This is significant because there has never been a flight this long before. The airline will introduce this nonstop flight toward the end of 2025.

Qantas’ flight evidences that there have been a lot of improvements in airline travel over the past 25 years. In 1997, South African Airways offered the longest flight.

Then, the longest flight spanned from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York (JFK) to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg. It clocked in at 7,973 miles, which is substantially shorter than the flight that Qantas is about to debut.

It is interesting to note that many long flights either begin or end in the United States. So, it is notable that Qantas is introducing a nonstop flight from Australia to Europe.

There have been other long-haul flights without stops in America, but these are few and far between. Emirates has a flight from Auckland, New Zealand to Dubai, which is 8,824 miles, and Qatar Airways has a flight from Auckland to Doha, Qatar, which is 9,031 miles.

When traveling on a long-haul flight, passengers run the risk of being set back if their flight is canceled. In the United States, President Biden is attempting to mitigate the losses passengers endure because of canceled flights.

His administration is in the process of proposing new regulations that would make it mandatory for airlines to compensate their passengers for food and hotel rooms if a flight is canceled. This could transform the traveling experience for passengers.

Of course, negotiations are still in process for these new American regulations, so for now, we can anticipate Qantas’ new long-haul flight with excitement.

The post This Airline Is Planning To Launch The New World’s Longest Commercial Flight appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

CNN reported in February that some airfares were up as much as 50% from a year earlier. That report was based on a data analysis by travel website Hopper, which found that international airfares, particularly to Asia, were about 50% more expensive compared to February 2018. The survey also showed that airfares to Europe were about 15% more expensive than a year earlier.

However, only 4% more was paid for airline tickets in the U.S. in February 2023 compared to the previous year.

Even though they may be frightening, according to a recent analysis from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), airline ticket prices are not quite as high as people believe.

“There has been much media coverage of the perceived acceleration in air ticket prices compared to the general rise in consumer price inflation (CPI),” begins the IATA report, “it is clear that airing ticket prices have only just caught up with the average inflation rate” in countries that are part of the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD). 

According to the research, prices “remain significantly below the inflation seen in jet fuel prices.”

According to IATA, the cost of jet fuel accounts for between 25 and 30 percent of an airline’s operating costs, which is a difficult reality given the ever-increasing price of fuel.

According to IATA, airlines also struggled with supply chain disruptions, delayed aircraft deliveries, a shortage of flight attendants, and inflated labor costs that were exacerbated by capacity constraints. And as a result of all this, ticket prices began to rise even more.

Add to these variables the pent-up demand from tourists as entry restrictions around the world rapidly disappear, and you can finally see that the cost of airline tickets has “only recently” begun to outpace overall inflation worldwide, according to IATA.

The most important conclusion from the IATA study is that, despite how it may have seemed to all of us, prices only went back to pre-pandemic levels, at least initially. We may have forgotten what prices were like in 2019 because we all got used to the rock-bottom prices that characterized previous years when the airline industry virtually collapsed.

The post IATA Finds Airline Ticket Prices Not As Expensive As Perceived appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

Particularly during the height of congestion last summer, passenger complaints against airlines for lengthy delays or flight cancelations increased as commercial air service resumed following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The regulations would make it more difficult for airlines to avoid paying out to a passenger who complains unless they can prove otherwise.

While the revisions would make compensation standards unless specifically mentioned as a limited exception, airlines would also be required to establish an internal procedure for processing air travel claims.

“This means there will be no more loopholes where airlines can claim a disruption is caused by something outside of their control or a security reason when it is not,” Canada’s Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told reporters in Ottawa.

“It will no longer be the passenger who will have to prove that he or she is entitled to compensation. It will now be the airline that will need to prove that it does not have to pay for it.”

In addition, the tightening would give the Canadian Transport Agency (CTA) more authority to impose fines and negotiate compliance agreements with airlines.

The measure would revise the current process to allow for quicker decisions and expand the agency’s authority to set fees to cover its costs of processing complaints.

More than 44,000 complaints have been filed with the CTA, a quasi-judicial body responsible for enforcing current laws on airline passenger refunds.

Airlines have claimed that they are being made to pay for interruptions frequently brought on by other market participants, such as airports.

“These measures are not meant to demonize airlines,” Alghabra added.

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As airlines deal with a significant decarbonization challenge and more stringent climate compliance rules, this is the new reality of air travel.

Two significant changes to the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) are the first headwinds. For every ton of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere on flights that take off or land in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the airline must receive enough emissions allowances. Currently, they receive about half of these allowances for free. However, this agreement expires in 2026 as the percentage of allowances they must cover starts in 2024. Their carbon costs will effectively quadruple as a result in just three years.

The cost per unit of carbon emissions has also increased significantly recently; it reached a high of €100 ($111) for the first time in late February, and it doesn’t appear to be decreasing. According to a report by Bernstein’s European transport expert Alex Irving, these measures will cost European airlines roughly €5 billion by 2027. 

Aircraft are responsible for 2.5% of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, aviation must become a net-zero emissions industry over the next three decades. By investing in future aircraft and infrastructure, improving operational efficiency, and using alternative fuels and carbon reduction technologies, the European sector will reduce emissions in line with the plan Destination 2050.

Reaching net zero by 2050 will cost a staggering €820 billion, according to a study by research groups SEO Amsterdam Economics and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre that was commissioned by organizations representing the aviation sector.

According to both reports, the industry will not be able to cover these costs on its own. Operating profits for the continent’s six largest point-to-point carriers (Ryanair Holdings Plc, EasyJet Plc, Wizz Air Holdings Plc, Vueling, Eurowings and Transavia) are estimated to fall by 77% as a result of the changes to EU ETS alone. As a result, ticket prices will have to rise, which will inevitably destroy demand. “If it were possible to charge more without spoiling demand,” Irving writes, ” airlines would have already been doing so.”

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However, 27 of the 75 airports studied recorded a cancellation rate of more than 3 percent in 2022, compared with only six airports in 2021, although this year’s worst offender had a lower flight cancellation rate than last year’s ignominious first-place finisher.

10. Orlando International Airport (MCO)

With 3.7 percent of flights canceled in 2022, Orlando International Airport (MCO) completes the list of the worst U.S. airports for flight cancellations. 

9. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)

At 3.73 percent, Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) had one of the worst airline cancellation rates in the nation last year. This number increased from 2.98 percent the year before.

8. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)

Another Southwest operating base, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), holds consistent at eighth place despite a rise in flight cancellation rates from 2.97 percent in 2021 to 3.74 last year.

7. Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)

Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) in Florida was one of the airports that experienced a considerable increase in flight cancellation rates last year, cancelling flights 3.79 percent of the time, up from just 1.53 percent the year before.

6. Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL)

Only slightly more flights were canceled at Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) in 2022 (3.82 percent vs. 3.34 percent) than in 2021. 

5. Ronal Reagan Washington National Airport’s (DCA) 

The flight cancellation rate at Ronal Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) more than doubled in 2022, rising to 3.93 percent to take the fifth-worst spot in the nation.

4. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

At 4.82 percent, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) had the fourth-highest national flight cancellation rate in the country. 

3. La Guardia Airport (LGA)

The number of cancelled flights increased most at New York City’s La Guardia Airport (LGA), from 1.47 in 2021 to 8.79 in 2022. The number represents a frightening 497.89% growth.

2. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)

Flight cancellation rates at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers significantly increased from 1.8 percent to 5.47 percent in 2022.

1. Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)

The distressing 5.55 percent cancellation rate at Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) in Western New York was the highest in the nation for 2022.

The post 10 Airports With The Most Flight Cancellations In The U.S. appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

On June 2, ZIPAIR will begin operating flights between San Francisco International Airport and Narita International Airport in Tokyo. Following operations to Honolulu, Los Angeles, and San José Mineta International Airport in California, the new route will make the airline’s fourth city in the United States.

“Through our relationship with SFO, we are confident this service will provide a valuable link for commercial and cultural exchange for our mutual customers,” ZIPAIR President Shingo Nishida said in a statement. 

The new route will run between the U.S. and Japan five times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The price for one-way travel will be $91.

2018 saw the founding of ZIPAIR, a division of Japan Airlines. (which is known for having some of the most luxurious economy seats). The airline now offers flights to Bangkok, Seoul, Honolulu, Singapore, Los Angeles, and San José as well as six more overseas destinations.

The airline flies a fleet of Boeing 787 8 Dreamliners and it provides free Wi-Fi for all passengers and free carry-on baggage weighing up to 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds). However, ZIPAIR charges for other services, such as ordering meals from a smartphone or tablet. 

Japan will remove all COVID-19-related border restrictions on May 8, removing the requirements for vaccination and testing. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, all visitors to the nation must currently provide documentation of three COVID-19 vaccinations or a negative test result obtained within 72 hours before departure.

Following a series of rule modifications, the nation first only allowed visitors on guided tours before reopening to independent travelers in the fall of 2022.

The post This Budget Airline Has Launched New U.S.-Japan Flights Starting At $91 appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

Beginning on April 3, Google announced it would test a program to track prices even after users have made travel reservations. Customers may get a refund for the difference if a cheaper price is discovered.

The initiative applies only to flights departing from the United States. A colorful price guarantee icon appears when a qualifying flight is presented. By promising that the price will not go down, Google Flights has proven that it is willing to back up its claims. (or your money back).

To put it mildly, it’s challenging to locate a route on Google Flights with a price guarantee as the program is still in its early testing stages.

There are additional restrictions, assuming you discover a trip that qualifies with the price-guarantee badge. You can only make straight bookings on Google Flights (not by clicking through to the airline’s website), and if the fare difference is $5 or less, you won’t be entitled to a refund. Refunds are also limited to $500 in a single year. You won’t be entitled to a refund if you cancel the trip.

Google will monitor flight prices after you make your reservation to see if they change. Google will email you to notify you of any price changes if the fare for your route decreases.

Google Flights will transfer the refund into your Google Pay account. Customers must therefore obtain the app 90 days before departure in order to claim the difference. Customers can expect the refund to appear under the app’s “Explore” tab, which shows earned rewards, within 48 hours.

According to a Google spokesperson, the major airlines with the “Book on Google” option are presently Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Spirit Airlines.

Although the price guarantee only applies once a customer books the flight, Google warned that if an airline updates fares more quickly than they upload to Google Flights, it may not be able to give the guarantee.

According to the Google spokesperson, early testing had received favorable feedback.

“There’s really no downside for the traveler since it’s free to get the guarantee,” the spokesperson said. “Likewise, we’ve had productive conversations with airlines and they’re interested in how this program might evolve.”

Prior to the pandemic, Google tested the price guarantees in 2019, but the program was promptly suspended.

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“We are happy to bring [the tour] back with the resumption of travel,” shared Lim Ching Kiat, the executive vice president of air hub and cargo development at Changi Airport Group, when he announced the return. “For travelers who choose to transit or transfer at Changi Airport, the Free Singapore Tour is designed to give them a glimpse of what Singapore has to offer.”

Before the 2019 break, the tours were taken yearly by more than 800,000 people. The City Sights Tour, the Jewel Tour, and the Heritage Tour were the three tours that ran at the time; all three have since been restored. With the relaunch, a new tour—the Changi Precinct Tour—.

Each tour highlights a different feature of the city:

• The City Sights Tour highlights Singapore’s cityscape with visits to Merlion Park and Jubilee Bridge, two of the city’s landmarks.
• The Jewel Walk includes a curated walk of Changi Airport that features iconic elements such as the HSBC Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.
• The Heritage Tour is a condensed, in-depth look at the region’s history and culture. It includes excursions to the Civic District, Chinatown and the Kampong Gelam district.
• The new Changi Precinct Tour immerses you in Singaporean life by taking you through a residential town and a quiet city before ending at Changi Beach Park.

Tours are offered daily and last approximately 2 1/2 hours; there are plans to ultimately offer nine tours per day. The tours are suitable for visitors who have a stopover of at least 5 1/2 to 24 hours. 

Visit the Changi Airport Group’s website for tour itineraries, times, and registration details.

“We hope that the tour will inspire transit and transfer passengers to plan a longer trip to Singapore in [the] future, and discover much more of what our vibrant city has to offer,” said Chang Chee Pey, the assistant chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board marketing group.

The post This Airport Offers Free City Tours If You Have A Long Layover appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

The tweet sparked a lighthearted conversation among travelers who expressed astonishment that the item would be classified as a liquid.

It was mentioned by several people that they tried to bring a container of peanut butter through the screening checkpoint but had to throw it away. The 3.4 oz maximum for liquids is exceeded by the 15.5 oz standard container of peanut butter. 

In a later tweet, the TSA added that queso cheese dip is also a liquid to further support their position that peanut butter is a liquid.

The official TSA Twitter account responded to a question about whether peanut butter spread on a sandwich would be regarded as a liquid by saying, “Solid foods, including peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, are allowed in carry-on bags with no quantity limitations or packing requirements.” 

Other liquid and creamy foods like olive oil and salsa are truly liquids, so if the size is greater than 3.4 oz, they will not be allowed through the TSA screening process when it comes to what passengers can and cannot bring on board. 

The TSA also frequently updates its website with details on what items and foods are acceptable for screening. 

The TSA has previously attracted notice on Twitter for the unusual things that screening agents have found in passengers’ bags. Agents have recently found a cane with a concealed sword, and a live cat was found hiding in a suitcase last year. 

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“For this carefully curated itinerary, we hand-selected the destinations that have most inspired us during our many journeys into the high latitudes and the Arctic,” says Jón Olafur Magnussen, The North’s co-founder, in an interview with Travel + Leisure. Magnussen, an avid Arctic adventurer, founded the business with his wife, Johanna Eyjolfsdottir; the couple also operates the travel company HL Adventure.

The journey starts and ends in Reykjavik, Iceland, and includes stops in Ilulissat, Greenland, Sonora, Canada, Anchorage, Alaska, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and Alta, Norway. Guests will spend several days in luxury hotels at each stop, experiencing the highlights of the location.

This includes observing wildlife such as polar bears, eagles and humpback whales, as well as learning about the indigenous culture in the region. A celebratory champagne toast aboard the private jet flying over the North Pole is also included in the itinerary.

“To experience the sheer number of unique sights that the Arctic offers, there is no one destination that includes all the iconic highlights of these northern landscapes and habitats,” Magnussen says. “By private jet, we can cover huge distances with the new eco-technology and efficiency of modern fuels.”

Guests will be transported in a privately chartered Icelandair Boeing 757-200 aircraft with a maximum capacity of 50 passengers in lie-flat seats. The trip will be catered by private chefs.

“By expanding one’s horizon of experience to these outer edges of our world, we hope guests will take away a profound sense of awe, wonder, and responsibility, and the feeling that belonging in the world enables us to care for it with stewardship and diligence,” Magnussen says. “We hope that our guests will share their new knowledge and experiences with their friends and family members when they return home.”

Magnussen plans to expand The North’s offerings to include destinations throughout northern Asia, including Mongolia, as well as routes on smaller private jets with smaller groups to destinations that would not be accessible on a larger jet.

“Together, we will experience this world of unimaginable space and beauty, where nature helps us to understand the fragility of the entire biosphere and its inhabitants, and perhaps a pathway to a new way of thinking about our role and impact on its future,” Magnussen says.

The first Arctic Horizons private jet voyage will take place from July 16 to Aug. 4, 2024; prices start at $187,000 per person and can be booked at thenorth.is.

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