EXCLUSIVE New plague 'ruining' the Hamptons this summer... driving locals to despair: 'Never seen anything like it'
The ritzy destination has been a haven for the wealthy New York elite for over 30 years, with its private beaches, luxury restaurants and sprawling mansions.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Travel expert issues warning over simple passport mistakes that will stop you from flying
Holidaymakers jetting off this summer should be aware of some simple issues with their passports that could prevent them from flying. When going on a trip, tourists often have to juggle many different things including travel insurance, transfers and their luggage. But one important factor to consider is your passport – and issues with it could cause problems when arriving at your destination or returning to the UK. Chris Harrington, managing director at transfer company Hoppa, shared his advice for those going away this summer. The travel expert emphasised the importance of making sure your passport isn't too damaged. He explained: 'If your passport is damaged to the extent that it impacts its ability to function or verify who you are, this can lead to it being declared invalid.' Chris advises checking the condition of your passport after booking a trip to avoid problems. He added: 'Once you have booked your holiday, ensure your passport is in good condition and it doesn't have any water damage, tears, rips, stains or any pages are missing. One important factor to consider is your passport and problems with it that could cause problems when arriving at your destination or returning to the UK 'In most cases, minor wear and tear is acceptable, but for anything more severe, you will need to apply for a new passport.' Though life can become busy, it is important to ensure documents such as passports are up to date – including reflecting any changes to personal information – in order to ensure they are still accurate and valid. Chris said: 'Your passport needs to have all of your correct details on. Including name and date of birth, which means if this isn't the case, it could be invalid. 'When making your travel booking, it's important that the details you enter reflect those that are on your passport. 'For example, if you get married and you make the booking with your new surname, the passport needs to also have the same details. 'If you need to apply for a new passport due to getting married, this can be done before or after the ceremony.' Another point to look out for is the expiry date on your passport. Even if it hasn't expired, it's important to note that some countries require the passport to be valid for three months from the departure date. Chris explained: 'One of the common mistakes people make is not being aware of when a passport has expired. 'When you are going abroad, you need to make sure that your passport was issued within the last 10 years of the date you enter the country. 'It's important to remember that this is counted from the date of issue and not the expiry date. 'Alongside the 10-year rule, Brits travelling to the EU and Schengen countries also need to be aware that their passport needs to be valid for at least three months beyond their departure date. 'It's also worth noting that for some destinations, there needs to be 6 months remaining on the passport, so it's important to check the regulations for the country you're travelling to.'
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Southwest Airlines earnings hit by weak US travel demand
CHICAGO, July 23 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N), opens new tab reported lower-than-expected quarterly profit and revenue on Wednesday, hurt by tepid demand from U.S. consumers for travel. Lingering uncertainty about the broader economy due to President Donald Trump's trade war and rising living costs has hurt carriers that primarily service the U.S. domestic market and price-sensitive customers. To stimulate demand, they have been leaning on fare discounts. The Texas-based airline said domestic leisure travel demand stabilized after a slump in March and April and was showing signs of improvement. But underscoring the uncertainty, it forecast its unit revenue, or revenue per seat, in the third quarter to range from down 2% to up 2% from a year ago. For the second quarter, Southwest reported an adjusted profit per share of 43 cents, compared with analysts' average expectations of 51 cents, according to data compiled by LSEG. It reported operating revenue of $7.24 billion in the quarter, compared with $7.29 billion expected by analysts. Like most U.S. airlines, Southwest pulled its full-year financial forecast in April as the trade war made it difficult to project its business. On Wednesday, the company provided a new target for 2025 of $600 million to $800 million in earnings before interest and taxes. That compares with its previous forecast of $1.7 billion. Southwest has been struggling to find its footing after the COVID-19 pandemic. Its lackluster earnings have fueled pressure to revamp its business model. In the second quarter, it began charging customers for checked bags, ending a unique free policy. It also rolled out a new basic economy fare. The company said the bag fee revenue thus far exceeded its expectations. But sales of basic economy fares on its website suffered a hit after their launch in May, hurting its unit revenue in the second quarter. Southwest expects an impact on its third-quarter unit revenue as well. Meanwhile, its non-fuel operating costs were estimated to increase by as much as 5.5% in the third quarter from a year ago. Summer, typically the peak money-making season for airlines, is falling short this year as sluggish demand for standard economy seats forces carriers to cut fares, undermining their pricing power. Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab and United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab have seen strong revenue gains from premium cabins, buoyed by affluent travelers willing to pay for upgrades. By contrast, low-fare carriers such as Southwest are under pressure to maintain profitability as price-sensitive travelers remain cautious with discretionary spending. The airline, however, held out hopes for the second half of the year to be stronger, citing stronger demand as well as the industry's efforts to limit seat supply and fend off discounting pressure. "While early, recent industry demand shows signs of improvement off of depressed second quarter 2025 levels," the company said. Other airlines including United and Alaska(ALK.N), opens new tab have also reported a recovery in bookings in recent weeks. But the industry's pricing power remains weak, particularly in the domestic market. Southwest, the largest U.S. domestic carrier, saw a 3% year-on-year decline in its unit revenue in the second quarter. Its overall passenger revenue was also down from a year ago, with a sharp drop in passenger volumes. The company said its capacity, or seats on its flights, was expected to be flat in the third quarter from a year ago. The company will discuss its earnings with analysts on Thursday.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Alaska Air reinstates profit forecast as travel demand improves
CHICAGO, July 23 (Reuters) - Alaska Air Group (ALK.N), opens new tab on Wednesday reinstated its full-year profit forecast, citing improvements in passenger traffic and pricing power. The Seattle-based airline, however, forecast a lower-than-expected profit for the third quarter. Like most U.S. airlines, Alaska pulled its full-year financial forecast in April as President Donald Trump's trade war created the biggest uncertainty for the industry since the COVID-19 pandemic. Alaska Chief Financial Officer Shane Tackett told Reuters reduced macroeconomic uncertainty has driven up bookings since late June. U.S. West Coast-based technology companies have started to travel more, bolstering bookings closer to the travel date. As a result, the airline's yields - a proxy for pricing power - are better than they were in the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter, Tackett said. "Yields on new bookings are coming in quite strong," he said. Tackett said the company was "cautiously optimistic" that the recovery in travel demand would be sustained through the rest of the year. Alaska now expects its full-year 2025 adjusted profit to be greater than $3.25 a share. That compares with analysts' average estimate for a profit of $3.41 a share, according to LSEG data. In the third quarter, the company expects an adjusted profit in the range of $1.00 a share to $1.40 a share. The midpoint of the forecast is $1.20 per share, compared with analysts' average estimate of $1.65, according to LSEG data. The company said its earnings would suffer in the third quarter due to an IT outage this week that disrupted its operations. It also expects higher operating costs during the quarter as a result of its decision to cut flights in weaker demand periods to avoid discounting pressure. Alaska is the latest U.S. carrier to report improvements in demand trends. Last week, United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab said its bookings have picked up since the beginning of July, with a double-digit acceleration in business travel demand in the current quarter from the prior quarter. Tackett said while the demand for premium cabins has stayed strong, bookings for main cabin seats have stabilized. Echoing United and Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab, Alaska said the industry's efforts to slash flights in off-peak travel periods in the third and fourth quarters are expected to boost margins. Tackett said Alaska expects its unit revenue, or revenue generated from each seat, to be in a range of flat to up a low-single-digit percent in the September quarter. The company's unit revenue declined in the second quarter from a year ago. Alaska is also facing higher costs for some of its aircraft due to the tariff war. Aircraft manufacturer Embraer ( opens new tab last week warned that Trump's proposed 50% tariff on imports from Brazil would result in an additional cost of around $9 million per aircraft for U.S. airlines. Alaska is scheduled to receive three jets from Embraer early next year. Tackett said the proposed tariff would challenge the economics of those planes, adding the airline could even consider deferring the aircraft deliveries. "We're not going to ultimately bring that we view are going to be potentially non-economic for us," he said. Alaska reported an adjusted profit of $1.78 a share in the second quarter compared with a profit of $1.54 a share expected by analysts. The company will discuss its financial results on a call with analysts and investors on Thursday.
