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United Airlines Announced It Will Be The First Airline To Offer Nonbinary Gender Options For Customers To Book Flights

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United Airlines announced Friday that it has become the first US airline to allow customers to have the option to book flights with a nonbinary gender prefix and title, “Mx.”

In a press release shared by the company, United said customers “now have the ability to identify themselves as M(male), F(female), U(undisclosed) or X(unspecified), corresponding with what is indicated on their passports or identification.”

The airline said the decision was made to “lead the industry in LGBT inclusivity” and “to exhibit our care for” its customers.

As part of its security screenings, federal Transportation Security Administration regulations require all flying passengers to disclose their gender identity prior to their flight, but TSA agents will accept any gender identification so as long as it’s consistent with what’s listed on the flyer’s government-issued ID. Several states now offer IDs that allow people to identify as something other than male or female.

United’s Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist said United is proud to be the first US airline to institute the inclusive booking options.

“United is excited to share with our customers, whether they identify along the binary of male or female or not, that we are taking the steps to exhibit our care for them,” he added, “while also providing additional employee training to make us even more welcoming for all customers and employees.”

The airline said it’s also worked with the Human Rights Campaign and the Trevor Project to train employees “about preferred pronouns and persistence of gender norms.”

The National Center for Transgender Equality has a lengthy guide advising transgender passengers on their rights while traveling and in airports.

Flying with Golf Clubs: 4 Best Golf Bags for Air Travel & Things to Know

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If you stumbled upon this page, chances are that you are planning a golf trip – and that you are planning to go further than your local golf course. More precisely, you are planning to go on a golfing trip by a plane.

While getting your golfing equipment to your destination is easy if you are driving – just throw it in the trunk of your car and go – it gets a bit more confusing when traveling by air. Especially nowadays when airlines make it sometimes hard to figure out even what the regular luggage allowance is.

Because of that, I looked into the issue and am reporting my findings back to you.

Continue reading to learn what the best golf club cases for air travel are (if you can’t wait, here’s one of them: SKB 2SKB-4814W Deluxe ATA Golf Travel Case), how to pack your golf equipment before heading to the airport in a way that doesn’t get it damaged, and what the airline rules are when flying with golf clubs and other equipment.

 

4 Best Golf Club Cases for (Not Only) Air Travel

First, let’s take a look at some of the golf club cases that are suitable for air travel.

While the one that’s best for your needs will differ, in most cases, the SKB 2SKB-4814W Deluxe ATA Golf Travel Case will be the ideal one to get if you plan to fly with your golf equipment.

Also keep in mind that if you go with the Samsonite and Founders Club cases, the airline might require you to sign a limited release when checking the bags in as one of them is not a “true” hard case, and the other one is soft shell.

Anyways, let’s jump in.

 

SKB 2SKB-4814W Deluxe ATA Golf Travel Case

The SKB 2SKB-4814W Deluxe ATA Golf Travel Case is one of the most popular hard shell golf cases for air travel, and rightfully so. It’s made in the United States out of high-quality polyethylene, and is made to the ATA Spec 300 specifications meaning it’s very durable.

Measuring about 82 linear inches, it is small enough to fit within most airlines’ golf equipment luggage allowance. Yet, it’s large enough to fit most common golf bags. That said, some users found its internal dimensions of 48 x 14 x 11 inches not enough to fit their bags – and so, make sure to measure your regular golf bag before getting this case.

The case weighs about 18 pounds, and is equipped with TSA-approved locks.

While the case comes with a “Million Mile Guaranty” and a 1,500 USD club coverage, many users reported not having had to use it since the bag is sturdy and protects the clubs inside perfectly.

Overall, if you are looking for a hard case for your golf equipment and your bag will fit into this one, then it should certainly be at the top of your list of cases to consider.

Read reviews of the SKB 2SKB-4814W Deluxe ATA Golf Travel Case on Amazon

 

HUNSAKER USA Iron-Locker Hard Sided Golf Travel Case

If your golf bag doesn’t fit into the previous case, make sure to check the HUNSAKER USA Iron-Locker Hard Sided Golf Travel Case which is quite similar. It comes with a lifetime warranty, and is made in the United States.

Its inside dimensions are 50 x 14 x 11.5 inches, and it weighs almost 20 pounds when empty. Because of that – even though it is equipped with three different handles and a pair of wheels – it can get quite heavy to carry around an airport when fully loaded.

While you will need a (ideally TSA-approved) lock to actually secure the bag, the case is equipped with sturdy metal latches that prevent the bag from opening.

Also, unlike some of the other models which split open, the HUNSAKER USA case has a removable top. Depending on your preferences, you might find that easier or more difficult to use.

Overall, though, while the SKB seems to be more popular, I wouldn’t stay away from this bag either – especially if the SKB is a bit too small to fit your golf bag.

Read reviews of the HUNSAKER USA Iron-Locker Hard Sided Golf Travel Case on Amazon

 

Samsonite Hard Sided Golf Travel Case

While the two cases above were “true hard cases,” the Samsonite Hard Sided Golf Travel Case is made out of ABS – and so is more one of those suitcases made out of fairly thin plastic.

Because of that, it will not protect your clubs as well as a true hard case would. At the same time, though, at just 5 pounds, it is considerably lighter than any of those. And so, if your equipment is heavy, this case might present a good compromise between sturdiness and weight.

It can hold clubs up to 46 inches long and fit a golf bag that is up to 10.5 inches wide.

One of the biggest advantages of this bag is the fact that its equipped with 4 spinner wheels, as well as 2 inline wheels – and so, you can either pull it or push it. In other words, it’s much easier to carry around than the SKB or HUNSAKER USA cases.

Overall, though, since it closes with a zipper rather than latches – and is less sturdy than the earlier options – I would only recommend this case if your equipment in combination with the true hard cases would be too heavy.

Read reviews of the Samsonite Hard Sided Golf Travel Case on Amazon

 

Founders Club Golf Travel Bag with Hard Shell Top

At about 10 pounds, the Founders Club Golf Travel Bag with Hard Shell Top is fairly light. The main reason for that is that it’s – for the most part – soft shell. What makes it alright even for air travel, though, is its hard shell top designed to protect your golf club heads.

The bag is made out of 600D polyester, and is equipped with a pair of inline wheels to make carrying it around easy. Just as with the Samsonite above, one of the downsides of this bag is the fact that it uses zippers rather than latches to close.

On the other hand, its advantage is that it can be folded when not in use, and so it takes up very little space in storage.

Overall, though, unless something prevents you from getting one of the first two cases on this list, I would avoid getting this one. And, if you decide to get it, you should consider getting a backbone for extra support to go with it.

In fact, you might find that one useful with the Samsonite bag above as well.

Read reviews of the Founders Club Golf Travel Bag with Hard Shell Top on Amazon

 

How to Pack Golf Equipment for Air Travel

First, let’s take a look at what TSA says about traveling with golf equipment.

In its “What Can I Bring?” database that lists details of what items can be brought onboard, what items can be checked in, and so on, it lists four golf-related items: clubs, divot tools, balls, and tees.

Quite understandably, while it lists the latter three as permitted in both carry-on and checked luggage, golf clubs are only allowed in checked luggage.

With that in mind, how should you pack your equipment so that your golf clubs and other equipment arrives at your destination in one piece, undamaged?

First, you will have to get a travel golf bag which is completely enclosed as opposed to your regular golf bag with open top.

While there are both soft shell bags (like the Athletico Padded Golf Travel Bag) that are fairly low-cost, if you have a nice set of clubs, it’s preferable to get a hard shell case (like the SKB 2SKB-4814W Deluxe ATA Golf Travel Case) that will offer better protection.

As for actually packing the equipment, it’s about as simple as it gets since all these bags are designed to fit your regular golf bag inside. And so, rather than having to reload all your clubs, etc., you will simply place the golf bag into the travel case and close it.

Before closing the bag, though, pad the area at the top around your golf club heads with clothing to prevent them from potentially moving around the case and getting damaged (or at least use head covers). Just keep in mind that some airlines might have policies against including non-golfing items in your golf bag (or charging you extra baggage fees if you do so).

One last thing – make sure not to place any loose items (tees, etc.) into the bag, as they might get lost in case the TSA (or other security agency) decides to open your bag for inspection. And, since these cases tend to attract more attention than regular suitcases, you should try to get one that has a TSA-approved lock – that way, you will not have to leave your bag unlocked or worry about getting it broken by the TSA.

For a more visual demonstration of how to pack for a golfing trip, check the video below.

 

Flying with Golf Clubs and Other Equipment: Policies of Major Airlines

Finally, let’s take a look at the golf equipment baggage policies of some of the major airlines.

If you can’t find your airline in the list below, just search for “[airline] golf clubs” and you should find the policy of your airline easily.

Also, even if your airline is listed below, you might want to check directly with the airline before your travel since the policies change from time to time.

American Airlines

American Airlines permits travel with one golf bag which counts as a standard piece of checked luggage that contains up to 14 clubs, 12 balls, and one pair of shoes. It does not allow swingless golf club Power Strips in the bag, though.

The bag can weigh up to 50 pounds, and officially should not contain anything else other than the items mentioned above – otherwise oversize charges may apply.

In case your itinerary involves Brazil, you will be required to pay a golf equipment fee of 42.50 dollars.

See details on American Airlines’ website

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines allows its passengers to travel with a single golf bag which counts as a standard piece of luggage – and so, depending on your booking class, elite status, and so on, you might have to pay a baggage fee or not.

The bag can weigh up to 50 pounds (if it exceeds that, overweight luggage fees will apply). However, it is not restricted to the standard 62 linear inches (sum of its width, height, and length) size limit. That said, bags larger than 115 linear inches are not allowed on Delta – regardless of whether or not they are golf bags.

The airline is a bit less specific (which is good) in its definition of one item of golfing equipment as it states that it contains: one golf bag with a set of clubs, balls and tees, and a pair of shoes.

It also specifies the type of luggage the equipment can be carried in. It assumes responsibility for your equipment if it’s in a hard shell case. On the other hand, if your equipment is in a soft shell bag, you will be required to sign a limited release.

See details on Delta Air Lines’ website

United Airlines

Similarly to the other two major airlines, United’s passengers can check one item of golf equipment. And, that item counts towards their standard baggage allowance.

The airline defines an item of golf equipment as follows: one golf bag containing one set of clubs, golf balls, and one pair of golf shoes. The golf bag that the equipment is in can be more than the standard 62 linear inches (as long as golf equipment is inside the bag), but standard weight restrictions and overweight fees apply.

United Airlines also mentions on its website that the golf equipment must be in a “suitable container” and that the golf bag must be in a “heavy, rigid carrying case.” Just like Delta Air Lines, while it assumes liability for equipment in a hard shell case, it does not do so for golf equipment in soft shell bags.

The airline also takes the time to inform its passengers that golf equipment – just like any non-standard luggage item – might take more time to appear on the luggage belt than standard luggage items, regardless of whether or not the customer is eligible for priority baggage handling.

See details on United Airlines’ website

Lufthansa

Unlike American Airlines, Delta, and United, Lufthansa charges an extra fee for transporting sports equipment including golf equipment regardless of your standard luggage allowance. The fee is anywhere between 80 USD to 300 USD depending on your route.

That said, the fee is waived for Star Alliance Gold members (routes to/from the US and Canada are excluded) and SWISS Golf Traveller members who are not holding an “Economy Class Light” ticket.

As for what constitutes a piece of golf luggage for Lufthansa, that’s similar to the other airlines: a golf bag with a set of clubs, balls, and tees, and a pair of golf shoes. And, the bag can measure up to 200 linear centimeters (78 inches) which is larger than the allowance on the American airlines.

See details on Lufthansa’s website

 

Summary

While the thought of packing your golf equipment and checking it in at an airline counter – thus losing control of it for a few hours – might seem daunting, it is not as bad as it looks.

The key to ensure that your golf clubs get to your destination undamaged is to get the right case for your golf bag and equipment. Even though there are soft shell cases, I recommend getting a true hard case – like the SKB 2SKB-4814W Deluxe ATA Golf Travel Case or the HUNSAKER USA Iron-Locker Hard Sided Golf Travel Case.

When it comes to airline policies regarding golf equipment, the major US carriers among others let you take a piece of golf equipment as part of your regular luggage allowance. Other carriers – such as Lufthansa – charge separate sports equipment fees.

Four bidders vying for Nunavut’s new air travel contracts

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The Government of Nunavut is just a few months away from signing new agreements it hopes will change air travel for the better.

The GN recently closed its request for proposals for new medical and duty travel contracts .

Following both a study and public consultations, it opted to combine medical and duty travel for its new round of contracts, while allowing companies to bid on up to seven routes throughout the territory.

This new set of contracts also includes air freight for general cargo and a public travel component, which requires bidders to offer a percentage of seats to be made available to the general public at an economy-class fare.

The final register lists four applicants that have filed a total of 20 proposals: 16 from Calm Air, two from Canadian North, one from First Air and one from North Star Air, owned by the Northwest Company.

Now, Nunavut’s Department of Community and Government Services will go through those proposals, with the goal of signing new agreements by the summer.

The new contracts would come into effect on January 2020.

The request for proposals represents a major shift in how the government approaches its own air travel.

This time around, the GN is looking for airlines to bid on seven different geographical regions or routes, including Nunavut’s three main regions plus major southern connections, like Iqaluit−Ottawa and Rankin Inlet−Winnipeg.

The GN plans to award the majority of the business in each region or route to a single carrier.

That sets the territory up for another potential monopoly, as the North’s two largest airlines—First Air and Canadian North—move themselves into position to merge.

With no Nunavut stake in either of those two Nunavik- and Inuvialuit-owned airlines, the GN is hoping to use its own buying power to influence ticket prices, through the contract’s public travel component.

The new contract does not require airlines to operate as many weekly flights to Nunavut communities as the current contract does; in some cases, dropping that requirement from eight to three per week.

But the Nunavut government has said it cannot say what flight schedule changes will be implemented until contracts are signed with the successful carriers.

Nunavut spent more than $60 million on medical travel and about $15 million on duty travel in 2017-18.

New contracts would be for three-year periods, with the option to renew those contracts twice, first for two years and then for one year.

Air Travel: New Flights to Europe, Africa and Asia

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A number of new flights to Europe, Africa and Asia lead this week’s top air travel news. 

This week Delta and its partners, KLM, Virgin Atlantic and Korean Air, launched a number of flights from Boston’s Logan International Airport. On March 31, KLM began operating a route to Amsterdam, adding to Delta’s existing twice-daily service; on April 1, Virgin Atlantic launched daytime service from Boston to London – Heathrow, bringing service on that route to three times daily between the two airlines. Officials said that the new morning departure would enable better in-flight workday productivity for London-bound business travelers. 

Looking ahead, on April 12 Korean Air will start new, nonstop service between Boston and Seoul, one of the first additions to the Korean Air – Delta joint venture’s transpacific network since the partnership was launched last May. Later this spring, Delta will begin seasonal service out of Boston to Lisbon and Edinburgh. 

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In 2020, Delta and Virgin Atlantic will also begin flying to London – Gatwick from Boston, as well as from New York – JFK, bringing the two airlines to 18 flights daily to the UK from the two cities. Full Gatwick schedule details will be announced later this year. 

In other Europe flight news, this week Air France launched its new service between Dallas – Fort Worth and Paris – Charles de Gaulle, which will operate up to five times weekly throughout the summer on Airbus A330 aircraft. Dallas is the airline’s 13th destination in the United States. 

On the West Coast, this week Air Italy inaugurated its new nonstop service between Los Angeles and Milan, marking the third destination in North America served by the airline. On April 10, the airline will also launch a new service to Milan from San Francisco. 

The new Milan – Los Angeles flight also marked the launch of Air Italy’s new Business Class product. Business Class now includes a new dine-on-demand service that allows passengers to choose from an a la carte menu at any time. The new product is set to roll out across the airline’s network in the coming weeks. 

In other new flight news, South African Airways increased its frequency on nonstop flights between Washington – Dulles and Accra, Ghana, this week. The service now operates five times weekly, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The route also offers continuing service to Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Finally, in other onboard product news, this week marked the launch of American Airlines’ new A321neo aircraft, which made its debut on a flight between Phoenix and Orlando. The new planes offer customers power at every seat, free wireless entertainment and live TV streamed to guest devices, high-speed Wi-Fi from gate to gate and built-in seatback holders for tablets and phones. The planes have a capacity of 196 seats — 129 in the Main Cabin, 47 extra-legroom Main Cabin Extra seats and 20 first class seats — as well as a number of features that improve fuel efficiency. American has ordered a total of 100 A321neos and plans to continue flying the aircraft on additional routes through the rest of the year. 

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United Airlines Defeats Online Booker Expedia’s Injunction Motion in Contract Row | New York Law Journal

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Expedia website.

The online travel service Expedia on Friday was denied a motion to keep United Airlines from cutting off booking and flight information after September 2019 in a contract battle that could sever the relationship between the companies.

U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York denied the injunction request, which would have prevented the airline from removing its information after the Sept. 30 contract expiration date..

The injunction would have eased the threat Expedia claims it faces should United be allowed to follow through with its plans to end the contract and eliminate now any possibility of having flights past that point available on Expedia’s site.

In denying the injunction request, Castel found that most of Expedia’s reasons were expressions of the reality they would ultimately face should the contract simply expire, which failed to give rise to the grave need for the court stepping in.

“The parties contracted for a fixed term and did not include provisions discussing customer service of tickets purchased through Expedia after the expiration of the Agreement,” Castel wrote. “Such ‘self-inflicted’ harms are not considered irreparable.”

According to court filings, the two companies have been under the current contract since 2011, which was amended twice and set to expire Sept. 30. United allows customers to book flights months in advance of departure, which Expedia was granted access as part of the contract.

Expedia claims United breached this contract after the airline sought to renegotiate in October 2018, threatening to curtail Expedia’s ability to sell United flights in 2019 if it didn’t agree. Negotiations broke down, and United stood firm in February with its plan to cut off access to future flight information beyond the contract deadline.

Despite the court finding that Expedia has demonstrated a probability of success on the merits, based on United’s obligations under the contract, Castel nonetheless found the online company had not show the potential for irreparable harm.

The judge noted that, absent an injunction, United would “immediately … cease” providing Expedia with flight schedule information after Sept. 30. The company was sure to suffer monetary loss, but that could potentially be rectified in the future through

As to reputational harm, Expedia is likely to face whatever harm there will be as a result of the agreed-upon contract ending. No evidence showed the company would suffer a material different outcome if the injunction wasn’t provided, the court found.

“To the extent Expedia alleges that customer confusion and delay in customer service resulting in loss of goodwill are the irreparable reputational injuries it faces, such injuries are not cured by injunctive relief,” Castel wrote.

Expedia is represented in the litigation by a team led by Friedman Kaplan Seiler Adelman partner Christopher Colorado. He declined to comment, deferring to spokespeople at the company.

In a statement sent by a spokesman, the company expressed disappointment at the decision but said it was pleased the court appeared to recognize that United’s threatened actions would breach the contract.

Kirkland Ellis partner Atif Khawaja led United’s legal efforts. He, too, deferred comment to a spokeswoman, who provided a statement from the company that welcomed Castel’s ruling.

The decision “will minimize the risk of disrupting our customers’ travel plans and ensure we can effectively serve customers who need to make changes to their itineraries purchased through Expedia,” the company said in its statement.

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United Airlines’ Move To Stop Publishing MileagePlus Award Levels Is Unfriendly But Not Surprising

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United Airlines is following Delta Air Lines, and for flights on or after November 15, 2019, there will no longer be an award chart listing a fixed amount of miles needed for a free ticket to the places it flies using its MileagePlus loyalty program. It will move to dynamic pricing, which is based on demand. An award ticket to Paris might cost 50,000 miles or it might be 500,000 miles depending on when you want to go and when you are ready to buy.

It’s a 180-degree turn from where frequent flier programs started. The promise then was, fly our airline, earn X miles, and get a free ticket to Hawaii. That was nearly 40 years ago, so clearly, times have changed.

United Airlines decision to stop publishing fixed award levels and instead pricing mileage redemption flights based on supply and demand means frequent fliers won’t know how many miles they need for those tickets to Hawaii until they are ready to buy them. Photocredit: Getty

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Back in the early days of frequent flier programs, about 40% of airline seats went unfilled. At the same time, low-cost start-ups like People Express, New York Air and Air Florida were threatening the legacy carriers that were trying to figure out how to re-invent themselves after the industry was deregulated.

The challenge was real. Among the largest U.S. airlines of the day, some of the biggest and best known failed or were swallowed up in mergers. From an industry that had a number of significant players, names like Pan Am, TWA and Eastern went away then with the latest round of consolidation, US Airways, Northwest and Continental disappeared as well.

A million miles away. Award tickets on Delta Air Lines now cost up to a million miles after it stopped publishing fixed redemption levels. At the same time, some award levels are lower than before.

Flyertalk.com screenshot

Today there are only three network airlines in the U.S., and profits and profit margins are robust. In fact, Doug Parker, the CEO of American Airlines said back in 2017, “I don’t think we’re ever going to lose money again. We have an industry that’s going to be profitable in good and bad times.”

With limited competition of significance, the big three, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American, have been playing the part. While introducing newer and better seats for customers who pay as much as $10,000 to fly in international business class, they’ve been on a mission to let everyone else know they can pound salt, so to speak.

Sure you can still join their frequent flier programs for free, but if you buy cheap fares, you’ll earn fewer miles, or sometimes none at all. You’ll also pay extra to check your bags, get a window or aisle seat, or a sit near the front of the cabin, and of course, an exit row. For the most part, free meals in coach on domestic flights went away years ago. So did pillows.

Seat rows are closer together and more seats are in the same space. In fact, on some planes, the airlines even found a way to add seats in each row by making aisles and seats themselves narrower. Even the size of those narrow toilets is getting smaller.

While it’s not the airlines’ fault that getting through airports often means long security lines, for the vast majority of domestic fliers air travel today is at best a means to an end, the way to get there and to be avoided if at all possible.

Flights today often go out full, and if you miss your connection at a hub, you might have to wait until the next day to get on another flight.

Yes, frequent flier programs give you more ways to earn miles, and it’s not uncommon to be able to score 100,000 miles by opening up an affinity credit card tied to a frequent flier program, however, those bonuses are less meaningful.

Award prices have been going up for years, however, Delta’s move to go to dynamic pricing for its SkyMiles program four years ago took it to a new level. No longer did Delta publish charts telling you how many Skymiles it would cost you for that ticket to Hawaii.

Every flight and every day could be something different, based on demand. What’s more, the price you see now for a flight next January might be different next week or even tomorrow.

The idea was while some award costs would go up, others would go down. Let’s take the kids to Bismarck, North Dakota in January. It’s a great deal. Supply and demand.

On various blogs, you can find screenshots showing business class tickets to Australia and Asia for as much as a million miles. Even when those aspirational awards went from 70,000 to 90,000 to 110,000, 130,000 and even 150,000, the road warrior whose company mandates cheap fares or even the occasional traveler could imagine sipping champagne and reclining their way to Sydney or Paris.

If you’re flexible, United promises you will have opportunities to fly using fewer miles. That probably eliminates any of their customers who have to plan vacation trips around school holidays. If you need to change your travel plans, you will have to pay the going rate for the new flights, something that could possibly preclude you from making the trip as those alternatives could mean a significant but unknown increase.

For anyone who has ever worked in sales, they will tell you the first thing they look at is the targets for which they earn specified commissions and bonuses. The idea is by providing a goal line, a salesperson will work hard knowing if they move X amount of cars or carrots, they earn Z rewards in return.

The new normal for airline programs if American follows Delta and United will be that you have no idea how many miles you need to go anywhere until you are ready to make your reservation. It could well be that while your dream trip to Greece is now 500,000 miles, Budapest is 100,000 miles, and well, Budapest is a nice place to visit, too.

By minimizing the number of redemption seats on popular routes at popular times, or at least charging an exorbitant amount of miles, the airlines may, in fact, be helping fulfill Parker’s profit prediction. In doing so, they may be making decisions that prove beneficial for both investors and employees who share in the profits.

Airline executives may be right in thinking they don’t need to offer price shoppers anything more than the lowest advertised fare, and they can win their share of business travelers via corporate contracts.

Of course, the pitch for those cobranded credits cards the airlines flog on every flight is still filled with promises of free travel, palm trees, Paris and sandy beaches. Flight attendants get a commission for each passenger they sign up. My guess is they have a specific sales target, not some speculative level.

Not publishing award charts is just another indication why it doesn’t make much sense to love your airline. While airlines will counter more people redeem more seats to more places, chances are if you want to make the programs work for you, be prepared to tell the kids instead of Disney World, Dollywood is also lots of fun. Flexible is the word of the day.

Why India’s IndiGo, Air Vistara, SpiceJet cannot fill up seats

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Even in turmoil, India’s aviation industry has been adding new capacity faster than the growth in air passenger traffic.

Domestic passengers flown every month by Indian airlines has grown in double digits for four-and-a-half years till February, according to the Montreal-based International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Despite this growth, the industry’s passenger load factor (PLF), a measure of capacity utilisation, has been falling recently as carriers expanded their fleet. In fact, from October 2018 to February this year, Indian aviation’s PLF has declined on a year-on-year basis, according to the latest IATA figures. 

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A high load factor means fewer seats on flights are being left empty. This is crucial for a price-sensitive industry, which has thin profit margins in India, even as PLF here is the highest among major aviation markets, including the US, China, and Brazil.

But since November, the Indian airlines’ PLF has declined the fastest. This is due to a greater rise in capacity than air traffic, said Ashish Nainan, aviation analyst at CARE Ratings, even at a time when many of the Indian carriers are either stuck in or emerging from the red.

Deliveries have begun rolling in on the massive orders that carriers such as IndiGo, Air Vistara, and SpiceJet had placed with aircraft makers. The airlines have also been increasing the number of their flight routes and frequencies amid a push by the Indian government to expand regional air connectivity.

Meanwhile, though still in double digits, the rate of growth in passenger traffic has fallen 5% since October as government policies have forced airlines to raise their fares, leading to a drop in the load factor, said Mark Martin, founder and CEO of Martin Consulting.

“After GST, the government has increased airport charges. Then there’s been an 18-20% rise in service charges, from catering to fuelling services,” he said. “The costs have gone up, so the fares will also go up.”

Flight cancellations by Jet Airways, which is reeling under a debt of over $1 billion, will most likely be reflected in the data for March, as will the Indian aviation regulator’s grounding of SpiceJet’s 13 Boeing 737 Max planes following the Ethiopian Airlines crash, Nainan said. 

These events, having hit capacity addition, may just have ended the decline in India aviation’s load factor without refurbishing the passenger growth rate.