It has been fifteen years since the “United Breaks Guitars” saga captured the internet’s attention. Dave Carroll’s “United Breaks Guitars” music video eventually racked up millions of views and became one of the earliest examples of a customer complaint going viral online. But a new incident involving baggage handlers tossing guitars at LAX, recently highlighted…
Originally wrote this as reports were starting to come in of an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 flight from Montreal, AC 8646, colliding with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport. There are reports of at least two fatalities, and multiple serious injuries on the part of the fire truck. Limited information is available at this time,…
For several years, the Northeast Alliance between JetBlue and American Airlines reshaped competition in Boston and New York. Travelers benefited from coordinated schedules, codeshares, and expanded loyalty opportunities that made the two airlines look unusually aligned. In 2023, that alliance fell apart by court order. Three years later, JetBlue’s attempted merger with Spirit Airlines has…
For decades, bereavement fares were one of the few remaining examples of flexibility in commercial aviation — discounted tickets offered when passengers needed to travel immediately following the death or imminent loss of a family member. Today, many travelers assume these fares no longer exist. The reality in 2026 is more complicated: traditional bereavement fares…
Recently, when flying out of the JetBlue terminal at New York’s JFK Airport, we noticed that the numbers of all the gates had changed. Terminal 5 building has 29 gates. Gates 1 through 12 and 14 through 30, with gates 25 through 30 handling international flights. Having spent many hours there over the years, was…
The Golden Age of Senior Discounts Once upon a time, airlines marketed themselves heavily to older travelers. Senior fares—special discounted tickets for passengers typically 60, 62, or 65 and up—were a way to fill empty seats while rewarding loyalty. Airlines like Delta, United, and American once promoted senior fares prominently, and AARP even had…
Traveling with a baby comes with countless questions—especially about fares, seating, and safety. We’ll cover: How infant fares work domestically and internationally The rules around lap children When airlines offer discounts if you buy a seat for an infant Bassinets and which airlines provide them Safety tradeoffs: lap vs. car seat Use cases when…
For decades, airlines offered a variety of special fares aimed at different segments of travelers. One of the most intriguing—and now largely forgotten—were youth fares These tickets once allowed travelers under a certain age to fly at a steep discount. For young adults with little disposable income but plenty of wanderlust, they made travel…
Last week, JetBlue—long dealt a blow by the collapse of its Spirit acquisition—proved it’s not down for the count. With summer travel demand stronger than expected, the airline raised its third-quarter guidance and is starting to deliver results under its JetForward strategy. We don’t always talk about airlines from the perspective of profitability on…
The Embraer E190: A Regional Jet with Big Ambitions The Embraer E190 was launched in the early 2000s as part of the Brazilian manufacturer’s ambitious E-Jet family. The aircraft first flew in March 2004, and Embraer went on to build 568 first-generation E190s for carriers around the world. With around 100 seats, the E190…
United Airlines Hubs in 2025: What Travelers Should Know What Makes a Hub? Airline networks aren’t random. They’re carefully designed around “hubs”—airports where flights are concentrated to funnel passengers through connections. If you live in a hub city, you enjoy more nonstop destinations and frequent flights. If you don’t, odds are you’ll connect through one.…
When Security Ate the Terminals Airports weren’t designed for many of the realities of the modern age. In the 1970s, they had to shoehorn in the first metal detectors for people and carry-on bags. After 9/11, entire swaths of departure halls were consumed by ever-expanding checkpoints. The old terminals bent under the pressure. Corridors twisted,…
American Airlines Hubs and Notable Non-Hub Stations in 2025: What Travelers Should Know If you’ve ever wondered why your American Airlines itinerary always seems to go through Charlotte, Dallas, or Miami, the answer lies in the airline’s hub-and-spoke network. American Airlines is the world’s largest carrier by fleet size and passenger miles, and its…
Should I Buy Frontier’s GoWild! Pass? A Traveler’s Musings (2026–2027 Edition) Every so often, an airline offer lands that seems too wild to ignore. Frontier’s latest GoWild! All-You-Can-Fly Annual Pass is one of those—$299 for nearly two years of (almost) unlimited flights, including U.S., Caribbean, and Latin American destinations. The catch? You must book…
Skip the Shoe Shuffle: TSA Goes Touchless and Shoeless This August Major upgrades are reshaping the TSA’s airport screening process—making travel smoother and more efficient this summer. From facial recognition lanes to dropping the dreaded shoe removal rule, here’s everything you need to know for your next TSA experience. 1. TSA’s New Touchless PreCheck…
Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy for the second time this year. As you may recall, Spirit had courted Frontier, and later JetBlue for an acquisition. Had the federal government not intervened, JetBlue would have integrated Spirit. Instead, Spirit has failed for the second time this year to get itself out of a hole. It is…
Labor Day Weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Airports fill up, flights are packed, and the stress of navigating crowds can test even the most seasoned traveler. With record levels of air travellers expected, 2025 is no exception. But with a little preparation and strategy, your trip can be smoother…
What Went Wrong—and How to Prevent It A routine call to United Airlines customer service after a flight cancellation turned into a nightmare for Denver passenger Dan Smoker—who ended up losing $17,000 to a scammer posing as a United-affiliated agent. What exactly went wrong, and how can airlines and call centers avoid similar catastrophes? The…
Absolutely! Let’s replace the fictional tales with eight verified examples of actual flight cancellations (or delays) caused by bizarre but real scenarios. Each includes a working source citation. You Won’t Believe These 8 Strange—but True—Reasons for Flight Cancellations Flight disruptions are often blamed on weather, technical glitches, or staffing issues. But some real-life cancellations are…
The Race for Supersonic Travel In the postwar aviation boom of the 1950s and ’60s, commercial air travel evolved at a breathtaking pace. Jetliners like the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 brought high-speed, long-distance flight to the masses. But the next frontier—supersonic transport (SST)—seemed tantalizingly close. The British and French were developing Concorde. The Soviets…
Have you ever stood in a TSA line with a jar of peanut butter, a snow globe, or your grandma’s apple pie packed in your carry-on, wondering if it will make it through security? You’re not alone. Every day, thousands of travelers get stopped at TSA checkpoints for trying to bring items that are restricted,…
JetBlue Expands Boston Routes To New Florida Cities Summer hasn’t even ended yet, but JetBlue is already making your winter a little warmer. If you’re in Boston and already dreading the cold, JetBlue has some good news: starting this December, they’re adding two brand-new nonstop flights from Boston Logan Airport to warm, sunny spots in…
A Model Born in Disruption The ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) was supposed to revolutionize air travel in the United States. Modeled loosely on Ryanair in Europe, ULCCs like Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant promised rock-bottom base fares by unbundling every possible service: bags, seats, snacks, and even customer service. For a time, it worked. These carriers filled…
A Personal Confession I have a confession to make. Though I have flown hundreds of times, I have never flown on Southwest Airlines(LUV), America’s second largest airline. I never experienced Southwest’s open seating, nor benefited from its free unchecked bags. This is not by design—Southwest has a relatively small presence at my home airport. The…
TSA’s Slow Evolution Finally Accelerates For over two decades, airport security lines in the United States have shared a universal ritual: take off your shoes, pull out your liquids, and hope for the best. It has been inconvenient, undignified, and largely unquestioned. But in July 2025, one of those rituals came to an end—and another…