Travel News: Feb. 8-21

Here is a round-up of this week’s travel news – from really cool eyewear, bikinis, and paper cups to frequent flyer programs and best and worst lists. Enjoy!

American Airlines to Provide More Legroom on US Airways Planes

American Airlines Group Inc. has said it intends to offer extra legroom, for a fee, on US Airways planes. The only catch? Passengers will pay $16 to $159 more per flight — up from $8 to $108 two years ago.

Best Airlines According to Airfarewatchdog

Want to know which airlines are the best in terms of least canceled flights, on-time arrivals, fewer mishandled bags and customer satisfaction? Here is a slideshow of Airfarewatchdog.com’s Top 10. In related news, the Department of Transportation has shared a list of domestic airlines with the most and least customer complaints in 2013.

Air New Zealand Wants Your Attention

Air New Zealand has just launched a new flight safety video, featuring four Sports Illustrated models in bikinis to help demonstrate standard in-flight procedures. Does it grab your attention, make you want to book a flight to the Cook Islands, or leave you saying “huh”?

North American Airlines Are Going Green

United Airlines is switching to recyclable plastic cups for in-flight beverages. It joins other airlines like Southwest, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines – all of whom are making small steps toward minimizing air travel’s effect on the environment.

Are You Satisfied With Your Frequent Flyer Program?

A recent USA Today survey from Milecards.com found that nearly a quarter of frequent fliers do not “trust” their mile programs to deliver on their promises.  That is more than the distrust expressed for cable providers, banks and car insurance firms!

Virgin Atlantic Takes Top Spot As Most Tech Savvy Airline

Last September we shared our list of the world’s most tech savvy airlines. At that time, we had Japan Airlines in the No. 1 spot, with Virgin Atlantic in No. 2. But not any longer! Thanks to a trial of Google Glass, Virgin Atlantic is the new tech savvy champion – at least in our eyes. The airline is using the technology to identify Upper Class customers, see their flight details and preferences before they even show Virgin Atlantic concierge staff their flight information. Pretty neat!

In related news KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is now enabling customers to pay for flights using social media.  Under the innovative new program, travelers can make seat reservations, book or rebook flights, request excess baggage tags, and pay for all of them using their Twitter or Facebook accounts.

More Flight Cancellations This Winter Than In Last 25 Years

If you have been wondering about the impact that the recent spate of winter storms has had on air travel, the bad news is in. According to Scott Mayerowitz of the Associated Press, airlines have experienced the highest number of flight cancellations in more than 25 years. But the weather is not just to blame. Mayerowitz also calls out cost-cutting and new government regulations as factors playing a role in the 75,000 domestic flights that have been cancelled since December 1, 2013.

Fly.com in the News

Fly.com Reveals Best and Worst Spring Break Airfare Deals

Yesterday we announced the best and worst spring break destinations for budget-conscious travelers still looking to purchase flights for the mid-term getaway. Using data collected from more than 4.75 million user searches we’ve identified the top 10 destinations for major college towns in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. More importantly, we’ve identified which of these fares have gone up and which have come down – compared  to prices last spring.

Fly.com Updates

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Featured Image: Travel info in Newspaper (Shutterstock.com)

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