World’s 10 most scenic airport approaches
I’m sorry, but I still think that flying into Washington-Reagan, landing to the south and taking off to the north, is one of the great scenic experiences. But, everyone evidently doesn’t agree with me. Here is a Top 10 picked by editors at PrivateFly, a global booking platform for private jet charters. Click on the link for great photos.
Here are the top 10 scenic airport approaches, according to PrivateFly’s 2015 survey.
1. Queenstown Airport, New Zealand
2. Las Vegas McCarran Airport, United States
3. Nice Cote D’Azur Airport, France
4. Barra Airport, Scotland, UK
5. St. Maarten Airport (Princess Juliana International), Caribbean
6. Saba Airport (Juancho E Yrausquin), Caribbean Netherlands
7. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Canada
8. Gibraltar Airport, UK
9. London City Airport, UK
10. Cape Town Airport, South Africa
DOT notice: Airlines don’t have to honor erroneous airfares
As Web users are getting quicker and quicker at booking mistaken airfares, DOT is siding with airlines, if they act quickly to correct inadvertent pricing glitches. FlyerTalk has the story.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an official notice that the agency will no longer enforce provisions of a rule that required airlines operating in the U.S. to honor paid fares regardless of whether or not the fare was priced in error. Airlines will instead be obligated to repay passengers any out-of-pocket costs incurred as a result of so-called “mistake” fares, and although the airline must attest that the fare was priced in error, it will no longer be legally compelled to honor those tickets.
How fliers can avoid summer weather delays
One would think that the worst weather takes place in winter. Though it is cold weather, it is normally manageable. Summertime is when airports struggle the most.
Surprisingly, the worst delay months weren’t in winter but May, June and July, with each airport reporting more than 9,000 delays each. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, around 40 percent of all flight delays are caused by weather, with summer weather such as extreme heat, heavy downpours and unexpected thunderstorms to blame.
Don’t cancel your vacation, though. There are things you can do to make it better.
Avoid bad airports. Fly early. Check with your airline. Maneuver. Pack light.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.