AFAR Media

It’s been yet another rocky year for the airlines amid a parade of troubling headlines ranging from problems with Boeing aircraft to concerns about cancellations and delays as we head into what could be a record-breaking summer for air travel. So, it may come as little surprise that fliers have mixed feelings about the airlines these days.

It was a 40-minute flight that airline insiders had been anticipating for seven years: the official launch of Lufthansa’s Allegris, the German flag carrier’s state-of-the-art cabin overhaul that was first announced in 2017 and finally confirmed last year.

A record 4.7 billion people are expected to travel by air this summer and several factors may converge to create chaos at the country’s airports. A recent report from global travel technology company Amadeus found that “flight disruption remains above historical norms,” and the situation isn’t going to get better any time soon. According to the report, the global airline industry is still struggling with the rapid increase in demand for air travel.

When Southwest Airlines reported larger than expected financial losses in its most recent quarterly earnings call on April 25,the airline also announced that it will be cutting service to four airports airports as of August 4, 2024. Additionally, Southwest is planning to reduce capacity at two other major destinations. The goal of these cuts is to “improve unit revenue performance and operating margin,” according to the earnings call. The airline has not ruled out further cuts to its network, adding to the uncertainty plaguing the airline industry in recent months.

The airline industry is betting big on sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF—a fuel alternative made from renewable biomass and waste products. Dozens of airlines around the globe are experimenting with it; in November, headlines buzzed following the first fully SAF-powered transatlantic flight on a commercial airline (British carrier Virgin Atlantic). But while the emissions-heavy airline sector is heralding SAF as a silver bullet to its decarbonization goals, experts say environmental pitfalls and other obstacles abound.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on Wednesday took one of its strongest stances to date to protect the traveling consumer. The agency issued new rules mandating that all airlines flying to, through, or from the United States provide travelers with immediate cash refunds in the event of a cancellation or significant delay.

JetBlue has always been a pioneer in the in-flight entertainment space: It was the first major U.S. airline to provide free live TV and Wi-Fi on every flight, and today the New York–based airline announced plans to roll out new seatback screens called Blueprint by JetBlue, which will offer more personalized programming for fliers.

If there’s anything that sparks spirited debate among airline passengers, it’s the flight boarding process. No matter what system the airlines develop, the process always feels like a struggle, and some passengers are invariably left disgruntled. Airlines must balance the often-conflicting goals of loading a plane quickly and efficiently with rewarding passengers who purchase high-fare tickets or have airline status that includes an early boarding perk. Given airlines’ constantly increasing fees for checked bags, the passenger battle over early boarding in order to snag coveted carry-on space is likely to only get worse.

Not all airports are created equal. Some are soulless, clinical spaces with little more than bright blueish lighting and endless corridors. They are nothing but a functional building from which to launch your next adventure, be it a weekend away with friends or a big solo trip in a new, far-flung destination.

International travel is back. In 2023, the number of global air passengers reached nearly 8.5 billion, or 27 percent above 2022 levels, and 94 percent when compared to 2019 figures, according to Airports Council International (ACI).

Travelers who live on the West Coast of the United States have long bemoaned the lack of direct flights to the Caribbean from international airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. Normally, flying to the Caribbean from the West Coast requires stopovers and plane changes in hubs like Atlanta, New York, Houston, or Miami. Between the time difference and the layovers, flying from the West Coast to the Caribbean can easily take at least a full day—or may even require an overnight stop. With closer warm-weather destinations like Mexico and Hawai‘i beckoning, many travelers in the Pacific time zone simply skip the Caribbean.

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United Airlines is growing its international route network once again.

Recently, JetBlue quietly increased its fees for checked luggage. It also introduced what may be the industry’s first surge pricing model for baggage, adding an extra charge for checked luggage during “peak” travel periods.

United Airlines recently announced a pair of new tools aimed at making travel a little easier.

It’s now less of a hassle for some pet owners to bring their furry family members on American Airlines flights.

Aviation geeks are serious about the vocabulary of flying, but the general public, media, and even many airline employees are not as focused on using the correct terminology. For many, it may seem like a simple case of semantics, but knowing how to use these terms correctly will make you a more informed flier—and it may even come in handy when you’re planning your next trip.

A mid-air scare on Alaska Airlines. A rapid descent of another jumbo jet that sent some passengers hurtling into cabin ceilings and seat backs. A cascade of incidents on United Airlines airplanes that caught regulators’ attention. And all of this happened within the first few months of 2024.

It’s easy to forget that there’s so much more to flight attendants’ jobs than serving passengers drinks and snacks, locating free space in the overhead bins, and passing out earbuds for the seatback entertainment. After all, much of their most important duties occur behind the scenes.

You may have noticed in recent years that during the announcements before takeoff, flight attendants have started telling passengers that if their phone falls between the seats, they should alert a crew member. Many passengers might try to retrieve their phone by reaching blindly into the tight space between seats. But there are a couple of important reasons you should resist the urge to do so and instead notify a flight attendant immediately.

On a recent spring day, I started mildly stressing about booking my family’s Thanksgiving flights for four people traveling from San Francisco to Raleigh, North Carolina. Airfare deals have been much harder to come by in the aftermath of the pandemic due to the strong return in travel demand, so I had a feeling we needed to act fast if we were going to fly at a decent price during a popular travel period.