Tag Archives: air travel

The Wall Street Journal reports: U.S. officials are aiming to open travel between New York City and London with shortened traveler quarantine periods as soon as the holidays, according to people familiar with the matter. The growing availability of Covid-19 tests in the U.S. has prompted officials at the Transportation Department, Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to revive …

USA Today reports: United Airlines says it will roll out a new COVID-19 testing program for passengers beginning Oct. 15, the Chicago-based carrier announced Thursday. At first, testing will only be available for passengers traveling to Hawaii from San Francisco International Airport. Why Hawaii? The airline, the first in the U.S. to offer rapid testing, has more flights to the …

CNBC reports: It’s time to say goodbye to the $200 ticket-change fee. United Airlines on Sunday said that it will permanently scrap fees to change domestic flights, a big bet that more flexible policies will win over much-needed customers as the pain from the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on air travel continue to mount. It’s a page from the playbook of …

NPR reports: When it comes to the new rules for the novel coronavirus, airlines like Delta are taking them very seriously. So far, the carrier has banned 100 anti-maskers from taking their flights and gone a step further by adding them to a “no fly” list. The legal reasoning is pretty straightforward, says Sharona Hoffman, co-director of Case Western Reserve …

Deutsche Welle reports: Researchers in Germany have found that army sniffer dogs can discern between samples from coronavirus-infected and healthy patients. So high is the level of accuracy, they hope this can be used in real-life scenarios. Scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover have found that trained sniffer dogs could be used to detect COVID-19 in human samples …

Newsweek reports: A video posted on Twitter on shows a plane full of people clapping as a woman is asked to leave an American Airlines flight due to not having the appropriate face covering. In the footage, the woman is seen removing her bags from the overhead bins as passengers are seated and ready to depart. All passengers and crew …

Reuters reports: Passengers of China-bound flights must provide negative COVID-19 test results before boarding, China’s aviation authority said on Tuesday, as the government looks to further reduce the risk of imported coronavirus cases amid increased international travel. Nucleic acid tests must be completed within five days of embarkation, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on its website. Tests …

KOMO News reports: An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to land Saturday evening after a male passenger threatened to kill all other passengers on the plane, airport officials say. Alaska Airlines Flight 422 left from Sea-Tac Airport at 11:10 p.m. en route to Chicago O’Hare, officials with the airline say. Alaska Airlines says the man became “extremely belligerent and physically …

The Chicago Tribune reports: United Airlines is warning 36,000 employees — nearly half its U.S. workforce — they could be furloughed in October, the clearest signal yet of how deeply the coronavirus outbreak is hurting the airline industry. The outlook for a recovery in air travel has dimmed in just the past two weeks, as infection rates rise in much …

Bloomberg News reports: Prime Minister Scott Morrison signaled that Australia’s borders may remain closed to most international visitors until the middle of next year as the coronavirus crisis escalates across the world. Morrison was asked whether he shared the view of Qantas Airways Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce that there was little chance of traveling overseas for at least …

USA Today reports: United Airlines is doubling down on its mandatory mask policy. The airline announced Monday that any passenger who refuses to comply with its mask requirement will be placed on an “internal travel restriction list,” starting Thursday. “Customers on this list will lose their travel privileges on United for a duration of time to be determined pending a …

The Washington Post reports: First face masks and now health questionnaires. United Airlines on Wednesday became at least the second U.S. carrier to ask travelers to answer questions about their health status before they fly. It’s all part of a strategy to ease the mind of travelers concerned about flying in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic. United’s “Ready-to-Fly” …

Axios reports: LATAM Airlines Group SA said in a statement early Tuesday the firm and its affiliates in in the United States, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Why it matters: Latam is Latin America’s largest airline and its shareholders include Delta Air Lines. CEO Roberto Alvo noted in the statement …

The New York Daily News reports: Airlines have long carried freight alongside passengers, but it never made sense to use their planes exclusively for cargo. That changed in March. As companies eliminated thousands of flights, cargo space became scarce and the price of sending goods by plane shot up, creating an economic case for repurposing idled passenger planes. “The cargo …

Newsweek reports: The CEO of Australia’s largest airline said Tuesday the company does not plan to enforce social distancing measures on planes due to concerns that doing so would require high increases in passenger fares. The announcement by Qantas Airlines Limited’s Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce came as airlines around the world work on strategies to increase in-flight COVID-19 protections …

Reuters reports: Delta Air Lines said on Monday it would resume flying several major routes in June that were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, including some Trans-Atlantic and Caribbean destinations. Delta is adding roughly 100 more daily flights in June versus May, including service out of its Atlanta hub and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Florida, …

Reuters reports: United Airlines Holdings Inc has told staff that it only has work for about 3,000 of its about 25,000 flight attendants in June, sources said, and warned of job losses if demand does not recover by the time government payroll aid expires in the fall. United is paying flight attendants until Sept. 30 thanks largely to $5 billion …

The Hill reports: Democratic senators introduced legislation Wednesday requiring airlines refund billions of dollars to customers who canceled flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cash refunds from major airlines and third-party ticket sellers would be issued regardless of whether the airline canceled the flight or if the passenger backed out of their ticket, according to a summary of the …

Forbes reports: Let’s start with the entire process of checking in for flights, which some calculate that it could take up to four hours and involving social distancing, sanitation of passengers and luggage, wider spaces for various lines and waiting to board. Nine out of 10 experts expect slower turnarounds between flights due to the need of thorough cleaning of …

The BBC reports: UK airlines say they have been told the government will bring in a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving in the UK from any country apart from the Republic of Ireland in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The new restriction is expected to take effect at the end of this month. Industry body Airlines UK said the policy …