United Airlines

Airlines offer travel advisories/waivers for weather & 737-9 MAX inspections

Between the storms in many regions of the country and the grounding of all Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft for inspection, there are a lot of flight cancellations, schedule disruptions, and airline travel alerts.

Here are links to the current travel advisories and waivers (as of early Tuesday, January 9, 2024) in effect for some of the major airlines. Be sure to check your airline’s website for the latest updates on these advisories,

Alaska Airlines

On its website, Alaska Airlines is advising travelers that due to Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft inspections and winter weather in the Northeast, they are offering a flexible travel policy for travelers who want to change or cancel their flights. Original travel dates include January 9.

American Airlines

American Airlines has a travel alert for close to 60 cities that may be affected by severe weather in the Eastern US and Canada. The airline will waive your change fee if you traveling in any fare class and are scheduled to fly January 9-10 and can travel instead January 9 – 15. See here for more details on American Airlines’ travel advisory.

Delta Air Lines

for Delta Air Lines has travel advisories posted for winter weather in the Midwest that may affect more than two dozen airports and as many in the Northeastern U.S.

JetBlue

JetBlue has also issued travel alerts for winter weather in the Midwest and the Northeastern US.

In the Midwest, the airline will waive change/cancel fees and fare differences for customers traveling through January 9 to or from Chicago (ORD), Detroit (DTW), Kansas City (MCI), Milwaukee (MKE), and Minneapolis – St. Paul (MSP). The travel alert covers about 15 airports in the Northeast. Customers may rebook their flights through January 13.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has travel alerts posted for the Midwest and the East Coast.

United Airlines

For those scheduled to fly on a Boeing 737-9 MAX airplane, United Airlines offers these options:

You can reschedule your trip and have the change fees and fare differences waived. Your new flight must be a United flight departing by January 18, 2024. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked. Trips rebooked after January 18, 2024, will still have the change fee waived, but there may be a fare difference. Cancelling and getting a full refund is also an option.

Travel Tidbits from airports here and there

Flight attendant unions mark an anniversary

Shuffleboard (!) at United Airlines’ new DEN lounge

Sheep at London’s Gatwick Airport

Formula 1 car at Schiphol Airport

Pancakes for a cause at Vancouver Int’l Airport

Braille on planes + Airport outdoor movies + Swifties at SJC

 When it comes to accessibility for travelers, every bit helps.

And on Thursday, United Airlines announced that a dozen of its aircraft now have Braille signage for individual rows and seat numbers as well as inside and outside the lavatories.

The Chicago-based carrier said it expects to outfit its entire mainline fleet with Braille by the end of 2026.

“Finding your seat on a plane or getting to the restroom is something most of us take for granted, but for millions of our customers, it can be a challenge to do independently,” said Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Officer for United, in a statement. “By adding more tactile signage throughout our interiors, we’re making the flying experience more inclusive and accessible, and that’s good for everyone.

Lincoln Airport’s outdoor movies

Here’s another airport amenity we love.

In the summer, Lincoln Airport (LNK) in Lincoln, NE hosts occasional free outdoor movies for the community.

The next movie is “Top Gun: Maverick,” and free tickets are available now.

The LNK movie ‘theater’ is on the west side of the airport, in an open green space. Films are projected on the side of an old Cold War hangar.

Did you get a friendship bracelet at San Jose Mineta Int’l Airport?

It looks like the Swifties friendship bracelet exchange at San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) was a big success for Taylor Swift fans arriving in town for this weekend’s concerts.

United’s upgrade at Denver Int’l Airport

It’s officially “United Airlines Day” in Denver today in honor of the carrier’s announcement of a big expansion in flights, routes, and lounges at Denver International Airport (DEN).

The Chicago-based airline is adding 35 flights, six new routes, a dozen new gates, and – get this – three clubs, including one that will be the carrier’s largest.

Starting this summer, United says it will also be doubling the total number of early morning departures and late evening arrivals in and out of Denver.

The airline is adding new non-stops to six destinations including four not served by any other Denver airline: Dayton, OH; Greensboro, NC; Lexington, KY and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

United says it will fly new 737 MAX aircraft non-stop to San Juan, Puerto Rico, beginning October 29, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, beginning November 4.

In addition to the new routes, United plans to use its new MAX aircraft to increase service to popular destinations like Miami, Austin, Boston, and Atlanta. And the airline plans to will use Embraer 175 aircraft to connect Denver with Asheville, NC; Dayton, OH; Greensboro, NC and Lexington, KY, starting on September 29.

Infrastructure-wise, United will have 12 new gates opening in the A and B concourses by the middle of 2024, making an overall total of 90 gates for United at DEN.

And, just in time for summer travel, United will open a new club on the A Concourse and reopen its first of two revamped clubs on the B Concourse. That B Concourse club will be the largest United club in the world.

United Airlines Promises Families They Can Sit Together

Traveling with kids and want to make sure you get to sit together?

Airline seating policies and fees for choosing seats often make that a frustrating, sometimes impossible, and expensive undertaking.

President Biden ragged on airlines for this practice during his State of the Union address in early February

And in July the US Department of Transporation issued a notice encouraging US airlines “to do everything in their power to ensure that children who are age 13 or younger are seated next to an accompanying adult with no additional charge.”

Airlines Beginning to Pay Attention

On Monday United Airlines announced a new plan to make it easier for parents and children under 12 years old to sit next to each other without paying an extra fee. That includes passengers who purchase Basic Economy Tickets,

The airline said the policy will extend to customers who purchase Basic Economy tickets. That category usually doesn’t allow seats to be assigned until boarding.

United says a new seat map feature that finds available adjacent seats at the time of booking makes this new policy possible. The seat map program will first review all available free Economy seats and then opens complimentary upgrades to available Preferred seats if needed, according to United.

Other airlines may follow suit by adjusting their policies to follow United’s lead.

For now, Delta Air Lines’ website says the carrier “strives to seat family members together upon request” and urges passengers who can’t find seats together to contact Reservations for help.

American Airlines’ website says”if you’re unable to choose seats, don’t want to pay for seats, or chose a Basic Economy fare, our system will detect that you’re a family traveling. The system will search for seats together automatically before the day of departure. We’ll try our best to keep you together, but if seats are limited, we’ll assign seats so children under 15 are next to at least 1 adult.”

Alaska Airlines’ site states that “if are unable to obtain seat assignments together for your family, we will make every effort to seat at least one adult with any young child (age 13 and under) from the same party.”

Like other carriers, JetBlue’s statement on family seating urges families to book early. But says “if seats together are not available, please let our airport gate crewmembers know when you arrive at the airport. They will do their best to find a seating solution. We cannot guarantee that seats together will always be available.”