ASTA Urges Travel Advisors to Contact Congress Over Airline Refunds in FAA Reauthorization

Boeing has been under increased scrutiny ever since a door panel blew off an Alaska Airlines plane in mid-flight.

Choice Hotels International announced on Monday morning that the company has terminated its hostile takeover efforts of rival Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Cruise travel has never been more popular as the industry is expected to achieve record levels in 2024.

Is Spirit Airlines on the brink of insolvency?

American Airlines is introducing a new fleet of planes at its New York hub.The carrier will add the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to a report from The Points Guy. The publication identified the airline’s plans through Cirium schedules, and subsequently confirmed the news with an airline spokespersonThe new 285-seat plans will be serving American’s New York to New Delhi route beginning October 27. The new plan will replace Boeing 777-300ER aircraft currently flying between New York and New Delhi.American Airlines plans to add several Dreamliners to its New York-based fleet in conjunction with expanding the number of pilots it has operating from New York.“This weekend, American Airlines adjusted the aircraft type operating between New York (JFK) and New Delhi (DEL) starting in October. We will continue to offer daily nonstop service on this route as we optimize our network and fleet,” an airline spokesperson told The Points Guy in a statement.About 30 Dreamliners will be added to American Airline’s stable of planes over the coming years, according to The Points Guy. The first Dreamliner anticipated to come online later this year. The planes contain 51 Flagship Business suites, 32 premium economy seats, 18 Main Cabin Extra economy seats and 143 standard economy seats.

It’s smart for the Federal Aviation Administration to give Boeing an ultimatum. For both entities.

JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines announced the companies have agreed to terminate their July 2022 merger agreement.

Amtrak has expanded its Northeast Regional service to offer more travel choices along the U.S. East Coast. This enhancement includes the introduction of four extra weekday roundtrips and two new weekend roundtrips between New York Penn Station (NYP) and Washington Union Station (WAS), along with a fresh weekday morning departure from Philadelphia’s William H. Gray III 30th Street Station (PHL) to NYP. In addition, one new weekend departure now also connects PHL to Boston South Station (BOS). 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it has halted production expansion of the Boeing 737 MAX following a six-week audit of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems.According to the FAA, it "found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements" in the wake of a January 5 incident in which a door panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight in mid-air."The FAA identified non-compliance issues in Boeing's manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control. The FAA is providing these details to the public as an update to the agency’s ongoing investigation," the agency said Monday."To hold Boeing accountable for its production quality issues, the FAA has halted production expansion of the Boeing 737 MAX, is exploring the use of a third party to conduct independent reviews of quality systems, and will continue its increased onsite presence at Boeing’s facility in Renton, Washington, and Spirit AeroSystems’ facility in Wichita, Kansas."

Alaska Airlines announced a new partnership with Expedia designed to create a one-stop portal to book dream adventures, dubbed Alaska Vacations.

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Hotel Sustainability Basics program has reached a milestone number of hotels joining the initiative, with over 1,700 hotels verified across 70 countries. 

Success Stories focus on veteran travel advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Niki Rakowitz, founder of Visionary CARE Travel and CT Signature Collection.