Airlines get a break on slot rules at New York, Washington airports
Airlines can hold onto their slots at busy airports in New York and Washington until March, a bit of good news from U.S. officials amid a worsening outlook for their first winter during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Federal Aviation Administration has waived slot usage rules at the congested New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and New York LaGuardia (LGA) airports as well as at Washington Reagan National (DCA). The waiver now extends until March 27, 2021, the FAA said in a notice posted on Oct. 5. One slot is needed for every takeoff or landing — two for a round-trip flight — at these airports.
In addition, rules governing the coordination of flights at busy Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR) and San Francisco (SFO) airports were partially extended through March.
Previous waivers to both sets of rules were set to expire Oct. 24.
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The move by the FAA is good news for airlines. Without the waiver, any airline with a slot at JFK, LaGuardia or Washington National faced the prospect of having to fly 80% of its schedule or risk losing those valuable rights. That could have meant hundreds of nearly-empty "ghost flights" operating this winter — costing airlines precious money and pumping unneeded carbon into the atmosphere.
For example, American Airlines is scheduled to resume its pre-pandemic schedule of up to 258 daily departures from its Washington National hub on Dec. 1 — a dramatic jump from just 63 departures the day before — according to Cirium schedules. The airline can now decide what level of air service is warranted based on the number of travelers taking to the skies rather than a need to comply with slot rules.
Flyers, however, are not expected to be back in significant numbers by then. Recent data from travel analytics firm OAG shows November bookings at American, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines at at most a quarter of the level seen at the the beginning of October 2019.
Related: Thanksgiving a bust? Airlines slash November schedules as demand sputters
Data from trade group Airlines for America (A4A) shows U.S. domestic flyer numbers down 65% during the week ending Sept. 27 compared to last year.
Not every airline supported the FAA's waiver extension. Discounter Spirit Airlines objected to the move in comments to the regulator on Sept. 22. The carrier said extending waivers was "unacceptably protective of dominant incumbent carriers at the expense of the traveling public and of low-cost carriers ready and willing to serve.”
Spirit has a history of pushing for more access to capacity-controlled airports in the U.S. In December 2019, it sued the FAA to allocate unused peak-period flights at Newark. The case was undecided when COVID-19 hit.
Related: Spirit Airlines sues DOT for Southwest’s flights at Newark
In its September comment, Spirit told the regulator that it has sought access to JFK for 14 years but not able to secure the necessary gates and ground facilities to add flights.
Alaska Airlines, Delta, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United, plus A4A, all supported an extension of slot waivers in comments filed in September.
Related: Airlines are flying some unexpected routes during the pandemic. Will they stick around?
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10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
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Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023