New data shows that flight searches to London from the United States have surged since Queen Elizabeth II died last week.According to Reuters.com, travel startup Hopper revealed that Americans searching for travel to the United Kingdom skyrocketed by 49 percent compared to the previous day in the hours following the Queen’s death.ADVERTISING Trending Now As for flight searches from other international destinations around the world to London, Hopper found that inquiries spiked 40 percent compared to the previous day and jumped 41 percent compared to the three hours before the announcement.In addition to seeking London trips to delve into the life and death of Queen Elizabeth, the British pound is weak compared to the U.S. dollar, making the UK an appealing tourist destination for people traveling on a budget.World Travel and Tourism Council CEO Julia Simpson released a statement on the death of the Queen of England.“WTTC, its members and the global Travel & Tourism community are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Queen Elizabeth II,” Simpson said. “The Queen has been the most incredible force for good. She won the hearts and respect of people and nations around the world.”“Our sincere condolences to the Royal Family and our heartfelt tribute to Her Majesty the Queen for a lifetime of devotion and dedicated service,” Simpson continued.For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here. Adblock test (Why?)

They say that it takes three times for something to happen to consider it a trend.What about 20 times that?ADVERTISING Trending Now The nation’s three largest domestic airlines – American, Delta, and United – have eliminated service at 59 smaller U.S. airlines since the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020, according to Business Insider. That’s a figure that has become more than just a trend but rather a disturbing, regular occurrence. It’s been a perfect storm of pilot and staffing shortages vs. an overwhelming return of the flying public, a situation that has been building long before the pandemic – but exacerbated by the effects of the virus.Most of the service cuts have been to airlines’ regional carriers, but nonetheless, they served a critical role in bringing passengers to larger hubs. According to Business Insider, Delta has exited 13 airports, American has left 14, and United no longer serves 32 facilities.Business Insider broke it down among the three major carriers:AMERICAN AIRLINESOakland, CaliforniaNew Haven, ConnecticutDubuque, IowaSioux Falls, IowaDuluth, MinnesotaMeridian, MississippiHattiesburg, MississippiJoplin, MissouriIslip, New YorkIthaca, New YorkStewart, New YorkToledo, OhioWilliamsport, PennsylvaniaCheyenne, WyomingDELTA AIR LINESFort Smith, ArkansasSanta Barbara, CaliforniaDurango, ColoradoGrand Junction, ColoradoPeoria, IllinoisFlint, MichiganLincoln, NebraskaManchester, New HampshireStewart, New YorkNew Bern, North CarolinaAkron, OhioScranton, PennsylvaniaErie, PennsylvaniaUNITED AIRLINESTexarkana, ArkansasFlagstaff, ArizonaSanta Rosa, CaliforniaStockton, CaliforniaAlamosa, ColoradoDestin, FloridaTallahassee, FloridaTwin Falls, IdahoEvansville, IndianaPaducah, KentuckyAlexandria, LouisianaMonroe, LouisianaKalamazoo, MichiganLansing, MichiganRochester, MinnesotaColumbia, MissouriFort Leonard Wood, MissouriKearney, NebraskaOgdensburg, New YorkPlattsburgh, New YorkPierre, South DakotaWatertown, South DakotaAbilene, TexasCollege Station, TexasKilleen, TexasSan Angelo, TexasShenandoah, VirginiaEverett, WashingtonClarksburg, West VirginiaLewisburg, West VirginiaEau Claire, WisconsinMosinee, Wisconsin Adblock test (Why?)

Grandmother. Grandma. Grandpa. Nonna. Pop. Pop-Pop. Memaw. Abuela. G-Pa.Whatever you call your grandmother and grandfather, just call them. Because Frontier Airlines wants to pay them homage.ADVERTISING Trending Now Frontier on Friday announced it is providing free flights to 100 grandmas and grandpas this fall, bringing families together for some priceless multi-generational moments. With Grandparents Day set for Sunday, September 11, Frontier launchedGrandmas Fly Free promotion and will award 100 randomly selected grandparents with a $250 flight voucher. Nominate your grandparent (or whoever you define as your grandparent) by visiting the entry page.Within the entry form, you are invited to share details on what special moment or event you’d like to share as a family, along with a photo and other details (not required for entry). The nomination form allows participants to share their entry directly to social media platforms. Sharing will automatically result in two entries for a nominee, doubling the chances your grandparent will be selected.“We’re proud of our strong commitment to families and our ability to bring them together affordably and conveniently thanks to our ‘Low Fares Done Right,’” Tyri Squyres, vice president of marketing, Frontier Airlines, said in a statement. “This promotion is a fun reminder that fall is a great time to travel and experience some treasured family time.” Adblock test (Why?)

Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a critic of the airlines’ handling of the mass chaos of spring and summer travel this year, has expressed optimism that U.S. carrier can turn around their problems in time for the next critical air travel season.Speaking on the CBS late-night program ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden,’ Buttigieg said a combination of the airlines learning some valuable lessons from the mass chaos this year, and continued government pressure, will right the ship before Thanksgiving.ADVERTISING Trending Now "I think it is going to get better by the holidays," Buttigieg said. “We're really pressing the airlines to deliver better service...they need to be ready to service the tickets that they're selling." [embedded content]Buttigieg says he believes the airlines have taken the DOT’s initiatives – including the new online dashboard to track delayed and canceled flights as well as threats of more government oversight – to heart.“We're pushing them, they're responding,” he said. “But when they actually fail to live up to the rules, there's serious enforcement behind that and we want to know if that's happened to you.”Buttigieg himself was a victim of the travel nightmare earlier this year, having a flight canceled that forced him to drive from Washington to New York for a meeting.“We've put off holidays, we put off trips for two years. We're finally doing it again, which is great. But we need to make sure that the system is ready,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)

Two House Democrats are calling for an investigation into airlines' use of federal pandemic funds meant for employee retention, asking if these funds were instead used for buyouts or early-retirement offers.According to the Associated Press, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., chairman of a special panel on the government’s response to the pandemic, requested an investigation that would examine how the money was used by the airlines in light of a summer of cancelations, delayed flights and staffing shortages as travel bounced back.ADVERTISING Trending Now “American taxpayers supported the airline industry during its darkest days at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, when nearly 75% of commercial flights were grounded. Americans deserve transparency into how airlines have used the federal funds they have received,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Richard Delmar, deputy inspector general of the Treasury Department, which handled taxpayer relief to businesses affected by the pandemic. In April of 2020, U.S. air travel fell by approximately 95 percent of April 2019. This summer, it had nearly recovered to 2019 levels. Adblock test (Why?)

A new study found that airfares for the Thanksgiving and Winter Holiday travel periods are likely to be much higher in 2022 than the previous year.According to CheapAir.com’s 2022 Holiday Flight Report, Thanksgiving airline ticket prices are up by 25 percent compared to 2021’s average price, while Christmas and New Year's flight costs have climbed 28 percent during the same period.ADVERTISINGAirlines have struggled to meet traveler demand and fuel costs skyrocketed this summer and remain elevated, leaving passengers to foot the bill in the form of higher airfare. Trending Now While holiday ticket prices are expected to remain higher than usual this year, the best way for travelers to secure affordable flights is to plan and book early. The report found the best month to book flights for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s travel is September, as fares typically increase after that.“While it may seem like a burden to think about the holidays in the summer, holiday flights are already more expensive than expected,” CheapAir.com CEO Jeff Klee said.“Airlines continue to struggle to meet traveler demand, driving up airfare more than usual for this time of year,” Klee continued. “So, for those on the hunt for a holiday travel bargain, now is the time to plan and book.”For Thanksgiving, Tuesday, November 22 is the best value day to travel, while departing on the Thursday holiday will save airline passengers approximately $75 per ticket. Travelers will also save roughly $90 by taking a flight the day after Thanksgiving.As for Christmas and New Year’s, the night before the December holiday has some of the best savings of the week, while passengers can save more than $125 per ticket on average by flying home on Wednesday instead of the Sunday after Christmas, which is going to be the most expensive day to fly this holiday season.New Year’s Day falls on Sunday this year, offering airfare value for those traveling between December 28-30. Departing on the Tuesday after New Year’s will save approximately $85 per ticket on average.For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here. Adblock test (Why?)

Southwest Airlines published its official flight schedule extending through April 10, 2023, giving travelers the chance to get a head start on planning their Spring Break vacations for next year.The airline also revealed that it’s reprising many popular seasonal routes to connect spring breakers with their favorite beach and mountain destinations that are ideal for springtime escapes.ADVERTISING Trending Now "We continue strengthening our network across North America with some of our largest schedules ever for our Denver and Las Vegas Customers, and we're thrilled to give everyone an ability to book now and plan their spring vacations early," said Adam Decaire, Vice President of Network Planning for Southwest Airlines. "With dozens of seasonal routes bolstered with two new and never-before-served routes, a destination for everyone is available on Southwest.com for our schedule now extended out into early April 2023."Southwest also introduced its largest-ever March schedule from Denver, bringing more ‘Mile High Heart’ to its customers in Colorado. The carrier will operate as many as 270 departures from the state’s capital city daily, which is 27 flights more than are present in February's published schedule.From March 11, Southwest will start flying a new international route, adding seasonal service between Denver and San Jose, Costa Rica on Saturdays, alongside its existing Saturday service between Denver and Liberia, Costa Rica. The airline also currently serves several other overseas destinations from Denver, such as Belize, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.Also starting in March, more of Southwest’s signature Heart is arriving in Las Vegas, as the carrier commences its largest-ever schedule from Sin City. The airline’s March 2023 schedule will include up to 243 daily departures, a dozen more flights than will be offered during the month of February.Southwest is already the airline with the largest presence in Las Vegas, and now customers looking to spend their spring holidays enjoying the many amenities of the city’s famous resorts and casinos, attending events or visiting area attractions and national parks will have more options than ever before.For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter. Adblock test (Why?)

During Cowen's annual transportation conference Wednesday, executives of a couple of major U.S. airlines addressed the question of post-summer air travel demand, saying that, despite autumn’s approach, flight sales simply aren’t slowing down this year.Following two years of lockdowns and restrictions, Americans’ still-pent-up travel demand continues to drive bookings, even as the busy summer travel season unofficially ends following the Labor Day weekend.ADVERTISING Trending Now This summer, U.S. carriers have contended with an intensity of travel demand not seen since before the pandemic; and the four-day Labor Day holiday period saw 8.76 million passengers screened through TSA checkpoints, exceeding even 2019 numbers.The start of a new school year typically means that families are taking fewer vacations after summer ends, a time when airlines traditionally rely more heavily on the business travel segment—which simply hasn’t rebounded as quickly as leisure travel.But, United Airlines’ senior vice president Patrick Quayle told conference attendees that this year is defying historical trends, with no notable decrease in ticket sales between the months of August and September. “We’re seeing a really strong September,” Quayle disclosed, according to Bloomberg. “It does not appear that summer has come to an end. It’s that strong.” Young woman at airport checking flight departures. (Photo via martin-dm / Getty Images / E+) American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, who also spoke at Wednesday’s conference, echoed Quayle’s affirmation of continuing demand, saying that American’s leisure bookings remain “strong”. "We continue to see revenue and expense and margins tracking as we expected," he said. "That's good news."Regarding the business travel segment’s recovery, Isom revealed that American has only reached 75 percent of its 2019 revenue levels. Quayle similarly said that business travel bookings still fall short of pre-pandemic levels, but that today’s inflated airfare prices have driven revenue up. Both execs said that they expect an increase in business travel bookings as companies bring more employees back into the office.Until then, they’re looking to rebounding demand for international air travel to shore up their revenues. With the recent repeal of border restrictions by several Asian and Pacific countries, transatlantic demand has come back strong. "Whenever countries reduce the entry requirements or eliminate entry requirements, we see really, really robust demand," Quayle said, according to Reuters. Airline ticket pricing concept. (photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus/Evgen_Prozhyrko) Powerful, persistent leisure demand—coupled with limited supply due to carriers’ staffing shortages, skyrocketing fuel costs and overall inflation—has enabled airlines to raise fare prices, which people have thus far been willing to pay.However, investors and analysts have expressed concern that, with leisure demand historically diminishing in the autumn and inflationary pressures already heavily impacting consumers, the airline industry won’t be able to command such high prices.Still, with higher and higher temperatures each year extending into September and October, it only makes sense that warm-weather getaways remain on the menu into the autumn months. And, that Americans’ as-yet-unsatiated appetite for meaningful trips (and, in some cases, extra savings accrued after two years of missed vacations) could continue to sustain booking levels throughout the fall.For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here. Adblock test (Why?)

Mexican low-cost Airline Viva Aerobus launched Doters, its new loyalty and rewards program allows customers to redeem points to access a range of benefits including promotions on ticket purchases, preferred locations, airport fee payments, and much more.Juan Carlos Zuazua, CEO of Viva Aerobus, said that with Doters, its customers' money has much higher returns. “When traveling, they earn Doters Points and access more benefits and flights. We improve the travel experience and recognize our customers for their preference and continue to make flying accessible to more and more people.”ADVERTISING Doters, offers different rewards, including airport fee payments, free additional equipment, and preferential seating. (Photo via Viva Aerobus). Registration to this program is free at www.vivaaerobus.com, Viva App, or www.doters.com, where customers just fill out a simple form and start enjoying the benefits offered in three categories: Green, Silver, and Gold, depending on points accumulated. Each of these levels offers different rewards, including airport fee payments, free additional equipment, and preferential seating. In addition, Doters allows earned points to be passed on to someone else, as long as they are also enrolled in the mobile app. The CEO of Viva Aerobus especially highlighted the advantage of being able to pay travel taxes (even abroad) through the points earned. “You're going to be able to pay all the taxes and airport charges so you don't have to pay cash to fly, just points.” Customers of this low-cost airline can add points to their Doters account by using land-based interconnection services with allied bus brands such as ETN Turistar, Costa Line, and Autovía la Línea. They can make use of the benefits both in their air travel, as well as land travel with these allied brands. They can also continue to accumulate when making purchases in stores and restaurants associated with Doters. Viva Aerobus passengers will be able to pass their points on to other passengers enrolled in the Doters Loyalty Program. (Photo: Viva Aerobus). “We plan to have more than 3 million partners in Doters by the first year. Thus, Viva, Doters and its network of allies will make travelers live more unforgettable experiences,” said Pablo Sordo, Director of Business Strategy at Viva Aerobus and Doters. Adblock test (Why?)

How many times have you boarded an airplane and silently hoped – prayed? – that the seat next to you would remain vacant for the flight?On Qantas Airways, you can now take the matter into your own hands instead of leaving it up to a higher power.ADVERTISINGAustralia’s national carrier has introduced what it is politely calling “Neighbor Free” seating that allows passengers to pay a modest fee to keep the seat next to them empty, according to The Independent newspaper. Trending Now The option has a fee of 30 Australian dollars, or roughly $20 in U.S. currency, for the shortest routes on Qantas and escalates up from there. There is also limited availability on each flight, of course, lest the airline is interested in flying half-full cabins and giving up revenue.According to The Independent, Qantas customers will receive an email from the airline about 48 hours before the flight takes off asking if they want to take advantage of the perk. You must pay at the time if you choose that option, although there’s no guarantee the airline will keep the seat vacant.“Neighbour Free cannot be guaranteed as seats may need to be changed for operational, safety or security reasons, even after boarding the aircraft,” Qantas said in a statement, adding that if can’t fulfill a request to keep an adjacent seat empty it will refund the customer’s money for paying the fee.It's not a new gimmick. Emirates Airlines offers the same kind of deal to purchase an empty seat next to yours to keep it vacant. Actually, passengers could purchase up to three empty seats but it is part of a bidding process.Sri Lankan Airways and Eurowing have similar deals. Adblock test (Why?)