Brian Sumers travel tips

U.S. airlines have scheduled too many flights this fall for the number of travelers, Breeze Airways founder and CEO David Neeleman said. This is pushing down airfares just as fuel prices are rising and putting pressure on airline profits.

Hawaiian Airlines is known for many things like its stellar on-time reputation, serving hot meals on longer flights in economy class and for its famously Hawaiian approach to onboard service. This year, however, the airline is getting recognition for other milestones, namely a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet and a proposed combination with Alaska Airlines, all under the leadership of longtime airline executive and CEO Peter Ingram.

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.

We're already busy booking summer trips here at TPG. In fact, some of us have even begun booking trips for the fall, winter holidays and even early 2025.

Alaska Airlines updated its checked baggage fee page over the weekend, raising prices for checked luggage to $35 for the first checked bag (up $5) starting Jan. 2, 2024.

Southwest Airlines currently can’t fly to or from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport – but that could change in the near future.

Set your course for a captivating aviation event in Fort Worth, where aviation leaders and visionaries will guide you through the latest trends and game-changing developments in the industry.

Delta Air Lines has been directing more investment at enhancing what its customers experience at airports, and it relies on customer sentiment surveys to guide its progress.

Linda Jojo, chief customer officer for United Airlines, described a slew of ways the major airline is changing the customer experience during the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas. 

Sun Country Airlines CEO Jude Bricker believes it’s premature to draw firm conclusions about the emergence of new travel patterns seven months into the travel industry’s recovery. But Bricker said at the recent Skift Aviation Forum that surging airfares are changing travelers’ behaviors, including driving more consumers to fly on Tuesdays instead of the weekend.

Delta Air Lines is striving to boost its customer satisfaction scores, and the effort is led by Allison Ausband, executive vice president and chief customer experience officer. Ausband oversees about 60,000 workers in Delta’s airport customer service, in-flight service, and reservations and customer care divisions.