U.S. State Department Issues Cuba Travel Warning

Since diplomatic relations with Cuba were reinstated and a newly liberalized U.S.-Cuba aviation agreement was enacted last year, travel between the two countries has been a decidedly up-and-down affair. U.S. airlines initially mis-forecast demand for Cuba travel, and launched far more flights than the market could support. Several carriers have since cut back on their

Those Samsung Smartphones, Still Smokin’

In a blow to smartphone giant Samsung, and a scare for a plane full of passengers, Southwest flight 994 last night was evacuated when a Galaxy Note 7 overheated and began smoking. According to USA Today’s report , the phone in question was a replacement for the owner’s original phone, which was among 1 million

Travelers to DOT: No Inflight Calls, Please!

To all appearances, the hot-button issue of inflight phone calls has been settled. If you’ve flown on a U.S. carrier lately, you’ve almost certainly heard no one yakking on a cellphone or other mobile device while airborne, and you might well assume that there’s an outright ban on inflight calling. Indeed, the Association of Flight

United ‘Re-Accommodates’ a Passenger and the Internet Explodes

The media—social media, asocial media, major media, marginal media, all media—has been positively aflame for the past 24 hours with reporting and editorializing on United Airlines’ latest mishandling of a passenger confrontation. The facts of the case are not in dispute. United’s Sunday-night flight UA3411 between Chicago and Louisville was full—100 percent full—and all passengers

Southwest Lands at Wrong Airport; Passenger Sues

As reported by the Branson Tri Lakes News , a passenger on a Southwest flight in 2014 that landed at the wrong airport is suing the airline for $74,999.99. The plaintiff, Troy Haines, was returning from Chicago to Branson Airport. But the flight crew mistook the M. Graham Clark Airport, about seven miles away, for

EU Recommends Reinstating Travel Restrictions on U.S. Tourists

With COVID-19 cases surging across the globe, the European Union (EU) has just officially recommended that all member states reinstate travel restrictions for tourists from six countries, including the United States. Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, and the Republic of North Macedonia have also been removed from the E.U.’s safe list. The travel restriction recommendation from

Delta Bans Disruptive Trump Supporter for Life

While the Thanksgiving travel period was mostly uneventful, thankfully, at least one plane-full of holiday flyers got more than their fair share of inflight drama. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, aboard Delta flight 248 between Atlanta and Allentown, PA, a belligerent male passenger stood up in the aisle, arms raised in triumph, and harangued his

Congress Warns Airlines: Do Better, or Else

In his opening remarks before yesterday’s House Transportation Committee “Oversight of U.S. Airline Customer Service” hearing, committee chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) referred to two recent incidents: United’s forcible removal of a passenger on flight UA3411 , and an American Airlines flight attendant’s tussle with a passenger over her child’s stroller. While those high-profile events may

Global Entry Enrollment and Renewal Halts Indefinitely

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has closed all Trusted Traveler Program enrollment centers nationwide until at least May 1. Closure applies to enrollment centers for all four trusted-traveler programs: Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST. Mobile enrollment events are also suspended. Obviously, this is yet another casualty of the ongoing coronavirus onslaught against travel.