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☆ Passenger says airline offered him an 8-hour bus ride to his destination after his connecting flight was canceled
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A passenger said WestJet offered him an eight-hour bus trip after a connecting flight was canceled. The Canadian airline said it was arranging a bus service, which would depart at 4:30 pm to ferry passengers from Calgary to Regina. Other passengers in the line weren't so lucky and had to wait until Wednesday to fly to Regina, Henderson said. A spokesperson for WestJet told Insider in a statement the flight cancellation was due to "unscheduled aircraft maintenance." Ground transportation was arranged to offer a travel option to impacted customers who couldn't wait for another flight, the spokesperson added.

☆ Iran rations euros as fights break out at foreign-exchange offices amid rial's plunge to record lows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Iran will limit the purchase of euros to 500 a year for air passengers. The Central Bank of Iran on Tuesday sharply curtailed the ability to buy euros amid continued weakness in the rial. Iran will limit the purchase of euros to 500 a year for air passengers, according to state-run media cited by Bloomberg. Monday's push to sell rials followed the currency's rapid decline in value, dropping to a record low of 501,300 rials per US dollar. Bloomberg reported that the CBI will also work on stabilizing the rial's value by holding onto foreign currencies brought in by export revenues through industries with access to subsidized fuel.

☆ Greek police search Ryanair passenger plane over bomb threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Passengers of a Ryanair plane ride on a bus, after their flight landed at Athens' International Eleftherios Venizelos airport, following a bomb threat in midair, on the outskirts of Athens, Greece, January 22, 2023. REUTERS/Alkis KonstantinidisATHENS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Police on Sunday were searching a Ryanair (RYA.I) passenger plane that landed at Athens International Airport for any suspicious items after receiving an alert for a bomb threat, police officials said. The plane, which was flying from Katowice in Poland to Greece arrived in Athens escorted by two fighter jets at 5:35 p.m. (1535 GMT). Police were later searching passengers as they were disembarking and their luggage was lined up outside the aircraft. Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Alkis Konstantinidis Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ United Airlines boss warns of continued travel chaos in 2023, says there's a 'new math for airlines' post-pandemic that most airlines are not prepared for
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Air passengers should expect more travel chaos this year, according to the CEO of United Airlines. Airlines now need more pilots and aircraft compared to pre-pandemic days, the CEO said. He thinks passengers should expect more travel chaos this year, as airlines don't yet have the capacity to operate all the flights they are planning. A pilot shortage, higher employee sick rates, and outdated technology at most airlines continue to weigh on airlines, he said. United Airlines reported a profit of $843 million in the fourth-quarter of 2022 — that's about 30% higher than the pre-pandemic levels seen in the similar period of 2019, thanks to robust demand for travel.

☆ Air travel recovers in China amid COVID infection worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The industry needs to "fully understand the special nature, and complexity of the Spring Festival migration in 2023", Song said in a statement on Friday. It expects a Spring Festival boom in tourism. Cinema box office receipts are on track to generate revenue of as much as 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) during the Spring Festival period, a brokerage has forecast. According to Guosen Securities, box office revenues in 2022 totalled less than 30 billion yuan, down 36% from a year earlier. ($1=6.7010 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Tony Munroe and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China reports huge rise in Covid deaths after WHO criticized Beijing for heavily undercounting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The World Health Organization said this week that China was heavily under-reporting deaths from COVID, although it was now providing more information on its outbreak. China, which last reported daily COVID death figures on Monday, has repeatedly defended the veracity of its data on the disease. On Saturday, Jiao said China divides COVID-related deaths between those from respiratory failure due to coronavirus infection and those from underlying disease combined with coronavirus infection. Last month, a Chinese health expert at a government news conference said only deaths caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure after contracting COVID would be classified as COVID deaths. However, he said, it was unclear whether the new data accurately reflects actual fatalities because doctors are discouraged from reporting COVID-related deaths and the numbers include only deaths in hospitals.

☆ Factbox: Countries mandate COVID tests for China travellers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

SWEDENSweden will require travellers from China to show they have tested negative for COVID before they can enter the country, the government said. FRANCEFrance will require travellers from China to provide a negative COVID test result less than 48 hours before departure. INDIAThe country has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travellers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. CANADAAir travellers to Canada from China must test negative for COVID-19 no more than two days before departure, Ottawa said. SPAINSpain will require a negative COVID-19 test or a full course of vaccination against the disease upon arrival for travellers from China.

☆ With new China travel restriction in place, Asian Americans urge nuanced caution
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Following the Biden administration’s implementation of a new Covid-19-related travel requirement for passengers flying in from China, Asian American advocates and experts are urging caution and nuance amid years of heightened anti-Asian violence. Several Asian American organizations and leaders have expressed concern over the requirement of a pre-departure negative Covid test from those flying in from the country. “What I would ask everyone to do is, again, be careful not to conflate the virus with an ethnicity or a group of people,” said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. But some groups like Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit that tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, strongly opposed the policy. The group pointed to previous travel restrictions under the Trump administration in January 2020 that coincided with a rise in hate incidents against the racial group.

Although international travel may not return immediately to pre-pandemic levels, companies, industries and countries that rely on Chinese tourists will get a boost in 2023, according to analysts. Elsewhere in the world, Cambodia, Mauritius, Malaysia, Taiwan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Philippines are also likely to benefit from the return of Chinese tourists, according to research by Capital Economics. Saxon said he expected China’s outbound international travel to fully recover by the year end. “Generally, individuals are pragmatic and countries will welcome Chinese tourists due to their spending power,” he said, adding that countries may remove restrictions quickly when the Covid situation improves in China. “It will take time for international tourism to get going, but it will come rushing back, when it happens.”

☆ Here's a list of places imposing rules on travelers from China as Covid surges
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travelers from China as Covid-19 cases in the country surge following its relaxation of "zero-Covid" rules. Places imposing curbsUnited StatesThe United States will impose mandatory Covid-19 tests on travelers from China beginning on Jan. 5. IndiaThe country has mandated a Covid-19 negative test report for travelers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, the health minister said. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesJapan will require a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival for travelers from mainland China. South KoreaSouth Korea will require travelers from China to provide negative Covid test results before departure, South Korea's News1 news agency reported on Friday.

☆ Southwest Airlines chaos sparks new calls to make airlines pay passengers when flights are delayed or canceled
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US airlines aren't legally required to offer any compensation for delayed or canceled flights. Lawmakers are pushing for change, spurred in part by the recent chaos involving Southwest Airlines. The chaos has sparked fresh calls for legally binding protection for passengers, as well as mandatory compensation for any travelers facing lengthy delays. Southwest has promised to pay for alternative travel, food and hotel stays for all stranded passengers, but it's not legally required to do so. Further, there are "no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed or cancelled," per the Department of Transportation.

Some airlines, including Southwest, no longer have automatic agreements in place that allow for rebooking on another airline free of charge, she said. He and his family spent Christmas in Austin, Texas, and intended to fly home to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Dec. 26 via Southwest. “What are you going to do if the airline can’t save you?” Bangs said. Sallyann Koontz got stuck in Austin after her Southwest Airlines flight home to Charleston, South Carolina, was canceled. "It has served the public with affordable flights and possibly allowed travel for less affluent families for decades," Koontz said of the airline.

☆ Factbox: COVID rules for travellers from China around the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Countries are imposing or considering imposing curbs on travellers from China amid a COVID-19 surge there after authorities relaxed "zero-COVID" rules. Below is a list of new regulations for travellers from China. INDIAThe country has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travellers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, the health minister said. JAPANJapan will require a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival for travellers from mainland China. Milan's main airport, Malpensa, had already started testing passengers arriving from Beijing and Shanghai.

☆ Factbox: COVID rules for travellers from China rolled out around the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Several places around the world have imposed curbs on travellers from China amid a COVID-19 surge after Beijing relaxed strict "zero-COVID" measures. Below is a list of rules for travellers from China:UNITED STATESThe U.S. will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on travelers from China beginning on Jan. 5. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said Americans should also reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong and Macau. JAPANJapan will require a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival for travellers from mainland China. COUNTRIES MONITORING SITUATIONAUSTRALIAThe country said it was making no change to its rules around allowing travellers from China in.

☆ Israel's Netanyahu must manage right-wing firebrands on return to power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( James Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The new government is determined to restore ... quiet and personal security to the citizens of Israel," Netanyahu told parliament on Thursday before his swearing in. For Netanyahu, who described himself in his recent autobiography as "conservative but decidedly not extreme", such allies are likely to provide challenges aplenty in the months ahead as even Israel's closest allies watch with unease. To complicate matters further, Netanyahu is himself fighting corruption charges alleging he unlawfully received gifts and granted regulatory favours in return for positive news coverage. A resumption looks increasingly unlikely, with some members of Religious Zionism talking openly about annexing the West Bank, dashing whatever hope remains of a Palestinian state. The United States, Israel's closest ally, has been circumspect in offering criticism although officials including President Joe Biden have pointedly repeated Washington's support for the two-state solution.

☆ U.S. to impose mandatory COVID-19 tests for travelers from China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CHICAGO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The United States will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on travelers from China, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday, joining India, Italy, Japan and Taiwan in taking new measures after Beijing's decision to lift stringent zero-COVID policies. The United States also is expanding its voluntary genomic sequencing program at airports, adding Seattle and Los Angeles to the program. Beijing has faced international criticism that its official COVID data and its tally of deaths are inconsistent with the scale of its outbreak. In June, the United States rescinded a 17-month-old requirement that people arriving in the country by air test negative for COVID-19. It still requires most non-U.S. citizens to be vaccinated against COVID to travel to the United States.

☆ AirAsia parent narrows Q3 loss on strong demand recovery, upbeat outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Capital A Berhad (CAPI.KL), the parent of Malaysian budget airline AirAsia, reported a narrower third-quarter operating loss on Wednesday, buoyed by a strong rebound in travel demand and the easing of pandemic-related restrictions in Southeast Asia. It also forecast a positive outlook for the upcoming years on strong sales momentum and reopening of travel restrictions, projecting stronger air passenger traffic in the next quarter. Capital A posted an operating loss of 563.9 million ringgit ($127.00 million) for the three months ended Sept. 30, compared to a loss of 893 million ringgit in the year-ago period. It reported a sharp 563% increase in revenue to 1.96 billion ringgit from last year's 295.9 million ringgit. ($1 = 4.4400 ringgit)Reporting by Sameer Manekar and Riya Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Airplane seats are far too small': Travelers are calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to implement larger seat size minimums
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In August, the FAA opened its site to public comments regarding the safety of airplane seats. Thousands of travelers voiced their discomfort with current seat dimensions on planes. The FAA invited passengers to share their thoughts and concerns on the matter to help the agency decide whether to implement a rule on minimum seat dimensions. "The space between each seat already causes knees to be against the pockets of the next seat in front of you." In 2018, Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act, directing the agency to issue seat dimension rules regarding passenger safety.

☆ U.S. screened 2.49 million air passengers Sunday, highest since early 2020
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 2.49 million air passengers on Sunday, the highest daily number since February 2020. The number was however below the 2.61 million screened on the same day in 2019. The Sunday checkpoint traffic was the highest since Feb. 11, 2020, when TSA screened nearly 2.51 million passengers and comes as airlines reported business travel is increasing. The figure is just above the number screened on July 1. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden wants to clamp down on airlines charging hidden fees, which can lead to families spending hundreds of dollars more than they planned
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden aims has announced new proposals to help customers find the best airfares. Under new proposals, airlines would have to tell customers the total ticket cost upfront. The proposals, announced Monday, aim to stop airlines charging passengers hidden fees. Airlines often charge customers additional fees to check baggage, choose seats, or alter flights after they have selected a flight based on its ticket price alone. The fees can lead to people paying hundreds of dollars more than they'd planned.

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