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☆ Southwest will never be the same again
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Both regular and enhanced seats will be available for selection at booking, starting in 2025 for flights in early 2026, Southwest said. Southwest AirlinesSouthwest has already announced an improved cabin with tablet holders, charging ports, upgraded overhead bins, and better WiFi. The cabin improvements come as Southwest plans to cut some short-haul flying in favor of more lucrative long-haul operations. Southwest left four airports altogether in August: Bellingham International Airport in Washington, Mexico's Cozumel International Airport, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York. This means Icelandair passengers can connect in the US on Southwest flights, and vice versa.

Persons: —, Chicago's O'Hare, Houston's George, Icelandair Organizations: Service, Southwest Airlines, Business, Southwest, Southwest Airlines Southwest, Delta Air Lines, Bellingham International Airport, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Syracuse Hancock International, Washington International Locations: Southwest, Atlanta, Bellingham, Washington, Cozumel, New York, Nashville, Baltimore

☆ Southwest reveals when and how it will get rid of open seating
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Southwest Airlines’ substantial changes to its business and boarding process are coming – but not for a while. Southwest announced in July it would move away from the open seating model it has been known for throughout its 53-year history. It also announced it would offer premium seating for the first time. Part of the reason Southwest isn’t rolling out its assigned seating model sooner is that premium seating will take some time to reconfigure in the planes. It did not give details for when the premium seating with more legroom between seats would be available.

Persons: Elliott, Icelandair Organizations: New, New York CNN, Southwest Airlines, Southwest, Elliott Investment Management, United, Delta, Baltimore - Washington International Airport Locations: New York, Southwest, Baltimore

☆ Local senators slam FAA bill provision that would add long-haul flights to a key DC-area airport and benefit lawmakers: 'Ridiculous and dangerous'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Many lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been pushing for long-haul flights at National Airport for years. But the senators from Virginia and Maryland are firmly against the provision, pointing to safety concerns. AdvertisementFor many members of Congress, the allure of adding long-haul flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is impossible to resist. While Delta Air Lines has thrown its support behind the long-haul provision, United Airlines has opposed the push. Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, while fully equipped to handle long-haul flights, are miles outside of Washington, DC.

Persons: —, Ronald Reagan, Democratic Sens, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Virginia, Ben Cardin, Chris Van Hollen, Kaine, Warner, Cardin, Van Hollen Organizations: Capitol, National Airport, FAA, Service, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, National, Federal Aviation Administration, Democratic, DCA, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Washington Dulles International Airport, Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Locations: Virginia, Maryland, Ronald Reagan Washington, Arlington, Va, Western, America, Baltimore, Washington

☆ Restroom management will be a science at this year’s Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Between the hot dogs, the beers and probably during Usher’s greatest hits, the Super Bowl spectators will likely visit one of Allegiant’s 297 restrooms. The high cost of long linesLong lines for the restroom are what architects call a “friction point,” and, potentially, a costly one. The average price for a Super Bowl ticket is currently hovering around $9,800. So what’s the new science of stadium restrooms? Many theaters, airports and public buildings are famous for long lines around women’s restrooms but none by the men’s.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Scott Taetsch, Jonathan Emmett, ”, Emmett, “, they’re, Scott W . Grau, it’s, you’re, Taylor, Kathryn Anthony, that’s, Anthony, “ There’s, Mark Mulligan, Cintas, Jo Schneider, Schneider “ It’s, Schneider, Julie Amacker Organizations: New, New York CNN, Super, Architects, Lincoln Financial, Getty, Premier League That’s, Philadelphia Eagles, Major League Baseball, Comerica, Arena, University of Illinois, American, Association, University of Houston Downtown, Houston Chronicle, Toilet College, Organization, Baltimore / Washington International Airport, Maryland Aviation Administration, Washington, Marshall, Thurgood Marshall Airport, Kansas Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, CAA Locations: New York, Las Vegas, Nevada, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Detroit , Michigan, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign, Baltimore

☆ JetBlue to cut some routes as it pushes for profitability
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

JetBlue Airways told staff this week that it will cut some routes and service as it struggles to return to profitability and grapples with the fallout of its blocked plan to buy Spirit Airlines . The airline is instead focusing on leisure routes, adding service throughout the Caribbean and to Paris, the memo said. "We constantly adjust our network to support our strategy and these recent changes are a necessary quick step to help return our business to profitability," JetBlue said. "All the routes included have recently underperformed our expectations and these changes come as post-COVID travel patterns continue to evolve." JetBlue ranked 9th in on-time arrivals among U.S. airlines in the first 10 months of 2023, according to the Transportation Department.

Persons: John F, Dave Jehn, Jehn, William Young's Organizations: JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Kennedy, CNBC, Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Washington D.C, Transportation Department, CNBC PRO Locations: New, Portland , Oregon, San Jose , California, Westchester , New York, New York, Ponce , Puerto Rico, Milwaukee , Wisconsin, Caribbean, Paris, Baltimore, Washington

☆ Airports ground flights across the Eastern U.S. because of the severe weather threat.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Jesus Jiménez | More About Jesus Jiménez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Airports across the Eastern United States grounded numerous flights because of the threat of severe weather on Monday afternoon, leading to dozens of flight delays and cancellations into the evening. The Federal Aviation Administration issued the temporary ground stops on Monday afternoon for a busy travel corridor linking major U.S. cities that included Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Reagan Washington National Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Dulles International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport, as well as La Guardia Airport and Kennedy International Airport in New York. Dozens of flights were delayed or canceled at the airports where ground stops were in place, causing a ripple effect of delays across the country, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight information. said in a post on social media that it was “rerouting aircraft around the storms heading to the East Coast as much as possible.”

Organizations: Eastern, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington International Airport, Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Reagan, Reagan Washington National Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Dulles International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, La Guardia Airport, Kennedy International Locations: States, U.S, Baltimore, Reagan Washington, Philadelphia, New York, East

☆ Dozens of federal lawmakers are pushing for more flights to a DC-area airport, a move that would drastically improve some of their commutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A bipartisan group of lawmakers want major flight changes at Reagan National Airport in Virginia. Many lawmakers want to see the 1,250-mile perimeter restriction for round-trip flights relaxed. But some members of Congress argue that Reagan National is already under immense strain. But members of Congress also have a huge personal motivation for increasing the number of flights at Reagan National: the location. The prime location makes Reagan National the preferred airport for most lawmakers, but any route alterations would require changing a law which currently blocks long-haul flights of over 1,250 miles to or from the airport.

Persons: Ronald Reagan, Democratic Sen, Jon Tester, Montana, Tester, Blake Moore of, Virginia aren't, Abigail Spanberger, I'm Organizations: Reagan National Airport, Reagan, Service, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Reagan National, Capitol, Washington Metro, DC, Washington Dulles International, Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Delta Air Lines, Federal Aviation Administration, The New York Times, Democratic, Times, Great Falls International, Washington DC, GOP, Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines, The Times Locations: Virginia, Wall, Silicon, Ronald Reagan Washington, Arlington , Virginia, Washington, Baltimore, Montana, Great Falls, Great Falls , Montana, Denver , Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Blake Moore of Utah, Maryland, Austin , Texas, Seattle

☆ Storms, air traffic control facility delay thousands of flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

ET, the FAA issued ground stops for Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport, preventing aircraft from taking off for those destinations. "Departures to D.C.-area airports have resumed and repairs to the communications power panel are complete," the FAA said in a statement. More than 440 flights to and from Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed. The airport is a major hub of United Airlines , which had more than 840 delayed flights Sunday, according to FlightAware. American Airlines posted 938 delayed flights, 27% of its mainline schedule, Delta Air Lines had 716, or 20% of its schedule, and New York-based JetBlue Airways had 472 delays, or 45% of its planned schedule.

Persons: Ronald Reagan Organizations: Boeing, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington D.C, FAA, Baltimore, Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Dulles International, Washington Dulles, Newark Liberty International Airport, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways Locations: Ronald Reagan Washington, Arlington , Virginia, Canada, U.S, Washington, Miami, Boston, Detroit, United, New York

☆ TSA is rolling out a new facial recognition technology to check IDs at airports across the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

TSA's new technology snaps a real-time picture of a passenger and matches it with their scanned ID. A new facial recognition technology is automatically matching passengers' real-time pictures to their IDs at Baltimore-Washington International/Thurgood Marshall Airport. The Transportation Security Administration has started using 36 new credential authentication technology units at the airport, according to a recent press release. If someone doesn't want their picture taken, they can proceed with a standard ID check with a TSA officer, a TSA spokesperson previously told Insider. TSA started using the technology in 2022, and similar units are also being used at Denver International Airport, and Salt Lake City International Airport, among others.

☆ Inside the Wild World of Celebrity Keynote Speakers: Drugs, Alcohol
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( David Kushner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

"I never saw myself as a speaker, let alone a motivational speaker," Leonard tells me while his assistant irons his jeans. 'When I ramble," Hunter told me, "hit me in the leg!" Every plane had been grounded, including the one stuck on the tarmac with an increasingly inebriated Hunter Thompson trapped inside. But by far the most all-consuming task was booking gigs for Hunter Thompson. Just before a debate with G. Gordon Liddy at Brown University, Hunter demanded that Betsy Berg, whom I now worked alongside at GTN, score him some crystal meth.

In this article LUV Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTGenaro Molina | Los Angeles Times | Getty ImagesWill the majority of travelers forgive Southwest Airlines and start buying tickets on the major U.S. air carrier again? Southwest Airlines accepted the blame for its technological meltdown during the holidays, and it has committed over $1 billion to fixing it. He pointed to $29 fare sales, "something I haven't seen Southwest offer in a long time," he said. The Southwest spokeswoman said the airline has a long history of innovation and pioneering technology in the airline industry. BALTIMORE, MD - DEC 27: Hundreds of passengers wait in line to handle their baggage claim issues with Southwest Airlines at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore, Maryland on December 27, 2022.

☆ A 14-year-old was stranded in an airport for 19 hours on Christmas Eve after Southwest's flight chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A 14-year-old Southwest passenger was stranded in a Baltimore airport for 19 hours on Christmas Eve. Southwest staff left Penelope Meyer alone as they repeatedly rebooked her flight to Florida. Penelope Meyer, 14, had been flying from Long Island, New York, to Fort Myers, Florida, to spend Christmas with her dad, Greg. "Otherwise, she was going to be sleeping in an airport alone as a 14-year-old girl," Greg said. While Greg found the additional expenses of about $2,000 to be an inconvenience, he was more concerned that staff had left Penelope alone for so long.

☆ Southwest's cancelation nightmare sends ripples across travel industry with rental car shortages, inflated flight prices, and ongoing delays
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Southwest canceled thousands more flights on Wednesday amid an ongoing wave of travel chaos. The airline's struggles have started spilling over into the travel industry as a whole. Stranded passengers are facing rental car shortages and ongoing delays. "The first thing JetBlue tells me is to cancel my travel," Rivera said. The JetBlue representative told her that displaced Southwest passengers have been snatching up available tickets, inadvertently displacing JetBlue passengers who need to rebook after their own delays or cancellations.

Travelers at Baltimore Washington International airport deal with the impact of Southwest Airlines canceling more than 12,000 flights around the Christmas holiday weekend across the country and in Baltimore, Maryland, December 27, 2022. Southwest Airlines confirmed on Thursday that it expects to run a normal schedule on Friday after the carrier's systemwide meltdown stranded hundreds of thousands of customers over the Christmas holiday week and drew scrutiny from Washington. Southwest's operation unraveled over the holiday week after brutal winter weather swept across the U.S. "We have much work ahead of us, including investing in new solutions to manage wide-scale disruptions," Southwest said in its statement. Some competitors said they would cap fares for certain cities to help stranded Southwest passengers reach their destinations without surging prices, but fare searches on Thursday still returned some flights for $600 or more.

A one-way flight from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles International Airport leaving Thursday starts at $1,527. After her original flight was canceled, she was able to rebook another flight on Southwest leaving later in the week, but she had a feeling that the flight would be canceled, too. So she decided to book an additional flight on American Airlines for more than $900, she said. Durham, who vented her frustrations Monday on Twitter, said an American Airlines representative responded by noting that "fares are up to some destinations." An American Airlines representative pointed NBC News to a tweet buried in response to a user saying selected cities would see price caps.

☆ Southwest flight upheaval a 'system failure,' U.S. says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that large-scale flight schedule disruptions at Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) were no longer a weather-driven issue and represented a system failure within the company. The rest of the aviation system and other airlines seemed to be back from the weather disruptions, Buttigieg said. More than 2,500 Southwest Airlines flights were canceled as of Wednesday morning, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy 1 2 3Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) said in an email it had capped fares in all markets where Southwest operates, including domestic and international markets. Southwest told Reuters that it would reimburse customers for travel-related costs and that it had already processed thousands of requests by Tuesday.

☆ Southwest cancellations continue as rival carriers cap fares to help stranded flyers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Southwest Airlines slashed another 2,500 flights on Wednesday, sending more frustrated customers scrambling to find seats on other airlines. To help stranded travelers, Delta Air Lines said Wednesday that it "capped fares in all the markets Southwest operates" and that the fares are valid through Saturday. American Airlines said it was capping fares in "cities severely affected by cancellations" and United said it has capped fares in "select cities." The moves came after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urged other carriers to cap fares. Earlier this week, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told employees the carrier would fly just about one third of its schedule for several days to try to reset its operations.

☆ Video shows Southwest pilot handing out coffee to stranded passengers as airline faces widespread cancellations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Video shows a Southwest pilot offering stranded passengers coffee at the Baltimore airport on Tuesday. The pilot, wearing an American flag tie, handed out the coffee while another airline worker followed offering cream and sugar. Flight tracking shows an 8:15 a.m. flight to Louisville did eventually leave Baltimore, albeit nearly two hours late. The airline did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Tuesday about the video of the Baltimore pilot. "The department will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan."

☆ Flights to Europe for Less Than $500? 5 Under-the-Radar, Temptingly Affordable Airlines
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Barbara Peterson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS A fleet of new or newly expanded airlines are flying from U.S. cities to top travel destinations in Europe and promoting fares for as little as $135 one-way. TOYING WITH THE idea of a European vacation next year but haven’t booked your trip? Experts, forecasting a travel boom across the pond in 2023, say affordable fares could become increasingly scarce. Mike Arnot, a spokesman for aviation analytics firm Cirium, said shoppers could reap savings of around 25% by booking on these under-the-radar carriers. From Iceland, Play offers connecting flights to Paris, Berlin, Prague, Barcelona and other European cities.

The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a $189 statement credit toward CLEAR® Plus membership. comes with a $189 statement credit toward CLEAR® Plus membership. Read more: I wasn't interested in CLEAR® Plus until the Amex Platinum gave it to me for free. $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. CLEAR® Plus locations Atlanta: Hartfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)Austin: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)Baltimore: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)Birmingham: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)Boston: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)Chicago: Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), O'Hare International Airport (ORD)Cincinnati: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)Cleveland: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)Dallas: Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Globe Life FieldDenver: Denver International Airport (DEN), Coors FieldDetroit: Detroit Metro Airport (DTW)Fort Lauderdale: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)Houston: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)Las Vegas: McCarran International Airport (LAS)Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)Miami: Miami International Airport (MIA)Minneapolis: Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport (MSP)Nashville: Nashville International Airport (BNA)Newark: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)New Orleans: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)New York: LaGuardia International Airport (LGA), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Westchester County Airport (HPN), Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Madison Square GardenOakland: Oakland International Airport (OAK)Orlando: Orlando International Airport (MCO)Phoenix: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)Sacramento: Sacramento International Airport (SMF)Salt Lake City: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)San Antonio: San Antonio International Airport (SAT), AT&T CenterSan Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Oracle ParkSan Jose: Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), Earthquakes StadiumSeattle: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)St. Louis: St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)Washington, DC: Dulles International Airport (IAD), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)How to maximize the annual CLEAR® Plus membership creditWhile the CLEAR® Plus statement credit is great on its own, Amex also offers another credit up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years.

Hyatt HotelsThe Platinum Card® from American Express raised its annual fee to $695. The Platinum Card is also offering a huge welcome bonus offer: 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. CLEAR® locations Atlanta: Hartfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)Austin: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)Baltimore: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)Birmingham: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)Boston: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)Chicago: Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), O'Hare International Airport (ORD)Cincinnati: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)Cleveland: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)Dallas: Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Globe Life FieldDenver: Denver International Airport (DEN), Coors FieldDetroit: Detroit Metro Airport (DTW)Fort Lauderdale: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)Houston: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)Las Vegas: McCarran International Airport (LAS)Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)Miami: Miami International Airport (MIA)Minneapolis: Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport (MSP)Nashville: Nashville International Airport (BNA)Newark: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)New Orleans: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)New York: LaGuardia International Airport (LGA), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Westchester County Airport (HPN), Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Madison Square GardenOakland: Oakland International Airport (OAK)Orlando: Orlando International Airport (MCO)Phoenix: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)Sacramento: Sacramento International Airport (SMF)Salt Lake City: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)San Antonio: San Antonio International Airport (SAT), AT&T CenterSan Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Oracle ParkSan Jose: Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), Earthquakes StadiumSeattle: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)St. Louis: St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)Washington, DC: Dulles International Airport (IAD), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)It can even speed up your access to the TSA PreCheck lines, if you're eligible. I'll be keeping my Platinum Card, as the value of these new benefits outweighs the additional cost.

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