Starfish Travel Corporation Team

The World travel Organisation (UNWTO) and Qatar Tourism have partnered to create the Qatar Tourism Awards, a programme intended to commemorate and honour the extraordinary contributions made by companies in providing exceptional and distinctive travel experiences in Qatar. By honouring tourist companies that consistently perform exceptional customer service, the Qatar tourist Awards aim to draw attention on the elements that go into designing a visitor’s experience at every touchpoint of their journey. The goal of this effort is to inspire all parties involved in the direct or indirect delivery of tourist experiences to keep creating and emulating extraordinary initiatives that stand out for their originality, sustainability, accessibility, and high level of service. His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Chairman of Qatar tourist and Chief Executive of the Qatar Airways Group, stated: “We are thrilled to announce the Qatar Tourism Awards, which are intended to highlight the outstanding work of stakeholders in the tourist sector. The vision, tenacity, and passion of the organisations and people involved in the tourism industry have allowed Qatar to become home to some of the most famous tourist attractions in the world. Through this programme, we seek to motivate and inspire our collaborators to create fresh, cutting-edge projects that will further enhance Qatar’s standing as a premier travel destination. The three main categories of the Qatar Tourism Awards—Cultural Experiences, Smart Solutions, and Service Excellence—highlight various facets of the traveller experience. All tourism firms, operators, entrepreneurs, visitor attractions, organisations, and events that operate in Qatar and market Qatar to a local and worldwide audience are eligible to enter the Qatar Tourism Awards. The awards are already accepting submissions, and later this year, a special event will be held to announce the winners. Source: breakingtravelnews

In the first quarter of 2023, Dubai received 4.67 million foreign overnight guests, up from 3.97 million visitors in the same period of 2022. According to the most recent information provided by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), this is a 17% YoY gain and the city’s highest Q1 performance since the pandemic, putting it firmly on course to become the most popular foreign destination. In order to solidify Dubai’s position as one of the top three cities in the world, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 in January. This growth puts the city on track for a full tourism recovery. His Majesty “The remarkable growth in international visitation achieved by Dubai in the first quarter of 2023 demonstrates the city’s emergence as one of the key destinations leading the way in the rebound of the global tourism sector,” said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. This accomplishment is the result of the leadership’s expansive ambition to make Dubai the world’s leading centre for tourism, talent, entrepreneurship, and investment. Dubai is currently one of the world’s fastest-growing metropolises. His Highness just announced the Dubai Economic Agenda. Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, lays out an ambitious new course for Dubai in order to increase its contributions to determining the direction of the world economy. In addition to being one of the strongest economic foundations in our country, the tourist industry plays a crucial role in enabling Dubai’s unique position as a global link between markets, cultures, and regions. In the next years, Dubai will keep launching innovative new projects in an effort to stand out as a tourism destination and fulfil its ambition of becoming the finest city in the world to live, visit, work, and invest. At 98% of pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2023, according to the most recent industry results, Dubai is the destination that is recovering the fastest globally, beating the UN World Trade Organization’s prediction that international tourist arrivals could reach between 80 and 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels this year, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. A remarkable achievement since turning the tide in July 2020 by reopening the city to international tourists, and in spite of current global economic headwinds, was the number of visitors in Q1 2023, which fell just two percentage points short of the pre-pandemic volume of 4.75 million tourists that arrived in Dubai in the first three months of 2019. The sector’s achievement also marked the culmination of a stellar first quarter for Dubai, which saw the city named the top worldwide destination once more in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2023. This is just the second occasion in history that a city has received the prestigious award for two years in a row. The Honourable “Q1 2023 has set us off on a very strong trajectory for the year and is driving us closer to realising the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the most visited and returned-to destination,” said Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. The robust performance of the industry is confirmation of our clearly defined strategy and evidence of the unwavering support of our stakeholders and partners in the travel and tourism sector. As we put more effort into fulfilling the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda 2033, the next ten years will witness our sector go through unprecedented phases of transition in terms of infrastructure, technology, attractions, and experiences. The multi-pronged strategy that helped us succeed in 2022 will be continued in order to keep Dubai’s appeal as the top travel destination in the world: evolving the destination promise, taking a multi-geographic approach to markets, constant international outreach through global campaigns, hosting international MICE, business, and leisure events, and further strengthening stakeholder relationships. The pillars of sustainability, cuisine, trade, and technology will serve as the cornerstone of our future success as we anticipate more accelerated momentum in our tourist sector. A significant milestone for us is that this year has been designated as the UAE’s “Year of Sustainability” as the nation gets ready to host COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference. As we aim to become the finest city in the world to live and work in, sustainability will be at the centre of all we do. We will integrate sustainable practises into every part of the visitor experience. strong reversal The effectiveness of the city’s diversified multi-geographic approach is further demonstrated by the fact that Dubai’s traditional source markets continued to have a positive influence on foreign visitors during the first quarter of the year. The top area was made up of the GCC and MENA, which contributed 29% of the overall volumes, demonstrating the city’s sustained attraction to visitors from nearby markets. South Asia accounted for 16% of all overseas visitors, followed by CIS and Eastern Europe with a combined contribution of 15%, the Americas (7%), North Asia and South East Asia (6%), Africa (4%), and Australasia (1%). Western Europe accounted for 22% of tourist arrivals. While four regions have fully recovered and surpassed Q1 2019 levels, including MENA (32% vs. Q1-2019), the Americas (9% vs. Q1-2019, and Australasia (2% vs. 2019), the majority of regions have shown significant growth in Q1 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. In terms of tourism volume, South Asia and Western Europe are both almost back to pre-pandemic levels. Dubai’s hotel industry is driving development Performance at hotels in Dubai increased significantly in the first quarter of 2023. The industry’s average occupancy from January to March was a staggering 83%, ranking among the highest in the world and nearly matching the

The Singapore Tourism Awards 2023 honoured 25 people and companies for providing extraordinary experiences and exhibiting business excellence when tourism fully resumed the previous year. The Singapore Tourism Awards, given out by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), are intended to increase the competitiveness of the industry by encouraging people and organisations to provide engaging experiences and implement best practises. From 90 finalists[2] submitted for the Experience Excellence (Leisure/MICE), Enterprise Excellence, and Customer Service Excellence categories, winners[1] were chosen. “I congratulate all of our award recipients and finalists for their outstanding achievements,” stated STB Chief Executive Mr. Keith Tan. Their initiatives have improved the experiences of tourists to Singapore and benefited Singapore’s tourism industry. I hope that others in the tourist industry will be motivated by their successes to rise to the occasion and provide even more in the future. Outstanding Lifetime Achievement for Tourism Contribution The Award’s highest honour, Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism, was given to Mr. George Tanasijevich, former president, chief executive officer, and managing director of Marina Bay Sands. He led the successful 2006 bid by Las Vegas Sands Corporation to build the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort. It is currently one of the most famous tourist sites in the world, generating good jobs for locals and substantial economic gains for Singapore. Recognising excellence in travel For their exceptional efforts in Experience Excellence (Leisure/MICE), Enterprise Excellence, and Customer Service Excellence, 24 people and businesses were also recognised. Avatar: The Experience received the Outstanding Attraction Experience award in the area of Experience Excellence (Leisure). While giving a “eco-smart tourable experience” that can be moved about and reused, it engaged visitors in the “Pandora” universe while lowering its total carbon footprint. fish in a kayak The Outstanding Tour Experience award was given to Fever’s Kayak Sailing in Singapore, Mangrove and Culinary Adventure for bringing tourists near to the natural ecology and habitats while providing a unique look at life on Pulau Ubin. Due to its innovative use of an open wood and charcoal fire smokehouse and grill to create distinctively Asian flavours with Nanyang Teochew cuisine at the centre, Blue Smoke was selected Outstanding Casual Dining Experience. For splitting FHA 2022 into two tradeshows, Informa’s Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) won the Outstanding Business Event award under the Experience Excellence (MICE) award category. It attracted significant attendance, making it Asia’s best-attended Food and Hospitality event. For transforming Marina Bay Sands from a single venue attraction to a lively and connected district, Sands Expo and Convention Centre (Marina Bay Sands) received the Outstanding Event Venue Experience award. Additionally, it received the Exceptional Achievement[3] award for three consecutive years of Outstanding Event Venue Experience. For demonstrating leadership in sustainability and conservation, Mandai Wildlife Group received the Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability award from the Enterprise Excellence award category. The organisation concentrated on improving neighbourhood habitats and ecological linkages at Mandai Wildlife Reserve in order to conserve biodiversity. Additionally, it reduced the amount of single-use plastics in the parks by 80% and changed the trams and buggies inside the parks to run on electricity. The Discovery Neverending NFTs from Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) won the award for Outstanding Marketing Idea because it effectively increased brand recognition and user engagement by capitalising on the acceptance of non-fungible tokens (NFT) among its target markets. The creative marketing strategy raised SDC’s loyalty programme sign-ups and attracted significant involvement, obtaining 1.96 million impressions on their social media platforms. It also included a clear analysis and mapping of audience behaviour. Due to its organised approach to personnel management and development, Resorts World Sentosa was honoured as an Outstanding Employer (formerly known as the Exemplary Employer award). In 2022, the business created a tiered skill allotment system and completed about 300,000 training hours. A specialised Innovation Department is also there to support and collaborate with other departments on work practises and innovation. Outstanding wellness experience receives a new award The Outstanding Wellness Experience award was launched this year in keeping with STB’s vision for Singapore to develop into a global hub for urban wellness and to expand our tourist services in this field. The first-place prize was won by Xiu Nature Connections. Xiu Nature Connections has developed a novel approach for tourists to see Singapore through its unusual forest bathing experience that draws on Singapore’s little pockets of greenery. Additionally, it worked with partners including Far East Hospitality, Seek Sophie, and ClassPass to promote their forest bathing activities internationally. The Singapore tourist Awards, which are presented by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), unite Singapore’s tourist industry to honour those people and businesses who succeed at providing unique experiences and achieving business excellence. The Awards are a crucial component of STB’s initiatives to increase the competitiveness of the Singapore tourism industry by inspiring businesses and individuals to provide memorable experiences or adopt best practises. Visit www.singaporetourismawards.com for more details. Source: breakingtravelnews

Greater China is driving the expansion of APAC’s recovery, with pre-pandemic hotel occupancy levels in APAC exceeding post-pandemic levels by 5% in Q1 2023 compared to Q1. As the sector moves into the second half of the year, travel demand is rising across all markets in the Asia Pacific region (APAC), indicating that the industry is well on its road to recovery. Amadeus’ Demand360® data reveals that due to the recent reopening of Greater China’s border, the region’s hotel occupancy growth trajectory in the first quarter of 2023 (January-March) increased by 61.7%, surpassing 2019 levels by 3%. Greater China is driving the expansion of APAC’s recovery, with pre-pandemic hotel occupancy levels in APAC exceeding post-pandemic levels by 5% in Q1 2023 compared to Q1. The greatest hotel occupancy rate in APAC for Q1 is seen in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), which saw an increase from 64.5% in January 2023 to 76.5% in March 2023. Throughout Q1 2023, hotel occupancy rates in significant APAC markets increased. Tokyo is one of the markets that performed well, with hotel occupancy rates exceeding records from mid-March to April 2023 during the cherry blossom season, reaching over 80%. In addition, from February to March 2023, hotel occupancy in Sydney was 85% on average. Hotels in Singapore fared 2-3% better in February and March 2023 than previous record highs in 2019. Hotel occupancy in Seoul increased 7% from January to March 2023 compared to the same period in 2019. Notably, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, and Beijing are the top markets with the highest regional hotel occupancy rates in Q1, with rates above 70% over the Easter week from April 7–10, 2023. “We are beyond thrilled by the hospitality resurgence that is currently taking place across Asia Pacific compared to pre-pandemic levels,” says Maria Taylor, Head of Commercial, Asia Pacific, Hospitality, Amadeus. As domestic and international tourism have picked up, this is a positive indication that hoteliers in APAC may anticipate a sizable return in the long run. Source: traveldailynews

A new round of strikes will cause additional disruption for passengers, according to Ben Chapman of ITV News. Due to ongoing salary issues, train drivers and other workers are striking, causing further travel disruptions for rail customers. Following strikes on Friday, members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at train operators will walk out on Saturday in connection with ongoing issues. On May 31 and June 3, the days of the FA Cup final at Wembley, more strikes will take place. Here is a summary of each operator’s strike day strategy: West Coast Avanti No trains on Friday. With the exception of a few routes to and from Liverpool, which is hosting the Eurovision song contest, fewer trains than usual will run on Saturday and only between 7am and 7pm. c2c Friday: Regular schedule. Saturday: There won’t be any significant effects, although all services will go to/from London Fenchurch Street and won’t stop at Stratford or London Liverpool Street. Scottish Sleeper Friday: Regular schedule. On Saturday nights, The Caledonian Sleeper does not run. Railways Chiltern No trains on Friday. No trains will operate on Saturday north of Banbury. Only during the hours of about 9am and 9pm will services between London Marylebone and Banbury, Oxford, and Aylesbury through Amersham be reduced to one train per hour in each direction. CrossCountry No trains on Friday. On Saturday, there will be no direct trains between Birmingham New Street and Aberdeen, Cambridge, Cardiff, Glasgow, Nottingham, or Stansted Airport. The services that do run will only be available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Northeastern Railway No trains on Friday. On Saturday, services are available from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Between London St Pancras and each of Nottingham, Sheffield and Corby as well as a few regional lines, such as between Derby and Matlock, they will be limited to just one train per hour in each direction. line Elizabeth Friday: Regular schedule. On Saturday, there will be some service changes even though the Elizabeth line is not a party to the RMT’s labour dispute. Between Maidenhead and Reading, there are no trains at all before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Express to Gatwick No trains on Friday. No trains will run on Saturday, however Southern and Thameslink will provide service to Gatwick. Big Central Friday: Regular schedule. Saturday: There will be a few minor service changes, although Grand Central is not a party to the RMT’s labour dispute. Superior Northern No trains on Friday. On Saturday, only a limited service will be provided, and only from 7am to 7pm. There won’t be any trains running between King’s Lynn and Ely. Western Great Railway On Friday, just a restricted service will be provided from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm. Reading and Didcot, Reading and Basingstoke, Reading and Redhill, Westbury and Swindon, Cardiff and Bristol, and Plymouth and Gunnislake will be the only lines that are available. There will be no Night Riviera sleeper service. On Saturday, just a limited service will be provided, from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm. Compared to Friday, more routes will be available, including new ones between Penzance and Plymouth, Slough and Windsor, London Paddington and Didcot Parkway, and London Paddington and Cardiff. larger Anglia Friday: Only between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge, Norwich, Southend, and Stansted Airport will a limited service be provided. On Saturday, trains will run from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. The majority of routes will have regular or almost normal service, while certain routes may have a decreased frequency. Airport Express No trains on Friday. No trains on Saturday after 9 p.m. U.K. Trains Friday: Regular schedule. Saturday: Regular schedule. LNER, or London North Eastern Railway On Friday and Saturday, only a restricted timetable between London King’s Cross and Leeds and Edinburgh will be in effect. Northwestern Railway in London No trains on Friday. On Saturday, only a limited service will be provided, and only from 7am to 7pm. Only the routes connecting Birmingham New Street with London Euston, Birmingham International, and Liverpool Lime Street will be open. British Overground Friday: Regular schedule. On Saturday, a few of London Overground’s services will be somewhat altered despite the fact that it is not a party to the RMT’s labour dispute. Lumo Saturday and Friday: Regular schedule. Merseyrail No strikes had an impact on Friday or Saturday. Due to Eurovision, additional services will be provided. Northern No trains on Friday. Only a limited service will be provided on Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. There won’t be many routes operating, such as those between Darlington and Saltburn, Leeds and York, and Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester. ScotRail Saturday and Friday: Regular schedule. Western South Railway Friday: Isle of Wight trains are not running. Between London Waterloo and Exeter, as well as in the Romsey region and on the suburban network, services will be cut back. On Saturday, a limited service will be available exclusively from 7am to 7pm. The only routes that will be available are those that go from London Waterloo to Windsor through Hounslow, Windsor via Richmond, Woking, and Basingstoke, between Basingstoke and Salisbury, and on the Isle of Wight. Southeastern No trains on Friday. On Saturday, just 58 of the 180 stations will be open, resulting in a lower level of service. Services may begin later and end sooner than usual, and trains that do operate will likely be busier than usual. Southern No trains on Friday. On Saturday, there will be a limited service. Between Hemel Hempstead and Clapham Junction, London Bridge and Norwood Junction, Southampton Central and Barnham, and Eastbourne and Ashford International, no trains will operate. St. Pancras Express On Friday, the number of trains will be cut in half to one per hour in each direction. On Saturday, trains will run at a frequency of one per hour in each direction, starting later and finishing sooner than usual. Thameslink No trains on Friday. On Saturday, only north and southbound trains will run between

Due to a new strike and the intensification of ongoing pay conflicts, rail travellers will face more travel mayhem on Saturday. On the day of the Eurovision Song Contest final in Liverpool, RMT members will stage walkouts at 14 railway operators around England. The action on Friday by the railway drivers’ union, Aslef, crippled services, resulting in a daylong train strike in several areas of England. Despite the ongoing impasse over the wage dispute, Aslef’s general secretary Mick Whelan disclosed that there had been no discussions with the Government since early January. He stated that unless they received a reasonable compensation offer, they would be willing to continue participating in industrial action. An offer of an 8% pay increase spread over two years has been called “risible” by Aslef. “The government seems to think they can starve us back to work, or that we will give up, but that isn’t going to happen,” said Mr. Whelan, who joined picket lines in Manchester and Liverpool. “There will be more strikes because we are in this for the long haul.” On May 31 and June 3, the days of the FA Cup Final at Wembley, Aslef has urged for more stoppages. After several weeks of discussions, the Rail Delivery Group claimed to have offered a “revised and fair offer” to the Aslef leadership, including a salary increase of 8% over two years. It would have implemented long-needed, logical upgrades that were already in place in some areas of the network, resulting in more trains operating on time for passengers. Sadly, this was turned down, a spokeswoman stated. On Saturday, travellers were advised to verify before leaving. Since Merseyrail is not impacted by the strike, it is anticipated that it will operate normally throughout the Eurovision Song Contest. Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT, predicted strong support for the walkout on Saturday. This strike is being held in response to a recent re-ballot of members working for 14 railway operating firms, which overwhelmingly reaffirmed a mandate for more strike action, the speaker stated. “Throughout this conflict, the railway firms have been unable to propose a fair settlement because of government restrictions. “We’re striking so the government and employers can understand the intense resentment among train employees is very genuine. They need to acknowledge that fact, confront reality, and come up with better alternatives. “We are requesting that the rail companies sit down with RMT and engage in sincere negotiations to improve the situation for rail workers.” The RMT noted that when it recently reballotted its members, a “massive” vote in favour of continuing strike action was received. According to the union, Saturday was picked as the strike date since it was the final one permitted by employment regulations. On Saturday, there will be more rail services than on Friday, although several firms are limiting the number of routes and operating hours. Source: hindustantimes

The administration of Jammu and Kashmir is introducing fresh programmes and tourism attractions as part of its preparation for the next G20 meeting. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, the secretary of tourism for Jammu and Kashmir, launches a hot air balloon at Zabarwan Park in Srinagar on Friday in advance of the G20 summit. Adventure events are held in Jammu and Kashmir to increase tourism before the G20 Summit. The picturesque region of Jammu and Kashmir is already well-known for its breathtaking natural landscape and rich cultural history, but the approaching G20 summit is now offering a special chance to highlight the region’s tourist potential on a worldwide scale.Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, the secretary of tourism for Jammu and Kashmir, launches a hot air balloon at Zabarwan Park in Srinagar on Friday in advance of the G20 summit. Adventure events are held in Jammu and Kashmir to increase tourism before the G20 Summit. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, the secretary of tourism for Jammu and Kashmir, launches a hot air balloon at Zabarwan Park in Srinagar on Friday in advance of the G20 summit. Adventure events are held in Jammu and Kashmir to increase tourism before the G20 Summit. The visiting delegates from various nations who will attend the summit, according to Syed Abid Rashid Shah, Secretary of Tourism, will serve as ambassadors to market the area as a popular travel destination on a worldwide scale. He said that the G20 gathering will assist to favourably represent J&K on the international stage. “We are expecting that the delegates visiting J&K will promote the UT as a global tourist destination,” he said. The administration of Jammu and Kashmir is introducing new projects and tourism attractions as part of its summit preparations. The hot air balloon and trekking adventure at Zabarwan Park, which Shah officially opened, is one such addition. The hot air balloon flight provides tourists with a one-of-a-kind and exhilarating experience by giving them a bird’s eye perspective of the lovely valley and its surrounds. “We continually work to develop fresh and distinctive experiences for visitors to J&K. The hot air balloon trip is one such activity that would enhance Srinagar’s appeal and draw more tourists, according to Shah. The Jammu and Kashmir administration wants to showcase the region’s various tourism attractions, such as its historical sites, lovely landscapes, and adventure sports, with the aid of the visiting delegates. Popular tourist destinations including the Dal Lake, the Mughal Gardens, and the Gulmarg ski resort are already located in the area. The G20 meeting offers Jammu and Kashmir the chance to become a popular travel destination on a worldwide scale. The administration is sure that the region will become a popular tourism destination with the help of the global community. We will keep working to achieve this aim, as Shah stated. The impending G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir is an opportunity for the area to promote its tourist potential to the globe in addition to being a political gathering. Jammu and Kashmir is well on its way to become a top international tourism destination thanks to new initiatives and attractions. Source: hindustantimes

‘It’s left us out of pocket … with no cards and lots of tears.’ An Australian woman who was conned out of $2,700 while on vacation in Bali is alerting other visitors following her traumatic experience. The woman, who requested anonymity, claimed that she and her partner had scheduled an hour-long massage at a salon in Seminyak. As they entered, they both gave their phones to the staff so they could relax fully during the massage. The lady posted a warning on a Facebook group: “When we got out, our phones had messages about fraudulent transactions — $2,700 has been successfully stolen, which cleaned out our accounts and put us in the negative.” “What was a wonderful vacation has now become a nightmare.” Although their bank was able to halt two transactions totaling $4,500 and $7,500, the woman claimed their cards had to be terminated. We are now out of money, without any functional cards, and in a lot of tears, she stated. Also, “The bank… can’t guarantee we will get (the money) back, pending a fraud investigation.” After the encounter, the lady told 7NEWS.com.au, they decided to go home early. “Our Marriott hotel has been wonderful, and security and management confronted the massage manager and also assisted us with going to the police to make a report for the bank,” she added. The hoax scared other passengers in the Facebook group. “I really appreciate you showing this. great civic engagement. The only thing I can say is, “I’m so sorry you had to go through this. It was horrible!” Another person chimed in, “This is so disgusting and unfortunately not the first incident I’ve read about.” Source: 7news

DETROIT (AP) — In an effort to demand more compensation, pilots from one of the country’s largest airlines protested in picket lines at significant airports on Friday, just before of what might be a record-breaking summer travel season. While attempting to reach an agreement with airline management over a new contract, the United Airlines pilots have been working without a pay increase for more than four years. But a strike by the pilots is unlikely to happen soon. The last strike at an American airline took place more than ten years ago, and federal legislation makes it exceedingly difficult for unions to carry out walkouts in the aviation sector. Following resounding strikes authorization votes by pilots at American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, United pilots have launched nationwide demonstrations. According to union leaders, the next group to vote may be United pilots. All three airlines’ pilots are aiming to equal or surpass the agreement that Delta Air Lines and its pilots achieved earlier this year, which increased pay rates by 34% over four years. The top pay at United for a captain is $369 per hour on two-aisle aircraft, or “widebodies,” which are typically used for international flights, and $297 per hour on “narrowbodies” like Boeing 737s. According to the Labour Department, airline pilots fly 75 hours a month on average. Although United has promised to match the Delta increase, a deal may not be possible with that proposal alone. Garth Thompson, chair of the United wing of the Air Line Pilots Association, stated that there was still more work to be done in order to overcome some of the concerns on the table. Thompson said that the two parties’ negotiations on scheduling, especially the union’s desire to restrict United’s power to force pilots to work on their days off, had prevented them from discussing salaries. A spokesperson for United, Joshua Freed, stated, “We’re continuing to work with the Air Line Pilots Association on the industry-leading deal we have put on the table for our world-class pilots.” According to the pilots, United should give them a bonus for saving the airline from the coronavirus epidemic. Pilot Arzu Delp protested at San Francisco International Airport. “We made quite a few sacrifices during the pandemic, and we feel that it is now time for the company to step up and to give us a contract, acknowledging the sacrifices and the contributions that we have made,” he said. The United pilots’ starting point is the Delta deal, which will cost Delta $7.2 billion over four years. According to Blaise Waguespack, an instructor of airline management and marketing at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, all airlines are struggling with increased labour expenses, which may be reflected in the cost of a ticket. However, supply and demand also affect ticket prices. Airlines are generating a lot of money, according to Giselle Ascione, a United customer in San Francisco, and “the pilots as well as the attendants should be paid.” Common sense says it. Strikes are unlikely in the coming months, when millions of Americans plan to fly for their summer vacation, even if the airlines and their unions are unable to rapidly come to an agreement. U.S. law prohibits airline and railway employees from going on strike or being locked out until federal mediators rule that further discussions are useless. Even when the National Mediation Board does, there is a “cooling-off” period during which the White House and Congress can prevent a strike from taking place. Bill Clinton acted in this manner shortly after pilots in 1997 started striking against American. The prospect of a walkout was eliminated in December when President Joe Biden signed legislation enacted by Congress imposing contract terms on freight railway workers. Spirit Airlines was the site of the most recent strike at a U.S. airline in 2010. The United union president Thompson promised that his pilots “will continue to work in 2023” despite obstacles including a “aggressive” summer flying schedule. Over the years, airline employees have engaged in labour actions that didn’t amount to strikes but nonetheless interfered with flights. Although the sum was eventually lowered, a federal judge fined the American Airlines pilots’ union $45 million for a 1999 sickout that severely hampered the airline’s operations. A federal court ordered American’s aeroplane mechanic unions to end what the airline described as an unlawful labour halt in 2019. Congress would not approve an airline strike due to the potential economic damage, according to Arthur Wheaton, head of labour studies at Cornell University, but disgruntled pilots might still cause problems in other ways. “They constantly believe in the rule of labour. They may respond, ‘We’re not working any overtime,’” Wheaton said. The capacity to do that can be a negotiation strategy. “I don’t anticipate the pilots trying to intentionally muck up travel for everyone,” the negotiator said. Because companies rely on finding pilots and flight attendants to pick up extra hours during seasons of high travel demand, airlines are susceptible to work-to-rule demonstrations. Despite the legal obstacles to a walkout, strike ballots have grown in popularity because unions think they provide them negotiating power. Additionally, a lack of pilots gives those unions an advantage in negotiations. About 14,000 pilots work for Chicago-based United, and the union anticipates that at least 2,000 of them will protest on Friday at 10 airports from Newark, New Jersey, to Los Angeles. Additionally, the union is circulating pamphlets that emphasise the pilots’ demand for improved scheduling that balances work and life, but leave out any discussion of compensation. Source: hindustantimes

In their respective categories, JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines are ranked first. THE TROY, MICH. The previous two quarters have seen record income for airlines due to a mix of high demand, tight supply, and rising prices, but this era of increased revenues is coming at the expense of consumer pleasure. Customer satisfaction with major airlines is declining significantly for a second year in a row, according to the J.D. Power 2023 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, raising the possibility of brand damage if the current pattern of price increases, staffing shortages, and fewer routes persists. “If yield management were the only metric airlines needed to be successful over the long term, this would be a banner year for the industry because they are operating at peak economic efficiency,” said Michael Taylor, travel intelligence head at J.D. Power. However, from the standpoint of the client, this implies that there are fewer flights available, more expensive tickets, and packed planes. Although the market for leisure travel has not yet been affected by these issues, if this pattern continues, consumers may hit a breaking point and some airline brands may suffer. Some of the major conclusions of the 2023 research are as follows: The expense of travel is primarily to blame for the fall in overall customer satisfaction: On a scale of 1 to 1,000, the overall passenger satisfaction is 791, down 7 points from the previous year. After falling by 22 points from 2021 to 2022, passenger satisfaction has been declining for the past two years in a row. Cost and fees, which have decreased 17 points from 2022, are the main cause of this year’s loss in satisfaction. First-class travellers defy the norm: Passengers in the first/business sector have had a noticeably better experience, even if overall satisfaction is down. Scores on passenger satisfaction in this area have increased by 9 points since last year. The improvements can be attributed in part to higher food and beverage ratings because many services were restored for top class cabins after the epidemic. Low-cost carriers have hardship: The sector of economy/basic economy, where budget-conscious travellers have found fewer flight deals this year, has seen the greatest annual reductions in customer satisfaction. In the economy/basic economy group, satisfaction with costs and fees is down 19 points from a year earlier. Everyone can agree on one thing: Food and beverage, which is up overall 12 percent from 2022, is one of the few segments this year exhibiting development across all categories. Research Rankings With a score of 893, JetBlue Airways continues to lead the first/business sector in terms of customer satisfaction. United Airlines (848) is in third place, followed by Delta Air Lines (865). With an 848 rating, Delta Air Lines has the highest customer satisfaction rating in the premium economy category. Alaska Airlines (823) is in third place, followed by JetBlue Airways (840). With an 827 rating, Southwest Airlines continues to lead the economy/basic economy market in terms of customer satisfaction. JetBlue Airways (800) comes in third, followed by Delta Air Lines (801). The North America Airline Satisfaction Study evaluates the performance of eight variables (listed in alphabetical order): aircraft, luggage, boarding, check-in, cost and fees, flight crew, in-flight services, and reservation. These factors are used to determine how satisfied passengers are with North American airline carriers. Based on responses from 7,774 passengers, the survey gauges passenger happiness in three categories: first/business, premium economy, and economy/basic economy. A major North American airline flight during the previous month was required of respondents to a poll. Between March 2022 and March 2023, the study was conducted. Source: traveldailynews