Pack Your Own Pretzels: Delta Cutting Service On Hundreds Of Short-Haul Flights

If you have a quick hop planned on a Delta flight later this month, you might want to grab a snack at the terminal before you board. Delta Air Lines has announced a major shift in its onboard service policy, eliminating complimentary food and beverage service on roughly 450 daily short-haul flights.

Starting May 19, 2026, the "Biscoff and coffee" ritual is disappearing for passengers on routes under 350 miles. Here is everything you need to know about the change and how it affects your next trip.

1. The New Distance Rule

Delta is moving away from its previous tiered "Express Service" model in favor of a strictly distance-based cutoff.

Flights 0–349 Miles: No beverage or snack service will be offered in the Main Cabin or Delta Comfort+.

Flights 350 Miles and Above: Passengers will receive full beverage and snack service (an upgrade for some routes that previously only had limited "Express" options).

The Exception: Delta First Class passengers are unaffected and will continue to receive full service on all routes, regardless of distance.

Note: Water is still available upon request for all passengers, even on the shortest flights, though it will not be proactively served via the cart.

2. Why the Change?

According to official statements from Delta, the move is designed to prioritize consistency and safety.

Operational Consistency: Previously, flights between 251 and 350 miles used an "Express Service" that often confused passengers and was difficult for flight attendants to execute uniformly.

Safety & Turbulence: On very short routes, the window for service is incredibly tight. By removing the carts, Delta minimizes the time flight attendants spend in the aisles, reducing the risk of injury during unexpected turbulence.

Rising Costs: Industry analysts also point to record-high fuel prices in 2026 as a primary driver for cost-cutting measures across the U.S. airline industry.

3. Major Affected Routes

Many of Delta's busiest "shuttle" and hub-connector routes fall under the new 350-mile threshold. If you are flying these city pairs after May 19, expect a quiet cabin:

New York (JFK/LGA) to Boston (BOS)

Atlanta (ATL) to Charlotte (CLT)

Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO)

Chicago (ORD) to Detroit (DTW)

Minneapolis (MSP) to Milwaukee (MKE)

4. How to Prepare

While the loss of a free soda might seem minor, it’s a significant shift for a carrier that has long marketed itself as a "premium" domestic airline.

Check the Delta App: You can search for your specific flight menu via the Delta website or app to see exactly what will be served.

Visit the Sky Club: If you have access, fill up on snacks and drinks before boarding.

Pre-order Options: On some mid-range flights, Delta is encouraging passengers to use the app to pre-order snack boxes at discounted rates ($5–$12).

This change brings Delta closer to the service models of competitors like United, which has a similar 300-mile service minimum. As the "frills" continue to shrink in economy, the value of that First Class upgrade just got a little bit higher.

Sky-High Fees And Wi-Fi Shifts: What’s Changing At American And United In 2026

If you’re planning to fly this year, your wallet might feel a little lighter before you even leave the terminal. Both American Airlines and United Airlines have rolled out significant changes to their baggage fee structures and in-flight connectivity in early 2026. A merger between the 2 airlines is also being teased.

While some of these updates mean paying more for your suitcase, there is a silver lining for those who value staying connected at 35,000 feet.

Checked Bag Fees: The New Normal

Following a trend across the industry, both carriers have hiked prices for checked luggage. These increases are largely attributed to rising operational and fuel costs.

American AirlinesAmerican has implemented a tiered pricing system that rewards digital prepanning but penalizes last-minute decisions:

First Bag: $35 if prepaid online; $40 if paid at the airport.
Second Bag: $45 if prepaid; $50 if paid at the terminal.

Third Bag: Costs have jumped significantly, now reaching $200 at the airport.

Strategy:

To save, use the American Airlines app to pay for your bags before you arrive at the gate.

United Airlines

United’s changes, effective for tickets booked starting April 3, 2026, are even more pronounced:Domestic & Short-Haul:

Fees for first and second checked bags have increased by $10 across the board.

Airport Rate: If you wait to pay at the airport, expect to pay $50 for your first bag.

The "Silver Lining": Long-haul international routes (Europe/Asia) have currently avoided these increases.

The Wi-Fi Shakeup: T-Mobile Out, Loyalty In

Perhaps the most surprising news for frequent flyers is the "restriction" on free Wi-Fi—specifically for T-Mobile customers.

For years, T-Mobile users enjoyed free in-flight internet as a plan perk. However, as of April 2026, both American and United have quietly dropped the T-Mobile partnership. Reports suggest the service became so popular that satellite bandwidth could no longer support the volume of users.

But don't panic! While the T-Mobile perk is gone, both airlines are pivoting to loyalty-based free Wi-Fi:

American Airlines: In a new deal with AT&T, American is rolling out free high-speed Wi-Fi for all AAdvantage members. The rollout is expected to cover nearly the entire narrowbody fleet by late spring 2026.United Airlines: United is moving toward Starlink connectivity. While the full fleet won't be finished until 2027, hundreds of regional and mainline aircraft already offer free Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members.


How to Dodge the Extra Costs

If you want to keep your travel budget intact, follow these three rules:

Join the Loyalty Program: Both AAdvantage and MileagePlus are free to join and are now the only way to get free Wi-Fi.

Prepay for Bags: Never wait until you get to the airport counter. Paying via the airline's app at least 24 hours in advance can save you $5–$10 per bag.

Get the Right Credit Card: Airline-branded credit cards (like those from Chase for United or Citi/Barclays for American) typically waive the fee for the first checked bag for you and your companions.

Bottom Line: Travel is getting more expensive, but it's also getting more connected. If you’re willing to trade your data (by joining a loyalty program) and plan ahead, you can still find ways to fly without breaking the bank.

Travelore News: Air Canada Suspending Cuba Service In Response To Aviation Fuel Shortage

Air Canada said that effective today it is suspending its service to Cuba due to an ongoing shortage of aviation fuel on the island. Over the following days, the airline will operate empty flights southbound to pick up approximately 3,000 customers already at destination and return them home.

Air Canada took the decision following advisories issued by governments (NOTAMs) regarding the unreliability of the aviation fuel supply at Cuban airports. It is projected that as of February 10 aviation fuel will not be commercially available at the island’s airports. For remaining flights, Air Canada will tanker in extra fuel and make a technical stops as necessary to refuel on the return journey if necessary.

Air Canada will continue to monitor the situation to determine an appropriate restart of normal service to Cuba at a future date.

Customers

Air Canada’s immediate priority is to return customers already in Cuba to Canada. It will operate empty ferry flights to the island over the coming days to maintain its regular schedule from Cuba to Canada over the near-term to pick up these customers. Air Canada currently has approximately 3,000 customers in Cuba, most of whom are travelling on Air Canada Vacations Packages.

Throughout the process, Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations monitored the situation closely, first introducing a flexible rebooking policy for customers travelling to Cuba. Air Canada Vacations is now introducing a refund policy, allowing customers who had scheduled departures to Cuba and experienced flight cancellations to automatically receive a full refund in their original form of payment. There is no need for these customers to contact the Air Canada Vacations’ Contact Centre.

Customers currently in Cuba who booked an Air Canada Vacations package can receive direct support from Air Canada Vacations’ local representatives, who are available to address any questions or concerns.

Air Canada Cuba Schedule

Air Canada operates on average 16 weekly flights to four destinations in Cuba from Toronto and Montreal. These include:

From Toronto:

4 times weekly to Jardines del Rey Airport in Cayo Coco,

2 times weekly to Frank País Airport in Holguín,

4 times weekly to Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport in Varadero,

Once weekly to Abel Santamaría Airport in Santa Clara.

From Montreal:

3 times weekly to Jardines del Rey Airport in Cayo Coco,

2 times weekly to Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport in Varadero.

At present, seasonal flights to Holguín and Santa Clara are cancelled for the rest of the season. Flights to Varadero and Cayo Coco are schedule to operate yearround but are currently suspended with a tentative restart, pending review, on May 1. All Flights are normally operated on various narrow body aircraft between Mainline and Rouge. Air Canada will look to redeploy these aircraft to other destinations.

For updates, please visit: aircanada.com

American Airlines Waiving Change Fees Due To Winter Storm For Travel Jan. 23–25, 2026

American Airlines is waiving change fees for flights booked by Jan. 19, 2026, for travel Jan. 23–25, 2026, to/through over 30 airports due to a winter storm, including Basic Economy. Rebooking must be completed by Jan. 25, 2026, in the same cabin (no origin/destination changes), with travel rebooked through Jan. 28, 2026.

Key Details on 2026 Winter Storm Waivers:

Affected Locations: Over 30 airports, including Charlotte (CLT), Asheville, Columbia, Greensboro, Greenville-Spartanburg, Raleigh-Durham, and Wilmington.

Eligibility: Tickets must be booked on or before Jan. 19, 2026, for travel between Jan. 23 and Jan. 25, 2026.

Rebooking Window: New travel must be rebooked by Jan. 25, 2026, and completed by Jan. 28, 2026.

Conditions: The origin and destination cities must remain the same.

Fare Class: The waiver applies to all classes, including Basic Economy.

General Policies

24-Hour Rule: A full refund is available for any ticket booked at least 2 days before departure, if cancelled within 24 hours of purchase.

Standard Changes: Generally, non-refundable tickets can be changed without a fee, though a fare difference may apply.

For the most up-to-date information, it is recommended to check the American Airlines travel alerts page directly.

Canadian Tourists To The U.S. Were Down Nearly 40% In May, New Data Says

In recent years, Canadian tourists have made up roughly one-quarter of all foreign travelers who come to the United States, according to the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO). Last year, Canadian tourists vacationing in the U.S. spent $20.5 billion. To put that number into context, it is nearly double the $10.4 billion Americans spent at McDonald’s during all of 2024.

Canada’s leadership warned residents against traveling to the U.S. in early February, after President Donald Trump began talking about tariffs and started referring to Canada as “the 51st state.” Then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Canadians not to vacation south of the border, and repeated that call to action through April, when he left office. Three-quarters (75%) of Canadians who had been planning a trip to the U.S. say the tariff announcements have influenced their plans, and over half (56%) who had planned to visit the U.S. have decided to travel elsewhere, according to a survey by Leger Marketing of over 1,500 Canadian adults fielded mid-May.

Are Canadians Traveling Less This Summer?

No. Over half of Canadians (55%) plan to take a leisure trip this summer, up from 47% who planned a summer trip in 2024, according to the Leger Marketing poll. Only 10% of Canadians plan to travel to the U.S. this summer compared to 23% last year. In contrast, Canadians’ domestic travel intentions are soaring, with 77% planning to stay within Canada (up from 69% in 2024). Compared to before President Trump’s tariffs were introduced, more Canadians are likely to travel within their home province (48% vs. 38% pre-tariffs) or to another Canadian province (42%, up from 30%).

Are Tourists From Other Countries Also Steering Clear Of The U.S. This Year?

The U.S. is looking at a significant 9% drop in U.S. international arrivals for 2025, and a drop of $8.5 billion (-4.7%) in international visitor spending relative to last year, according to the latest forecast from Tourism Economics, a nonpartisan Oxford Economics company tracking tourism statistics. But the true damage is actually twice as “catastrophic,” Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, told Forbes. “Given trends in our pre-Inauguration forecast, we were expecting a 9% increase in international visitors this year,” Sacks said. “So the full way to appreciate the loss is relative to the growth that would have happened based on the ongoing recovery that was expected, because we're still well below 2019 levels.” Considering 2025 was forecast to be a big growth year for international inbound visitors, the true loss for the U.S. is far bigger. The World Travel & Tourism Council predicts an even bigger decline in tourism revenue for the U.S., forecasting a loss of $12.5 billion in international visitor spending in 2025.

Big Number

$1.8 billion. That’s how much in export revenue is lost for every 1% drop in international visitor spending, according to the USTA. If the downward trajectory continues through the end of the year, the country stands to lose at least $21 billion in travel-related exports.

Tangent

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) has proposed slashing the budget of Brand USA, the country’s public-private destination marketing organization, from $100 million to $20 million. The USTA said it is “deeply concerned” about the proposal, saying such drastic cuts would “significantly impact every sector of our industry.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/

Travelore News: Major Power Outage In Spain And Portugal Knocks Out Subway Networks, Traffic Lights And ATM Machines

A blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill Monday, halting subway trains, cutting phone service and shutting down traffic lights and ATM machines for the 50 million people who live across the Iberian Peninsula.

Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica said that restoring power to large parts of the country and neighboring Portugal could take 6-10 hours.

The company declined to speculate on the causes of the huge blackout. The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center issued a statement saying there was no sign the outage was due to a cyberattack.

Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Red Eléctrica, told journalists it was unprecedented, calling the event “exceptional and extraordinary.”

The outage hit across Spain and Portugal, including their capitals, Madrid and Lisbon. Offices closed and traffic was snarled as traffic lights stopped working. It was not possible to make calls on some mobile phone networks, though some apps were working.

The countries have a combined population of over 50 million people. It was not immediately clear how many were affected. It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula.

Authorities said the cause was not immediately known, though one Portuguese official said the problem appeared to be with the electricity distribution network in Spain.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez convened an extraordinary meeting of Spain’s National Security Council and visited Red Eléctrica to follow efforts at restoring grid operations.

The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister’s residence.

Portugal’s government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa.

“It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It’s still being ascertained,” Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying.

Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to “a problem with the European electricity system,” according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilize the network, according to Expresso.

Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE said a major power outage hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom, Spain’s parliament in Madrid and subway stations across the country in the dark.

A graph on Spain’s electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12:15 p.m. from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW.

Spanish airports were operating on backup electrical systems and some flights were delayed, according to Aena, the company that runs 56 airports in Spain including Madrid and Barcelona. In Lisbon, terminals closed and throngs of tourists sat outside in the sun and the shade waiting for news about their flights.

“We haven’t seen any plane arriving or departing in the 50 minutes we’ve been waiting here,” Dutch tourist Marc Brandsma told The Associated Press.

Train services in both countries ground to a halt. Video aired on Spanish television showed people evacuating metro stations in Madrid and empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona.

The Spanish Parliament in Madrid closed and play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended. Three matches were underway when power went down.

Spain’s traffic department asked citizens to avoid using their cars as much as possible due to the power outage, which has affected traffic lights and electrical road signage.

Barcelona’s streets filled with throngs of people on sidewalks, milling about in front of darkened stores and offices and exchanging information on what had happened.

Immediate concerns were which phone companies still had some, at least, spotty coverage, or where internet access might be found. Another concern was how to get home with the subway shut and public buses packed.

In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock after people lined up to buy them.

In Portugal, a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit Lisbon and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts. Portuguese police placed more officers on duty to direct traffic and cope with increased requests for help, including from people trapped in elevators.

Portuguese hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Gas stations stopped working.

Portugal’s National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating.

Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected.

By RENATA BRITO and BARRY HATTON

Travelore News: Heathrow Says It Doesn’t Know When Power Will Be Restored And Expects Disruption For Days After Fire

Heathrow Airport says it doesn’t know when power will be restored and expects disruption to last for days after an electrical substation fire nearby.

The airport said in a statement it does not have “clarity on when power may be reliably restored.”

At least 1,350 flights to and from Heathrow were affected, flight tracking service FlightRadar 24 said, and the impact was likely to last several days as passengers try to reschedule their travel and airlines work to get planes and crew to the right places.

Authorities do not know what caused the fire but so far found have no evidence it was suspicious.

Residents in west London described hearing a large explosion, followed by a fireball and clouds of smoke, when the blaze ripped through the electrical substation near the airport.

Some 120 flights were in the air when the closure was announced, with some turned around and others diverted to Gatwick Airport outside London, Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris or Ireland’s Shannon Airport, tracking services showed.

Lawrence Hayes was three-quarters of the way to London from New York when Virgin Atlantic announced they were being diverted to Glasgow.

“It was a red-eye flight and I’d already had a full day, so I don’t even know how long I’ve been up for,” Hayes told the BBC as he was getting off the plane in Scotland. “Luckily I managed to get hold of my wife and she’s kindly booked me a train ticket to get back to Euston, but it’s going to be an incredibly long day.”

Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports for international travel. It had its busiest January on record earlier this year, with more than 6.3 million passengers, up more than 5% from the same period last year.

Still, the disruption Friday fell short of the one caused by the 2010 eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed clouds of ash into the atmosphere and created trans-Atlantic air travel chaos for months.

The Metropolitan Police force said counterterrorism detectives were leading the investigation because of their ability to find the cause quickly and because of the location of the electrical substation fire and its impact on critical national infrastructure.

Miliband said the fire, which took seven hours to control, also knocked out a backup power supply to the airport. Heathrow said in a statement that it had no choice but to close the airport for the day.

“We expect significant disruption over the coming days, and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” the airport said.

The fire’s widespread impact on travel led to criticism that Britain was ill prepared for disaster or some type of attack if a single blaze could shut down Europe’s busiest airport.

“The U.K.’s critical national infrastructure is not sufficiently hardened for anywhere near the level it would need to be at to give us confidence this won’t happen again,” said Alan Mendoza, the executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, a security think tank. “If one fire can shut down Heathrow’s primary systems and then apparently the backup systems, as well, it tells you something’s badly wrong with our system of management of such disasters.”

Tom Wells, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, acknowledged that authorities had questions to answer and said a rigorous investigation was needed to make sure “this scale of disruption does not happen again.”

Heathrow — where the U.K. government plans to build a third runway — was at the heart of a shorter disruption in 2023 when Britain’s air traffic control system was hit by a breakdown that slowed takeoffs and landings across the U.K. on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Disruption could last days

Though the fire has been brought under control, Anita Mendiratta, an aviation consultant, said the impact of the closure will be felt over two to four days as airlines, cargo carriers, and crews are moved into position and passengers rebooked.

“As soon as the airport opens up at midnight tonight, it’s not only about resuming with tomorrow’s flights, it’s the backlog and the implications that have taken place,” Mendiratta said. “Crew and aircraft, many are not where they’re supposed to be right now. So the recalculation of this is going to be intense.”

The London Fire Brigade sent 10 engines and around 70 firefighters to control the blaze and about 150 people were evacuated from their homes near the power station.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said in a post on X the power outage affected more than 16,300 homes.

Diverted, canceled and in limbo

At Heathrow, a family of five traveling to Dallas showed up in the hopes their flight home — still listed as delayed — would take off.

But when Andrea Sri brought her brother, sister-in-law and their three children to the airport, they were told by police that there would be no flight.

“It was a waste of time. Very confusing,” said Sri, who lives in London. “We tried to get in touch with British Airways, but they don’t open their telephone line until 8 a.m.”

Travelers who were diverted to other cities found themselves trying to book travel onward to London. Qantas airlines sent flights from Singapore and Perth, Australia, to Paris, where it said it would bus people to London, a process likely to also include a train shuttle beneath the English Channel.

Budget airline Ryanair, which doesn’t operate out of Heathrow, said it added eight “rescue flights” between Dublin and Stansted, another London airport, to transport stranded passengers Friday and Saturday.

National Rail canceled all trains to and from the airport.

Blaze lit up the sky and darkened homes

Matthew Muirhead was working Thursday night near Heathrow when he stepped outside with a colleague and noticed smoke rising from an electrical substation and heard sirens crying out.

“We saw a bright flash of white, and all the lights in town went out,” he said.

Flights normally begin landing and taking off at Heathrow at 6 a.m. due to nighttime flying restrictions. But the skies were silent Friday morning.

“Living near Heathrow is noisy, there are planes every 90 seconds or so, plus the constant hum of traffic, but you get used to it, to the point of no longer noticing,” said James Henderson, who has lived next to the airport for more than 20 years. “Today is different, you can hear the birds singing.”

https://apnews.com/author/jill-lawless

Southwest Ditches Free Checked Bag Policy In End Of Era For Airline With Fees Starting May 28th

Southwest Airlines Co. will begin charging passengers for some checked luggage, ending a free-bag policy that has been a hallmark of the carrier since its founding more than five decades ago.

Customers will be charged for their first and second checked bags unless they hold top-tier loyalty status or are traveling on a business fare. The changes apply to flights booked on or after May 28, the airline said Tuesday.

Scrapping the “bags fly free” perk is the latest seismic shift for Southwest in the wake of a pressure campaign by activist Elliott Investment Management, now one of its biggest shareholders. The airline has been moving away from its historic one-size-fits-all business model, revealing plans last year to ditch its open seating policy, while also announcing a new premium class section and red-eye flights.

The overhaul has been part of a larger effort to revamp operations, improve financial results and galvanize the stock, which had fallen about 18% over the past year while the broader market has gained. Southwest said last month it would cut 15% of its corporate positions, or about 1,750 jobs, in its first-ever involuntary layoffs.

The airline has slowed its growth plans over the next three years as it works to carve $500 million out of spending — a target it roughly doubled to a little over $1 billion on Tuesday. It’s also monetizing its fleet of aircraft and orders, taking advantage of high demand for Boeing Co. and Airbus SE planes as production challenges limit supply.

Southwest on Tuesday also revised its financial outlook in part to reflect “softness in bookings and demand trends as the macro environment has weakened,” echoing comments a day earlier from Delta. Southwest now sees unit revenue up 2% to 4% this quarter, down from a prior expectation of as much as 7%.

The Dallas-based carrier now says non-fuel costs on a seat-mile basis will rise 6% from a year ago compared with its earlier outlook for up to a 9% increase. Southwest will also accelerate to July 2025 the completion of a $2.5 billion share repurchase program.

The company had long stood by its free-luggage policy, which executives have said differentiates it from competitors — it has been the only major US airline to allow passengers to check two bags at no cost. Chief Executive Officer Bob Jordan emphasized the importance of the feature on an earnings call last April, saying that “people choose Southwest Airlines because we don’t have bag fees.”

As recently as its September investor day, Southwest lauded the two free bags policy as “far and away the top feature” distinguishing the airline. Eliminating it would risk a loss of customers that would overwhelm incremental revenue from the fees, cutting $300 million from sales.

Bloomberg reported in August that the company had quietly started sureeying some customers about imposing bag fees for certain fares, suggesting it was considering a change at least since then.

New Customers

Elliott has largely avoided calling for specific policy changes, but has criticized Southwest for failing to take advantage of potential revenue sources. Southwest didn’t specify in Tuesday’s statement whether Elliott had played a role in the policy change.

Rival airlines view the move as a potential opportunity to win over Southwest customers unhappy with the changes.

“It’s the slaying of a sacred cow,” United Airlines Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby said at an industry conference Tuesday. “I view it as a big deal.”

Delta Air Lines Inc. President Glen Hauenstein predicted that travelers upset with Southwest “are up for grabs.”

Jordan said that the moves are designed to boost the airline’s sagging profits and win new customers it doesn’t currently compete for. The airline didn’t specify how much it would charge for each bag.

Southwest’s A-list Preferred Members and those who purchase “Business Select” fares will continue to get two free checked bags, while A-list Members and “other select customers” will receive one free checked bag, the carrier said. Holders of the airline’s Rapid Rewards credit card also will get one free checked bag.

In addition to the bag fees, Southwest also said it will introduce a new “basic” fare on its lowest-priced tickets starting May 28. The offering is similar to rock-bottom fares with certain limitations that have been adopted by larger rivals like American Airlines Group Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. to lure the most price-conscious customers away from ultra-discount carriers.

Additionally, Southwest flight credits issued from either a canceled flight or a downgrade will now expire in one year or less, depending on the fare type, the airline said Tuesday.

https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/ABoOYuHQogU/mary-schlangenstein

Travelore News: American Airlines Has A Tentative Contract Deal With Its Pilots. Southwest Is Still Negotiating

American Airlines has agreed on terms for granting large pay raises to its pilots, leaving Southwest Airlines alone among the nation’s four biggest carriers without at least a tentative contract with pilots.

American and the Allied Pilots Association announced their agreement Thursday. The union said the agreement matched terms reached by pilots at Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

The pilots and American thought they had a deal earlier this month, but it was upended when United struck a richer contract, with raises of up to 40% over four years. American CEO Robert Isom promised to match pay at the other carriers.

An American spokeswoman called it “a contract we’re proud of, and one our pilots deserve.”

The deal is contingent on the outcome of a ratification vote by American’s 15,000 pilots in August.

Southwest CEO Robert Jordan said his airline has been in regular negotiations with its pilots, but had “nothing new to report.”

“There is no threat of an imminent strike or anything like that,” Jordan said. Federal law requires several conditions to be met before airline unions can legally strike, including a finding by mediators that further negotiations would be pointless.

Source: AP

Travelore News: U.S. Hotel Markets Recover From The Pandemic; San Francisco An Outlier

A snapshot of 15 major U.S. hotel markets shows that travel to cities is rebounding, with one notable exception: San Francisco.

Several hotel activity metrics, including average price per room, revenue per room, and supply growth, show most major cities have rebounded from the worst of the pandemic. Some, including Miami, Florida, and Austin, Texas, are seeing notable growth in both supply and revenue.

However, San Francisco, a top 3 locale in the decade before the pandemic, is struggling. It faces a decline in tech jobs, slow return of Chinese travelers, reduced downtown traffic as more people work from home, and rising crime and homelessness that has tarnished the city's image.

Revenue per available room (RevPAR), a key performance metric, for San Francisco was down 30% in May 2023 from the same month in 2019, data from hotel analytics firm STR shows. Daily room rates averaged $207.72 in May, down 14% from $242.51 in May 2019.

Metrics like ADR and RevPAR are affected by seasonal trends but in San Francisco, the recovery is taking longer than in other major cities.

Earlier this month, real estate investment trust Park Hotels & Resorts said it planned to remove two hotels in the city from its portfolio. Developer Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield will transfer its Westfield San Francisco shopping mall to lenders after 20 years as it deals with declining customer visits.

Hotel Council of San Francisco CEO Alex Bastian said the recovery has been slow partly because of the sluggish return of visitors from mainland China, the city's largest pre-pandemic tourist group.

European travel to the city is at 2019 levels and may even surpass them this year, Bastian added. "We are headed in the right direction."

Numerous U.S. cities have seen hotel supply grow since before the pandemic, but the gains have been more pronounced in the U.S. Sun Belt. Miami has seen the most growth, with average daily rates and revenue per available room up 36% and 23%, respectively.

"Miami has been on a fairly seismic run when it comes to hospitality metrics," said Scott Berman, board member of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association. "I don't know a hospitality operator that doesn't want to be in this market."

Miami is "the poster child" for strong leisure and healthy business demand as companies move their headquarters to Florida, said Jan Freitag, national director for hospitality analytics at commercial real estate analytics firm CoStar Group.

San Francisco is an "unfortunate outlier," with companies still not back in the office and concern about social issues curtailing business and leisure travel, Freitag said.

"Those two markets are in essence the main storyline of the hotel industry after the pandemic."

Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Richard Chang, Reuters.

Pent-Up Demand Promises Record Tourist Season For Southern Europe

After three years of pandemic travel restrictions and rocketing energy costs, tourism is back with a vengeance to boost the economies of southern Europe as sun-seekers make up for lost time.

Early bookings suggest Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal could receive record tourism revenues this year, helping replenish state coffers depleted by rising debt interest payments and the cost of living crisis.

What's more, there appears to be growing demand for the luxury end of the spectrum.

"Today in Italy, we have this boom in terms of tourism that is unbelievable," Carlo Messina, CEO of Italy's biggest bank Intesa SanPaolo told investment analysts in a call.

"It is impossible to find a place in a 5-star hotel if you want to make a vacation."

Tourism is vital to southern Europe's economies.

The travel industry was worth 100 billion euros ($110.08 billion) or 6.2% of Italian output in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the sector into its knees. Add the wider income generated by tourist-related business and the figure more than doubles to 13%.

In Greece, tourism accounts for no less than one-fifth of gross domestic product.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Italy was up 70.5% in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2022, according to the national statistics agency. It added that if the trend continues, Italy could match or surpass pre-pandemic levels.

In April, Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said summer bookings already pointed to a new record.

Portugal registered more than 2.8 million of foreign visitors from January to March, the best first quarter on record, according to official data.

In Spain, the flow of international tourists in the first quarter increased by 41.2% over the same period in 2022 and exceeded 13.7 million visitors, albeit still 3.5% below the same quarter in 2019.

The tourist industry is already benefiting. Airlines such as Lufthansa, easyJet and Ryanair have confirmed robust summer bookings while Ryanair, in anticipation of strong demand, has just ordered 150 new 737 Max-10s and optioned another 150.
German travel firm TUI expects strong revenue and higher profit in 2023. Italian travel and tourism company Alpitour forecasts turnover 30% higher this year.

"We already see a very strong demand to book Christmas holidays in 2023. We do 30 to 35,000 quotations a day, numbers never seen before," Alpitour CEO Gabriele Burgio said.

Against a background of stubbornly high inflation and interest rate hikes from the European Central Bank, the tourism boom could not come at a better time.

While manufacturers are seeing demand declining, in Italy and Spain the service sectors grew respectively for the fourth and sixth month running in April driven also by tourism, HCOB Global's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) showed.

Fitch cited the "strong rebound" in tourism last week as it maintained its credit rating on Italy.

Portugal's central bank meanwhile raised its 2023 economic growth forecast to 1.8% from 1.5% mainly due to expected "favourable developments" in the tourism sector and despite a near-stagnation in private consumption expected this year.

The Bank of Greece predicts the local economy will grow by 2.2% in 2023 - far above the euro area average - backed by the "favourable" tourism outlook.

The boost in tourism comes despite headwinds ranging from strikes that have disrupted travel to concern about extreme weather events, such as last year's heat-wave in southwest Europe and the current flooding in parts of Italy.

"Travel is the only discretionary expense people are prepared to maintain or increase," easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said last month.

Consumers who had little choice but to buy goods rather than services during the pandemic are now keen to catch up on lost time, some in the industry say.

"There seems to be a significant shift in consumer behaviour, with holidays taking centre stage in consumption priorities, surpassing traditional purchases such as cars, mobile phones and watches," Alpitour’s Burgio told a hotel trade event in Milan.

As China lifts restrictions on travel, some 6 million Chinese tourists are expected to head to Europe by the end of the year, according to projections by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute released by the European Travel Commission.

Moreover, Italian tourist agency ENIT is confident that a new, younger profile of Chinese tourist is emerging who wants "in-depth travel experiences" that go beyond the quick tour of urban cultural centres.

"The Chinese are now looking at previously overlooked destinations such as Sicily, the Cinque Terre (Italian Riviera) and seaside destinations that were previously neglected," it said.

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

By Giselda Vagnoni