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Air travel is on pace to surpass the numbers last seen in the summer of 2019, but will the rest of this summer be a repeat of 2022’s awful spate of delays and cancellations by airlines? Beyond the usual bad weather and problems with equipment (not to mention persistent wildfires in Canada) so far this year, airlines seem to have worked out their dire staffing shortage in the past year. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), US passenger airline employment is now at its highest level in over two decades, thanks in part to an aggressive post-pandemic recruitment effort and averting strikes with pilots.
While airlines have been slashing flights for certain routes and “right siding” their operations as corporate travel continues to evolve, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is facing a lingering, yet critical challenge: air traffic controllers. It’s an issue across the country, but the situation is especially serious in Miami and New York, the latter of which has had to cut up to 10 percent of flights so far this year because it could not handle the traffic with its current workforce. The problems also extend to Canada to a lesser but important degree.
Congress is currently working on the FAA reauthorization bill, which expires this year. The bill resoundingly passed in the House in late July, but unfortunately, the Senate left for its August recess before passing its version—despite urging from organizations like the US Travel Association (USTA). It’s slated to be picked up when the Senate returns after Labor Day.
“…[M]illions of Americans have missed trips and lost time with family and friends this summer due to delays and cancellations caused by years of government inattention. The whole of the US economy pays a price when a trip is delayed—or avoided entirely due to air travel hassles,” said USTA President & CEO Geoff Freeman in a July statement. He continued, “American travelers cannot wait any longer for Congress to fix the numerous, systemic issues that have plagued the US air travel system and constrained economic growth.”
Both version of the bills not only aim to accelerate the hiring of more air traffic controllers, they also spell out additional passenger rights, such as ensuring that adults traveling with children under 14 be seated together and that ancillary fees are clearly disclosed. Further, the Biden administration is pushing for airlines to pay for lodging and meals of passengers delayed by situations within the airline’s control (i.e., not weather related). The FAA is currently being led by an acting administrator.
Additionally, in the US, the FAA and Department of Transportation are requiring airlines to invest more than $630 million to upgrade or replace fully certified onboard avionics equipment on thousands of aircraft to mitigate the risks of 5G rollout near airports, according to IATA, an issue that is not impacting other countries. This is adding to delays.
“Ottawa and Washington, D.C. need to take ownership of the issues under their direct control and lead in resolving them. Appointing a permanent FAA Administrator would be a first and major step in urgently addressing the US aviation/air traffic control infrastructure constraints, which are hindering airlines from delivering the service travelers expect. Furthermore, refraining from doubling down on costly and poorly thought-out air travel consumer rights regulations in both countries, would free up resources across the entire value chain, in order to enhance the customer experience,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh.
Visit ustravel.org or iata.org for more updates.
[08.01.23]
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The Pure Luxury team celebrates being named in USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Travel Award for Best Wine Tour Company
Petaluma, Calif.-based operation Pure Luxury Transportation has announced that it has been named one of the 10 best wine tour companies in the United States by the readers of USA Today as part of the 10 Best Reader’s Choice Travel Award for Best Wine Tour Company. The competition was fierce with numerous prestigious companies across the nation vying for the title. Pure Luxury is honored to be recognized by the readers for their commitment to top-notch service, luxury experiences, and customer satisfaction. Along with Pure Luxury, this year’s nominees were submitted by a panel of experts, and the 10Best editors narrowed the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards.
Pure Luxury Transportation is proud of this incredible achievement, showing fantastic expertise in providing unique Wine Country experiences to their clients through exclusive partnerships with select wineries.
Pure Luxury Transportation COO Jennifer Buffo
“We’re thrilled! It’s an honor to be recognized among the best in the industry, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of our clients and partners over the past 32 years along with our staff, who is dedicated to being the best we can be. We’ll continue striving for excellence and providing the finest experiences that make memories to last a lifetime,” said Pure Luxury Transportation Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Buffo.
Founded in 1991, Pure Luxury has grown from a one vehicle limousine service to a full service worldwide executive ground transportation company. Providing transportation for a vast array of clientele, utilizing every type of vehicle available to the industry, the company has become one of the most innovative livery companies in the industry, catering to their clients’ every need.
Visit pureluxury.com for more information.
[07.31.23]
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The Minority Limousine Operators of America (MLOA) held a general membership meeting on Wednesday, July 26, via Zoom. Welcoming two guest speakers from the insurance and software industries, the webinar hosted more than a dozen members and guests.
MLOA President Tiffany Hinton
MLOA President Tiffany Hinton of MOTEV kicked off the meeting with optimism about what’s happening with the association. She stated her intent to hold meetings more frequently in the coming months. Hinton then provided an overview of coming in-person events, including the CD/NLA Show in Orlando this October 22-25. She also confirmed that MLOA will be hosting an event at the show.
MLOA First Vice President Travis Latham
Next, MLOA First Vice President Travis Latham, who serves as a committee member of the association’s Insurance Coalition, introduced a representative from CDL-Advisor, who spoke in depth about FMCSA Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) scores. Following that presentation, Mike Blackburn from Addons/Limo Anywhere was then welcomed. He discussed the recent purchase of Addons/Limo Anywhere by Full Steam. He went on to share how Addons provides a tremendous amount of functionality to Limo Anywhere via driver wake-up calls, passenger surveys, and lead/quote/close marketing, to name a few. Blackburn revealed that in the near future Limo Anywhere will be offering new subscription tier levels (i.e., Core, Plus, Black) for their customers.
MLOA has scheduled their next Zoom meeting for August 23.
Visit themloa.org for more information.
[07.28.23]