FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS

Minimalist black and white cartoon of a lone traveler with a rolling suitcase standing outside a nearly empty airport terminal, looking uncertain, evoking a trip thrown into limbo.

Let’s keep politics out of your summer vacation

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Steve Brody is flying out of Newark this week, and he is worried. There are plans afoot to pull the Customs and Border Protection officers out of airports in certain cities, with Newark Liberty International first in line. Brody, a retired government worker, is flying nonstop to Vancouver, but he has to pass back through US Customs on his return. “Gimme strength,” he says. He is not being dramatic. Customs officers are the people who let you back into the country, and pull them out and international flights cannot unload their passengers. That is the part that should bother everyone, left, right, and undecided. A passport does not have a party affiliation. When a flight gets canceled, the system does not check your voter registration before it strands you. You are stuck. Which is the real question worth sitting with before your next trip: whether the airport you are counting on this summer should ever be something an administration is allowed to switch off to win an argument that has nothing to do with you.

Iran war

Have airlines failed you during the Iran war?

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As the war with Iran escalates, hundreds of thousands of travelers have found themselves stuck between closed airspaces and indifferent carrier policies. You might think a global airline would prioritize getting you out of harm’s way, but the reality is much more cynical. Airlines are looking at their bottom line first—not your safety

Will an Iran war ground your travel plans?

Will an Iran war ground your travel plans?

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If you’re holding a ticket to Europe or Asia, you might want to check your flight status after you finish this article. The U.S. military is massing an impressive amount of hardware in the Persian Gulf, with reports suggesting a decision to attack Iran could come within the next week. 

A slow plane comin'.

CONSUMER ALERT: Why your next flight might be stuck in the slow lane—and what to do about it

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If you’re heading to the airport this weekend, you might want to pack a little extra patience. As of midnight Friday, the Department of Homeland Security is out of money, and that means the people keeping our skies safe are back to working for IOUs. (We discussed the effectiveness of federalized security screeners on Saturday, and we’re still having a great conversation if you want to join.)