Friends,
It’s been a strange start to the week thus far in travel.
The U.S. government shutdown is finally on its way out after the Senate passed the reopening bill last night. The House is expected to follow tomorrow, and the White House has already signaled they’ll sign it.
That is good news for travelers, though things won’t normalize overnight.
Over the weekend, roughly one in three flights across the major U.S. carriers was delayed or canceled as the air-traffic control system strained under staffing shortages. Here in Texas on Sunday night DFW operated departures off a single runway, which is unheard of in good weather. There are seven runways in total on the field.
Houston’s airports were even more of a mess.
I’m supposed to travel with my daughter on Friday; I’ll let you know how it goes.
Meanwhile in China, Spring Airlines sparked global headlines with its plan to hire “Air Aunties”—mothers with families intended to bring more “warmth” to the cabin experience. The reaction to the job posting on social media was swift and not exactly kind.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby marked Veterans Day by calling United “the greatest airline on earth.” He’s an Air Force Academy grad, so it was fitting timing, but still a bold statement given Delta’s continued lead in profitability and service. Credit where it’s due, though: United has come a long way.
And in the background off all of this, Visa and Mastercard have finally settled a 20-year lawsuit over interchange fees. It may sound technical, but the implications are big: merchants will gain leverage, and issuers will almost certainly look to make up the difference. I expect gradual shifts in credit card rewards programs and annual fees as the economics rebalance.
Check out today’s episode of the podcast for more, and thanks as always for reading.
Fly well.
LINKS
