Latest news with #airlines

RNZ News

10 hours ago

Climate
RNZ News

Flight to Dunedin unable to land due to high winds

Strong winds have buffeted some flights around the country today including causing a rocky approach at Queenstown Airport. Photo: 123RF High winds have made it challenging for passengers aboard flights in some parts of the country today. An orange strong wind warning was in place for Hawke's Bay, from Napier southwards and the Tararua District until 10pm on Saturday night. A similar warning was in force until mid-afternoon for Southern Fiordland, Southland, Stewart Island, Clutha and Dunedin. And Wairarapa was under a strong wind watch until mid-afternoon. At least one flight had to return to Auckland on Saturday morning after being unable to land in Dunedin. Passengers said it was a rocky approach to Queenstown Airport because of the winds. It comes after a tornado hit Hamilton on Thursday night, damaging houses in Nawton including throwing a trampoline into powerlines. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

U.S. Airlines Are Reportedly Charging Solo Travelers More for Plane Tickets—Here's What You Need to Know

Travel + Leisure

15 hours ago

Business
Travel + Leisure

U.S. Airlines Are Reportedly Charging Solo Travelers More for Plane Tickets—Here's What You Need to Know

While traveling alone can be enticing and relaxing, new data reveals it might also be more expensive. U.S. airlines are allegedly charging single passengers higher fares than couples or families, according to a new report from the booking site Thrifty Traveler. The travel data team recently compared the price of a single-ticket purchase versus that of two or more tickets. In multiple instances, the single-ticket purchase was more expensive per passenger. In one example, the report showed how a United Airlines flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA) cost $269 for a one-way ticket for a person traveling alone. But when the same route was booked for two people, the price dropped to $181 per person. The team also noted that a single fare on an American Airlines flight that was priced at $422 dropped to $266 per person when multiple tickets were booked. 'It's just another way for airlines to continue 'segmenting' their customers, charging business travelers paying with a corporate card more while offering a better deal to families on the exact same flight," Thrifty Traveler executive editor Kyle Potter said in the article. The report also notes that the phenomenon doesn't appear to be a widespread occurrence, and may be a limited-time test, or may only appear on select routes. After the report was released, dozens of flyers and aviation enthusiasts confirmed the findings independently. Jeff Rossen, a consumer correspondent and the host of the Rossen Reports, shared his experience of seeing higher fares for single tickets on social media. 'I picked a random round-trip flight, and the first one I picked, boom … a giant $240.93 price difference,' Rossen told Travel + Leisure . 'Same flights. Same cabin.' He also said booking websites may use other clues to potentially generate higher fares and prices for certain customers. 'Airlines can track your search history and apply different prices based on it,' Rossen said. 'So, clear your cache and cookies before logging into the airline. Better yet, search in incognito mode to avoid price hikes targeting you.' At the time of publication, neither American Airlines nor United Airlines provided a comment to T+L. In the meantime, if you're traveling alone, experts recommend setting up price alerts to save some cash. Alternatively, you could consider flying into other nearby (often smaller) airfields that may be less expensive.

Solo travelers secretly charged up to 70% more by these major US airlines

The Independent

16 hours ago

Business
The Independent

Solo travelers secretly charged up to 70% more by these major US airlines

American Airlines, Delta and United are all quietly charging solo travelers more than those in groups, it's been revealed. In some cases, solo travelers are reportedly paying up to 70 percent more. Travel sites Thrifty Traveler and View From The Wing discovered that the carriers, the three biggest in the US, have been using this pricing tactic on select domestic routes. Thrifty Traveler's Kyle Potter wrote: "While it's not widespread – you won't see it on each and every route – it's real and undeniable." Researchers inputted flights with all three airlines, changed the number of passengers, then watched fares drop instantly. The Independent was able to replicate two of the price changes. We discovered, as Thrifty Travel did, that it's possible to reduce the cost of a flight from Charlotte to Fort Myers with American Airlines by $149, from $482 to $333, by booking for two people instead of one. And on Google Flights we saw a solo travel fare for an American flight from Chicago O'Hare one-way to Lexington in Kentucky fall by 50 percent, from $215 to $107, when the number of travelers was doubled to two. Discounts for bulk buys are triggered in lots of consumer environments, from supermarkets to rail travel, but many travelers will be surprised to see this pricing strategy used by airlines, especially in an under-the-radar fashion. The discounts aren't made explicit when booking. Rhys Jones, Aviation Editor at described the practice as "unfair". He told The Independent: "Unlike hotel rooms, where you can share to save money, you can't share a plane seat and therefore the practice of charging solo travelers more can seem particularly unfair, especially as single people already often pay more versus those who are coupled up. "Unfortunately, airlines will always try and sell tickets for the maximum price they can charge whilst also filling aircraft, and whilst someone who is traveling for business might not blink an eye, another traveling alone on holiday might not have the same means." However, Gilbert Ott, frequent flier and Founder of travel site remarked that travelers should essentially grin and bear it, especially in the age of AI, which could see the advent of more intense "personalized pricing". He told The Independent: "People must wrap their heads around the concept that seats are commodities and just like all other goods, bulk discounts often apply. When we buy a six-pack of beer from the supermarket, we get a discount, for example. "We've seen countless airlines offer companion fares, with discounts buying for two. I get that it can be frustrating, and as a frequent solo and not-solo traveler, I win some and I lose some. "We'll see more personalized pricing as airlines leverage AI."

How Southwest's new baggage fee could backfire

Daily Mail

19 hours ago

Business
Daily Mail

How Southwest's new baggage fee could backfire

The end of Southwest's much-loved free checked bags policy could have two unintended consequences. The budget airline, which announced it would be charging customers for their checked luggage earlier this year, could now face delayed departures due to longer check-in and gate lines. Gate-checking lines will also grow as Southwest planes have limited overhead locker room for carry-on bags, and will be unlikely to meet new demands. Southwest has the lowest cancellation rate among its US rivals so far this year and its on time rate is over 80 percent, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. If the airline is unable to mitigate the knock-on effects of its new policy then fliers could see a significant reduction in timely departures just as the summer travel season kicks off. Checking passengers' bags as they board the plane is a time-consuming activity and may cause flight delays as the airline and its passengers get used to the new system. On the airline's smallest planes, there tend to be five or six carry-ons that need to be checked, Justin Jones, executive vice president of operations at Southwest, told the Wall Street Journal. But as bag fees go into effect, he predicts this could surge to 25. The airline has begun deploying new technology to speed up check-in and gate waiting times. This includes an AI 'Lobby Awareness Tool' that predicts airport wait times based on flight schedules and passenger-arrival patterns. This will help the airline know when to deploy extra employees to help deal with a bottleneck and minimize delays. Another tool is the Baggage Estimation Based on Passengers, or Bebop, which will help to predict how many carry-ons will have to be checked at the gate. 'It was a curve ball that we were thrown,' Jones previously told the Airlines Confidential podcast. 'We always carry more bags than anyone else out there,' Jones said. Indeed, customers have famously taken advantage of Southwest's generous policy to transport kitchen sinks and toilets across the country. 'We're going to need to do several things,' but 'we want to make sure the customer experience is still very high,' Jones told the podcast. 'So we're going to be extremely hesitant to go out and do heavy policing on bag size like some other carriers do.' However, the policy change 'will result in more gate checked bags and fees.' 'We're dependent on everything kind of flowing,' Jones said of Southwest's business model which relies on keeping aircraft in the skies rather than wasting time on the ground. Long-term Jones said the answer will be in the introduction of new planes to Southwest's fleet with more cabin bag capacity. Customers have criticized he new rules. 'The only reason people put up with no assigned seating was because they could check free bags. This is no better than a bus, now,' one wrote on Reddit. The fees are part of Southwest's efforts to boost its bottom line.

The Sun

a day ago

Business
The Sun

Two major airlines teaming up to combine their loyalty programs & travellers to enjoy four perks

TWO major airlines have announced they are teaming up to combine their loyalty programs and travellers can enjoy four perks. The new and unique collaboration also gives customers of both airlines even more options to find flights that fit their plans. 2 2 JetBlue, New York's Hometown Airline and United, the largest airline in the world have revealed Blue Sky which is a unique consumer collaboration that links the two companies loyalty programs. Blue Sky will give customers new opportunities to earn and use MileagePlus® miles and TrueBlue points across both airlines. MileagePlus customers can earn and use miles on JetBlue including hundreds of flights in and out of New York City and Boston. While TrueBlue members will be able to earn and use points on United flights including to popular international destinations like Cape Town and Tahiti. Benefits of each airline's loyalty program like priority boarding, complimentary access to preferred and extra legroom seats, and same-day standby/switch will be available across both airlines Airlines will also offer flights on one another's website and app to make booking simple and easy JetBlue will provide United access to slots at JFK International Airport for up to seven daily round-trip flights beginning in 2027. United will also move some of its holiday and travel services to JetBlue's Paisly platform. Blue Sky Benefits The new loyalty program Blue Sky includes the following components, with some starting as early as this fall: United's MileagePlus customers can earn and use miles on most JetBlue flights. Each airline will offer flights on one another's website and app to make booking across the two airlines' complementary networks simple and easy. The benefits of each airline's loyalty program - priority boarding, complimentary access to preferred and extra legroom seats and same-day standby/switch - will be available when customers travel on the other airline's aircraft. As part of the airlines' agreement, JetBlue will provide United access to slots at JFK International Airport for up to seven daily round-trip flights out of JFK Terminal 6 to begin as early as 2027. As part of a net-neutral exchange, JetBlue and United will exchange eight flight timings at Newark. United will move its website and mobile app's ability to sell hotels, rental cars, cruises and travel insurance, on both a stand-alone and package basis, to new technology and services provided by JetBlue's Paisly platform. Major airline introduces strict new luggage ban forcing travelers to keep item in 'plain sight' As part of Blue Sky, members of each airline's loyalty program will find similar benefits over time. As well as reciprocal revenue-based miles and points accrual and reciprocal miles and points redemption - when they use and earn miles or points on the partner airline. Timing for reciprocal benefits for customers will be announced later this year. Whether customers are flying on United or JetBlue in the future, they will receive benefits in line with what they receive today, including: Priority treatment for check-in, boarding, security and baggage Access to preferred and extra leg room seats Free first checked bag Same-day changes and switches Additionally, business travelers and their employers will see benefits from the collaboration as well. While United and JetBlue will continue to manage their commercial relationship independently, both airlines may extend the terms of parts of their corporate programs to the flights operated by the other airline. Meanwhile, a major airline has announced that US flyers face an instant $67 fine if they take part in common airplane habit. And the real 'golden window' to book the cheapest flights is revealed as experts debunk a myth about day of the week hack. Plus TSA has warned travelers of a carry-on rule that could spark major delays – it's all down to how you pack the 'saucy' item.