What Delta is Doing to Make Things Right for Customers Impacted by CrowdStrike Disruption
Following the CrowdStrike outage and resulting operational disruption, Delta is continuing to offer several customer-focused options to ease the travel experience and make things right.
Flight Cancellation/Extended Delay Refunds & Trip Cancellation Option
Customers whose travel was disrupted due to a canceled or significantly delayed flight may choose to cancel their travel via Delta.com or the Fly Delta app and receive an automatic refund for the unflown portion of the trip. Since July 19, of the refunds processed, 70% were completed via Delta.com or the app.
No Questions Asked Trip Cancellation
Delta is also permitting customers with travel booked from July 19-28 who chose not to travel to cancel and request a refund of the unflown portion of their trip – regardless of whether their flight was canceled or significantly delayed. Enhanced refund flexibility applies to tickets with Delta-operated flights, purchased on or before July 23...read more
Southwest Will Adopt Assigned Seating and Add Extra-legroom Seats
Southwest will implement assigned seats, ending the open-boarding policy that has been one of the airline's defining features.
Southwest will also redesign its cabins to add extra-legroom seats, which will encompass approximately one-third of all seats.
The airline expects to open bookings for the assigned-seating system sometime in 2025. The airline added that details about seating products -- including cabin layout, the timing of cabin conversions and how much incremental revenue will be generated -- will be provided at a September investor day event. Cabin reconfigurations will require FAA approval..read more
Travel's Boom Run of Bookings May Be Tapering Off This Year
From "new normal" to "unprecedented times," the pandemic inspired many a catchphrase. Now, four years on, a new word is catching on in the travel landscape as travel sales trends start to resemble something closer to the pre-Covid era: normalization.
A survey from host agency Travel Experts in Raleigh, N.C. (No. 27 on Travel Weekly's Power List) found that 16.8% of advisors said sales in the first half of 2024 were lower than the same period in 2023. While nearly half, 49.2%, reported higher sales this year, another 34% said sales are the same as they were last year.
While more than half of those advisors reported stagnant or declining sales compared to last year, citing factors including the upcoming presidential election and the cost of travel, 2023 was a record-breaker for Travel Experts and many other travel agencies and agency networks...read more
5 Tips For Overcoming Travel Anxiety
Anxiety is a natural reaction to stress, characterized by worry, tension, and physical symptoms such as increased blood pressure. It affects approximately 19% of the U.S. population, manifesting in various forms, including travel anxiety. This specific anxiety arises from the fear of visiting unfamiliar places and the stresses associated with travel planning. Even individuals without a general predisposition to anxiety can find themselves overwhelmed by the prospect of stepping out of their comfort zones.
Travel anxiety can significantly impair one's ability to enjoy vacations and can add unnecessary stress to one's life. Its causes are multifaceted, ranging from fear of flying—triggered by turbulence, claustrophobia, or fears of crashing—to discomfort being away from home, exacerbated by today's more prevalent agoraphobia post-COVID-19....read more
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