once operational, we're excited to offer our customers a more sustainable, convenient, and cost-effective mode of transportation during their commutes to the airport.”

United placed an order for 200 eVTOL aircraft from Archer back in 2021 at a cost of $1 billion. The startup has also raised money from the automaker Stellantis, which has been helping the company with making carbon fiber composites.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/united-airlines-reveals-first-evtol-passenger-route-starting-in-2025/

The airline is proposing to use an untried and untested method to recover the plane

Luke Peters - 4 October 2023

Ural Airlines is preparing to fly an Airbus A320 out of the field in which it made an emergency landing last month. It will be the first time that any such recovery has been tried, yet many questions remain about how it ended up in the field to start with and whether the recovery operation can be successful.

https://simpleflying.com/ural-airlines-prepares-fly-airbus-a320-from-field/

See also: https://dokuwiki01.tbruce.com/doku.php?id=transportation:airlines#american_airlines

Gary Leff - November 26, 2023

US Airways took over American Airlines a decade ago and kept the American name, just as America West kept the larger airline’s name when it took over US Airways. The US Airways brand went away in 2015.

The carrier US Airways was itself an amalgamation of airlines. When I was much younger I knew the name as an acronym: USAirways Still Allegheny In Reality, Why Alter Your Signs?

I simply assumed that the ‘US’ name was chosen to give the carrier a more national brand. But it may have had a much more practical explanation, according to a story that long-time airline CEO Ed Colodny would tell new hires when they onboarded.

https://viewfromthewing.com/the-hidden-brilliant-reason-that-us-airways-picked-its-name/

Ryan Hogg - September 17, 2022 1:47 AM

An airline rescued one of its planes stranded in Ukraine in a daring escape that involved flying at a low altitude and turning off its transponder, data suggests.

Budapest-based Wizz Air repatriated one of four Airbus jets that have been stranded in the country since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

Data from Flightrader24 showed that the Airbus A320 flew from Lviv in western Ukraine to Katowice in neighboring Poland on Tuesday. The jet was flying at 10,000 feet when it eventually reappeared on radar as it entered Polish airspace after appearing to switch off its tracking system.

https://www.businessinsider.com/airline-rescues-jet-stranded-in-ukraine-in-daring-stealth-mission-2022-9

We've learnt a bit more about Wizz Air's XLR plans

James Pearson - 19 October 2022

Speaking at Routes World in Las Vegas, Krislen Keri, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi's Senior Commercial Manager, gave more insight into the Group's plans for the incoming A321XLRs. They have 47 on order, some of which are destined for the UAE unit.

https://simpleflying.com/wizz-air-airbus-a321xlr-239-passengers-8-hour-flights/

The company also invested $15 million into eVTOL maker Eve Air Mobility.

Kris Holt - September 9, 2022 12:22 PM

United Airlines is moving deeper into the flying taxi business. Not only has the airline plowed $15 million into Eve Air Mobility, it ordered 200 flying taxis and has an option for another 200. United expects to start receiving Eve's four-seater electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) as soon as 2026.

The company says its investment was spurred by both its confidence in the urban air mobility market and Eve's working relationship with Embraer. According to United, Embrarer is “a trusted aircraft manufacturer with a proven track record of building and certifying aircraft over the company's 53-year history.” Embrarer previously worked with Uber on a flying taxi project that the latter eventually ditched.

https://www.engadget.com/united-airlines-flying-taxi-eve-air-mobility-embrarer-162205301.html

Published Thu, Aug 1 202 48:43 AM EDT - AP

The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a new rule that would ban airlines from charging parents more to sit with their young children.

Under the proposal, released Thursday, U.S. and foreign carriers would be required to seat children 13 or younger next to their parent or accompanying adult for free.

If adjacent seats aren’t available when a parent books a flight, airlines would be required to let families choose between a full refund, or waiting to see if a seat opens up. If seats don’t become available before other passengers begin boarding, airlines must give families the option to rebook for free on the next flight with available adjacent seating.

The Biden administration estimates the rule could save a family of four as much as $200 in seat fees for a round trip.

“Flying with children is already complicated enough without having to worry about that,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/01/proposed-rule-would-ban-airlines-from-charging-parents-to-sit-with-their-children.html

Pilar Wolfsteller - 6 January 2023

Canadian airlines Sunwing Airlines and WestJet cancelled flights to the western Mexican city of Mazatlan after civil unrest caused that city to close its airport.

The cancellations come after the Canadian government issued a travel warning for the region on 6 January.

“There is widespread violence and security operations in Sinaloa State, particularly in Culiacan, Mazatlan, Los Mochis and Guasave since the arrest, on January 5, 2023, of a cartel leader,” the Canadian government writes on its website.

“There are burning cars, exchanges of fire and threat to essential infrastructure, including airports. The Culiacan and Mazatlan airports are closed and all flights are suspended at Los Mochis airport until further notice.”

https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/canadian-and-us-airlines-cancel-flights-to-mexico-amid-ongoing-civil-unrest/151553.article