Only The Best Travel
If you are planning to travel for Thanksgiving, you won’t be alone. AAA is predicting that 2.2 million Ohioans will be traveling this year on the roads, which will represent the single-highest increase in one year and air travel is also expected to be busy too. …
United States: Online Travel Update: Expedia Partner Solutions Offers Carbon Neutral Hotel Stays; Traditional Offline Travel Management Companies Offer New Technologies; Amazon Ads Target Travel Companies 26 November 2021 Foster Garvey To print this article, all …
Major US airlines are operating with fewer pilots and flight attendants than they were before the pandemic. With domestic airline bookings nearly back to normal, airlines are trying to do more with less this holiday season.
“I do think all of the airlines are stretched thin,” said Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. “A major blizzard or event could cause prolonged delays and cancellations.”
And anyone who has their flight canceled is going to run into problems finding an alternative way to get where they’re going.
“If there are issues, reaccommodating people whose flights are canceled will be tough. The planes are very full,” said Savi Syth, airline analyst at Raymond James.
The airlines that have experienced recent service disruptions admitted they didn’t have enough staff to deal with the problems.
“We inconvenienced thousands of customers and we further challenged our stellar employees,” he said. “And I just want to apologize to both our customers and our employees.”
Jordan said Southwest is making additional trims to its schedule to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
When air traffic ground to a near halt during the early months of the pandemic, all the airlines used early retirement packages and buyouts to reduce staff voluntarily. All are scrambling to staff up now, but it takes time to hire, train and certify pilots and flight attendants, so much of the current hiring is being done with an eye toward next summer’s travel season — not this fall and winter — said Syth.
All the airlines say they’re prepared to deal with disruptions caused by weather or other issues like air traffic control snafus.
“To ensure we’re providing certainty for both our customers and team members, we’re doubling down on our efforts related to our schedule and staffing,” said David Seymour, American’s chief operating officer, in a note to the airline’s staff. “On the scheduling front, we’ve ensured that our November and December are built to meet customers demand and that they are fully supportable by our staffing.”
But Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, the pilots union at American and an active pilot himself, said he’s concerned that American is stretching its staffing too thin.
“We want to fly these flights. But the evidence from earlier this year shows what happens when things don’t go as planned,” he said. “They’re building the schedule right to the maximum number of flights possible and it provides no flexibility for when things go wrong. Airplanes don’t fly on hope.”
Southwest is trying to operate its current schedule with about 15{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} fewer pilots than it had before the pandemic, according to Murray, even though the number of flights hasn’t been trimmed by nearly that much. That leaves much less ability to recover when issues do crop up.
Overall the number of domestic flights planned from last weekend to just after New Year’s Day is down 12{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} compared to the same period in 2019, according to data from Cirium, an airline data tracking service.
Among the big four US airlines that handle about 80{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of air traffic, Southwest and American have the most aggressive schedules compared to their pre-pandemic levels. The number of flights is down just 10{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} at Southwest and 9{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} at American, while Delta and United are both down more than 13{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} compared to 2019.
Executives at United and Delta say their more limited schedule should allow them to avoid the service issues experienced at Southwest and American earlier this fall.
“If we wanted to be bigger than we are, quite honestly we couldn’t be. We could be a little bit, maybe, but not much bigger without risking the operational performance issues like you’ve seen at some of [the] other carriers,” Delta president Glen Hauenstein told investors last month. “So we want to stay where we’re confident that we can actually fly the schedules that we put out there.”
“Our North Star in this recovery is making sure we do the right thing for customers and if that means sacrificing some possible short-term profits to ensure a reliable operation, then so be it,” said United CEO Scott Kirby in a letter to customers explaining his airline’s reduced schedule.
Murray, the head of the Southwest pilots union, says his airline has made changes in its operations since the service meltdown in October that resulted in 2,000 flights being canceled over a weekend, and tens of thousands of stranded passengers.
“I’m not as gravely concerned as I was throughout the summer,” he said.
Premier beach resort brand, Outrigger Resorts revealed the innovative design features for its newly branded Outrigger Khao Lak Beach Resort. Located on the pristine white sands of Bang Sak beach in southern Thailand, Outrigger Khao Lak Beach Resort is scheduled to welcome its first guests …
ONBOARD THE CELEBRITY APEX — It’s the $1.2 billion flagship of the Celebrity Cruises fleet, and after a long wait, the Celebrity Apex is welcoming aboard revenue cruisers on U.S. departures. It’s been a busy few weeks for Celebrity, which is launching eight ships in …
Nothing drains the joy out of the holidays like travel delays and waiting in lines.
This Thanksgiving is expected to look more like pre-pandemic holiday travel periods at Newark Liberty International Airport as more people are predicted to fly to visit family and friends.
Ongoing construction at Newark airport will add a layer of complexity with some gates closed at the old Terminal A as work progresses on the new Terminal A, so it’s best to be prepared.
“More than 1.4 million people are expected for the five day (Thanksgiving) travel period,” said Huntley Lawrence, Port Authority aviation director. “That is 84{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of 2019 levels and the highest since the pandemic. There are going to be challenges in places like Terminal A where there is construction.”
Here are seven travel tips from experts to help navigate the busy Thanksgiving travel week
That’s good advice all year round, of course, but more so during peak times like Thanksgiving. Both Port Authority aviation and Transportation Security Administration officials recommend arriving at the airport early to compensate for added passenger traffic.
“Our advice is plan ahead. For domestic flights arrive at least two hours ahead of departure time, international flights, leave three hours ahead of time,” Lawrence said. “Expect long lines at TSA security check points.”
If you haven’t flown from Newark airport since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Terminal A and B will be different from what you remember. This is where leaving extra time will help.
“Security checkpoint operations have changed as a result of the closure of one-third of the checkpoint lanes in Terminal A due to the ongoing modernization and redevelopment of the new Terminal A,” said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokeswoman.
The final phases of new Terminal A construction have closed all four of the security checkpoints in the old terminal’s A1 concourse, meaning that longer wait times are anticipated, she said. The remaining checkpoint lanes are in concourses A2 and A3, which have four checkpoint lanes each.
Also, make sure to confirm your departure terminal. Several flights are being shifted to Terminal B due to construction, Farbstein said. Travelers flying on Air Canada, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines are most likely to be affected by the current phase of construction, she said.
The new Terminal A is expected to open in Spring 2022 when the first 21 gates go in service.
Parking could be in short supply this year and traffic getting to the airport can be rough at times.
“Parking has increased significantly. Just in the last holiday period, we had a number of instances where our parking facilities were full,” Lawrence said. “We are seeing a lot more parkers.”
Airport officials are expecting a heavier travel period than usual, and have seen some increases in the past few weeks, which means more cars hunting for elusive parking spaces, he said.
Both NJ Transit and Amtrak offer rail service to Newark airport station and connect to the airport monorail system that serves all three terminals,
Don’t be that traveler whose carry-on bag triggers an alert and has to be searched. Travelers need to know what should and should not be packed in a carry-on bag or checked bag by checking the TSA website, Farbstein said.
“Travelers whose items trigger an alarm at the checkpoint and have their carry-on bags flagged for a search typically state that they did not realize that they had the item with them,” she said. “Following the guidelines/tips should reduce the likelihood of a bag triggering an alarm.”
That includes packing food you’re bringing for Thanksgiving. If you can “spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it,” and it’s larger than 3.4 ounces, then it has to go in a checked bag, officials said.
Food often needs additional security screening, so TSA officials recommend placing those items in a clear plastic bag or other container. Remove those items from your carry-on bag and place them in a bin for screening at the checkpoint.
Finally, travelers should listen to TSA officers instructions while waiting in the checkpoint line. Following their advice can help travelers get through the checkpoint more efficiently, Farbstein said.
Airlines are experiencing the same labor shortages as the grocery, restaurant and retail industries.
That can mean baggage delays.
Travel experts recommend packing some essentials in your carry-on bag, such as a change of clothes and prescription medications you may need, in case you’re separated from your luggage. Remember to double check TSA regulations.
Like it or not, face coverings must be worn in airports, on aircraft and shuttle buses between terminals and parking lots.
The FAA also is serious about mask enforcement and has levied costly civil fines against disruptive passengers who interfere with flight crews.
Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.