Summer Travel Outlook: Long Lines, Jammed Flights

Back to school is just around the corner and Spirit Airlines is making that transition a bit easier by helping students, parents, and teachers alike plan for their first school year vacation with a $40 flight sale.

In July, The New York Post published an article in which New York real estate agents proclaimed that Atlantic Beach, a village in Long Island, is becoming the "new Hamptons."

Itching to squeeze in a last-summer getaway before Labor Day but worried about the cost? Good news: There are still plenty of affordable destinations with cheap flights and hotels, according to Priceline, which just released data showing the most significant summer 2023 travel trends until Labor Day.

Update, September 18: The FAA has issued updated guidance regarding usage of Samsung Galaxy 7 phones in flight, stating “passengers may not turn on or charge the devices when they carry them on board a plane. Passengers must also protect the devices from accidental activation, including disabling any features that may turn on the device, such as alarm clocks, and must not pack them in checked luggage.” The statement does not mention if any penalties are associated with failure to comply with this guidance. Read the full statement here.

Long lines, full flights, niggling fees for everything: Welcome to the new normal when it comes to air travel. While the flights can’t get much fuller, and there are few new opportunities to charge extra for non-basic services, those long lines are going to get longer before they get shorter.

Flying to the U.S. from abroad? Get ready for potentially longer check-in times and new security measures. Effective this week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will increase scrutiny on electronic devices travelers bring onboard.

This coming August, all eyes will turn to the beaches and stadiums of Rio de Janeiro, where the 2016 Summer Olympics will be in full swing. The Games are expected to bring athletes and tourists from across the globe to Brazil, and now for Americans, a huge hurdle has been removed. In a move to stimulate the Brazilian economy, the Brazilian government announced that it will waive visa requirements for citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan.

Spirit’s new “Free Flights for a Year” sweepstakes wears its promise on its sleeve: free flights for a year. That’s an attention-getter, to be sure. But this being Spirit Airlines, the promise is deflated by the reality.

Still haven’t booked a vacation, or curious about what other travelers are doing this summer? Synchrony Financial put together some initial data together on summer 2016’s travel forecast that might help.

How satisfied are travelers with the airlines?

Free meals in coach? Holy throwback!

Are you among the many travelers who believe that overnight red-eye flights in economy class constitute cruel and unusual punishment? On most routes to Europe, you’re largely out of luck in finding any other option—until now.