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.
For the next month, my polite but persistent emails asking Delta to make good on what the gate agents in Paris had promised were mostly ignored—until I received a note from Delta that the DoT had directed the airline to resolve my complaint. The reimbursement offer was immediately increased, but it still took another month (and a threat to file a second complaint) to get a fair settlement for my hotel bill and meals.
That would likely have not happened had it not been for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s aggressive efforts over the past four years to improve fliers’ rights, with the DoT promising to impose hefty fines on airlines that fail to follow newly implemented rules for what travelers are owed when flights are canceled or delayed.
Travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research Group called Buttigieg’s DoT “the most pro-consumer that we have seen in decades.”
Whether recent protections for air travelers will stand, how aggressively they will be enforced, and pending proposals to further expand compensation for stranded travelers and force more transparency around hidden fees charged across the travel industry are among the dominant travel-related questions being asked by insiders as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20.
Another issue to consider is what impact Trump’s promise to crack down on immigration could have on inbound travelers and on hospitality industry workers who rely on work visas. Observers are also keeping a close watch on climate-related initiatives such as sustainable aviation fuels and other environmental measures that the government has been developing policies to promote. Here are some of the key matters the travel industry is monitoring.
Harteveldt said he doubts the new administration will try to change the recently implemented rule requiring airlines to automatically reimburse passengers for cancelled flights or remove the DoT’s easy-to-find, one-click link to file a complaint.
“I don’t think he’s going to try to roll things back, but I don’t think we will see as much rulemaking or proposed rulemaking,” he said.
Industry experts say the administration could ignore the rulemaking process for a proposal that, in addition to mandatory fare reimbursements for cancelled flights, would require airlines to also compensate passengers for cancellations and delays over three hours. If no action is taken, the proposal would expire.
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We've officially entered February, which means romance is in the air. But if you haven't planned the perfect Valentine's Day adventure for you and your sweetheart, Vio, the travel deals website, has a few ideas. In January, the website revealed its list of the most romantic getaway destinations for couples. It came to its conclusion after surveying 1,007 Americans who identified as «in a relationship» about their past and future couple trips, along with their «disagreements, their budgets, destinations, and golden rules for traveling together.» After examining all the data, it named Yosemite the spot that helps couples «feel the most romantically connected.»
The US Travel Association warned that the Trump Administration’s tariffs on Canada could impact Canadian visitation to and spending within the United States, with even a 10 percent reduction in Canadian travel leading to a loss of 14,000 American jobs and $2.1 billion less in spending.
Canadian charter airline Nolinor Aviation has agreed to buy an all-new aircraft type known as a "blended-wing body" as it expands beyond its all-Boeing fleet.
Feeling overworked, undervalued, and generally a bit frazzled? Then, it's time to start planning a wellness-focused getaway that will totally re-align you. And Book Retreats has just got the place to go. In December, Book Retreats released its Holiday Relaxation Report, which ranked the best relaxation destinations around the world, including a special focus on the top spots for wellness. To determine its rankings, the team created a seed list of 76 places, which it selected based on their «safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness.» The team at Book Retreats then ranked those selections using nine data points, including the percentage of protected area, forest coverage, crowd density, noise and light pollution, peacefulness, and total wellness experiences. Finally, it gave each destination a score of 1 to 100 to reveal the top spots.
Schools were closed and emergency crews deployed on the volcanic Greek island of Santorini on Monday after a spike in seismic activity raised concerns about a potentially powerful earthquake.
Emirates will soon make flying more accessible for autistic travelers and their families. The Dubai-based airline is set to become the world’s first commercial Autism Certified Airline—when the airline finishes training more than 30,000 cabin crew and ground staff members.
There was a day not too long ago when the diaper bag was an eyesore: An item on a baby registry, it was clunky and baby-centered, and it had a short shelf-life, retiring to a closet or a donation bin in a mere matter of years. Gone are the days; the diaper bag is now both a coveted accessory and a style staple for caregivers—some of the best ones are not even diaper bags at all. Three kids and five-plus years into parenting, I’ve come to see the best diaper bags as chameleons in the luggage world: They effortlessly transition from a necessary staple while traveling with tots to an everyday item you’ll carry around even when kids are long-grown.
Delta Air Lines is dropping nonstop service to two Central American destinations from a key West Coast hub — but launching two new routes for the summer months.
If the mayor of Nice, France, gets his way, the southern French city will ban large cruise ships from docking or anchoring in its waters — as soon as July 1.