The Week In Travel

Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc in Florida and across the wider United States this week, with multiple airports suspending operations as a result. Travel chaos ensued as approximately 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate the ‘Sunshine State’ in anticipation of the storm, which made landfall at 3PM on Wednesday. Orlando, Miami, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale airports were identified as ‘trouble spots,’ and were the source of most cancellations. Many airlines moved their planes away from the area in anticipation of the storm. More disruption is forecast as the storm progresses towards the Carolinas over the weekend.

Staying in the US, the Department of Transportation (DOT) this week proposed a new rule which will mandate the disclosure of passenger-specific or itinerary-specific baggage fees, change fees, cancellation fees and family seating fees at the point of sale. While US Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said that “passengers deserve to know the full, true cost of their flights before they buy a ticket,” the US Industry trade group Airlines for America, responded with a statement claiming that carriers already provide full, transparent ticket breakdown – 20% of which is made up of taxes and government levies.

In UK news, a Guardian investigation published this week has revealed the true extent of the impact of ‘ghost flights’ in the UK. More than 5,000 completely empty flights have flown to and from the UK since 2019, while a further 35,000 mostly empty flights – where less than 10% of seats were filled – flew. The true reason for ghost flights remains unclear, with airlines unwilling to disclose their rationale, though it has been speculated that the flights are used to maintain airport slots in the less busy months. As a result of freedom of information requests by The Guardian newspaper, quarterly figures for ghost flights will now be published by the Civil Aviation Authority.

This week marked the maiden voyage of Alice – an all-electric aircraft designed and manufactured by Israeli firm Eviation Aircraft. The plane flew for eight minutes at 3,500 feet, in an experimental flight conducted at Grant County International Airport in Washington state. Capable of speeds up to 300 miles per hour and with a range from 150-250 miles, Eviation Alice is planned to be used primarily for commuting. Its carrying capacity is nine passengers.

And finally, a tragedy befell a New Zealand woman after she thought she found a bargain hotel room with an incredible view when looking for a getaway. The woman, from Wellington, arrived at her hotel expecting her room to have commanding views of the mountain resort of Queenstown – located in the awe-inspiring Southern Alps – only to discover that what she had believed to be a window in the photos she had seen online, had in fact been a flat screen TV livestreaming camera footage from the hotel roof. The real window looked out to the car park behind the hotel. She was not fussed, however, and admitted she spent little time in her room.