Top Air Travel Stories From May

Boeing 777 Cathay Pacific takes off. (Photo via rypson / iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus)

by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 7:00 PM ET, Tue May 30, 2023

Flight Attendants Fired for Mocking Passengers

1/13

Well, we have certainly heard of becoming sarcastic with flight attendants, but not the reverse. Apparently, that’s a big no go with Cathay Pacific. The airline recently fired multiple flight attendants who mocked several Chinese passengers who had trouble speaking English.

Tulum Airport Gets an Opening Date

2/13

Officials announced that a new airport would open in Tulum, Mexico by December. The new airport will ease congestion in the Mexican Riviera.

TSA Appears in Control of Summer Travel Surge

3/13

All the factors seem to be working against it. A pilot shortage, a record breaking summer of expectations, and a history of delays and cancelations over big holidays over the last couple of years. Nonetheless, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it expected an easy summer of air travel this year.

Volcanic Eruption Disrupts Air Travel in Europe

4/13

A rare eruption of Mount Etna in Italy spewed volcanic ash into the air and disrupted flights in Europe earlier this month.

Judge Ends Northeast Alliance

5/13

A federal judge has ruled that the partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue, known as the Northeast Alliance, is over for violating antitrust laws.

Airfares Climb in Some Cities

6/13

It’s just like buying a loaf of bread. Some cities just have higher prices. The same holds true for airlines and now a new study reveals the highest fares in certain cities.

Airlines Embrace Alcohol-Free Travel

7/13

In what appears to be an effort to curb drinking on flights, JetBlue will become the first major U.S. airline to serve non-alcoholic beer on flights. It will not replace alcoholic beer, but is just another option for passengers.

FAA Investigates Southwest Airlines

8/13

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is once again looking at Southwest Airlines. The aviation oversight agency has launched an investigation of the Dallas-based outfit.

A Threat of Pilot Strikes

9/13

As if dwindling employment numbers and a pilot shortage aren’t enough, now comes word that there might be, not likely, but possibly, a pilot strike by American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. A pilot strike could put a crimp in what is expected to be a demanding travel season this summer.

JetBlue Revamps Loyalty Program

10/13

JetBlue Airways has added to its loyalty program. The airline announced an extension of its popular True Blue loyalty program in May.

United Airlines Hiring Flight Attendants

11/13

United is hiring this summer. The airline is looking for flight attendants and is willing to pay top dollar. Some could receive as much as $67 per hour.

Passengers Vote Off Unruly Traveler

12/13

In what could be a dangerous precedent, passengers apparently and allegedly voted to kick off an unruly woman aboard a flight so she could cause no further problems.

DOT Looks into New Regulations

13/13

The Biden Administration, specifically the U.S. Department of Transportation, has had enough, apparently. The DOT is looking into a law that would hold airlines financially responsible for delays and cancelations of their doing. Not weather related, but of their own doing.

It almost happened. Other than the start of Memorial Day Weekend and the summer travel season, we almost got away with a month of fairly insignificant aviation news.

But then a federal judge literally laid down the law and the news became significant again.

The judge ruled that the partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue Airways violated antitrust laws. The partnership was known as the Northeast Alliance, and had been under litigation for almost two years.

Whether it impacts the merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines remains to be seen.

That story and others were among the biggest headlines of the past month.