Last-minute flight changes are stressful — here's how to make them less so.
CBSN
Rerouting, rebooking, diverting, you name it. Making last-minute flight changes can be an enormous challenge amid the stressful holiday travel season. Now add COVID-19 and the fast-spreading Omicron variant to the mix.
Hundreds of flights have already been canceled last-minute due to pandemic-related staffing shortages. Many airlines remain understaffed and overbooked as the country returns to air travel after pandemic shutdowns.
Spirit Airlines cast bad weather and labor shortages as the main culprits behind travel chaos that led to the low-cost carrier canceling more than 1,700 flights in August. The scenario replayed in September, when Southwest canceled hundreds of flights during the course of a weekend, and again in October when thousands of fliers were grounded after American shelved more than 1,800 flights nationwide over a three-day period.
FedEx said Tuesday that it will offer same-day delivery in partnership with logistics company OneRail, with the announcement following a recent move by Amazon to offer expedited deliveries across the U.S. Edited by Alain Sherter In:
OpenAI said Tuesday that it is discontinuing its Sora AI video app. Edited by Alain Sherter In:
The Pentagon is expected to send parts of the 82nd Airborne division to the Middle East as the Iran war extends into its fourth week, according to two sources. In:
Financial markets experts are raising concerns about possible insider trading after an unusual spike in oil futures trading only minutes before President Trump announced talks with Iran on Truth Social. Edited by Alain Sherter In:
NASA announced ambitious long-range plans Tuesday to spend $20 billion over the next seven years to build a moon base near the lunar south pole featuring habitats, pressurized rovers and nuclear power systems. The announcement came just over a week before the planned launch of NASA's Artemis II around-the-moon mission. In:
Minnesota state and county officials sued the federal government Tuesday, alleging they are being blocked from investigating the shootings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis by federal agents. In:
Washington — It's not a palace, but next month the White House is set to be overrun by royals. Gabrielle Ake contributed to this report.
Epic Games, the video game maker behind Fortnite, is laying off more than 1,000 workers amid "extreme" market conditions and a downturn in engagement with its most popular game, CEO Tim Sweeney said in a blog post Tuesday. Edited by Aimee Picchi In:
Security screening lines are so long at some U.S. airports that major airlines are letting passengers cancel or rebook their tickets free of charge during the ongoing partial federal government shutdown. Edited by Alain Sherter In:
Travelers at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport are standing for hours in security lines that may cause more risks for travelers — amid a DHS funding fight that's resulted in TSA staff shortages at major U.S. airports. Kaia Hubbard and Kathryn Krupnik contributed to this report. In:
Washington — President Trump, who calls voting by mail "cheating" and wants to restrict the method, voted by mail this month in Florida's special elections, public records show. In:
Washington — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong on Tuesday to replace newly confirmed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in the Senate.
Washington — The Senate is closing in on a deal to fund the bulk of the Department of Homeland Security and end the partial government shutdown that has stretched six weeks and snarled air travel. Seiji Yamashita and Alan He contributed to this report.