Latest news with #RubenGallego
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Gallego headed to New Hampshire amid 2028 speculation
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is traveling to New Hampshire next month, ramping up speculation about potential presidential ambitions ahead of 2028. Gallego is heading to the Granite State to participate in a 'Politics & Eggs' event, hosted by the New England Council and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, on Aug. 22. The event has a long history of acting as a forum for potential White House candidates and aspiring politicians to test their reception in the early presidential primary state. Gallego will also be campaigning for Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), who is running for Senate to succeed Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and headline a town hall with Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.). The Arizona senator's travels to New Hampshire would come nearly two weeks after traveling to Iowa for several events. Iowa and New Hampshire are both early presidential primary states, further encouraging speculation that Gallego is eyeing a White House bid in 2028. He also released a presidential campaign-looking video teasing his appearance in Iowa. 'Has it ever crossed my mind? F—ing of course, I'm an elected official, it crosses my mind,' Gallego told NBC News in May when asked if running for the White House has crossed his mind. 'Am I thinking about it right now? Absolutely not,' he added to the news outlet.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP senator objects to second Democratic request in eight days to release Epstein files
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R) on Thursday objected to a Democratic resolution demanding the Department of Justice release all files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego (D) went to the Senate floor Thursday at lunchtime to demand for the second time in eight days that Attorney General Pam Bondi release all files related to Epstein, something that MAGA-aligned activists have demanded for months and has divided the Republican Party. But Mullin, who had blocked the resolution the first time, stepped in to object again, dismissing Gallego's call as 'political theater.' He said Republicans want 'transparency' into Epstein's illicit activities, including alleged sex trafficking, but he argued it's not Congress's role to dictate to the Justice Department what sensitive files must be released to the public. 'We want to know what happened, the American people want to know what happened. What this resolution does is it's actually a blurred line between the separation of powers,' Mullin said. 'When we start dictating to the Department of Justice what they can and can't do, there's a clear separation of power.' 'We're the legislative branch. That's what we do. We make laws. We can't dictate to other branches on what they must and how they must do their job,' he added. The Oklahoma Republican then offered an alternative resolution calling on a Florida federal judge to release grand jury documents related to the criminal investigation into Epstein. The judge, Robin Rosenberg, this declined the Justice Department's request to unseal the grand jury transcripts, saying the standard invoked by the Trump administration to request grand jury documents was on the basis of public interest and not to meet the needs of an ongoing judicial proceeding. Mullin argued that judges have the power to release more information about Epstein and asked Gallego to agree to his resolution. But Gallego instead suggested combining his resolution with Mullin's to demand both the Department of Justice and the judicial branch to release files and grand jury documents that might shed light onto Epstein's activities. The Arizona Democrat tried to ratchet up the pressure on Mullin to accept the modified request by suggesting that objecting to it would amount to an effort to 'protect the powerful elites.' Mullin, however, objected to combining the two requests and needled his Democratic colleague over the failure of the Biden administration to release the Epstein files. 'Let's be honest. We know these files have been out there forever. I don't remember a single time the Biden administration called on these things to be released. And I don't remember my colleague from Arizona asking for the files to be released,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Delta uses AI to set airfares. Some senators are worried
For more than a year, Delta Air Lines has been exploring how artificial intelligence might revolutionize the way it sets airfares. Several Democratic senators say they're concerned about what it might mean for consumer privacy and fairness. Expanding the use of AI to set individualized fares, the senators wrote in a letter, will "likely mean fare price increases up to each individual customer's personal 'pain point' at a time when American families are already struggling with rising costs." Sens. Ruben Gallego, Richard Blumenthal and Mark Warner wrote they are worried airlines like Delta could use AI to track individuals and exploit them - including in times of need like traveling for a funeral. But Atlanta-based Delta says that's not what the technology is doing. "There is no fare product Delta has ever used, is testing or plans to use that targets customers with individualized offers based on personal information or otherwise," a spokesperson said. Instead, the technology is using demand for specific routes and flights, flight time and date, customer demand, the price of jet fuel and other information. Israeli startup Fetcherr manages pricing for about 3% of Delta's domestic schedule, company President Glen Hauenstein told investors last week. That's up from 1% last November, and it hopes to reach 20% by the end of the year. "We're in heavy testing phase," he said. "We like what we see. We like it a lot, and we're continuing to roll it out. "But we're going to take our time and make sure that the rollout is successful, as opposed to trying to rush it and risk that there are unwanted answers in there," he said. The company is already seeing improved "unit revenues" from it, Hauenstein noted. In a statement Fetcherr reiterated that its technology "does not allow for individualized or personalized pricing." The AI system "does not and will not use, collect or receive any Personally Identifiable Information" and the company "remains steadfast in our commitment to transparency and to our compliance with applicable regulations." 'Everyone is doing it' Delta is not alone in its search for ways to revolutionize an airfare pricing model that dates back decades, said Laurie Garrow, director of the Air Transportation Lab at Georgia Tech. The lab conducts airline revenue management research with input and funding from corporate airline members - including Delta - and will be increasing its focus on AI. Fetcherr, for example, is already working with several other airlines, including Delta partners WestJet and Virgin Atlantic. "Everyone is doing it," Garrow told the AJC. And when it comes to an impact on jobs, Fetcherr argues its technology"isn't replacing revenue management professionals - it's empowering them." As Delta and other airlines continue expanding their range of fares and cabin classes, it's "very difficult" to match that with a range of prices, Garrow said. AI is needed to handle that scale, she argued. Traditional airline pricing involves buckets, or "steps," of fares, she explained. When one is sold out, the next up is offered. But AI allows for far more variety in the airline's decision about what the next higher fare might be, she explained. The algorithm might recognize that a jump from $100 to $300 is usually too much for someone who appears to be traveling on a vacation - and instead will offer a discount down from $300, in an effort to close the sale. "If you're doing a Saturday night stay and you're going to a leisure destination, we know you're more price sensitive, so you're more likely to see a discount," she said. So far, she said, the technology doesn't seem to be "using gender, using age, using ZIP code, using IP (address)." It's more the time of day or how far out one is booking that can determine a customer's price sensitivity. International privacy laws and the threat of public backlash for something like hypothetical price gouging for a funeral attendee, she said, will likely keep it that way. At this point, when the technology isn't implemented across platforms, a traveler might notice it only if they compare prices on a carrier's website versus a travel agency, she explained. 'Making more money' "Pricing based on AI algorithms will no doubt increase revenues for Delta," the senators wrote. "However, with respect to the interests of Delta's passengers, there is a danger that this approach will result in higher fares and diminish incentives to improve service." Arlines are "going to be making more money," Garrow confirmed. But that could be because they have gained passengers that might have otherwise looked to a competitor, she argued. Or a price increase might happen for premium travelers who can afford it. And "the more revenue I can get out of the premium class, then the more discount fares I'm able to offer for families or the more price sensitive," Garrow added. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Time Magazine
6 days ago
- Business
- Time Magazine
How Delta's AI Pricing Could Impact the Cost of Flying
Believe it or not, flying is cheaper than it has been in years. Now, many fear that AI could disrupt this trend. Nominal airfares—not adjusted for inflation—are 12% lower than they were in February 2020. Meanwhile, the price of all items in the consumer price index has gone up 24% during that time—a gap of 36 percentage points. Plus, inflation-adjusted airfares are 41% cheaper than 10 years ago. And June 2025 was the second-cheapest month ever for inflation-adjusted airfares. It's against this backdrop that we learned Delta Air Lines has been using AI to help set the price of some tickets. 'A super analyst' working '24 hours a day, 7 days a week' to optimize airfares is how Delta president Glen Hauenstein described its AI initiative to investors. In late 2024, Delta was using AI on about 1% of fares; by the end of 2025 it's aiming for 20%. The most common reaction has been outrage. Democratic Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego—a potential 2028 presidential contender—encapsulated this view, calling it 'predatory pricing' and vowing he 'won't let them get away with this.' Dynamic airfare pricing isn't new. It's as old as the modern aviation industry. And though dynamic pricing super-powered by AI could introduce new confusion and complications, it could help lower flight costs further. The history of dynamic airfare pricing Prior to the late 1970s, airfare had a mandated price: typically 6 cents per mile flown. But after deregulation, airlines were permitted to charge whatever they wanted, and flight prices plummeted. Today, airfare costs half of what it did in the 1970s, making travel a reality for much of society—over half of Americans now fly every year—rather than a hobby exclusively for the wealthy. Fifty years ago, flight prices were one-size-fits-all. Thirty years ago, flight prices changed by the week. A decade ago, flight prices changed by the day. Today, airfare is near all-time lows, yet it's the most volatile purchase that consumers regularly make. As airfare shifted from standardized to dynamic pricing, prices went down but confusion went up. I remember watching a flight once from Atlanta to Amsterdam. When I searched on Monday, prices were $800 roundtrip. When I searched again on Tuesday, prices had dropped to $300 roundtrip. By Wednesday, prices were up to $1,300 roundtrip. This is for the exact same flight on the exact same travel dates. The idea of a standard 'what it costs to fly' somewhere is a thing of the past. Next time you're on a flight, ask the person sitting next to you what they paid. You won't be surprised to hear a very different price than you paid, even as the two of you are having the exact same travel experience. On a flight with 200 passengers, it wouldn't be unusual for them to have paid 150 different prices. Tensions turbocharged by AI Do people like the confusion of dynamic flight prices? Of course not. Do people like cheap flights? Yes. And that is the inherent tension of airfare today—a tension that AI could turbocharge. The remaining question is this: Will AI push Delta's fares up or down? The price of some flights are likely to go up as a result of AI. However, I am skeptical that this will be the case for all—or even most—fares. Airlines can't just increase prices at their leisure for the same reason McDonald's can't charge $30 for a chicken sandwich; customers will flock to their competitors. If Delta's charging $200 more than United for a flight to Chicago, who will book Delta? Still, without transparency and regulation into its AI-powered pricing model, Delta holds the cards here and is incentivized to prioritize maximizing revenue. If AI wasn't generating more revenue, Delta wouldn't be using it. And as Hauenstein noted to investors, its AI foray has been producing 'amazingly favorable' results.' That gets at a subtle but important distinction here, though: generating more revenue isn't always the same as charging higher fares across the board. The primary reason flight prices have fallen so sharply in the past decade is that they don't matter for airlines' bottom lines nearly as much as they used to. Fifty years ago, the majority of airline revenue came from economy airfare. Today, the majority of airline revenue comes from sources other than economy airfare. It comes from premium seats, credit cards and frequent flyer miles, corporate contracts, cargo, add-on fees, and other travel commissions. Between 2011 and 2018, Delta's economy ticket revenue went down by $1 billion, but their overall revenue grew by $9 billion. And this is not unique to Delta. In 2024—a year in which American Airlines generated $846 million in profits—the airline spent 17.6 cents per seat mile flying planes but brought in just 16.9 cents per seat mile in passenger revenue. Their flights lost money and they still turned a profit thanks in large part to billions in revenue brought in by the airline's AAdvantage loyalty program. Read More: How to Save OpenAI's Nonprofit Soul, According to a Former OpenAI Employee Think back to the last time you bought a flight. Here's an incomplete list of all the upsell attempts the airline likely made: cabin upgrade, seat selection, checked baggage, hotels, car rentals, tours, the airline's credit card, additional frequent flyer miles. You may have opted for none of these items, but on average, most travelers will get at least one or two. The airline business model is not unlike a restaurant's, which sells some items at cost (or even at a loss) and others with high markups. For airlines, economy seats are like a steak, sold at virtually no profit. Credit cards and premium seats, meanwhile, are the sodas and alcohol, sold way above cost. Much like how pricey alcohol allows restaurants to serve steak, credit cards and premium cabins are what allow airlines to generate record-high profits—even during periods of record-low economy fares. So while fears of AI driving up airfare are rampant, on average I would expect the opposite to happen. It's not that Delta wouldn't love to make an extra $100; it's that they're agnostic whether that $100 comes from ticket revenue, credit card sales, hotel commissions, or any other source. Within the United States, air travel is relatively competitive—on Aug. 11 for instance, there are 47 nonstop flights between NYC and LA alone—and that competition between airlines is the single biggest driver of cheap flights. But once you've bought a Delta flight, they're the only ones who can sell you things like seats and checked luggage. And they're the first to know your trip is official; how about a hotel deal or car discount to round out your vacation? In other words, it's critical for airlines to make the sale, and the earlier the better so they have more time to market add-ons. What's the most reliable way to sell flights? Make them cheaper. I don't begrudge people's fears when they hear about an airline using AI to help price flights. The airlines certainly haven't earned any benefit of the doubt when it comes to pricing transparency. But Delta's new AI pricing initiative doesn't forbode the end of our ongoing Golden Age of Cheap Flights. On the contrary, as airlines continue to diversify their revenue streams, I'm hopeful we'll see AI drive fares down even more. For decades, flight prices were simple and expensive. Today, they're confusing and cheap. There's nothing wrong with wishing for simple and cheap, but I'm grateful to live in a time when air travel is—for now—still affordable for the masses.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Delta plans to use AI in ticket pricing draws fire from US lawmakers
Three Democratic senators have pressed Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian to answer questions about the airline's planned use of artificial intelligence to set ticket prices, raising concerns about the impact on travelers. "Delta's current and planned individualized pricing practices not only present data privacy concerns, but will also likely mean fare price increases up to each individual consumer's personal 'pain point' at a time when American families are already struggling with rising costs," Senators Ruben Gallego, Mark Warner and Richard Blumenthal wrote in a letter dated Monday and made public on Tuesday. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MBA Data Analytics healthcare CXO MCA Product Management Management Others Operations Management Degree Digital Marketing Leadership Public Policy Project Management Healthcare Data Science others Data Science Finance Design Thinking Skills you'll gain: Analytical Skills Financial Literacy Leadership and Management Skills Strategic Thinking Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Online MBA Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Financial Management Team Leadership & Collaboration Financial Reporting & Analysis Advocacy Strategies for Leadership Duration: 18 Months UMass Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) Starts on May 13, 2024 Get Details The senators cited recent comments from Delta that the airline plans to deploy AI-based revenue management technology across 20% of its domestic network by the end of 2025 in partnership with Fetcherr, an AI pricing company. They said a Delta executive had earlier told investors the technology is capable of setting fares based on a prediction of "the amount people are willing to pay for the premium products related to the base fares." The airline said in a statement: "There is no fare product Delta has ever used, is testing or plans to use that targets customers with individualized offers based on personal information or otherwise." Live Events Delta added that dynamic pricing has been used for more than three decades, in which pricing fluctuates based on a variety of factors like overall customer demand but not a specific consumer's personal information. Delta said AI technology for dynamic pricing is being tested to eliminate manual processes while accelerating analysis and adjustments and it emphasized all customers see the same exact fares and offers in all retail channels. Delta said it was testing AI for use in forecasting demand for specific routes and flights, adapting to market conditions in real-time, factoring thousands of variables simultaneously and learning from each pricing decision to improve future outcomes. In January, Blumenthal along with Senators Maggie Hassan and Josh Hawley asked Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines to disclose whether they were manipulating seat fees by using customers' personal information to charge different fees to passengers on the same flight. The senators said the airlines were apparently "using customers' personal information to charge different seat fees to passengers on the same flight" despite having the same fare. Frontier and Spirit did not immediately respond to requests for comment on their current practices on Tuesday.
