American and European officials will meet this week to discuss new security measures that could prevent the US expanding a ban on laptops beyond flights from 10 airports primarily in the Middle East. Homeland Security chief said last week he was looking at an additional 71 airports in Europe, Africa and the Middle East for a possible expansion of the ban. A European airline industry official said the US had suggested possible enhancements including explosive trace detection screening, increased vetting of airports' staff and additional detection dogs. A US security official said it "remains to be seen" if enhanced security measures could allow reversal of existing airports under the ban. <br/>
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Flights are getting increasingly uncomfortable as airlines cut back on on-board perks and shrink legroom to save money, according to a new study. The ranking took into account quality and service, on-time performance, claim processing, and how people discussed airlines on social media. US airlines didn’t make a big showing on the list, with United coming out the highest at 29, followed by American at 33 and Delta at 45. The worst four airlines were Bulgaria Air, SmartWings, Tunisair, and Monarch. Ryanair came in fifth-to-last at 81. <br/>
Airline passengers may soon be able to put away their IDs and boarding passes at screening lines as the TSA begins an experiment to use fingerprints to ensure people’s identities. Passengers who are enrolled in PreCheck, the TSA program that gives travelers expedited screening, will be able to use their fingerprints at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and Denver International to verify their identity and to pull up their boarding pass information, the agency announced Tuesday. Most people enrolled in PreCheck have already provided the govt with fingerprints in order to pass a background check. Once the system matches their prints, it will not only verify their identity but also link automatically to their boarding passes. <br/>
Business travelers are sitting out Brazil’s timid airline revival. Executives have been slow to take back to the skies, even as domestic demand growth finally resumed in March and April after 19 months of contraction. When business travelers might come back is a mystery. Economists are signaling an incipient recovery may take a while to gain steam after Brazil’s longest-ever depression. Recent and perpetual political scandals that destabilise the country aren’t helping, the economic growth outlook was cut and companies are trimming travel costs. Latam, Gol and Azul are among those whose passenger numbers have tumbled 29% since January 2015 and would benefit from corporate travelers getting back on board. <br/>
Airlines at Manchester Airport, the UK’s largest airport outside London, experienced delays of several hours early Tuesday, after a computer malfunction meant staff at several airlines had to check-in passengers manually. The problem is thought to have stemmed from an overnight software upgrade to the check-in system. A small number of flights at East Midlands Airport, which also uses the system, were also delayed. Worst affected was leisure carrier Thomas Cook Airlines, which had a series of early-morning departures delayed for three to five hours. Other airlines experiencing problems, although not to the same extent, included Virgin Atlantic, SIA, Cathay Pacific and SAS. <br/>