In The Know - Short's September 2026 News

Our external newsletter is your go-to for the latest travel news. Be sure to check it out every month to stay in the know!

INDUSTRY NEWS​​​​​

Analysts say sky-high airfares could climb even higher

Airfares are way up this year, and travelers shouldn't expect much relief soon. The combination of high fuel prices, airline capacity drawbacks and ongoing demand strength should make for pricey flying through the holiday season.Airline distribution consultant Ben Vinod said he expects prices to stay the same or increase 10% between now and the end of the year. Prices were already elevated; in August, fares were up 23% year over year, according to Consumer Price Index data. Deutsche Bank investment analyst Michael Linenberg said the U.S. airline industry has implemented 10 fare increases since mid-March, when fuel prices first spiked due to the Iran war. "There could be more," he said. The latest surge in oil prices is one factor driving those expectations. As of Sept. 22, U.S. jet fuel averaged $4.52 per gallon, according to Argus Media, up more than a dollar from early August.​​..read more

FAA Leader Meets With Airline CEOs to Discuss Reducing Flight Delays, Cancellations

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) met with the CEOs of major U.S. airlines ahead of the agency’s plan to use a new advanced software called SMART to take over flight scheduling in the United States. 

According to Reuters, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford met with leaders of major U.S. carriers, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, to brief them on the new technology, which the FAA wants to implement this month. 

The system, called Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories, or SMART, uses “predictive analytics” and will initially be used to reschedule flights canceled due to bad weather. It could later be used for other purposes, such as coordinating schedules or trajectories...read more

American slows holiday growth plans due to high fuel prices

American Airlines will dial back growth plans for the holiday period due to escalating fuel prices, CFO Devon May said Wednesday. 

Speaking along with American CEO Robert Isom at a Morgan Stanley investor conference, May said that fuel prices have risen approximately $1 per gallon in the past four weeks, which would result in approximately $1 billion in additional fuel costs over a full quarter. 

Slower capacity growth will be a tool to buffer such losses and maintain higher airfares.

"We'll continue to adjust capacity for late in the fourth quarter considering what's happening with fuel," May said.​​​​​..read more 

Boeing 737 Max 10 certification delayed by software issue, FAA says

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said a software problem will delay its certification of the Boeing 737 Max 10 as the agency assesses whether it poses a safety issue, a potential setback for the manufacturer as it seeks to complete government approval of its best-selling family of aircraft.

Boeing had expected to receive a green light from its regulator on the years-delayed planes “very soon,” CEO Kelly Ortberg told investors earlier this month. But Boeing said Saturday that last month it flagged a software glitch on some 737 Max aircraft that could affect certain landing procedures.

“We haven’t concluded whether this is a safety-of-flight issue or not, but we will be delaying the 10 ... until we’re satisfied that we don’t have an issue here,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a press conference on air traffic modernization in Washington, D.C., on Monday...read more

TRAVEL TIPS

Clear offers TSA PreCheck enrollment at dozens of US airports — here's what to know

Travelers hoping to enroll in the fast-track security program or renew their membership can now go through Clear at dozens of airports across the U.S.That's on top of hundreds of retail locations that now offer PreCheck enrollment services...read more