Airlines tips

It seems we heard more about turbulence in 2024 than ever before.

Air travel is off to a smooth start this long weekend, but that's likely to change — first from snow in the Northeast then in the Deep South thanks to a second winter storm, this one a potential whopper now brewing off the Texas coast.

The new year brings new resolutions and the chance to plan my travel and loyalty goals.

Delayed flights are nothing new, but Australian airline Qantas has come up with a rather novel excuse for late departures. It says its services between Sydney and Johannesburg are being delayed because of falling space junk.

Travel options to Alaska are shifting a bit this summer.

Booking a Caribbean or Mexican getaway just got cheaper. Frontier Airlines recently announced a special promotion that drops the number of miles for a one-way flight to international destinations from the United States to only 100 miles, whereas it usually is 15,000 miles. Best of all, the discounted mile redemptions also extend to select domestic routes, with one-way flights available at 2,500 miles versus the regular 10,000 miles.  The promotion runs through January 24, 2025, giving travelers extra time to plan the ultimate vacation to the Caribbean or Mexico. Travelers can book the deal on Frontier’s website.  Frontier offers service to a variety of Caribbean destinations including:

Southwest Airlines’ planned expansion to Europe is quickly becoming a reality.  The Dallas, TX-based carrier recently shared with Travel + Leisure that it has officially signed a joint commercial agreement with Icelandair to begin flights between the two airlines starting in February 2025. The inaugural Icelandair flights will take off from Baltimore, MD (BWI) airport to Reykjavik, Iceland, although a specific launch day within February has not been disclosed.  Once in Iceland, travelers can connect to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Paris, Prague, and other destinations throughout Europe within Icelandair’s route network.

If you’re looking to help the thousands of people affected by the fires in Southern California, your unused miles could help. 

This week, Delta Air Lines announced big plans for expanding and improving its lounge portfolio in 2025.

The cause of the fatal plane crash in South Korea last month is still to be determined, but it thrust into the spotlight a subject little understood by the general public: how airplanes are maintained.

Last summer, after Delta Air Lines offered me only partial reimbursement for expenses incurred while stranded in Paris for four days due to the Crowdstrike software meltdown, I went straight to the Department of Transportation (DoT) website to file a complaint.

Two popular low-cost airlines are the latest to be held accountable by the U.S. government over chronically late flights.Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines are both facing legal actions by the Department of Transportation for operating flight schedules the government says were notoriously late. Frontier Airlines operated delayed flights between Atlanta and Phoenix, and Orlando and Houston over 63 times, and the airline will be responsible for a $650,000 civil penalty fine, with the opportunity for half of the fine to be waived if the airline doesn’t operate chronically delayed flights over the next three years, according to the consent order. 

The Department of Transportation filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines on Wednesday, accusing the carrier of "illegally operating multiple chronically delayed flights."

Now that the route cuts seem to be in the rear-view mirror, JetBlue Airways is rebuilding its network in a big way.

Southwest Airlines will launch its first international airline partnership next month, and expand its short list of international "gateways" to Denver and Nashville, the airline announced.

It just got easier to be a VIP at 30,000 feet. Frontier Airlines recently announced new benefits for members of its loyalty program, including a fast-track offer that helps travelers achieve Elite Platinum status with as little as 20,000 points.  The Denver-based carrier described the updates as «major enhancements» for their loyalty members, which will now include free advanced seat upgrades in both Premium seating, and UpFront seating. Frontier recently unveiled a First Class concept, and shared that it would also become available for complimentary upgrades later this year, according to the company’s release. Frequent flyers in the loyalty program will notices upgrades that clear 12 hours in advance of departure for Platinum members, and 4 hours in advance for Gold members.

Alaska Airlines is going big in Oregon this summer with three new routes — and additional flights on existing routes — from the Beaver State.

Travel in Belgium is severely affected today (13 January) by a nationwide strike.

Last year was a milestone year for Delta Air Lines' portfolio of airport lounges. While the carrier technically only opened one new Sky Club — in late December, no less — it made waves with high-spending travelers by debuting its first-ever business class-only outposts at three of its biggest coastal hubs.

If your New Year resolves to become a better and smarter traveler there are some simple steps you can take in 2025.

On top of announcing new Bluetooth-capable seatback screens and new partnerships with Uber and YouTube, Delta Air Lines revealed a head-turning partnership during its star-studded spectacle at Las Vegas' Sphere last week.