Latest news with #summer travel
Skift
5 days ago
- Skift
Why This Summer Is Breaking Flight Crews and the System
The summer's busiest-ever travel season is posing enormous challenges for flight attendants, but union leader Sara Nelson is optimistic about rallying support for flight crews. Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit and Head of Research Seth Borko talk travel every week. Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit and Head of Research Seth Borko talk travel every week. Learn More A record-breaking summer travel season is straining flight crews and the federal systems that support them, says Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson. Nelson, who has been a union flight attendant since 1996 and currently represents 55,000 members at 20 airlines, has been called 'America's most powerful flight attendant.' During a recent episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Nelson said the combination of storms, inexperienced travelers, and insufficient staffing levels has made summer travel even harder for flight attendants. But despite the mounting challenges flight attendants are facing, including from recent federal legislation that she described as 'devastating,' Nelson believes public support for the profession is at an all-time high and sees other reasons for optimism. Listen to This Podcast Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS A Stressful Position Nelson explained why being a flight attendant is enormously difficult, especially during the summer. • 'Summer travel in general is always very, very hard for flight attendants because we also tend to have people who don't travel as often. So they don't necessarily know the routines.' • 'It's pretty stressful, and it's also why people with any kind of seniority at all tend to bid the summers off. • 'When I started in 1996, I had a lot of mentors on the plane, and we had time to actually learn the job… That's just not the case today. It's about rush, rush, rush — get that flight out.' Nelson added she's seen passenger behavior change coming out of the pandemic, although she didn't attribute it entirely to Covid. • 'We all sort of… were at home and not interacting with other people, and it does feel a little bit like we forgot how to be around other people.' Political Concerns Nelson also addressed the impact of the budget bill that President Donald Trump recently signed. • 'It's devastating for flight attendants. We're not going to see the full effects of it for a little while, but many flight attendants have parents who are using Medicaid and Medicare for their care.' • 'We're going to go through some really rough times — partially because of this big ugly bill, as I call it … I'm worried about the harm that that's going to do, and I'm worried that that is going to lead to people being demoralized.' However, Nelson gave Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy high marks for his push to upgrade the country's air traffic control system. • 'I will give Secretary Duffy props for taking the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Bill and essentially supercharging it to try to staff up and modernize and get the money to be able to do that.' Increased Support for Flight Attendants Although Nelson made it clear that being a flight attendant is harder than ever, she believes the general public is more appreciative of the position. • 'I think that the public has the most insight into what we do. They certainly see the importance of our role as aviation's first responders.' • 'They also have heard that we have been bargaining to get paid while boarding is going on, which we have never been paid in the history of our careers until these recent years in these recent contracts.' Nelson also said she's seen a growing solidarity among international flight crews and a resurgence of union interest, citing Delta Air Lines in particular. • 'I see a real opportunity to just change the way that our entire economy is built… and hopefully get back to the promise of what I had my hand over my heart for every morning in kindergarten.'
The Independent
7 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Diminished fun in the sun: Americans are spending 25 percent less on summer vacation this year over economic fears
As economic fears grow amid tariff threats, Americans are cutting back on summer travel this year compared to 2024, data shows. Inflation rose and consumer spending slowed in recent weeks as President Donald Trump's revived tariff threats loomed. He announced fresh levies on 26 countries last week, including a 30 percent tariff on Mexico and the European Union and a 50 percent tariff on Brazil. Economic uncertainty in Trump's second term seems to have factored into summer vacation budgets. Americans, on average, carved out $3,132 for this year's summer vacation — that's 25 percent less than the $4,199 they set aside to spend last year, according to a Ipsos-Generali Global Assistance survey. 'The spending slowdown is real,' Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, told the Washington Post. 'Consumers are stressed, and this is where we're seeing it first: in domestic flights, hotels, and a lot of other service-sector spending.' Fewer are planning on traveling at all, according to an SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus poll. More than half, 56 percent, of Americans said they planned to travel less this summer compared to typical years, the poll found. Finances were the most commonly cited reason for cutting back on travel. Others said they were hesitant to travel internationally, due to tensions between the U.S. and other countries. Just under half, 46 percent, of poll respondents said they're concerned about traveling abroad due to what's happening in Washington, D.C. Still, the amount of domestic travel plans this summer seemed consistent with prior years, the poll shows. Of those planning to vacation this summer, more than half — 53 percent — preferred domestic travel while 25 percent plan to go abroad, the Ipsos-Generali Global Assistance survey found. 'Many are opting for shorter, closer-to-home trips shaped by both economic realities (e.g. inflation, flight prices) and a desire for meaningful, low-stress experiences,' Chris Carnicelli, CEO of Generali Global Assistance, said in a statement. Chelsea Padilla, a 41-year-old Texas middle school teacher, told the Post that she had to be more 'thrifty' with her summer vacation plans because her monthly mortgage shot up $200. Rather than planning a trip for her family of five, Padilla and just her 16-year-old daughter flew to Florida using credit card points. They opted for a simple property close to the beach that offered a free breakfast — a far cry from the hotel suite they booked last summer. This year to cut back, they nibbled on grocery store purchases, namely fruit and snacks, for lunch and split an entree for dinner. 'It's become a real balance between the pressures of rising costs and still being able to enjoy our lives,' Padilla told the outlet. 'We're being as thrifty as we can.'
