Latest news with #RobertW.Mann
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
A price just for you, specifically
Imagine that an airline notices you've booked a five-star hotel, so it charges you more for your ticket than it would have if you had booked a four- or three-star hotel. That's the vision of personalized pricing, a concept that has for years intrigued companies and enraged consumer advocates. While consumer backlash may still give companies pause, some roadblocks to widespread use of the strategy may be clearing. The Trump administration introduced a plan this past week to clear the way for artificial intelligenceinnovation, reinforcing its embrace of AI and raising questions about whether inquiries into the practice that Biden-era regulators started will be given any priority. At the same time, the technology has developed at a rapid pace. 'It's going to be: Whatever you can get away with, it's legal,' Robert W. Mann, an independent airline industry analyst and former airline executive, said. When it comes to regulatory scrutiny, he added, 'from curious to none is probably the transition.' Delta Air Lines promoted its plans this month to ramp up its use of AI to set prices. And while it's not clear what data the airline is using -- and whether it constitutes personalized pricing -- privacy experts and industry analysts say many companies may see an opportunity to open what they've long considered to be an untapped gold mine. Delta has been met with swift backlash. It said on its latest earnings call that it was working with Fetcherr, an AI startup, and planned to use AI to price 20% of domestic routes by the end of this year. But it has pushed back against claims that it's turning to 'personalized' pricing. In a statement, it said it was leaning into new technology to streamline existing dynamic pricing models, which are based on market factors, not personal information. 'Fetcherr's technology has been developed to streamline processes already in place at companies and does not allow for individualized or personalized pricing,' the startup said in a statement. Regardless of the consumer data that Fetcherr is offering Delta specifically, an archived version of a Fetcherr blog post, reported earlier by the Thrifty Traveler blog, hailed the startup's ability to offer 'truly personalized' prices to travelers, based in part on their past purchases. Under the Biden administration, regulatory scrutiny of personalized pricing started to build. Members of Congress and data privacy experts have raised concerns about the strategy in industries such as groceries and travel. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission, under its previous chair, Lina Khan, opened an inquiry into 'surveillance pricing' -- another term for the use of personal data to set prices. The market study examined practices at several companies, including Mastercard, JPMorgan Chase and Accenture. Initial findings released in January said that 'consumer behaviors ranging from mouse movements on a webpage to the type of products that consumers leave unpurchased in an online shopping cart can be tracked and used by retailers to tailor consumer pricing.' It's not clear whether the Trump administration will make those inquiries a priority. The FTC under its new chair, Andrew Ferguson, withdrew public comment on surveillance pricing. Joe Simonson, an agency spokesperson, said that the study was ongoing. 'If Democrats are complaining about this practice, we're actually doing something about it. We're looking into this issue,' he said. An 'AI Action Plan' that President Donald Trump outlined this past week recommends that the FTC review prior investigations to make sure they don't 'unduly burden AI innovation.' 'All of that does lead to an opening for surveillance pricing, and emboldening,' Ben Winters, the director of AI and privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, said. Public backlash could still thwart AI pricing ambitions. After the uproar over Delta's public embrace of AI to set airfares, American Airlines called the practice inappropriate. 'Consumers need to know that they can trust American,' the CEO, Robert Isom, said on an earnings call. But Gene Burrus, a law and policy consultant who worked as American Airlines' competition lawyer 25 years ago, said consumer backlash was less of a concern for airlines than it used to be, in part because of consolidation in the industry. Mergers have left just a handful of major airlines, which means travelers have fewer places to turn if they're upset with an airline's pricing, he said. Will Congress step in? Three Democratic senators sent Delta a letter this past week raising concern about the airline's AI plans and the impact on travelers. A Republican senator, Josh Hawley of Missouri, said in a social media post that Delta's plans were 'the worst thing I have heard from the already awful airline industry.' Also this past week, Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, introduced legislation to ban surveillance pricing at the federal level. It's unclear how far that bill will go. A handful of states, including California, Georgia and New York, have introduced bills to regulate the practice, too, though several have stalled or been watered down. It's difficult to tell exactly what data companies are using. While critics worry about privacy breaches and higher prices, consumer companies have countered that AI-driven pricing won't harm already strained shoppers -- and could even lead to more discounts. For regulators, the competing claims pose a challenge, said Victoria Noble, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. She added: 'They would have to peer under the hood to look at what these tools are actually doing.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Copyright 2025
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Middle East flight disruptions grow after US airstrikes and Iranian missile threats
Air travel across the Middle East is facing major disruptions amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran and the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities over the closed its airspace Monday, with several other countries in the region reportedly doing so as well. It's not just travel to those destinations that's impacted, but also journeys through them. Dubai, for instance, is a major global connection hub, and United Airlines is among several carriers that have temporarily suspended flights there. 'Safety of flight is paramount. That means not just the airplane, it's the crew. It's the passengers. It's the cargo onboard, so all the decisions that are made are based on safety of flight,' said Robert W. Mann, Jr., an independent airline industry analyst and former airline executive who's now president of R.W. Mann & Company. 'I think where you see differences where is where you see differences in carrier assessments of safety of flight. Live updates: Iran targets US military base in Qatar days after nuclear sites bombed Here's what travelers flying to and through the Middle East should know. Do flights change routes? Airlines can sometimes reroute flights. 'You obviously want to take the customer where they want to go,' Mann said. 'Flying on time, reliably, is a big deal. That's important in customer attention and you know customer experience, so if it involves a reroute, you try that first.' However, rerouting has its limits. Is it safe to travel abroad right now? Worldwide caution issued after US strikes on Iran 'If you take an already long flight that transits a conflict zone and have to reroute it, you may add enough additional flight time that the equipment is not able to perform the mission nonstop,' Mann said. Additionally, he said, 'There are some limitations on flying time and duty time that are both established by the regulatory agencies – FAA for U.S. carriers – and by their collective bargaining agreements, so there's a finite limit on how much scheduled flying time is permissible.' Above all, safety comes first. "If it's a pure safety of flight issue, you don't go. Period,' Mann said. 'You've got to simply operate such that this is never a question anybody has to raise about you or anybody else in this industry.' What can travelers do? Passengers traveling into and through the Middle East should check with their airlines for the latest updates. 'It's really just a case of keep your ears open, keep your eyes open,' Mann said. 'The more informed you are, the better prepared you are and the better prepared you are, the more options you have.' He directed travelers to the State Department's travel advisories for additional guidance. 'They're quite risk adverse, I mean probably more risk adverse than a lot of individuals are, but on the other hand it's a good barometer for what they view as not only the instant risk, but the potential risk, and you have to think of things in potential terms,' he said. The State Department had already warned Americans against visiting Iran and Israel, but on Sunday issued a worldwide caution to U.S. citizens abroad on Sunday, following the U.S strikes on Iran. Travelers who are still planning their trips may consider adding travel insurance to their plans, but they should check the terms closely. SquareMouth Travel Insurance notes, 'Under most travel insurance policies, war, acts of war, and political unrest are excluded from cancellation coverage, meaning any resulting claims likely will not be paid. However, travel insurance policies typically do not have specific definitions for war.' What happens if my flight is canceled? If a flight is cancelled, travelers are entitled to a refund, according to Transportation Department rules. However, there may be cases when a carrier is still flying into a destination other carriers have suspended flights to, or travelers simply feel uneasy about going there. In those cases, travelers can reach out to the airline with their concerns. 'The carrier may give you credit for the value of the ticket,' Mann said. 'Some cases they won't. In other cases, they'll do so for a fee. In other cases, I am willing to bet that they will probably say, 'Yeah, that's fine. No problem. Just either rebook or tell us what you want to do.' ' The former airline executive said carriers are not only concerned about safety but also about keeping customers' business.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Airline cancels all flights, shuts down leaving travelers stranded
Silver Airways, a regional airline based in Florida, abruptly canceled all flights on Wednesday, June 11, leaving travelers stranded after announcing bankruptcy. "We regret to inform you that we are ceasing operations as of today, June 11, 2025," the Fort-Lauderdale-based company posted on it social media pages. "In an attempt to restructure in bankruptcy, Silver entered into a transaction to sell its assets to another airline holding company, who unfortunately has determined to not continue Silver's flight operations." The carrier operates in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. "Please do not go to the airport," the airline wrote. "All credit card purchases should be refundable through your credit card company or your travel agency." The move, the company reported on social media, came after a potential buyer decided not to fund the airline's operations during a sale out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. As the airline wrote on social media, all tickets purchased by credit card will be fully refundable to the form of purchase. According to Robert W. Mann, Jr., a former airline executive officer and current president of R. W. Mann and Co., an independent airline consultancy, tickets not purchased by credit card will still be eligible for refunds, but those would-be passengers will have to get in line with other airline creditors. Passengers with tickets who need to travel soon will likely need to purchase tickets on other airlines at higher prices, according to Mann. It's very rare for airlines in the U.S. to completely go out of business. Often, struggling airlines get purchased by other carriers or folded into another company's operations. According to Mann, a few small regional airlines that operated on behalf of larger carriers went out of business during the height of the COVID pandemic, but those larger airlines reshuffled service to bridge the gap. Other smaller airlines like Tailwind, which provided scheduled seaplane service between New York and Boston, have also gone out of business more recently. Tailwind shut down operations in 2024, according to Mann. (This story was updated to add new information.) Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Silver Airways bankruptcy: Flights canceled after airline shuts down
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Airline cancels all flights, shuts down leaving travelers stranded
Silver Airways, a regional airline based in Florida, abruptly canceled all flights on Wednesday, June 11, leaving travelers stranded after announcing bankruptcy. "We regret to inform you that we are ceasing operations as of today, June 11, 2025," the Fort-Lauderdale-based company posted on it social media pages. "In an attempt to restructure in bankruptcy, Silver entered into a transaction to sell its assets to another airline holding company, who unfortunately has determined to not continue Silver's flight operations." The carrier operates in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. "Please do not go to the airport," the airline wrote. "All credit card purchases should be refundable through your credit card company or your travel agency." Why did Silver Airways shut down? The move, the company reported on social media, came after a potential buyer decided not to fund the airline's operations during a sale out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Silver Airways ticketing county at Jacksonville International Airport. Biz 05jiaupdate01231 What happens to passengers with tickets on Silver Airways? As the airline wrote on social media, all tickets purchased by credit card will be fully refundable to the form of purchase. According to Robert W. Mann, Jr., a former airline executive officer and current president of R. W. Mann and Co., an independent airline consultancy, tickets not purchased by credit card will still be eligible for refunds, but those would-be passengers will have to get in line with other airline creditors. Passengers with tickets who need to travel soon will likely need to purchase tickets on other airlines at higher prices, according to Mann. What was the last US airline to shut down? It's very rare for airlines in the U.S. to completely go out of business. Often, struggling airlines get purchased by other carriers or folded into another company's operations. According to Mann, a few small regional airlines that operated on behalf of larger carriers went out of business during the height of the COVID pandemic, but those larger airlines reshuffled service to bridge the gap. Other smaller airlines like Tailwind, which provided scheduled seaplane service between New York and Boston, have also gone out of business more recently. Tailwind shut down operations in 2024, according to Mann. (This story was updated to add new information.) Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Silver Airways bankruptcy: Flights canceled after airline shuts down
Indianapolis Star
11-06-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Airline cancels all flights, shuts down leaving travelers stranded
Silver Airways, a regional airline based in Florida, abruptly canceled all flights on Wednesday, June 11, leaving travelers stranded after announcing bankruptcy. "We regret to inform you that we are ceasing operations as of today, June 11, 2025," the Fort-Lauderdale-based company posted on it social media pages. "In an attempt to restructure in bankruptcy, Silver entered into a transaction to sell its assets to another airline holding company, who unfortunately has determined to not continue Silver's flight operations." The carrier operates in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. "Please do not go to the airport," the airline wrote. "All credit card purchases should be refundable through your credit card company or your travel agency." The move, the company reported on social media, came after a potential buyer decided not to fund the airline's operations during a sale out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. As the airline wrote on social media, all tickets purchased by credit card will be fully refundable to the form of purchase. According to Robert W. Mann, Jr., a former airline executive officer and current president of R. W. Mann and Co., an independent airline consultancy, tickets not purchased by credit card will still be eligible for refunds, but those would-be passengers will have to get in line with other airline creditors. Passengers with tickets who need to travel soon will likely need to purchase tickets on other airlines at higher prices, according to Mann. It's very rare for airlines in the U.S. to completely go out of business. Often, struggling airlines get purchased by other carriers or folded into another company's operations. According to Mann, a few small regional airlines that operated on behalf of larger carriers went out of business during the height of the COVID pandemic, but those larger airlines reshuffled service to bridge the gap. Other smaller airlines like Tailwind, which provided scheduled seaplane service between New York and Boston, have also gone out of business more recently. Tailwind shut down operations in 2024, according to Mann. (This story was updated to add new information.) Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund
