Tagged: airlines

You Paid for a Specific Seat on a Flight. The Airline Changed It. Now What?

As far as modern air travel grievances go, involuntary seat swaps and downgrades are more of an annoyance than a trip destroyer. You still get to your destination, more often than not…

Another Major U.S. Airline Is Restricting This Common Device on Flights

Due to safety concerns, American Airlines has tightened its rules for traveling with portable chargers that run on lithium batteries. Effective Friday, May 1, each passenger is limited…

Everybody's Least Favorite U.S. Airline Named Best U.S. Airline in New Ranking

One U.S. carrier sometimes seems less like an airline than a punchline. If you're making a joke about crummy service, outrageous fees, or uncomfortable seats in the skies, it's highly…

Checked Luggage Fees Have Gone Up Again. Here's What You'll Pay, Airline by Airline

The war in Iran has sent jet fuel prices soaring, and you can bet the airlines will pass along as big a share of those costs as possible to the consumer. That means higher airfares…

United Airlines Introduces Basic Business Class, Making Free Perks Cost Extra. Yay?

In 2026, shrinkflation spares nothing—not even United Airlines’ luxurious Polaris business class.  In a statement released last week, the airline announced a new basic fare tier…

You Could Get Banned from This Major Airline for Not Wearing Headphones

A major U.S. airline is going further than ever toward muting passengers who engage in the irritating, bordering-on-sociopathic practice of watching videos or listening to music at…

If Your Flight Is Delayed, When Should You Go to the Airport?

These days, most airlines recommend showing up at the airport at least 2 hours before a domestic flight and at least 3 hours before an international one. But what if your flight is…

Best Strategies for Getting a New Flight When Severe Weather Leaves You Stranded

Full disclosure: I'm writing this while stranded in Chicago. I waited too long to make a move on a flight that I knew, in the back of my mind, would be canceled by a snowstorm hitting…

Transatlantic Air Bookings Are Way, Way Down This Summer. Gee, Wonder Why

Cirium, an airline analytics watcher, has been keeping track of summer airline bookings between Europe and the United States, and the company reports that passenger numbers are…

More Airlines Restrict Power Banks: Is Your Battery Allowed?

Last year portable chargers, a commonly packed item that provides extra power for electronics, began appearing on the no-no lists for flyers. Lithium batteries can be lifesavers for…

What Airline Refund Rights Do Americans Still Have? Here's What Remains

In 2025, the major U.S. airlines were taken off the leash by the incoming federal administration. A lobbyist for the airlines, Sean Duffy, was installed as the head of the Department…

The 10 Best (and Cheapest) Airfare Search Sites for 2026

It’s been a decade since Frommer’s started pitting the biggest airfare search engines, aggregators, and booking engines against one another. In 10 years, the only constants have been…

Bet You Can Guess How the U.S. Did on This Ranking of the World’s Best Airlines

On a new ranking of the world's airlines, U.S.-based carriers failed to make the top 10, probably because U.S.–based carriers are mediocre to terrible. The list was released by…

A Major Airline Now Serves Free Wine and Beer on Every Flight—Even in Economy

One of North America's biggest airlines announced in a press release this week that it's now serving free wine and beer to customers on all flights, even in economy class. That…

These Airlines Make More Money from Extra Fees Than Ticket Sales

Airlines raked in more money in extra fees last year than ever before—a whopping $148 billion, according to new research from IdeaWorksCompany, an aviation consultancy. The previous…

Played Out: Iceland's Play Airline Abruptly Shuts Down, Cancels All Flights

Play, a low-cost airline based in Iceland, has suddenly shut down, canceling all flights and leaving hundreds of passengers in the lurch. In a statement released today, the company…

Virgin Voyages' New Airline-Style Tiered Pricing: Here's What Each Class Means

Virgin Voyages is bringing airline-style tiered pricing to its cruises. Starting Tuesday, October 7, the line will divide fares into three classes: Base, Essential, and Premium. The…

Southwest Airlines Announces a Wi-Fi Change That Won't Enrage You (for Once)

After many months of making customers mad, Southwest Airlines is finally doing something that flyers might actually like. Beginning Friday, October 24, the airline will offer free…

U.S. Airlines Try to Abandon Passenger Rights and Performance Reports—to Secretly Police Themselves

The nation's largest airlines are quietly asking the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to virtually eradicate every meaningful consumer protection we have. If the big carriers…

How to File a Complaint Against an Airline Using the U.S. Government's Updated System

The U.S. Department of Transportation says it has streamlined and modernized the process for consumers who want to submit complaints with the government against airlines or ticket…

Frontier Airlines Sells You Passenger Rights That Europeans Get for Free

On Wednesday, no-frills carrier Frontier Airlines unveiled its latest optional fee, dubbed Disruption Assistance for Any Reason. If customers buy the add-on at the time of ticketing,…

Southwest Airlines Announces Date Open Seating Ends—So There'll Be No Special Reason to Fly It

We know you've heard this greatest hit from an American corporation many times before: A product is being made much worse because you allegedly demanded it.Southwest Airlines, which…

Travel Scam Warning: Don't Throw Away Your Bag Tags at the Airport

If you're the type of traveler who fails to remove airline luggage tags until the next time you need to catch a flight, never let anyone accuse you of being neglectful. Turns out…

Your Personal Airline Data Is Secretly Being Sold to U.S. Homeland Security

Perhaps it surprises nobody that in this age of meaningless digital privacy protections, the U.S. government has been secretly buying up data about airline passengers.But that's what…

Silver Airways Shuts Down, Cancels All Flights—What Customers Should Know

Florida-based carrier Silver Airways has abruptly ceased operations, the company announced today. As of June 11, all Silver flights are canceled and customers will need to make other…