Air Travel

Delta Air Lines to Stop Blocking Middle Seats in May

  FILEĀ  (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File) Delta Air Lines will stop blocking middle seats in May, meaning that no more U.S. airlines will limit capacity on flights to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Delta’s announcement reverses a policy that had been in place since last April. At one time, several other airlines including Southwest, Alaska and JetBlue had also…

FAA Says it Won’t Regulate Amount of Airline Legroom

Federal regulators are rejecting the idea of setting minimum standards for airline seats and legroom as a safety measure. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that it saw no immediate safety issue that requires new regulations. The FAA is responding to a group called FlyersRights, which had gone to court to prod the FAA to act. The group says cramped…

TSA Expects Record Crowds as July 4 Holiday Period Starts

If you’re traveling this weekend, leave extra time for getting through the airport security line. The TSA projected that Friday would be its busiest day ever, with agents screening more than 2.7 million people. A spokesman cautions, however, that the number could fall short of the record if, for example, a thunderstorm shuts down a major airport for several hours….

Airlines Post Better On-Time Record in Latest U.S. Report

U.S. airlines started the year showing a slight improvement in keeping flights on time. The Transportation Department said Thursday that 79.6 percent of flights in January arrived within 14 minutes of schedule, compared with 76 percent in the same month last year. But January’s performance was worse than December, when 80.3 percent of flights arrived on time. Alaska Airlines posted…

Airline Seats Disappearing as Irma Approaches Florida

Airline seats out of Florida before Hurricane Irma are running out. A JetBlue spokesman said Thursday that the airline sold out flights leaving Florida through next Wednesday. JetBlue had capped fares on those flights at $99 to $159 each way. A spokesman for United says the airline is sold out in Florida through Friday and added six flights. United expects…

TSA is Testing 3-D Scanners for Carry-on Luggage

Federal officials are screening some carry-on bags with 3-D scanning technology, which they say improves the ability to find bombs. The Transportation Security Administration said Thursday that it is testing computed tomography, or CT, scanning at one checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The technology is already used for screening checked luggage. CT scanners create a 3-D image that…