Solo Travelers Charged 'Significantly' More by Top Airlines Than Pair or Group Flyers: Report
While it wasn't found to be widespread across all routes, a Thrifty Traveler report discovered that on select one-way domestic flights, solo travelers are routinely paying significantly more—sometimes $80 or more—than if they had booked with another passenger. In several examples, prices for individual tickets dropped sharply when travelers searched for two or more seats, even on the same flight.
United, for instance, charged $269 for a one-way ticket from Chicago to Peoria for one traveler, but just $181 per person when booking for two. Similar fare discrepancies were found on Delta and American flights. In many cases, booking with a second passenger also unlocked cheaper fare classes that were otherwise unavailable to solo travelers.
Airfare experts say this is not a glitch but a deliberate pricing tactic rooted in "fare class segmentation." Airlines open specific buckets of discounted fares based on the number of seats requested. And in this case, it appears solo flyers are being steered into more expensive fare classes—likely because they're assumed to be less price-sensitive, such as business travelers expensing tickets to a company.
Analysts suggest this may be a test run or limited rollout of a new pricing approach targeting perceived business travelers. It remains unclear how long it has been going on.
Originally published on Latin Times
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DW
2 hours ago
- DW
How Trump's high tariffs against Brazil could backfire – DW – 08/01/2025
Brazil will pay as much as 50% tariffs on goods exported to the United States. But experts say the tariffs, along with sanctions on a Brazilian judge, indicate this isn't about economics but about Trump's politics. The newly announced tariffs by the US government on Brazilian imports, as well as Washington's move to sanction Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes "for serious human rights abuse," has caused a strong reaction in Brazil. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has condemned American interference in the Brazilian legal system, calling it "unacceptable." The political motivation behind these measures undermines Brazil's sovereignty and threatens the relationship between the two countries, Lula said. From August 6, the US will impose tariffs of 50% on Brazilian imports into America. Somewhat surprisingly, around 700 Brazilian products were exempted. But experts have said this still puts the average tariff on Brazilian goods at around 30%. The European Union and Japan are only paying 15% tariffs. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The US government, under President Donald Trump, has justified its new global tariffs by blaming a bilateral trade imbalance. The Trump administration has also given the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro as an explanation for the punitive tariffs. Judge de Moraes is presiding over the trial of Bolsonaro, who is accused of masterminding a plot to stay in power despite his 2022 election defeat. The personal sanctions on de Moraes come under the US' Magnitsky Act, which allows the American government to sanction foreign government officials worldwide for human rights offenses. Among other things, de Moraes could see any assets he has in the US frozen. The US government had already prevented de Moraes and other Brazilian Supreme Court judges from entering the country. "The Magnitsky Act was previously used against the US' enemies but it always used to have a basis in human rights," said Demetrio Magnoli, a sociologist and foreign affairs columnist in Brazil. "But by using it for the first time against a judge in a democracy, Trump is shattering the human rights foundations of this law." As for the high tariffs, Magnoli told DW it's not unusual for Trump to use tariffs as a weapon in his trade war and deal-making. "But in the case of Brazil, he is using both tariffs and the Magnitsky Act for political and ideological reasons," the commentator noted. "A unique case worldwide and a direct attack on a democratic country and a US ally." Judge de Moraes has been seen as a nuisance by American right wingers since he ordered social media platform, X (formerly Twitter) blocked for several weeks in late 2024. De Moraes demanded that user accounts that violated Brazilian law be removed, part of an attempt to crack down on anti-democratic, far-right voices. Billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of X, tried to get around the court-ordered block and called for de Moraes to be impeached. But de Moraes actually became a target for Trump earlier than that, because of Bolsonaro. In late 2022, the former president was accused of planning a coup against his successor, Lula, something that could carry a sentence of up to 40 years in prison. Bolsonaro and his co-defendants have disputed this charge, and Trump has described it as "a witch hunt." De Moraes has also investigated Bolsonaro for, among other things, manufacturing disinformation and has convicted Bolsonaro's supporters for storming the government district in Brasilia in January 2023. As a result, the judge has been celebrated as a defender of democracy in Brazil, particularly by those on the left. But perhaps because of the parallels to Trump's own past — his supporters also stormed government buildings in January 2021, and Trump previously insisted the 2020 election was "stolen" from him — de Moraes' actions have been like a red rag to Brazil's bullish right wingers, and now also to Trump supporters. However, Guilherme Casaroes, a professor at the Sao Paulo School of Business Administration at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, sees a bright side. The fact that, contrary to his initial announcement two weeks ago, Trump is allowing numerous tariff exemptions means that Brazil did well in negotiations with the US, he said. "But it also clearly shows that Trump's motivation is not so much commercial and more political," said Casaroes. "Especially because Brazil actually has a trade deficit with the US." The expert believes there are three key factors influencing Trump's attack on Brazil. Firstly, the country's closer ties with China, which makes Brazil a battleground in the geopolitical conflict between the US and China. Secondly, this fight is ideological: Trump wants to be seen supporting his allies around the world. That includes Bolsonaro. And thirdly, the economic interests of US tech giants: "They don't want social media regulation," said Casaroes. In Brazil, Trump's onslaught has triggered Brazilian nationalism, especially on social media. That's fair, said sociologist and political commentator Celso Rocha de Barros. He described what he calls the "American intervention against the Brazilian Supreme Court" as "unacceptable imperialist aggression" and insisted that in the future, Brazil must "negotiate economic agreements without giving an inch on democratic and political issues." Rocha de Barros believes de Moraes is actually looking stronger after this episode. Even Supreme Court justices who felt more favorably about Bolsonaro don't want to be giving anybody the impression that they support foreign intervention in their own court, he said. But Demetrio Magnoli believes the US' attacks on de Moraes could actually find favor with parts of the Brazilian population. Many locals are unhappy with their Supreme Court, he pointed out. This is partially because what some think are the judges' too-high salaries, but it's also because of the high penalties meted out to what Magnoli called "the useful idiots of the Bolsonaro camp," those who participated in the January 2023 rioting. Some Brazilians also believe de Moraes became too powerful during the trial against Bolsonaro. In other ways, Trump's attacks actually offers the Brazilian president an opportunity. Lula is polling badly, but if he manages to convince the Brazilian parliament to help an economy badly hit by Trump's tariffs, he might become more popular again. And that would be the opposite of what the US leader was hoping for, Magnoli said.
DW
7 hours ago
- DW
Pewabic Pottery: Still handcrafted in Detroit – DW – 08/01/2025
For over 120 years, a tiny pottery manufacture in Detroit has been turning clay into durable handicraft, proving that the city is more than just fast-paced assembly lines and Motown music. Over the last century, Detroit was home to monumental manufacturing prosperity before experiencing deindustrialization, violent riots and the biggest municipal bankruptcy in US history. Yet, through it all Pewabic Pottery has stood the bumpy test of time. Founded the same year as Ford Motor Company in 1903, Pewabic focused on individual handcrafted products instead of the mass production that turned the city into the epicenter of American auto manufacturing. Its survival was anything but assured and most other famous pottery studios have long since closed their doors. Pewabic Pottery was founded by artist Mary Chase Perry and kiln specialist Horace Caulkins in a Detroit stable. Their first employees were a German-born potter named Joseph Heerich and Julius Albus Jr., a 12-year-old boy who did odd jobs. Both would spend the rest of their careers there, a pattern other employees would repeat over the years. When looking for a company name, Perry picked "Pewabic," which was the name of a copper mine near her Michigan birthplace. The word comes from the Chippewa — or Ojibwa — language and means either "metal" or more specifically "iron." The pottery started producing lamp bases, vases, planters, cups, bowls and tabletop cigarette boxes. Tile production came a little later and would eventually prove to be an important source of income. These tiles were used as ordinary floor coverings or eye-catching architectural accents like fireplace surrounds or friezes. The growing business soon needed more room, and a custom-built factory opened in 1907. It is a half-timbered building that doesn't look like a traditional workshop. And despite the challenges of working in Detroit during turbulent times, Pewabic hasn't budged. It expanded the facility in 1911 and 2018. At a time when women didn't run many businesses, Mary Chase Perry was good at selling and not afraid to take on large-scale projects. Pewabic's co-founders combined art, technology and entrepreneurship. This let them experiment and create new, iridescent glazes — each attempt meticulously recorded in notebooks — and those glazes allowed Perry to "paint with fire" as she often said. Pewabic set itself apart through its nearly 600 glazes. These glazes plus creative firing techniques led to unexpected colors and textures. Many pieces had a crackle effect that was smooth to the touch. Other times the glaze melted and flowed down the sides making it more tangible to the touch. Pewabic tiles are found in homes, libraries, schools, fountains, churches and public buildings across the country. Its vases are in museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. As Detroit's fortunes ebbed and flowed so did Pewabic's. The Great Depression and WWII had a big impact on the workforce and their output as people scaled back spending. When people stopped building big homes or left the city altogether, the business suffered more. Later Detroit went into a steep decline and its population dropped by two-thirds from its 1950 peak. While the world changed around them, Pewabic clung to their traditional ways. They kept making clay with the same belt-driven mixer and filter press first installed in 1912. They still pressed their tiles into molds by hand. Vessels, a general term for vases, bowls and cups, were still hand-thrown on a wheel or slip cast, which means pouring liquid clay into a plater mold. Today, around 50 employees work at Pewabic; 16 of them are artisans and four work on the design team. The rest are in education, retail or administration. In the workshop, there are three big gas-powered kilns big enough to walk in. Exposed shelves are tightly stacked with tiles and objects ready to fire, which usually happens overnight three times a week. The next room is where they mix the 3,000 pounds of clay needed every week. Other spaces are full of pottery in different states of finish and niches for glazing. Another area is reserved for tile making and storing hundreds of molds. Everything from glaze making to unloading the massive kilns happens in a coordinated way. Important information is imparted on tiny slips of paper that everyone understands. Teamwork, individual judgement and trust are important. Pewabic has always been a proponent of the Arts and Crafts design movement, which flourished between 1880 and 1920. The idea is a return to craftsmanship instead of industrial mass production. It was a reaction "to the dehumanization of workers through mechanization, division of labor, and the prevailing ugliness of machine-made goods resulting from the Industrial Revolution," wrote Thomas W. Brunk in "Pewabic Pottery: The American arts and crafts movement expressed in clay." Under Perry's leadership Pewabic did not print catalogs or standardize their work. Today, they still make some iconic pieces that the co-founders would recognize, but their work is more standardized. Before something new goes into production, the entire team votes on the design, says Amanda Rogers who is head of marketing. Potters are also free to use extra clay to make one-of-a-kind pieces. Mary Chase Perry worked well into her 90s and died in 1961. Total sales for the first six decades came in at just over $1 million (€870,000). Of that, 65% came from tiles and 17% from vessels. The rest came from firing and glazing for others and selling materials like clay and glazes. The Calkins family took over the pottery and gave it to a university to look after. After 15 years of struggling, the business was turned into nonprofit in 1981. Renewed interest in Detroit and the Arts and Crafts movement plus big civic projects revitalized the business. In 2024, the pottery had its best year ever and made nearly 9,500 vessels, 40,000 architectural tiles and almost 33,000 art tiles, according to executive director Steve McBride. Store sales and architectural commissions brought in $3.38 million, a 42% increase since 2018. Events, fundraising and education services brought in an additional $1 million. The pottery was founded as the industrial age was gearing up, and it went against that trend. Now as artificial intelligence is reaching new heights, the pottery is still standing its ground. As people rediscover the value in handmade goods, they want to reach out touch them, says Rogers. This appreciation could keep Pewabic in business another 120 years.
Int'l Business Times
13 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Trump Unveils Slew Of New Tariffs, Punishes Canada
President Donald Trump unveiled new tariffs Thursday on nearly 70 countries -- including a blistering 35 percent on neighbor Canada -- as he seeks to reshape global trade to benefit the US economy. However, in a minor reprieve that opens the door to further negotiations, the White House said the measures will take effect in a week for most countries, not Friday as previously expected. The tariffs are a demonstration of raw economic power that Trump sees putting US exporters in a stronger position while encouraging domestic manufacturing by keeping out foreign imports. But the muscular approach has raised fears of inflation and other economic fallout in the world's biggest economy. Trump raised duties on nearly 70 economies, from a current 10 percent level imposed in April when he unleashed "reciprocal" tariffs citing unfair trade practices. The new, steeper levels listed in an executive order vary by trading partner and go as high as 41 percent. Any goods "transshipped" through other jurisdictions to avoid US duties would be hit with an additional 40-percent tariff, the order said. The American leader separately hiked tariffs on Canadian goods from 25 percent to 35 percent -- starting Friday. He had warned of trade consequences for Canada after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. "Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine," Trump wrote on Truth Social ahead of the announcement. "That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them." But Trump gave more time to neighbor and major trading partner Mexico, delaying for 90 days a threat to increase tariffs from 25 percent to 30 percent, after holding talks with President Claudia Sheinbaum. Canada and Mexico face a separate US tariff regime. Exemptions remain, however, for imports entering the United States under a North American trade pact. With questions hanging over the effectiveness of bilateral trade deals already struck -- including with the European Union and Japan -- the outcome of Trump's overall plan remained uncertain. "No doubt about it -- the executive order and related agreements concluded over the past few months tears up the trade rule book that has governed international trade since World War II," said Wendy Cutler, senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. "Whether our partners can preserve it without the United States is an open question," she added. The elevated duties come after Washington twice postponed their implementation amid a frantic series of negotiations, alongside announcements of new duties and deals with partners. The 79-year-old Republican has made tariffs core to his protectionist brand of hard-right politics. On Thursday, he claimed the US economy had "no chance of survival or success" without tariffs. But the latest salvo came amid legal challenges against Trump's use of emergency economic powers. After a lower court said the president exceeded his authority, the US Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in cases against Trump's blanket tariffs targeting different countries. While the president has touted a surge in customs revenues this year, economists warn the duties could fuel inflation. Proponents of his policy argue their impact will be one-off, but analysts are awaiting further data to gauge for more persistent effects. Those who managed to strike deals with Washington to avert steeper threatened levies included Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and the European Union. Among other tariff levels adjusted in Trump's latest order, Switzerland now faces a higher 39 percent duty. The tariff on Taiwanese products was revised down to 20 percent from 32 percent, but its President Lai Ching-te vowed to seek an even lower level. In Southeast Asia, Phnom Penh and Bangkok welcomed news that they each face a 19-percent tariff -- down from initial threatened levels of 49 percent on Cambodia and 36 percent on Thailand. Britain also reached a pact with the United States, although it was not originally targeted by higher "reciprocal" tariffs. Notably excluded from the drama was China, which faces an August 12 deadline instead, when duties could bounce back to higher levels. Washington and Beijing at one point brought tit-for-tat tariffs to triple-digit levels, but both countries have agreed to temporarily lower these duties and are working to extend their truce. President Donald Trump is expanding his trade war around the world in a bid to use US economic muscle to reshape global trade AFP This US cowboy boot factory faces upheaval from new tariffs on South Africa, where most of the ostrich leather used is produced AFP Chinese and US negotiators met this week in Stockholm to try and avoid deepening the trade dispute between the two leading economies AFP
