Airline News: Top Air Travel Stories From August
Air Travel News from August
As happy as airlines were that passengers came back in droves and re-embraced the spirit of travel again, the month of August was a mixed bag for the industry.
Yes, there were triumphs. But there were also defeats.
Days after securing the acquisition of Spirit Airlines, Jet Blue Airways announced second-quarter earnings and suffered a loss.
Passengers lost – valuable time, that is, as there were even more delays and cancellations.
And American Airlines lost flights, on purpose. The carrier said it would trim 31,000 flights from its November schedule to help right-size imbalances caused by staff shortages.
JetBlue Reports Earnings Loss
The second quarter of 2022 turned out to be a three-month period of losses, as JetBlue Airways announced a $188 million loss in revenue on August 2. Still, the New York-based carrier was optimistic coming off a long fight to acquire Spirit and is buoyed for the third quarter when it expects to return to profitability.
Passenger Fined $2,000 for … McDonald’s?
Yep. It’s true. On August 3 it was reported that a passenger traveling internationally from Indonesia to Australia was found to have a bag of McDonald’s food in his luggage. It was considered by airport security to have violated laws against bringing food into the country and the man was fined nearly two-grand – arguably the most expensive two egg and sausage McMuffins ever purchased.
British Airways Cuts Short-Haul Flights at Heathrow
Fact: British Airways is Heathrow International Airport’s biggest customer. Fact: Heathrow is being overwhelmed by passengers and is short staffed. For BA, the solution was simple. The airline cut the number of short-haul flights to help alleviate the congestion.
Qantas, Where Everybody Pitches In
The problems with understaffing and overcrowding are everywhere. In Australia, Qantas Airways sent out a memo asking executives and upper management to bite the bullet and volunteer shifts to work as baggage handlers and other airport jobs.
Maybe Pressure Tactics Will Work?
Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg himself has been affected by airline delays and cancellations, as he was forced to drive from Washington to New York earlier this year when a flight was severely delayed. In early August, he called for greater government oversight of the airline industry.
JetBlue CEO has the Answer to Short-Staffing
JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes on August 10 conducted an interview with the BBC and offered his solution to the worldwide aviation problem of not having enough workers – hire more help than you actually need. Hayes said this philosophy will help cut down on attrition.
Spirit Employee Suspended After Confrontation
Perhaps the adage of the customer is always right was just too much for this Spirit Airlines worker. In a video that went viral, a male worker got into a physical confrontation with a female passenger and knocked her down. He was later suspended.
Bring Back the big Boys!
We all know the pandemic changed the airlines forever, but there had been changes afoot prior to that. Notably, airlines were going sleek with their aircraft. But all of a sudden, carriers are showing a great deal of interest again in widebody jets made by Boeing and Airbus.
American Airlines Makes big Cuts
Long before Labor Day rolls around, American Airlines decided the best course of action to eliminate the delays and cancellations was to contract. The carrier announced in late August that it would cut 31,000 flights from its November schedule to try to get ahead of the game.
American Makes Investment in Next Generation
American Airlines is thinking ahead. Way ahead. The Dallas-based carrier took a $10 million investment in the new generation of supersonic aircraft.
United Goes on Hiring Spree
August was fruitful for United Airlines and anyone looking for a job. The carrier conducted two job fairs in Chicago during the month and hired more than 1,000 workers – some right on the spot – to help beef up its staff again.
Congress, DOT Wants to Protect Passengers
The Department of Transportation announced it was considering new rules to help protect passengers, introducing a set of standards that would call for refunds for fliers whose flights are significantly delayed or canceled.
More Delays, More Cancellations
The third weekend in August was not kind to airlines. Bad weather over many parts of the country caused significant issues for U.S. travelers, as more than 8,000 flights were delayed and 900 canceled over a two-day period.
Southwest’s New Initiative
Southwest Airlines has come up with a new initiative – and new ancillary fee. The airline has an open seating policy so it’s always been known that to get a top seat selection you need to have a boarding pass that allows you entry on the plane as early as possible. Now those boarding passes can be upgraded as Southwest has introduced a plan to allow customers to purchase upgrades and leapfrog to a better boarding priority.