The approved categories of travel are:

1. Family visits

2. Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations

3. Journalistic activity

4. Professional research and professional meetings

5. Educational activities

6. Religious activities

7. Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions

8. Support for the Cuban people

9. Humanitarian projects

10. Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes

11. Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials

12. Certain authorized export transactions

American travelers to Cuba may not stay at certain government-owned hotels that can be found on the U.S. State Department’s restricted list. Financial transactions are particularly complicated, as U.S. credit and debit cards typically don’t work in Cuba, requiring careful advance planning for expenses.

Breaking these travel regulations can result in significant penalties, including fines of up to $7,500.

Weather

If you’re planning on traveling to Cuba, be extra cautious during hurricane season, which is from early June to the end of November. “American citizens who are planning to be in Cuba during hurricane season should consider the potential dangers and inconveniences associated with hurricanes and should devise an emergency plan before a storm’s arrival,” warns the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. “Regions affected by hurricanes and tropical storms may experience widespread damage to infrastructure and serious shortages of habitable accommodations, food, water, and medical facilities.”

November through April is the best time to visit Cuba. You may want to avoid visiting from May to around the end of September when temperatures can be very high. Sun exposure is also a concern. Be sure to pack lots of sunscreen when visiting, as it is not readily available to purchase in Cuba. 

Crime

As in any country, crime is a concern in Cuba. “Petty crime, such as pickpocketing, purse snatchings, and car break-ins, is a threat for tourists in Cuba,” advises the U.S. State Department.  “Also, violent crime, including armed robbery and homicide, sometimes occurs in Cuba.” Keep your cameras, wallets, purses, passports, and other valuables close to your body when on the beach or walking through Havana. 

Driving

Driving in Cuba is an experience. You can rent a car, but it’s expensive and can be hazardous. Most rental car agencies are government-owned, which can be a problem for American citizens. 

Driving in Cuba can be dangerous and difficult. Road signs are rare, as are lights. The drivers don’t always have headlights, and potholes are everywhere. Unless you’re an experienced driver with nerves of steel, renting a car may not be the best option. It’s easy to instead hire a car and driver, even for multi-day trips, so you don’t have to worry about driving yourself. 

Supplies

Due to ongoing sanctions and trade restrictions, it can be difficult to find basic medications, supplies, and food to purchase in Cuba. Be sure to pack everything you will need during your trip, and don’t count on being able to buy anything you forgot. Bringing extra essentials to donate will be greatly appreciated by locals. 

Payment

Travelers will not be able to use American debit or credit cards in Cuba, so bring plenty of US Dollars to exchange. 

Power Outages

Power outages, both planned rolling blackouts and unplanned outages, are common occurrences in Cuba. Pack a flashlight with plenty of batteries, along with portable chargers for your phones and electronic devices. 

The post Cuba Warnings and Dangers: Can U.S. Citizens Visit Cuba? appeared first on SmarterTravel.

1. Impressive: Passports Are on the Rise

In 1996, the U.S. Department of State issued 5.5 million passports. With the exception of a brief dip in 2020—likely due to the emergency halt of passport issuance in respond to COVID-19—that number has since been trending upward, reaching upwards of 24 million passports in 2023. Even when you factor in the population increase, that’s a heartening jump in the number of people eager to get out and explore the world.

2. Surprising: Protect Your Passport with Tyvek?

Think you can use any old packaging and shipping method when you’re sending in your old passport for renewal? Think again. The Department of State recommends that applicants use a trackable shipping method, such as Priority Mail Express, to keep tabs on their application and know when it arrives safely at its destination. It is also strongly recommended that applicants mail their documents in a sturdy envelope such as a Tyvek envelope, which will protect against the rough and tumble world of postal transit

3. Vital: You May Need to Renew Sooner Than You Think

Don’t take your passport’s expiration date at face value. Some countries have a six-month or three-month passport validity rule that requires your passport to be valid for a certain amount of time after your date of entry.

4. Impressive: Your Passport Has Identity Theft Deterrents

If your passport was issued after August 2007, you’ve got an e-passport with a small integrated chip in the back cover that stores your passport information and a biometric identifier based on your photograph. To protect passport holders from unknowingly falling victim to high-tech identity theft, there are metallic elements in the cover of the passport, making it impossible for the passport to be digitally “read” until it’s physically open.

5. Surprising: If You’ve Gained or Lost Weight, You May Need a New Passport

If your appearance has changed significantly, you’ll need to apply for a new passport. That means if you’ve lost (or gained) a lot of weight, so much so that you look different than you do in your passport photo, you’ll need a new one. The same is true if you’ve undergone “significant facial surgery or trauma,” or if you’ve added or removed large facial tattoos or piercings.

6. Vital: You Must Obey Photo Restrictions

You may not realize it, but nowhere are the fashion stakes as high as in your passport photo. That’s because the photo may be rejected—thus throwing your application into a delayed spiral—if it doesn’t meet certain criteria. The photo must have been taken within six months of your application date, and needs to reflect your current appearance. You must directly face the camera and your expression should be neutral. According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, “Photos with exaggerated expressions and squinting will not be accepted.” And uniforms and “clothing that looks like a uniform” are forbidden as well.

7. Surprising: Passports Can Have Different Lengths

A standard-issue passport is 28 pages long. However, when you’re applying or renewing, you can request a longer, 52-page passport at no additional cost. Unfortunately, if you fill up all 52 (impressive!) or need more pages in your existing passport, you’ll have to apply for a new passport even if your old one is not yet expired.

8. Surprising: Damage Can Render Your Passport Invalid

Normal wear and tear is forgivable, but if your passport has been significantly damaged, it’s time for a new one. Water damage, significant tearing (especially on the book cover or the page with your personal data and photo), unofficial marking on the data page (keep kids with crayons well clear), and torn out visa pages are among the types of damage that will likely mean you’ll need to apply for a replacement.

9. Vital: You May Need More Blank Pages

If you’re planning a trip and are running low on blank pages in your passport, it behooves you to take a look at the country information for your destination, since a few countries require you to have up to three blank pages in your passport for visa and immigration stamps. Most countries want you to have at least one blank page for stamps, so if you’re traveling to multiple countries on the same trip, make sure you’re prepared.

Bonus: How to Take Your Own Passport Photo at Home

You can skip the long lines at your local CVS by taking your own passport photo at home. Follow these guidelines to learn how to get a picture perfect at-home passport photo.

The post 9 Surprising Passport Facts You Need to Know appeared first on SmarterTravel.

You get to the airport early, your luggage is checked, you have your boarding pass in hand—and you find out that your flight is overbooked. While airlines can usually find passengers willing to take a different flight in exchange for compensation, it’s the unfortunate truth that the act of involuntarily bumping passengers is pretty commonplace. Most people go calmly, if not happily. But legally if the airline tells you to go, you have to go.

Fortunately, you have rights when you are involuntarily bumped. The Department of Transportation takes this issue seriously and has several rules in place designed to protect and compensate affected passengers. The DOT’s website has the full rules, but here are the highlights:

• First, the DOT requires airlines to give passengers “a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets on an oversold flight and who doesn’t.”
• If the airline re-accomodates you on a flight that gets you to your final destination within one hour of your original scheduled arrival time, there is no compensation.
• If the alternative flight gets you there between one and two hours later (or between one and four hours on international flights), you should receive an amount equal to “200% of your one-way fare to your final destination that day, or $775, whichever amount is lower.”
• Finally, if you’re more than two hours late (four hours internationally), or if the airline doesn’t re-accomodate you at all, you should get “400% of your one-way fare, or $1,550, whichever amount is lower.”

The airline must also refund any optional services you paid for (like seat selection) if you don’t receive them on the alternative flight.

Your carefully scheduled travel plans can be significantly disrupted by an involuntary bumping. While bumping remains relatively rare, the DOT has noted an increased rate of bumping since the start of the pandemic, with July through September of 2022 seeing a bumping rate of 0.22 per 10,000 passengers as compared to 0.19 per 10,000 passengers for the same period in 2019.

So it probably won’t happen to you, which is good. But it’s still important to know your rights. Decrease your chances of getting bumped even further by booking on the airlines that are least likely to bump passengers.

The post What Are Your Rights When You’re Involuntarily Bumped? appeared first on SmarterTravel.

If you have flexible travel plans, an oversold flight could be good news for you—the airline will start by asking for volunteers and offering cash or vouchers to anyone willing to give up their seat. If there are no takers initially, the rewards can get quite high.

However, if no one volunteers to take another flight, the airline can involuntarily bump flyers—even though they have a valid ticket. To avoid this happening to you, consider flying with one of the airlines least likely to bump passengers.

To determine the airlines least and most likely to bump people off a flight, luggage storage site Bounce analyzed data from the US Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report for April through June 2022. Bounce calculated the rate of passengers denied boarding (including both voluntary and involuntary bumping) per 10,000 flyers.

The Airline That Bumped the Most Passengers

In April through June 2022, Endeavor Air bumped the most passengers. Endeavor Air is a regional airline and subsidiary of Delta Airlines that’s also known as Delta Connection. Endeavor Air denied boarding to 12.86 people per 10,000 passengers.

The Airline That Bumped the Most Passengers

Comparatively, Hawaiian Airlines bumped hardly any flyers over the same time period, denying boarding to just 0.56 passengers per 10,000.

What Happens if You’re Involuntarily Bumped From a Flight?

If you are involuntarily bumped from your flight, the airline will owe you big. Know your rights and what you are entitled to, so you can make sure you are compensated accordingly. 

According to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), “Passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily due to oversales are entitled to compensation that is based on the price of their ticket, the length of time that they are delayed in getting to their destination because of being denied boarding, and whether their flight is a domestic flight or an international flight leaving from the United States.”

The DOT has helpful charts on their website that can show you what you are owed based on the length of time your trip was delayed.

The post The Airlines Most Likely to Bump You off a Flight appeared first on SmarterTravel.

If you’re flying into the U.S. on January 26 or later, you’re going to need proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new rule applies to U.S. citizens as well as foreign travelers. Air passengers will be required to obtain a viral test within three days of the departure date of their flight. Written documentation (paper or electronic copy) must be showed to the airline in order to board the plane.

According to the CDC, travelers can show “documentation of recovery” from COVID-19 in lieu of a test, however, the CDC did not specify how long ago a person must have recovered from the virus.

The order was signed on January 12, but will not take effect until January 26 in order to give airlines and passengers sufficient notice to comply.

This mandatory step adds an extra layer of protection to the CDC’s current recommendation that people get tested again 3-5 days after returning home, as well as quarantine for 7 days after travel.

“Testing does not eliminate all risk, ”CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD said in a press release, “but when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier, and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports, and at destinations.”

More from SmarterTravel:

• 7 Tips for Flying During COVID-19
• Where Can Americans Travel Right Now?
• 5 UV Sanitizer Products

The post CDC Mandates COVID Tests for Anyone Flying to the U.S. appeared first on SmarterTravel.

On Wednesday, the United States and Canada joined almost every other country and dozens of airlines in grounding Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 planes closely following the second deadly crash of the brand-new aircraft model in recent months. A tragic Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed everyone onboard Sunday followed the deadly October Lion Air crash the went down near Jakarta. Both planes went down without warning, just after takeoff, and in both crashes, all passengers and crew were killed.

BREAKING: President Trump says U.S. issuing "emergency order" grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft after Ethiopia crash

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 13, 2019

President Trump issued an emergency order Wednesday afternoon grounding all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9s, according to the Associated Press. The MAX 9 is a more recent version of the plane that will likely be affected by any safety findings regarding the MAX 8. The immediate response to the move could be some last-minute delayed flights, as the U.S. operates a total of 72 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 planes.

The U.S.-based airlines operating Boeing 737 MAX 8s are American Airlines, which has 24, and Southwest, which operates 34. United operates 14 of the MAX 9. Canadian airlines operating the model are Air Canada (41), Sunwing (four), and WestJet (13). European airlines that fly the 737 MAX models are Icelandair (three) and Norwegian (18).

Here’s how to check flight delays nationwide to see if your airport could be affected:

On delay-tracking website FlightAware, “travelers can browse live flight delay statistics, showing how many flights are delayed or canceled for the current day,” SmarterTravel’s own Carl Unger has written. “You can click one specific airline to see how it’s doing—here’s Southwest, for example—but the broader view provides some helpful context.”

“For map-appreciating people like myself, the site’s aptly-named Misery Map displays the data by destination and overlays a current radar image to show where weather may impact arrivals and departures. Hovering over a destination displays routes that are experiencing delays and highlights routes that are on time.”

As for finding out if your plane for an upcoming flight was set to be on a Boeing 737 MAX 8, a simple search on your airline and flight number on SeatGuru or FlightAware can typically tell you. It also helps to have the SmarterTravel Air Passenger Rights Guide handy any time you’re delayed, so you know what you have the right to be compensated for.

For more on this developing story, see Will the 737 MAX Fly Again? Where Trust in Boeing Goes Now.

More from SmarterTravel:

• Airline Crash Deaths Just Hit a 5-Year High
• This Is the Safest Part of the Plane
• After Crashes, a Boeing 737 MAX Fix Isn’t Coming Quickly

SmarterTravel’s Shannon McMahon is a former news reporter who writes about all things travel. Follow her on Instagram @shanmcmahon.

The post How to Find Out if U.S. Emergency Grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 8 Planes Will Affect You appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Looking for a reliable source of Brexit travel information? You’re not alone—the U.K.’s own lawmakers are still asking questions about the issue of borders and free travel after Brexit. As of January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom officially has left the European Union. But what’s to come still remains unclear: For the rest of the year, the U.K. will remain in a “transition” period, meaning nothing will change between now and 2021 in regards to borders and other travel-related items. Meaning, if you have a summer vacation planned to the U.K. or Europe, you shouldn’t worry about anything changing.

With those details in mind, here’s a handy guide to what travelers should know, and anticipate, about traveling to and through the United Kingdom post-Brexit.

U.S. Travel to the U.K.

The main thing for Americans to remember is that, whether or not border changes are made, things will remain largely unchanged for U.S.-based travel to the United Kingdom—which includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Americans already have to go through screening at U.K. border crossings, and that won’t change with Brexit. The main difference at U.K. borders might be that E.U. citizens are required to go through screenings, which they didn’t need to before. But longer delays at major border crossings into the U.K., like London’s airports, are unlikely to see such delays for other travelers: Amid Brexit, the air hubs updated their airport customs e-gates to expedite travelers who are citizens of the following countries (including the U.S):

• Australia
• Canada
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• South Korea
• United States

It’s worth noting that border crossing deals for train and boat travel, however, remain up in the air.

U.S. Travel to Europe Through the U.K.

Europe travel from the U.S. through British hubs like London could be affected by any such border delays (again, if there even are any) but direct U.S.-to-Europe travel will not be affected by Brexit.

Travel to Europe will change for Americans in the coming years, however, when a wholly unrelated move by the European Union takes effect in 2021 requiring Americans to apply for a travel authorization (not a visa) to enter and move around the region. The new red tape is similar to the travel authorization the U.S. currently requires of E.U. citizens visiting the United States, dubbed ESTA. You can read more about the new E.U. travel authorization (called ETIAS) here.

Europe/U.K. Travel

If you have a European or U.K passport, things could change significantly. U.K. officials are advising its citizens to ensure they have six months’ passport validity—as opposed to the current 90-day validity requirement—if they’re traveling to the E.U., and recently launched a new service to help Britons check passport validity requirements.

As long as Brexit border operations remain elusive, however, your guess is as good as anyone’s in terms of whether a travel authorization, visa, or neither could be required on top of, or in lieu of, a border screening.

Disruptions and Price Increases?

With all of this in mind, travel disruptions like unexpected cross-border train delays might seem like the biggest threat. But the U.K.’s government has addressed those concerns by generally assuring travelers that both flights and trains between Europe and the U.K. (like Eurostar) will continue to operate as usual. Whether or not that works out after the transition period, of course, remains to be confirmed.

According to a some experts, there’s also a potential for prices on flights and hotels to increase, as open sky agreements may change some routes and the hotel industry is expected to experience issues with immigration and their labor force. That and other broader economic predictions will only reveal themselves with time.

More from SmarterTravel:

• The Ultimate Checklist for Traveling Abroad
• 11 Beautiful English Villages to Discover Before the Crowds Do
• All the Countries That Require Visas for Americans

SmarterTravel’s Shannon McMahon is a former news reporter who writes about all things travel. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2019. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

The post Everything You Need to Know About Brexit as a Traveler appeared first on SmarterTravel.

You’ve probably been there: waiting at the baggage claim carousel, while other folks from your flight grab their bags, the claim area empties, the conveyor stops, and still no bag.

The Airline Lost Your Checked Bag, Now What?

As long as airlines have been checking baggage, they’ve been sending a few somewhere other than where they were supposed to go. Airlines are doing better recently than they did 20 years ago, however, so your chances for a happy, or at least satisfactory, ending have improved:

• They’re losing fewer bags, or in airline-ese, “mishandled” bags. The government has been collecting statistics on mishandled bag reports for decades, and the number of mishandled bag reports per 100,000 passengers has dropped, somewhat unevenly, from 5 to 7 in the early 1990s to 3 to 4 since 2009.

• They’re getting better at tracking the bags they do lose. With barcoded tags and now, a few RFID-enabled tags, their systems keep excellent track of bags. The last two times I’ve had a bag problem, an agent at the lost-baggage desk was able to tell me, immediately, where my bag was and the flight on which it would arrive.

Although airline performance has improved, what you do when an airline loses a bag remains about as it was in the 1990s.

Delayed Bags

Most so-called “lost” baggage really isn’t lost, rather, it’s delayed. And in most cases an airline can reunite you with your baggage within 24 hours or less.

When you realize that your bag isn’t going to show up on the carousel, go immediately to your airline’s lost-baggage counter or equivalent that you find in most big-airport baggage areas. In smaller airports, ask any airline employee where to go. Even if you have someplace you need to be, report missing baggage before you leave the airport. Some airline contracts specify that you must file no later than four hours after arrival; others say 24 hours. If your baggage is delayed on a connecting itinerary involving more than one airline, you deal with the airline that flew you to your destination, even if you think the first airline was responsible.

Hand over your baggage check (but write down the numbers) and fill out the form, making sure to get a copy, with the relevant tracking numbers, airline phone number or baggage-tracking website, and such. Note the name of the agent that handles your claim, and note the estimated time your bag will arrive.

Negotiate

Ask exactly how, when, and where the airline plans to deliver your bag. Normally, an airline delivers your bag to a local hotel or residence address the same day the bag arrives at your airport. If you need a different delivery location, ask for it. Airlines usually deliver delayed bags at no cost to you, but some may ask you to pay. And if you’re staying at a hotel or resort, alert the front desk about an incoming bag.

Ask what the airline provides in the way of assistance. No law requires any specific assistance; only that airlines must have a policy and make it available to you. At a minimum, airlines typically cover overnight needs such as toothpaste and such; some lines stock and hand out regular overnight kits at the lost-baggage desk. If your bag is lost on a flight arriving at an airport other than your home, many airlines offer to cover all or part of the cost of items you may need to continue your vacation or business trip. Some airlines offer a set daily allowance; others offer to reimburse you for items you buy on the basis of receipts. And some airlines say almost nothing beyond “We’ll get you bag back.” Very little is set; instead, you’re likely involved in a negotiation.

Lost Checked Bag

If most lines don’t get your bag back to you within five days, the bag falls into a category of “maybe really lost.” You have to submit more information, but you can also enter more claims. An airline defines “really lost” at anywhere from five to 30 days, at which point both you and the airline proceed on the assumption that you’ll never see your bag again.

Damaged Bags

Generally, airlines will not take responsibility for minor damage to your luggage, such as bumps, scratches, dents, and scuffs, nor will they cover damage to straps, pulls, locks, or wheels that are the result of normal wear and tear. Airlines will generally cover broken fragile items packed in your luggage only if they are packed in a container designed for shipping. And they exclude damage or loss claims for a long list of extra-fragile items or high-value items such as jewelry, computers, and cameras that are both fragile and tempting targets for theft.

Airlines won’t take responsibility for damage that occurred during a TSA inspection. In the event that you think your baggage was damaged during a TSA inspection (All inspected bags will have a written notification inside.), call 866-289-9673. And when that happens, expect a protracted “he said, she said” tussle between the TSA and the airline.

Compensation

Only one big airline, Alaska, provides any monetary compensation for delayed baggage: If the line doesn’t deliver your checked baggage within 20 minutes of arrival at the gate, it issues a voucher for $25 toward a future flight or 2,500 frequent-flyer miles. But this rule applies to all baggage, not just delayed baggage.

Other airlines do not issue any compensation for delayed baggage, even when you pay a checked-bag fee. Congress recently urged the DOT to rule that airlines must refund baggage fees if baggage isn’t delivered within 24 hours. In my view, that’s inadequate. The “hassle factor” begins as soon as your flight arrives without your baggage, and the refund should apply immediately. But even the weak proposal is iffy.

Whether delayed or really lost, baggage has a current maximum loss/damage claim of $3,500 on a completely domestic flight. The cap on international flights, including domestic segments, is set at 1,131 Special Drawing Rights, currently worth about $1,600.

Any claim process is obviously a negotiation. Airlines say they cover only depreciated value of whatever you say you lost. They ask for receipts, even for a suit you bought 10 years ago. You may go back and forth several times before reaching a deal. The airline may also offer you a voucher for future travel in lieu of cash, which is generally a good deal only if the voucher value is double to triple a satisfactory cash value and even then only if the voucher conditions actually allow you to travel.

Prevention

Don’t put the obvious valuable stuff or “can’t be without it” items in your checked baggage (medicine, important papers, jewelry, laptops). Carry it with you. Make a list of packed items and their estimated value before you leave. Keep receipts for expensive items you pack, as you may be required to send copies of them to the airline in the case of a lost bag. If you absolutely have to check some of those items, insure them separately: An airline won’t cover them even if you buy excess-value coverage. And remove old claim tags to prevent confusion about your destination.

More from SmarterTravel:

• How Can I Prevent Lost or Delayed Bags?
• 10 Stylish Camera Bags You’ll Actually Want to Use
• Delta Pushing to Reduce Delayed Baggage

Consumer advocate Ed Perkins has been writing about travel for more than three decades. The founding editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, he continues to inform travelers and fight consumer abuses every day at SmarterTravel.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2016. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

The post What to Do When Your Checked Bag Is Lost appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Have you questioned flying Southwest since its deadly engine failure made headlines this spring? The incident might have overshadowed a watershed safety moment for another low-cost airline—one that’s long faced questions about its safety: Allegiant Air.

A recent 60 Minutes special rekindled questions around Allegiant’s incident record, following a 2016 report that found Allegiant’s aircraft were four times as likely to fail during flight as those operated by other major U.S. airlines. 60 Minutes did a deep dive on the airline’s safety record since then, and found little has changed.

Is Allegiant Air Safe?

The crux of 60 Minutes’ findings is this:

For the past seven months, we have been scrutinizing ‘service difficulty reports’ filed by Allegiant with the FAA. They are official, self-reported records of problems experienced by their aircraft. What we found raised some disturbing questions about the performance of their fleet. Between January 1st, 2016 and the end of last October, we found more than 100 serious mechanical incidents, including mid-air engine failures, smoke and fumes in the cabin, rapid descents, flight control malfunctions, hydraulic leaks and aborted takeoffs.

The airline has had “persistent problems since at least the summer of 2015,” the report adds, “when it experienced a rash of mid-air breakdowns, including five on a single day.”

A Pattern of Problems

What makes the Allegiant situation more notable, however, is that we aren’t talking about a short period of time. As 60 Minutes notes, the carrier has had persistent, consistent safety and maintenance difficulties for years.

All airlines experience occasional, isolated mechanical issues.  Sometimes even a spate of problems in a row—Southwest, for example, had a rough stretch this spring with multiple, newsworthy incidents over a short period of time. The Tampa Bay Times’ bombshell reporting on Allegiant’s maintenance record, though, came out in November 2016, and we’re still talking about what appear to be systemic problems.

Just this week, an Allegiant Air flight made an emergency landing due to smoke in the cabin. This followed another emergency landing in May due to an “electrical smell.” And that followed another in April due to a faulty sensor. And there was yet another in April.

In a statement to 60 Minutes, Allegiant’s Vice President of Operations, Captain Eric Gust, said: “All of us at Allegiant are proud of our strong safety record, as noted in the most current, comprehensive FAA audit. We not only comply with all mandatory safety regulations and guidelines, but also participate in numerous voluntary safety programs. Simply stated, safety is at the forefront of our minds and the core of our operations.”

It’s worth noting that this response differs from Allegiant’s in 2016, when Allegiant CEO Maurice Gallagher Jr. said the company would be “focused on running a better operation.”

Out with the Old

60 Minutes suggests these problems are the result of the way Allegiant runs its business: “The business strategy which has produced 60 straight quarters of profits, occasionally with margins approaching 30 percent, requires the airline to keep costs down and ‘push the metal’—keep the planes flying as often as possible,” the report says. “But Allegiant’s aged fleet of MD-80s, which it is phasing out and is responsible for most of its problems, require a lot of maintenance and reliable parts are hard to come by.”

How old can an airline fleet be, really? MD-80s are rarely flown in the U.S. these days, and most airlines have retired them in favor of newer, modern aircraft. Allegiant is finally doing the same. The airline is transitioning to an all-Airbus fleet, and is steadily introducing those aircraft to its active roster. Its MD-80s should be fully retired by year’s end. That said, the most recent emergency landing, due to smoke in the cabin, involved … one of its new Airbus planes.

Where’s the Oversight?

60 Minutes also points fingers at the FAA. “Over the last three years, the FAA has switched its priorities from actively enforcing safety rules with fines, warning letters and sanctions—which become part of the public record—to working quietly with the airlines behind the scenes to fix the problems,” the report says.

However, in a letter to CBS shared with Skift.com, the FAA pushed back on suggestions of lax oversight, saying Allegiant received more attention than other carriers, and that the FAA accelerated a review of the airline’s procedures.

“This review did not find any systematic safety or regulatory problems, but did identify a number of less serious issues, which Allegiant addressed,” according to the letter. The agency says it has found no “significant or systematic problem” in evaluations following that review.

Unsafe, or Just Unreliable?

Amidst all this back and forth, one simple, common truth emerges: At best, Allegiant is simply far less reliable than other airlines. “Perhaps the piece was sensational,” Brian Sumers wrote for Skift, “but it did tell the public what insiders have long known—Allegiant is less reliable than U.S. major carriers.”

There’s a subtle but crucial distinction to be made here between “unreliable” and “unsafe.” For all the incidents Allegiant has encountered, it seems to take the issue seriously and is moving to modernize its fleet with more reliable aircraft. And so far, thankfully, those incidents have been relatively minor—at least in outcome, if not experience for the passengers onboard.

But a new aircraft fleet and all those statements of good intent won’t matter at all if these issues continue, or get worse.

Readers, do you fly Allegiant? Have you ever encountered a problem onboard? Comment below.

More from SmarterTravel:

• Southwest Lands at Wrong Airport; Passenger Sues
• How to Survive a Plane Crash
• These Potential FAA Changes Could Help (and Hurt) Travelers

The post Allegiant Air Safety Issues Have Persisted for Years, Investigation Finds appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Flying somewhere this summer? You won’t be alone. Airlines for America (A4A), the trade group representing the biggest U.S. airlines, predicts some 246 million travelers will take to the skies this summer, which would be a record and represent an increase of 3.7 percent over last year. A4A says airlines added roughly 116,000 seats per day to accommodate the surge in travelers.

Those numbers mean that, on average, some 2.7 million travelers will pass through our nation’s airports daily. And each and every one of them needs to go through security.

That deluge could come to a head as soon as this Friday, as travelers depart for their Independence Day vacations.

“We expect that this coming Friday will potentially be one of busiest days ever in TSA history, in terms of passenger throughput busiest ever,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said this week. The agency is preparing for around 2.6 million people Friday, well above the 2.2 million passengers it typically screens on a given day. AAA is also predicting record-breaking travel numbers this Independence Day.

Pack Your TSA Patience

Bottom line: It’s going to be a busy, crowded summer at our nation’s airports. This increase in travelers comes as TSA has tightened procedures at security checkpoints, including greater scrutiny of powders (think: spices, baby powder, makeup) and the well-publicized restrictions on laptops.

That said, screenings have gone smoothly since Memorial Day, according to USA Today, which reports that 96 percent of travelers in standard checkpoint lanes are waiting less than 20 minutes. Wait times can spike to much longer durations, of course, but that’s a reasonable average for a busy travel period.

Still, travelers would do well to arrive at the airport a little early and pay extra attention to the TSA’s new requirements for carry-on luggage, for powders in particular. “TSA recommends packing containers [of powder] larger than 350 milliliters, or about the size of a can of soda, in checked bags,” writes USA Today. “Baby formula, for example, is allowed in carry-on bags. But if a checkpoint officer can’t resolve what the powder in a carry-on bag is, the passenger might be forced to discard it at the checkpoint in order to board a flight.”

And don’t forget about your liquids, either.

More from SmarterTravel:

• Be Nice at Airport Security or Wind Up on a Secret TSA Watch List
• Are TSA Fees About to Increase?
• TSA PreCheck Now Available at 5 More Airlines

The post TSA Prepares for Busiest Screening Day Ever, Record Summer Travel appeared first on SmarterTravel.