Amtrak Cuts Cancellation Refunds

Electric-powered travel is improving stateside.

Amtrak is making an East Coast escape cheaper and more convenient by putting tickets to its auto train on sale starting at just $39 per person.

As the Carnival Sunrise sailed to Grand Cayman and Jamaica at the end of July, the outside temperature reached over 90 degrees. Inside, vacationers reported their cabins were uncomfortably, even dangerously, warm due to broken air conditioning — with some saying their rooms hovered above 80. 

A Delta Air Lines passenger threatened to hurt a flight attendant on board a recent flight to New Orleans, according to a report by the local television station FOX8. 

Southwest Airlines will significantly reduce midweek flying capacity next year, becoming the latest airline to do so.

Ever since Delta began ramping up operations in Seattle, Alaska Airlines’ hometown and main flight hub, the relationship between the two airlines has been disintegrating. And there was plenty to disintegrate. The carriers were long-time partners in each other’s frequent-flyer programs, and they code-shared on a host of flights. They were, in the industry vernacular, preferred marketing partners.

It would be an understatement to say that travel to Cuba hasn’t met the airlines’ expectations.

JetBlue’s principal claim to fame has long been its relatively roomy coach seats. Sure, the airline has been ahead of the curve in onboard WiFi, and inflight entertainment generally. And there’s that undeniable cool factor to flying Blue that American and Delta just can’t match. But JetBlue’s substantive edge came from its willingness to put passenger comfort ahead of company profit, fitting its Airbus A320s with fewer seats and thereby giving every flyer a bit of extra space.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill extending authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration, which would otherwise expire on July 15. The bill is expected to be approved by the Senate as well.

Emirates has announced it will reduce service between Dubai and almost half its destinations in the U.S. Flights to Boston, Seattle, and Los Angeles will be reduced from two per day to one, and daily flights to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale will be reduced to five per week each. The total number of weekly flights cut comes to 25.

Travel over the Thanksgiving holiday period was robust, and predictions are for similarly strong demand for air travel during the period between Christmas and New Year’s. For most airlines, that’s good news. For American, however, it’s a potential nightmare.

For at least the second time this summer, Amtrak is offering a rare flash sale for fares on Northeast Regional train travel for as low as $19. Sample one-way fares range from $19 between Richmond and Washington, to $49 from New Haven to Washington.