United and American reduce New York flights this summer amid air traffic controller shortage
United Airlines and American Airlines said they will cut the number of flights on some routes from New York City and Washington, D.C.-area airports this summer, following warnings from the Federal Aviation Administration about air traffic controller staffing levels.
Last month, the FAA said it would allow airlines to voluntarily return up to 10% of their New York-area slots for the summer. It's part of a coordinated effort to reduce congestion in the region's skies amid a shortage of air traffic controllers and high levels of expected summer travel.
United said it will reduce flights from its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA). The carrier will primarily reduce frequencies on some heavily trafficked routes, in some cases combining frequencies by using larger aircraft with more seats.
The Chicago-based carrier said it would cut 30 daily departures from Newark, with 408 peak-day daily departures now listed for May. Among those reductions, United said it will cut its flights from Newark to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) from 18 daily departures down to 10. The airline said it would also reduce flights between Washington's Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Newark from nine to six daily departures.
In a statement, a United spokesperson said that by combining some flight frequencies onto larger planes, the airline's overall capacity at the affected airports would actually increase 5% over summer 2019. The spokesperson also said that no markets or routes had been cut altogether.
"These small reductions will affect less than 2% of our customers at these airports, most of whom will still reach their destinations within 2 hours of their planned arrival time," the airline's statement said.
American also reduced some frequencies from LGA and EWR, the airline said. Data from Cirium showed the airline reducing flights from Newark to O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and from LaGuardia to Miami International Airport (MIA), Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), Omaha's Eppley Airfield (OMA) and St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) throughout the summer. A spokesperson for American said that it was working to accommodate affected passengers.
Delta Air Lines said it was examining its schedule for opportunities to reduce frequencies or flights from New York but had not finalized its plans yet. The FAA set a deadline of April 30 for airlines seeking to use the summer slot waiver.
"Delta commends the FAA for recognizing shared challenges that exist between the FAA, airports and airlines at New York and New Jersey airports," an airline spokesperson said in a statement, "and for implementing a coordinated plan to improve operational reliability at these airports, while mitigating flight disruptions for customers during the peak summer travel season."
The "slots" system regulates traffic and prevents anti-competitive entrenchment at certain high-volume airports; each pair of slots allows one landing and one departure from an airport.
Understanding slots: The little-understood government rule that allows airlines to dominate certain airports
To prevent airlines from hoarding slots that they don't plan to use in order to shoulder out the competition, the FAA enforces a "use it or lose it" rule. Airlines must use each slot at least 80% of the time. Otherwise, the FAA can revoke the slot and give it to another airline.
Citing an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers at its New York-area air traffic control center that will not be mitigated until at least the fall, the FAA said last month that airlines could choose to temporarily return up to 10% of its slots between May 15 and Sept. 15.
Additional reporting by Zach Griff.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.