Flight Buzz
I hate the middle seat. But airlines give us no choice
Paying an extra $18 for the privilege of a window or aisle seat may not seem like a lot, but for frequent travelers, the costs add up.
Congress tackles airline ‘junk fees’
The U.S. Senate released a report that shows airlines have pocketed billions by charging customers extra to select a seat or carry on bags.
Fox – Seattle
I’m trying to lose a few pounds before I go on vacation next month.
Not to look better in a swimsuit, because I know that’s a lost cause. I just want to be a little more comfortable as I’m flying to and from my destination in the middle seats of airplanes.
I know of no one, myself included, who would rather sit in the middle seat. When people discuss seating preferences, it’s always a binary choice of window or aisle.
So why did I choose middle seats for all four legs of my upcoming travel itinerary? I’ve had it with the extra fees airlines are charging.
I’m old enough to remember when you plunked down your money for a ticket, you got one or two checked bags, a carry-on bag, a snack or maybe even a meal on a long flight, and as many nonalcoholic drinks as the flight attendants would serve − all for one price.
Airlines find new ways to fleece customers. Even Southwest charges baggage fees now.
Times have changed. Ordering a plane ticket now is like buying a car − after you’ve made your purchasing decision and are ready to get on with the rest of your life, you’re bombarded with decisions about add-on fees.
Even Southwest Airlines, which for years trumpeted the fact it didn’t charge baggage fees, recently added surcharges for checked luggage.
Instead of getting a spiel about the benefits of rust-resistant undercoating for your new car, choices must be made about how many bags you want to check, whether you want “priority seating” and whether to add some optional trip insurance.
Some people really like to overpack for trips, so I sort of understand the baggage charges. But the rest of it? Come on.
Why should I pay more for priority seating so I can get to my seat a few minutes sooner and watch as later-arriving passengers try to stuff their carry-ons into overhead bins? And shouldn’t everybody get refunds if flights are cancelled, regardless of whether they’ve made an impulse buy for travel insurance?
How can we avoid seat selection fees? Airline ticket costs are out of control.
Call me a cheapskate, but I’ve never paid for first-class or even business-class seating. I get that paying for upgraded tickets means more comfortable seats and better service. But, to me, it’s the same plane that will arrive at the same place at the same time. Can life really be that much better on the other side of that flimsy curtain?
Yet, as I learned while booking my upcoming trip, the attempts to divide people by class have extended to the steerage section.
Paying an extra $18 for the privilege of a window or aisle seat may not seem like a lot, but for frequent travelers, the costs add up.
It’s always been hard for me to accept drastic fluctuations in ticket prices. That’s because what the airlines charge doesn’t seem to have any connection to the costs they incur to provide services.
To use an example from last year’s election season, if egg prices go up because bird flu kills a bunch of chickens and eggs are harder to find, then there’s a reasonable link between supply and demand.
That’s understandable. What’s not understandable is why an airline ticket purchased well in advance costs less, while one purchased closer to departure time, for the same flight, costs considerably more. Is it because the people buying tickets on short notice are more desperate and therefore willing to pay more?
On a per-unit basis, it would be ridiculous to suggest a window or aisle seat costs more to install or service. The seats are right next to each other.
Where does this end? With rental fees for using an airplane’s blankets or pillows? Surcharges on the amount of oxygen passengers consume during flight?
It’s hard for low-cost carriers to break into airline business
Some will say free markets will correct any inequities, as we learned in Economics 101. I’m not confident of that.
The airline industry is already heavily regulated, which makes it tougher for upstart competitors to break into the business and keep the large legacy carriers honest by offering more flights without extra charges.
Congress has tried tinkering with airline fees in the past, without finding a way to end this sort of price gouging.
One recent attempt was the Fair Fees Act of 2023, introduced by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee. The legislation would have prevented airlines from charging fees that weren’t “reasonable and proportional.” Decisions about what was “reasonable and proportional” would be left to the U.S. secretary of transportation.
Sadly, the bill never made it out of the House of Representatives’ aviation subcommittee.
Cohen could refile the bill again. As a member of the Tennessee General Assembly, he filed legislation to legalize a state lottery for 20 years before it was finally approved.
Similar reserves of persistence might be needed here. In light of Congress’ current makeup, a Republican co-sponsor or two might be useful as well.
We can’t agree on much in this country now. Given the color’s association with the Democratic Party, there might even be disagreement about whether the sky is actually blue.
Surely, though, this issue of airlines nickel-and-diming us transcends political loyalties. It shouldn’t be that hard to get politicians to reach across the aisle, so to speak, for solutions.
Until that day comes, I’m taking a stand … by taking the middle seat.
Blake Fontenay is USA TODAY’s commentary editor.
Flight Buzz
CDB Aviation and Loong Air Execute Lease Deal for Six A321neo Aircraft » World Business Outlook
CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (“CDB Leasing”), announced the execution of new lease agreements for six Airbus A321neo aircraft with its Chinese airline customer, Zhejiang Loong Airlines Co., Ltd. (“Loong Air”).
The Hangzhou-headquartered carrier is expected to take delivery of the aircraft in 2027 from the lessor’s order book. Renowned for its fuel efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and extended range capabilities, the A321neo, the largest member of Airbus’ A320neo family, is well suited to enhance Loong Air’s operational efficiency and sustainability goals.
“We are pleased to strengthen our partnership with Loong Air through this transaction, which underscores our commitment to supporting the growth of China’s aviation sector,” said Jie Chen, Chief Executive Officer of CDB Aviation. “The A321neo’s superior economics and passenger comfort align perfectly with Loong Air’s vision of expanding its domestic, international and regional network.”
Established in 2011, Loong Air operates a fleet of over 70 Airbus A320-family aircraft, serving major Chinese cities and select international routes. The addition of the A321neos will enable the airline to boost capacity on high-demand routes while maintaining its focus on cost efficiency and environmental responsibility.
“This agreement marks another milestone in Loong Air and CDB Aviation’s strategic partnership of more than 10 years,” commented Qihong Liu, Chairman of Loong Air. “We also hope to continue to explore new opportunities for cooperation with CDB Aviation and jointly promote innovative development in the future. The A321neo’s enhanced performance and cabin flexibility will allow us to offer an elevated travel experience to our passengers, while supporting our long-term sustainability objectives.”
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“At approximately 8 p.m. Pacific on Sunday (0300 GMT on Monday), Alaska Airlines experienced an IT outage that’s impacting our operations. We requested a temporary, system-wide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights,” Alaska said in an emailed statement to Reuters on Sunday evening.
The Seattle-based airline said there would be residual impacts to its operations throughout the evening, without providing more specific details.
The FAA did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment outside regular business hours.
The FAA status page showed all destinations being impacted by the ground stop of Alaska’s mainline aircraft, and Horizon’s ground stop.
Alaska Air Group maintains an operational fleet of 238 Boeing 737 aircraft, and 87 Embraer 175 aircraft, according to its website.
In June, Alaska Air Group-owned Hawaiian Airlines said some of its IT systems were disrupted by a hack. Alaska Air Group said it was still determining the financial impact of the hack.
Flight Buzz
Delta Airlines Jet Makes ‘Aggressive’ Detour To Avoid Mid-Air Collision With B-52 Bomber In US | World News
Last Updated:
The pilot of the Delta Airlines jet blamed unclear air traffic control instructions for the close call and apologised to passengers for the sudden movement of the plane.
A Delta jet narrowly escaped a mid-air collision with a B-52 bomber jet in North Dakota. (Representational Image)
A Delta Air Lines regional jet narrowly avoided a tragic mishap recently as it was forced to make an “aggressive manoeuvre” to avoid a mid-air collision with a B-52 bomber in North Dakota last week, according to various media reports.
The incident took place on July 18 and is being investigated by SkyWest, which operated the flight. In a viral TikTok video that was uploaded on Saturday, the Delta pilot told passengers that he was forced to make a sudden detour to avoid colliding with a military plane flying nearby.
The plane had departed from Minneapolis and was on approach to Minot, North Dakota, home to an Air Force base with B-52 bombers, according to a report by ABC News. The pilot said unclear air traffic control instructions led to the close call.
“For those of you on the right-hand side, you probably saw the airplane kind of coming at us. Nobody told us about it, and so we continued. There’s no radar here, so the tower does everything visually,” the pilot told passengers in the video. He said he was directed to “report about six miles from the airport” and was instructed to make a specific turn, according to the PEOPLE magazine.
However, when he saw the approaching military aircraft, he told air traffic control, “There’s an airplane over there” and was told to turn in the opposite direction. “By the time we went back to clearance with nowhere, I saw the airplane that was kind of coming on a converging course with us.”
The pilot apologised for the sudden movement of the aircraft, saying, “So sorry about the aggressive manoeuvre.”
“It caught me by surprise. This is not normal at all,” he continued. “I don’t know why they didn’t give us a heads-up, because the airport base does have radar.” Meanwhile, passengers on the plane also witnessed the approaching B-52 bomber on one side of the aircraft.
Despite the close call, passengers were reportedly calm. “I felt like I was gaslighting myself, like maybe I was being crazy, because no one else was reacting,” said Monica Green, one of the passengers.
“The way he (pilot) said it, it almost sounded like he was insinuating that landing safely might not be an option for a moment. We all just kind of looked at each other and stayed quiet.”
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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