air travel what is

What a summer of hellish flights taught us about flying now

Easy air travel is a thing of the past.

by Whizy Kim

More than 240 million people in the US flew somewhere between June and Labor Day, according to the Transportation Security Administration — about 7 million more than in summer 2019. 

Air travel is back. But it’s most definitely not back to normal.

Horror stories of interminable delays and vacation-wrecking cancellations came from every corner of the country this summer — caused not just by storms and extreme heat, but also labor shortages. Befuddlement at how much pricier it has become to fly mounted, too. 

For travelers, taking to the skies feels like it has reached a nadir. Not only were there bigger crowds and more delays to contend with at airports, but when delays happened, they caused more stress than usual. A recent Forbes Advisor survey of 2,000 travelers found that 61 percent had experienced a flight delay or cancellation this summer, and most of that 61 percent lost some money due to the delay — cash lost on prepaid hotel rooms, missed cruises, parking fees, and even kenneling pets. 

Some of the problems are a temporary bump in the runway as the industry gets used to high numbers of travelers again, but some of the most deep-seated causes of passenger disgruntlement might be here to stay.

“Things that may not have upended the entire system in the past — thunderstorms on the East Coast in the afternoon — now seem to have ripple effects throughout the entire system,” says John Breyault, who is the vice president of fraud policy at the National Consumers League and leads its airline advocacy program. “I think that’s symptomatic of a system that is really overtaxed in every way.”

Here’s what we learned from this summer’s travel debacles:  

Climate change is straining a fragile industry 

Mass flight delays and cancellations happen because of bad weather. Thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, or even extreme heat aren’t new, but record-breaking temperatures and more frequent weather disasters in the past year added stress on the air travel industry. In December 2022 and July 2023, a series of storms across the country caused a torrent of flight delays that stranded thousands of passengers during busy holiday seasons. Last month, as Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida, more than 1,000 flights were delayed across the South.

The weather this summer did more than create delays; it laid bare just how unprepared the aviation industry is for handling any shocks. Weaknesses that might have gone unnoticed by passengers before — like aging, sparse fleets, or difficult conditions for workers, such as extreme heat — suddenly became glaringly obvious, adding to the cascading effects of bad weather and creating disruptions lasting for days. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics says that consumer complaints against airlines have soared by more than 300 percent since 2019. (The most common type of complaint was not getting the refund for canceled flights, which airlines are required to give. The second most common was flight delays and cancellations.)

A single hour-long delay might not seem like a huge deal, but the problem is amplified when airlines are overscheduled — one late flight bumps all the others after it — and when there aren’t enough planes or staff across various airports to accommodate a sudden change in plans. In its most recent earnings call , United Airlines said that its thousands of delays and cancellations in the leadup to the Fourth of July holiday had cost the company 1 point of profit margin for the entire quarter. According to trade association Airlines for America , flight delays in 2022 likely cost the industry billions of dollars. 

“We are getting a very real preview of what our new normal will be like for summer travel,” says Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group. “The first storm tosses Humpty Dumpty off the wall, but sequential storms make it harder to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.”

The labor shortage is sky high

There’s still a widespread shortage of workers in the industry, including pilots, flight attendants, airport workers, and air traffic controllers. Airline employment data from June 2023 shows higher numbers than June 2019, but the industry is still clamoring for more workers. Currently, according to one estimate, US airlines need 8,000 more pilots to fulfill demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there will be more than 16,000 job openings for pilots and flight attendants each year between now and 2032. 

A labor shortfall becomes especially apparent when something goes wrong: When there aren’t enough people to fill crucial jobs, everything has to slow down, or else risk disaster. A recent New York Times report revealed that near-crashes between planes taking off and landing have become more common because of mistakes by air traffic controllers, who are overstrained amid chronic staff shortages. The Federal Aviation Administration has hired 1,500 air traffic controllers this year, but still wants to hire 1,800 more next year.

Flight delays weren’t just more common. They were more irritating. 

While there have been more delays this year than usual, cancellations are actually down. According to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (which currently only has numbers through May), 20.8 percent of flights were delayed so far in 2023, compared to 18.8 percent in 2019. The average length of delay in 2023 is 53 minutes, just 3 minutes longer than in 2019, according to flight tracking site Flight Aware. 

So what’s creating such horrid air travel vibes? One possibility is that there are more travelers now than in 2019, but fewer commercial aircraft are flying , meaning passengers have fewer chances to reroute or get on the next flight when delays happen, leaving them stuck in limbo longer. When over 15,000 flights were axed during the infamous Southwest cancellations last winter , not only outdated tech, but also aggressive overscheduling created a huge domino effect on the system. Delays can have serious consequences for travelers, not just causing people to miss important life events, but in some cases limiting their access to food and water while they’re stuck on a plane for hours. American Airlines was recently fined a record $4 million for hours-long tarmac delays during which it did not allow passengers to deplane.

Extra fees feel unavoidable, and they’re here to stay

Over 22 million more travelers crowded the airports this summer than last — some of them flying for the first time in years — and many were freshly reminded of what’s now the industry standard of nickel-and-diming passengers for checking bags and choosing seats. In the early 2000s, it was mostly ultra-low-cost carriers charging extra to check luggage. But since then, even full-service US carriers are creating basic economy fares that tack on bag and seat fees.

“Drip pricing” for services that used to be included with airfare only piles onto the exasperation travelers feel. According to an analysis by the airline consultancy IdeaWorks , top US airlines demand $33 on average for a preferred seat (which is usually closer to the front of the plane), $48 for an exit-row seat (where there’s more leg room) and $18 for a last-row seat. These are “junk fees” to consumers and the White House , but to airlines, they’re a cash cow. Take United, which made a record $1 billion in revenue just from bags and seats fees from April to June. Having multiple types of seat upgrades “is a key driver of our revenue growth,” United executive Andrew Nocella said in the company’s most recent earnings call . And just look at baggage fees : Last year, top airlines made about $6.7 billion in baggage fees, a spike from the $5.7 billion they made in 2019, despite more flyers that year.  

Airline perks and deals were harder to come by

The race to the bottom isn’t going unnoticed by travelers. Flying is becoming more stratified; class divisions feel more heightened than ever, and having frequent flyer status with an airline is more valuable. Airlines know this too, and in response to an inundation of passengers attaining “elite” status , many have upped the threshold to join, limiting airport lounge access to higher membership levels or raising lounge fees.

“I have spoken with airline managers and executives who have said that part of the reason that the standard coach product is so bad is intentional,” says Harteveldt. “They want to get more people paying extra and trading up to a better product. America can claim to be egalitarian, but that claim ends at the airport door.” 

Airfare has dropped since reaching new highs last summer, but is still elevated. “This has been one of the worst years I can ever remember for flight deals,” says Ben Mutzabaugh, senior aviation editor at The Points Guy, a popular travel site. Meanwhile, leisure travelers with disposable income have shown a surprising willingness to spend. “A lot of times they’re willing to just buy business-class tickets — we see much more of that now than we did before the pandemic.”

The stark contrast in travel experience between the haves and have-nots may be fomenting resentment on one end and arrogance on the other. Airports and even flights are becoming an all-too-common setting for viral videos of travelers losing their tempers.  

Reports of “unruly passengers” — people airlines report for causing a disturbance on flights — skyrocketed amid mask mandates in 2021, almost reaching 6,000 reports , according to Federal Aviation Administration data. In 2019, there were just 1,161.

This is the new normal — unless airlines are forced to change

Some of the annoyances travelers experienced this summer will remain unavoidable in coming months. Increasingly frequent bad weather will keep walloping flights ; that’s the reality of the climate crisis.

Airlines have learned some lessons from this summer’s onslaught of demand. The biggest are to hire more workers and have more spare planes on the ground in case of emergencies, but also to leave more slack in scheduling flights. Airlines have been on a hiring spree, and experts say the worst of the pilot shortage will probably be over by next summer. 

But some of the other bugbears of air travel — like airlines’ worst anti-consumer practices — aren’t likely to go away without antitrust action. Much of what we hate about taking to the skies today can be blamed on industry consolidation after the airlines were deregulated in the late 1970s. A handful of airlines — United, Delta, American, and Southwest — control about 80 percent of the domestic market. “Since the government let the industry become a permanent oligopoly, there is zero risk that competition will discipline fee increases,” Hubert Horan, a transportation analyst, told Vox in an email. 

The Biden administration has signaled a desire to rein in airlines’ worst practices, voicing support for a policy requiring airlines to disclose all fees from the beginning of a fare search rather than showing a deceptive base fare that will significantly rise as seat and bag fees are added. The administration has also urged Congress to mandate airlines to seat families together for free. But these rules don’t actually exist yet. (A few airlines have voluntarily offered free family seating.)

Under Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the Department of Transportation has revved up its enforcement actions; not only did it order American to pay up, the department has also been levying millions in fines to airlines that didn’t refund customers in a timely manner. Breyault, of the National Consumers League, says that these are steps in the right direction but that the DOT hasn’t used the full force of its authority. By the NCL’s accounting, the frequency of enforcement and the amount of money fined has decreased over the years. Breyault calls even the historic $4 million fine “a rounding error to a company the size of American.”

A flight delay doesn’t have to entirely ruin a vacation, and maybe we don’t have to pay an arm and a leg just to have a pleasant flying experience. But if flying during the high season continues to be awful, that could turn off customers and ultimately dampen demand.

“I don’t think that this is sustainable,” says Breyault.

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25 Things You Should Do Before Boarding a Plane, According to a Frequent Flier

We've rounded up 25 things you should do before your next flight so you can relax and know that you're totally prepared.

Between making sure your suitcase isn't an ounce over the weight limit and rushing to your gate before the doors close, air travel can be a stressful experience — but it doesn't have to be. We've rounded up 25 things you should do before your next flight, so you can relax and know that you're totally prepared.

1. Download and Use Your Airline’s App

Unless you're checking a bag, there's no reason to queue up at the check-in desk or deal with a fingerprint-smudged kiosk at the airport. Download your airline's app ahead of time, make sure your reservation details are in, and then use it to check in. That way, you can head straight to security when you arrive at the airport. Delta's app, for example, will even check you in automatically 24 hours in advance of your flight.

2. Get the Airline Credit Card

Don't fly enough to earn elite status? Airline credit cards offer cardholders perks similar to elites, including free checked bags and priority boarding. Carrying one of these cards can save you money on luggage and ensure you'll find carry-on space in the overhead bins ahead of the crowd.

3. Have a Status Strategy

Speaking of airline status, if you are going for gold (or silver, or platinum) this year, make sure your frequent-flier number is attached to all your airline reservations. Even if you're not flying your usual carriers, chances are the airline you're on is partners with another you fly more frequently thanks to alliances. That way, you can earn airline miles toward status on every single flight you take.

4. Check Aircraft Alternatives

Seats and amenities can vary dramatically, even from plane to plane within a single family of jets in a particular airline's fleet. Once you settle on an airline, double-check the aircraft type and seat map on the carrier's site to make sure you're flying the plane you want.

5. Assess Your Seating Situation

Whether you like a window or an aisle , it's worth checking SeatGuru 's detailed seat maps to confirm your chosen place on the plane won't be too close to the galley or the lavatories, with their associated noises (and smells!).

6. Stay Organized

Keep all your information in one place by using App in the Air or TripIt , two apps that do things like consolidate your flight statuses, check-in times, gate numbers, and nearby lounge locations, and will update you on schedule and gate changes.

7. Check Real-time Reports

Stay informed about your flight's status by using your airline's proprietary app. But you can also take it a step further by using FlightStats to track flight statuses, on-time performances, weather conditions, and even the flight history of your specific aircraft, all in real-time so that if your plane is delayed, you can be the first to know and the first to get rebooked.

8. Remember the Liquid Lowdown

Remember, any liquids you're carrying through TSA checkpoints must be less than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) and placed in a see-through bag no larger than a quart.

9. Sign Up for PreCheck, Already

Keep those shoes and belts on, leave the liquids and laptops in your bag, and forgo the full-body scans by getting TSA PreCheck . You could pay $70 for PreCheck itself or $100 for Global Entry , which also confers PreCheck (usually) and expedited immigration and customs access. Several credit cards, including the Capital One Venture and the Bank of America Premium Rewards card, will even refund you the application fee for either program.

10. Investigate Security Speed

Bypass the worst security checkpoints at over 200 airports around the globe by tapping into the MiFlight app's crowd-sourced, real-time checkpoint waiting times.

11. Size Up Your Bag

Many airlines have instituted strict size limits for carry-on bags, which are stringently enforced by eagle-eyed gate agents. Check your bag's dimensions at home and make sure they adhere to your airline's limits. Keep in mind that European carriers' limits vary slightly from those in the U.S. Blame it on standard versus metric.

12. Gather Your Gadgets

Phone: check. Laptop: check. Tablet: check. Camera: check. Spare charger: check. Power cords: check. Travelers are carrying more electronics than ever. Luckily, there are organizer cases galore to keep all your devices and cables within reach and ready for security screening.

13. Remove Those Batteries

Airlines instituted smart luggage battery bans in January 2018. If your bag has a battery pack, be prepared to show that it is removable in case your bag has to be gate-checked. But don't leave that battery pack at home, necessarily. Just because your airplane seat is supposed to have power ports does not guarantee that they'll actually work when you're on the plane.

14. Grab and Go

Hate airplane food, but afraid you'll miss boarding while waiting in a line at an airport restaurant? Use the Grab app to pre-order and pay for items at participating restaurants and vendors at airports in the U.S., Mexico, and across Europe. Place your order on your ride to the airport and pick it up on your way to the gate without breaking stride.

15. Connect for Less

Many airports offer free Wi-Fi , but beware of hackers. Using a VPN offers a measure of protection.

16. Lounge Around

Why wait at the gate when you can enjoy free Wi-Fi and snacks in the comfort of a lounge? LoungeBuddy posts reviews on airport lounges around the world, including their entry requirements and how you can score day passes. Several premium credit cards, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Platinum Card from American Express, confer access to hundreds of Priority Pass lounges worldwide. Frequent travelers can also consider airline-specific cards such as the Delta SkyMiles Reserve, which gets you into its clubs.

17. Wear Comfortable Clothing

Airplane cabin climate settings seem to vacillate between icebox and toaster oven, with no habitable happy medium in between. And no one wants to touch those germy air nozzles, which only provide a hissing draft of dry air anyway. Dress for any contingency by wearing multiple light layers , and look stylish to boot.

18. Stick Your Neck Out

As airlines squeeze more and more seats into coach, ergonomics seem to be flying out the window. Luckily, travel pillow technology has never been better, with options for every type of sitter and sleeper. It's time to invest in a quality travel pillow that will spare your neck and back the worst effects of a long flight .

19. Bring Your Own Bottle

Avoid single-use plastic (and a bottle of water that costs $8 post-security) by bringing an empty travel water bottle with you instead. Some are even collapsible to save you space, and more airports have installed water bottle filling stations next to drinking fountains to make carrying your own that much more convenient.

20. Disinfect Everything

Due to the number of people passing through and touching everything, airports and airplanes are some of the germiest places around (though in the post-pandemic world, many airlines are taking additional steps to ensure your safety). Protect yourself as much as possible by using disinfecting wipes on your hands and your airplane seat once you get settled. Because they're not liquid, like hand sanitizer, wipes will also not count toward your carry-on liquid limit.

21. Moisturize Like Your Life Depends on It

Even on next-generation jets like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350, cabin humidity levels rarely top 20 percent (and are only around 8-10 percent on conventional aircraft). To avoid looking like a prune after your flight, pack a light moisturizer and apply it frequently.

22. Get a Jump on Jet Lag

Flying across multiple time zones? Use an app like Entrain or Timeshifter before you fly. Both help you gradually shift your pre-travel schedule toward your destination time zone based on your specific plans and preferences so that by the time you fly, you're already ahead of jet lag.

23. Park Like a Pro

Airport parking lots can fill up quickly during the busiest travel times. Use SpotHero to reserve a place in advance at lots near more than 40 airports throughout the U.S. Also, put a car cover on to protect your vehicle from dirt, dust, and inclement weather.

24. Understand Your Credit Card Protection

Flight delays and cancellations happen. If you travel frequently, it pays to carry a credit card you know will protect you under certain circumstances. Many offer compensation for delays, cancellations, lost luggage, and more if you use them to pay for travel plans. So, if you have to spend money staying somewhere overnight or replacing certain items, it won't come out of your bottom line. Before traveling, read your card's benefits packet carefully to understand what you're entitled to and how to go about claiming it.

25. Investigate Intelligent Insurance

Beyond delays, cancellations, and lost luggage, which are covered by most major credit cards, you might want to insure an expensive trip with a policy that includes provisions for emergency medical evacuation and cancellation for any reason. InsureMyTrip.com is a convenient resource for comparing travel insurance plans from major providers.

Bonus: Don't Forget the Essentials

If you're flying during the pandemic, you'll want to check your airline's guidelines for travel as well as your destination's requirements for incoming visitors. Stash extra face masks , wipes, hand sanitizer, and any other essentials in both your carry-on and checked luggage so you're never without them.

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More From Forbes

Survey predicts air travel boom for 2024: what it means for passengers.

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The global aviation industry is expected to experience a significant increase in passenger traffic in 2024, according to the International Air Transport Association . This is good news for the airlines, though passengers may find that flights are even more full than they were this year.

The IATA expects 2024 to be a big year for airlines globally

200 Million More Passengers Than Pre-Pandemic

The IATA predicts that the number of passengers traveling by air will reach 4.7 billion in 2024, a jump from the 4.5 billion passengers who traveled in 2019. This increase is driven by changing travel habits. IATA survey data shows that one-third of the respondents say they are traveling more than they did before the pandemic, while about half say their travel is the same. Just 18% say they are traveling less.

Looking ahead, the survey respondents paint an even rosier picture: 44% say that they will travel more in the next 12 months than in the previous 12 months. A mere 7% say they will travel less.

Airline Profits To Take Off

More people flying is good news for airlines. The IATA says passenger revenues are expected to reach $717 billion in 2024, up 12% from $642 billion in 2023. They predict that passenger yields, a measure of revenue per passenger-mile, will be up by 1.8% over 2023.

The revenue jump will drive a better bottom line. The IATA predicts airline industry operating profits will hit $49.3 billion in 2024, a big jump from 2023’s $40.7 billion.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, more full airplanes.

Airlines love to fly aircraft that are 100% full of paying passengers. The passengers themselves may not enjoy full flights quite as much. In 2023, almost every flight I boarded was preceded by the gate agent announcing, “We’re expecting a completely full flight today,” and warning passengers about carry-on rules and boarding protocols.

Despite new aircraft deliveries, 2024 won’t provide relief for passengers hoping for a little extra space. The IATA says the load factor will be 82.6% in 2024, a slight increase from 82% in 2023.

What Could Go Wrong?

The IATA points out a number of factors that could cause their predictions to be too optimistic. Global economic uncertainty is one. High interest rates could reduce economic activity. Slow growth, high youth unemployment and volatile real estate markets could affect China’s economic recovery. Both business and leisure travel could be affected by economic headwinds.

The airlines have largely worked around the armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. An escalation in either area would almost certainly be negative for airline revenues. Should one or both conflicts be resolved peacefully, though, airlines might see higher demand and lower fuel costs.

Book Early And Often

If the status quo continues into 2024—no economic upheavals or escalated military conflicts—2024 will be a good year for airlines globally. Passengers expect to fly more, and while airlines are adding capacity, both equipment and crew staffing can’t be scaled overnight.

More flights booked to capacity will mean fewer last-minute discounts, so waiting for price drops may be less productive in 2024 than in the past.

On the plus side, healthy and profitable airlines are better for passenger experience than financially struggling ones. A solid bottom line could enable investments in equipment, amenities and other areas that benefit customers—if management decides that’s important.

Safe travels!

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Air Travel News

News about air travel, airlines, and flying—and what it means for you, the traveler..

What is a Round Trip Flight? (Everything You Should Know)

A round-trip flight is when you fly from somewhere and then return to that original location.

When you book a round-trip flight, you receive a single ticket that covers both the outbound and inbound legs of the journey.

Round-trip flights are usually cheaper than booking multiple one-way flights, especially for international destinations. But you sacrifice flexibility and have to pay more upfront for a round-trip ticket.

Rescheduling round-trip flights can also be both difficult and expensive. 

Round-trip flights can include layovers and connecting flights . But as long as the start and end points are the same, it’s a round-trip flight. 

Table of Contents

• 1 How Round Trip Flights Work
• 2 Round Trip Flights Are Cheaper than One Way Flights
• 3 You Don’t Have to Fly Both Legs
• 4 How Long You Can Stay on a Round Trip Ticket
• 5.1 1. Lower Costs
• 5.2 2. Lower Taxes
• 5.3 3. Fewer Cancellation Fees
• 5.4 4. Vouchers
• 6.1 1. Changing the date can be more expensive
• 6.2 2. Expensive domestic flights
• 6.3 3. High Upfront Costs
• 6.4 4. Automatic Itinerary Cancellations
• 6.5 5. Decreased Flexibility
• 7 One-Way and Open-Jaw Flights

How Round Trip Flights Work

A round-trip flight includes a flight from your original location, let’s call ‘A,’ to your destination, let’s call ‘B,’ as well as a flight from B back to A. 

With a round-trip ticket, you get a flight to B, where you’ll stay for as long as you like before going back to A. 

Round-trip flights are the most popular flights for travelers who are flying for a vacation.

Round Trip Flights Are Cheaper than One Way Flights

Round trips are almost always cheaper than one-way flights when booking with the same airline, with most airlines incentivizing round trips, especially for leisure travel, and especially to international destinations. 

For example:

• A round trip from London to New York may cost $1,000.
• A one-way trip to New York City from London might cost $600, and a one-way trip from London to New York City may also cost $600.
• In this example, you’d save $200 by choosing a round trip with the same airline rather than booking two separate flights. 

But it could be cheaper for you to fly with two different airlines.

Let’s say you find a British Airways flight from London to New York City for $600. But you also find a Delta Air Lines flight from New York City to London for only $300. 

In that case, you’d save $100 by buying two one-way flights from different airlines. 

You Don’t Have to Fly Both Legs

You’re not technically obligated to fly both legs of a round-trip flight.

If you fly the first leg from your location to the destination, you could stay there longer and miss the return flight if you wanted to.

But airlines dislike this behavior and may penalize your flying privileges if you do this repeatedly. 

If you miss the first leg of your round-trip flight, the airline will most likely automatically cancel the return flight, too. 

How Long You Can Stay on a Round Trip Ticket

You can stay on a round-trip flight for as little as one day to as long as a year.

The exact duration you can stay depends on the airline’s booking policies and flight availability. 

Pros of Round Trip Flights

1. lower costs.

Round trips from the same airlines are almost always cheaper than booking two one-way flights.

Round trips for international flights are especially cheaper than purchasing two one-way tickets from the same airline. 

2. Lower Taxes

You only have to pay sales tax once with a round-trip flight.

That’s because you only have to pay for one ticket, which includes both your flights. 

3. Fewer Cancellation Fees

You’ll only be charged a single cancellation fee if you cancel a round-trip flight.

But if you cancel two one-way flights, you’ll pay cancellation fees for both flights. 

4. Vouchers

You can save a lot of money on round-trip flights if you have a voucher, like a companion voucher from a credit card.

You’ll save more when booking round-trip flights, since an individual round-trip flight costs more than an individual one-way flight.

And vouchers can only be used once and are usually a percentage discount. 

Cons of Round Trip Flights

1. changing the date can be more expensive.

Changing the dates for a round-trip flight costs between $0 to $400.

In some cases, it could be so expensive that you’d be better off missing a flight and booking a new one-way flight instead. 

2. Expensive domestic flights

Round-trip domestic flights with the same airline could be more expensive than booking multiple one-way domestic flights with different airlines.

Most airlines are more price competitive for domestic routes rather than international ones. 

3. High Upfront Costs

You have to pay more up-front for a round-trip flight than when booking a one way flight.

4. Automatic Itinerary Cancellations

If you miss the first leg of your round trip, the airline may also cancel your return trip, and you will lose your money.

5. Decreased Flexibility

You have to meet the scheduled flight date and times for a round trip flight.

Whereas with multiple one-way trips, you could just book your return flight whenever you want while at your destination. 

You can technically change your return flight for a round-trip, but it’s often expensive and difficult. 

One-Way and Open-Jaw Flights

A one-way flight is a flight from one destination to another destination that doesn’t include a return flight.

An open-jaw flight i s when you travel from your location to a first destination.

Then you travel to a different subsequent destination(s) and return to your original location from one of the subsequent destinations. 

For example, you could fly from New York to Paris. Then drive from Paris to Berlin and fly from Berlin back to New York.

In conclusion:

• A round-trip flight is when you fly from your location to another destination, and then fly back to your original location.
• With a round-trip flight, you purchase one ticket, which gives you an inbound and outbound flight.
• Round-trip flights are most popular among tourists.
• Booking a round-trip flight has many advantages over booking multiple one-way flights.
• Most importantly, round-trip flights are almost always cheaper than multiple one-way flights, especially for international destinations.
• Round trip flights are also more convenient for people who are only traveling a short time, such as for a vacation.
• But round trip flights are less flexible and more expensive to alter. 

See Also: A Complete Guide to Airline Operations

Ella Dunham

Ella Dunham, a Freelance Travel Journalist and Marketing Manager, boasts an impressive career spanning eight years in the travel and tourism sectors.

Honored as one of "30 Under 30" by TTG Media (the world’s very first weekly travel trade newspaper), a "Tour Operator Travel Guru" and "Legend Award" winner, Ella is also a Fellow of the Institute of Travel, a Member of the Association of Women Travel Executives, has completed over 250 travel modules, and hosts travel-focused segments on national radio shows where she provides insights on travel regulations and destinations.

Ella has visited over 40 countries (with 10 more planned this year).

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New York Flights

• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Newark (FLL - EWR) $39+
• Flight Atlanta - New York (ATL - LGA) $40+
• Flight Atlanta - Newark (ATL - EWR) $42+
• Flight Dallas - Newark (DFW - EWR) $55+
• Flight Miami - Newark (MIA - EWR) $56+
• Flight Chicago - New York (ORD - LGA) $60+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - New York (FLL - LGA) $61+
• Flight Miami - New York (MIA - LGA) $62+
• Flight Dallas - New York (DFW - LGA) $66+
• Flight Orlando - New York (MCO - LGA) $79+
• Flight Orlando - Newark (MCO - EWR) $80+
• Flight Chicago - Newark (ORD - EWR) $87+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - New York (FLL - JFK) $117+
• Flight Miami - New York (MIA - JFK) $117+
• Flight Atlanta - New York (ATL - JFK) $121+
• Flight Los Angeles - New York (LAX - LGA) $145+
• Flight Los Angeles - Newark (LAX - EWR) $149+
• Flight Dallas - New York (DFW - JFK) $159+
• Flight Los Angeles - New York (LAX - JFK) $191+
• Flight San Francisco - New York (SFO - LGA) $204+
• Flight Seattle - Newark (SEA - EWR) $216+
• Flight San Francisco - Newark (SFO - EWR) $246+
• Flight San Francisco - New York (SFO - JFK) $267+
• Flight Seattle - New York (SEA - JFK) $267+

Orlando Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Orlando (ATL - MCO) $34+
• Flight Cincinnati - Orlando (CVG - MCO) $47+
• Flight Raleigh - Orlando (RDU - MCO) $48+
• Flight Cleveland - Orlando (CLE - MCO) $50+
• Flight Baltimore - Orlando (BWI - MCO) $51+
• Flight Houston - Orlando (HOU - MCO) $57+
• Flight Houston - Orlando (IAH - MCO) $57+

London Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - London (LAX - LHR) $280+
• Flight Boston - London (BOS - LHR) $343+
• Flight Chicago - London (ORD - LHR) $381+
• Flight New Windsor - London (SWF - STN) $393+
• Flight New York - London (JFK - LGW) $399+
• Flight Boston - London (BOS - LGW) $404+
• Flight New York - London (JFK - LHR) $407+
• Flight Newark - London (EWR - LHR) $417+
• Flight Atlanta - London (ATL - LHR) $450+

Fort Lauderdale Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Fort Lauderdale (ATL - FLL) $39+
• Flight Baltimore - Fort Lauderdale (BWI - FLL) $39+
• Flight Philadelphia - Fort Lauderdale (PHL - FLL) $39+
• Flight Newark - Fort Lauderdale (EWR - FLL) $40+
• Flight Atlantic City - Fort Lauderdale (ACY - FLL) $44+
• Flight Raleigh - Fort Lauderdale (RDU - FLL) $48+
• Flight Chicago - Fort Lauderdale (ORD - FLL) $49+

Boston Flights

• Flight Chicago - Boston (ORD - BOS) $50+
• Flight Baltimore - Boston (BWI - BOS) $61+
• Flight Charlotte - Boston (CLT - BOS) $62+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Boston (FLL - BOS) $64+
• Flight Philadelphia - Boston (PHL - BOS) $67+
• Flight Houston - Boston (HOU - BOS) $77+
• Flight Miami - Boston (MIA - BOS) $79+

India Flights

• Flight New York - Mumbai (JFK - BOM) $593+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - New Delhi (IAD - DEL) $628+
• Flight Chicago - New Delhi (ORD - DEL) $687+
• Flight New York - New Delhi (JFK - DEL) $690+
• Flight Newark - New Delhi (EWR - DEL) $703+
• Flight Dallas - New Delhi (DFW - DEL) $704+
• Flight Newark - Mumbai (EWR - BOM) $707+

Japan Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Tokyo (LAX - NRT) $563+
• Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - NRT) $665+
• Flight Chicago - Tokyo (ORD - NRT) $763+
• Flight Seattle - Tokyo (SEA - NRT) $763+
• Flight Dallas - Tokyo (DFW - NRT) $772+
• Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - HND) $807+
• Flight Los Angeles - Tokyo (LAX - HND) $810+

Phoenix Flights

• Flight Ontario - Phoenix (ONT - PHX) $43+
• Flight Salt Lake City - Phoenix (SLC - PHX) $53+
• Flight Dallas - Phoenix (DFW - PHX) $54+
• Flight San Francisco - Phoenix (SFO - PHX) $58+
• Flight Houston - Phoenix (HOU - PHX) $67+
• Flight Houston - Phoenix (IAH - PHX) $67+
• Flight Denver - Phoenix (DEN - PHX) $68+

Honolulu Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Honolulu (LAX - HNL) $187+
• Flight San Francisco - Honolulu (SFO - HNL) $194+
• Flight San Jose - Honolulu (SJC - HNL) $204+
• Flight Ontario - Honolulu (ONT - HNL) $239+
• Flight San Diego - Honolulu (SAN - HNL) $247+
• Flight Oakland - Honolulu (OAK - HNL) $266+
• Flight Las Vegas - Honolulu (LAS - HNL) $289+

Los Angeles Flights

• Flight Las Vegas - Los Angeles (LAS - LAX) $34+
• Flight Oakland - Los Angeles (OAK - LAX) $40+
• Flight San Jose - Los Angeles (SJC - LAX) $51+
• Flight San Francisco - Los Angeles (SFO - LAX) $53+
• Flight Seattle - Los Angeles (SEA - LAX) $55+
• Flight Salt Lake City - Los Angeles (SLC - LAX) $60+
• Flight Denver - Los Angeles (DEN - LAX) $67+
• Flight Portland - Los Angeles (PDX - LAX) $68+
• Flight Philadelphia - Los Angeles (PHL - LAX) $75+

Chicago Flights

• Flight Boston - Chicago (BOS - ORD) $33+
• Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - MDW) $47+
• Flight Baltimore - Chicago (BWI - MDW) $48+
• Flight Denver - Chicago (DEN - ORD) $52+
• Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - ORD) $53+
• Flight Dallas - Chicago (DFW - MDW) $53+
• Flight New York - Chicago (LGA - ORD) $60+

Denver Flights

• Flight Ontario - Denver (ONT - DEN) $53+
• Flight Chicago - Denver (ORD - DEN) $57+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Denver (DCA - DEN) $57+
• Flight Minneapolis - Denver (MSP - DEN) $63+
• Flight Baltimore - Denver (BWI - DEN) $68+
• Flight Houston - Denver (HOU - DEN) $75+
• Flight Los Angeles - Denver (LAX - DEN) $77+

Washington, D.C. Flights

• Flight Orlando - Baltimore (MCO - BWI) $53+
• Flight Tampa - Baltimore (TPA - BWI) $54+
• Flight Atlanta - Baltimore (ATL - BWI) $56+
• Flight Boston - Baltimore (BOS - BWI) $61+
• Flight Dallas - Baltimore (DFW - BWI) $86+
• Flight Chicago - Baltimore (ORD - BWI) $95+
• Flight Houston - Baltimore (HOU - BWI) $109+
• Flight Los Angeles - Baltimore (LAX - BWI) $131+
• Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - DCA) $133+
• Flight Houston - Washington, D.C. (HOU - DCA) $138+
• Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - IAD) $139+
• Flight Dallas - Washington, D.C. (DFW - DCA) $142+
• Flight Atlanta - Washington, D.C. (ATL - IAD) $169+
• Flight Atlanta - Washington, D.C. (ATL - DCA) $169+
• Flight Chicago - Washington, D.C. (ORD - DCA) $177+
• Flight San Francisco - Baltimore (SFO - BWI) $181+
• Flight Seattle - Washington, D.C. (SEA - DCA) $186+
• Flight Los Angeles - Washington, D.C. (LAX - DCA) $188+
• Flight Los Angeles - Washington, D.C. (LAX - IAD) $192+
• Flight San Francisco - Washington, D.C. (SFO - DCA) $193+
• Flight Dallas - Washington, D.C. (DFW - IAD) $226+
• Flight Houston - Washington, D.C. (HOU - IAD) $267+
• Flight Seattle - Washington, D.C. (SEA - IAD) $274+
• Flight San Francisco - Washington, D.C. (SFO - IAD) $303+

Atlanta Flights

• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Atlanta (FLL - ATL) $39+
• Flight New York - Atlanta (LGA - ATL) $40+
• Flight Orlando - Atlanta (MCO - ATL) $40+
• Flight Detroit - Atlanta (DTW - ATL) $42+
• Flight Newark - Atlanta (EWR - ATL) $42+
• Flight Chicago - Atlanta (ORD - ATL) $44+
• Flight Houston - Atlanta (HOU - ATL) $50+

United States Flights

• Flight Newark - Miami (EWR - MIA) $40+
• Flight Los Angeles - Seattle (LAX - SEA) $59+
• Flight New York - Fort Lauderdale (LGA - FLL) $62+

Hawaii Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Hawaii (LAX - USHI) $187+
• Flight San Francisco - Hawaii (SFO - USHI) $191+
• Flight San Jose - Hawaii (SJC - USHI) $204+
• Flight Ontario - Hawaii (ONT - USHI) $239+
• Flight San Diego - Hawaii (SAN - USHI) $247+
• Flight Seattle - Hawaii (SEA - USHI) $269+
• Flight Portland - Hawaii (PDX - USHI) $337+

Tampa Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Tampa (ATL - TPA) $38+
• Flight Raleigh - Tampa (RDU - TPA) $43+
• Flight Baltimore - Tampa (BWI - TPA) $48+
• Flight Chicago - Tampa (MDW - TPA) $56+
• Flight Philadelphia - Tampa (PHL - TPA) $64+
• Flight Dallas - Tampa (DFW - TPA) $65+
• Flight Newark - Tampa (EWR - TPA) $68+

Houston Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Houston (ATL - IAH) $34+
• Flight Newark - Houston (EWR - IAH) $52+
• Flight Orlando - Houston (MCO - IAH) $58+
• Flight Dallas - Houston (DFW - IAH) $61+
• Flight Chicago - Houston (ORD - IAH) $65+
• Flight Baltimore - Houston (BWI - IAH) $70+
• Flight Detroit - Houston (DTW - IAH) $72+

Las Vegas Flights

• Flight Burbank - Las Vegas (BUR - LAS) $31+
• Flight Los Angeles - Las Vegas (LAX - LAS) $34+
• Flight Oakland - Las Vegas (OAK - LAS) $46+
• Flight Seattle - Las Vegas (SEA - LAS) $51+
• Flight San Francisco - Las Vegas (SFO - LAS) $55+
• Flight Dallas - Las Vegas (DFW - LAS) $60+
• Flight Denver - Las Vegas (DEN - LAS) $71+
• Flight Houston - Las Vegas (HOU - LAS) $71+
• Flight Houston - Las Vegas (IAH - LAS) $71+
• Flight Santa Ana - Las Vegas (SNA - LAS) $76+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Las Vegas (FLL - LAS) $90+
• Flight Chicago - Las Vegas (ORD - LAS) $98+
• Flight Atlanta - Las Vegas (ATL - LAS) $101+
• Flight Philadelphia - Las Vegas (PHL - LAS) $130+

Miami Flights

• Flight Philadelphia - Miami (PHL - MIA) $33+
• Flight Baltimore - Miami (BWI - MIA) $39+
• Flight Detroit - Miami (DTW - MIA) $40+
• Flight Atlanta - Miami (ATL - MIA) $50+
• Flight Charlotte - Miami (CLT - MIA) $57+
• Flight Houston - Miami (HOU - MIA) $58+
• Flight Houston - Miami (IAH - MIA) $58+
• Flight Chicago - Miami (ORD - MIA) $59+
• Flight Dallas - Miami (DFW - MIA) $60+
• Flight Chicago - Miami (MDW - MIA) $61+
• Flight New York - Miami (LGA - MIA) $62+
• Flight Raleigh - Miami (RDU - MIA) $62+
• Flight Boston - Miami (BOS - MIA) $66+
• Flight Minneapolis - Miami (MSP - MIA) $110+
• Flight New York - Miami (JFK - MIA) $117+
• Flight Las Vegas - Miami (LAS - MIA) $120+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Miami (DCA - MIA) $127+
• Flight Denver - Miami (DEN - MIA) $142+
• Flight Ontario - Miami (ONT - MIA) $156+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Miami (IAD - MIA) $156+
• Flight Los Angeles - Miami (LAX - MIA) $160+

San Francisco Flights

• Flight Ontario - San Francisco (ONT - SFO) $38+
• Flight Phoenix - San Francisco (PHX - SFO) $58+
• Flight Los Angeles - San Francisco (LAX - SFO) $70+
• Flight San Diego - San Francisco (SAN - SFO) $71+
• Flight Chicago - San Francisco (MDW - SFO) $82+
• Flight Denver - San Francisco (DEN - SFO) $98+
• Flight Dallas - San Francisco (DFW - SFO) $124+
• Flight Seattle - San Francisco (SEA - SFO) $143+
• Flight Atlanta - San Francisco (ATL - SFO) $144+
• Flight Chicago - San Francisco (ORD - SFO) $156+
• Flight Minneapolis - San Francisco (MSP - SFO) $175+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - San Francisco (DCA - SFO) $177+
• Flight Baltimore - San Francisco (BWI - SFO) $181+
• Flight Miami - San Francisco (MIA - SFO) $183+

Seattle Flights

• Flight Ontario - Seattle (ONT - SEA) $52+
• Flight Las Vegas - Seattle (LAS - SEA) $57+
• Flight Phoenix - Seattle (PHX - SEA) $79+
• Flight Denver - Seattle (DEN - SEA) $90+
• Flight San Diego - Seattle (SAN - SEA) $92+
• Flight San Jose - Seattle (SJC - SEA) $100+

Paris Flights

• Flight Boston - Paris (BOS - CDG) $205+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Paris (IAD - CDG) $340+
• Flight Baltimore - Paris (BWI - CDG) $341+
• Flight New Windsor - Paris (SWF - CDG) $345+
• Flight Chicago - Paris (ORD - ORY) $347+
• Flight New York - Paris (JFK - ORY) $380+
• Flight Newark - Paris (EWR - ORY) $400+

Europe Flights

• Flight New York - Barcelona (JFK - BCN) $312+
• Flight Newark - Barcelona (EWR - BCN) $321+
• Flight New York - Dublin (JFK - DUB) $340+
• Flight Miami - Madrid (MIA - MAD) $366+

Florida Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Florida (ATL - USFL) $39+
• Flight Newark - Florida (EWR - USFL) $40+
• Flight Chicago - Florida (ORD - USFL) $49+
• Flight Philadelphia - Florida (PHL - USFL) $59+
• Flight Dallas - Florida (DFW - USFL) $60+
• Flight New York - Florida (LGA - USFL) $62+
• Flight Boston - Florida (BOS - USFL) $63+

Dallas Flights

• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Dallas (FLL - DFW) $40+
• Flight Miami - Dallas (MIA - DFW) $40+
• Flight Atlanta - Dallas (ATL - DFW) $51+
• Flight Phoenix - Dallas (PHX - DFW) $54+
• Flight Newark - Dallas (EWR - DFW) $56+
• Flight Chicago - Dallas (ORD - DFW) $58+
• Flight Baltimore - Dallas (BWI - DFW) $61+

San Diego Flights

• Flight San Jose - San Diego (SJC - SAN) $48+
• Flight Oakland - San Diego (OAK - SAN) $59+
• Flight Phoenix - San Diego (PHX - SAN) $61+
• Flight San Francisco - San Diego (SFO - SAN) $77+
• Flight Houston - San Diego (HOU - SAN) $79+
• Flight Portland - San Diego (PDX - SAN) $81+
• Flight Dallas - San Diego (DFW - SAN) $91+

Frequently asked questions

What do i need to know before booking a flight.

There are various factors to consider when booking a flight including cost, fare classes, baggage policies, the complications of flying long haul, and complying with airport regulations. To make your booking journey smoother KAYAK has developed a comprehensive flight guide including insights on finding affordable flights, packing efficiently, and utilizing the best travel tools.

What is the cheapest day of the week to book a flight?

The best day to book your flight depends on a number of factors, but there are general trends that you can follow to increase your chances of cheaper plane tickets. Based on an analysis of KAYAK data for all flights departing from inside United States over the last 12 months, the cheapest day to fly for domestic flights is Wednesday. For international flights, Tuesday had the cheapest tickets on average.

Which month of the year are flight prices lowest?

It’s well established that flights in the low season are generally cheaper than ticket prices during the high season. That means that knowing which month to find the lowest priced plane tickets will depend heavily on seasonality and your destination. While avoiding peak travel times can help you keep costs down, our data shows that the month with the lowest priced plane tickets for domestic flights based on all searches made on KAYAK in the last 12 months was January, while the most expensive was June. If you’re booking an international flight, then January is the cheapest month to fly and June the most expensive.

When is the best time to buy plane tickets - Last minute or in advance?

Last minute flight deals are definitely up for grabs but when exactly to purchase your plane tickets will depend on where you’re traveling to and from. Based on all data for flight searches made on KAYAK over the last 12 months, prices for domestic flights remained below the average price up to 1 weeks before departure. For international flights, deals could still be had up to 1 weeks prior to the departure date, with prices remaining below average. If you’re flexible, KAYAK brings you both advance and last minute one-way and round-trip flight deals.

Can flying international flights with a layover save money on airfare?

For many long-haul international flights, flying non-stop is not possible and you will have to fly with a layover. Some routes will offer both and you could consider flying with a layover for a number of reasons. Firstly, breaking up what would otherwise be a long-haul flight, taking a rest and then completing the journey might make the flight more manageable. Secondly, prices can also be lower than non-stop flights, so while it might take longer for you to reach your destination, you could save money. We’ve looked at prices over the last 12 months for the 100 most popular international destinations for KAYAK users and on average, prices for non-stop flights were cheaper than flights with a layover.

How does KAYAK find such low flight prices?

KAYAK processes over 2 billion flight queries annually and displays results from hundreds of airlines and third party sites, allowing it to find a variety of flight prices and options. It also displays results from 2M+ properties along with rental cars, vacation packages, activities and millions of verified reviews so users can see as many available travel options as possible.

How do I find the best flight deals on KAYAK?

A simple flight search at https://www.kayak.com/flights scans for prices on hundreds of travel sites in seconds. We gather flight deals from across the web and put them in one place. Then on the search results page you can use various filters to compare options for the same flight and easily choose the best flight deal from all of the deals coming straight from the travel sites to your screen, with no extra fee from KAYAK.

How can Hacker Fares save me money?

Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets on different airlines when it can save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket.

Does KAYAK query more flight providers than competitors?

Yes, KAYAK has access to more data and information than online travel agencies and consistently outperforms the competition in accuracy, globally.

How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care?

Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you flights up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. That way, you can see if leaving a day or two earlier will find you a better deal. You can also select the flexible "weekend" or "month" search options to widen your search range and find the cheapest price that works for you.

Search cheap flights with KAYAK. Search for the cheapest airline tickets for all the top airlines around the world, airports around the world and the top international flight routes . KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites to help you find cheap airfare and book a flight that suits you best. Since KAYAK searches many plane tickets sites at once, you can find cheap tickets from cheap airlines and for trains and buses quickly.

KAYAK also helps you find the right hotels for your needs.

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What causes turbulence, and what can you do if it happens to you?

Here’s the science behind this natural and often scary phenomenon—and how to cope with it during a flight.

Everyone has a story about hitting a rough patch of air, those hair-raising moments when suddenly more than the plane is flying. Bellies drop, drinks slop, and people caught in the aisle lurch against seats. In rare cases, it can even mean more than bumps or bruises.

In air travel, turbulence is a certainty and a major source of flight anxiety for flyers of all stripes. But understanding what causes turbulence, where it occurs, and the high-tech tools pilots use to make air travel safer and more comfortable may help settle even the most anxious flyer’s nerves.

What is turbulence?

The definition of turbulence is fairly straightforward: chaotic and capricious eddies of air , disturbed from a calmer state by various forces. If you’ve ever watched a placid thread of rising smoke break up into ever more disorganized swirls, you’ve witnessed turbulence.

Rough air happens everywhere, from ground level to far above cruising altitude. But the most common turbulence experienced by flyers has three common causes: mountains, jet streams, and storms.

Just as ocean waves break on a beach, air also forms waves as it encounters mountains. While some air passes smoothly over and onward, some air masses crowd against the mountains themselves, left with nowhere to go but up. These “mountain waves” can propagate as wide, gentle oscillations into the atmosphere, but they can also break up into many tumultuous currents, which we experience as turbulence.

Disorderly air associated with jet streams—the narrow, meandering bands of swift winds located near the poles—is caused by differences in wind velocities as an aircraft moves away from regions of maximum wind speeds. The decelerating winds create shear regions that are prone to turbulence.

And though it’s easy to understand turbulence created by thunderstorms, a relatively new discovery by researchers is that storms can generate bumpy conditions in faraway skies. The rapid growth of storm clouds pushes air away, generating waves in the atmosphere that can break up into turbulence hundreds to even thousands of miles away, says Robert Sharman, a turbulence researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Each of these scenarios can cause “clear air turbulence,” or CAT, the least predictable or observable type of disturbance. CAT is often the culprit behind moderate to severe injuries, as it can occur so suddenly that flight crew don’t have time to instruct passengers to buckle up. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 146 passengers and crew were reported seriously injured by turbulence between 2009 and 2021 .

Prediction improvements

Though weather forecasts and pilot reports are helpful for avoiding bumpy zones, they are relatively blunt tools, Sharman says. Weather models can’t predict turbulence at airplane-sized scales, and pilots frequently misreport turbulent locations by many dozens of miles. At NCAR, Sharman has been working since 2005 to build much more precise “nowcasting” turbulence tools .

Here’s how it works: an algorithm currently installed on around 1,000 commercial airliners analyzes information from onboard sensors to characterize each plane’s movement at any given moment. Using data on forward velocity, wind speed, air pressure, roll angle, and other factors, the algorithm generates a local atmospheric turbulence level, which is fed back into a national system every minute. Used in conjunction with national weather forecasts and models, the tool annotates forecasts with real-time conditions, which in turn helps to strengthen weather prediction models.

Over 12,000 Delta Airlines pilots currently use tablets loaded with the tool to check conditions along their flight paths. In addition to the domestic planes currently equipped with the algorithm, international carriers including Qantas, Air France and Lufthansa will also join in. And Boeing has begun to offer the algorithm as a purchase option for new aircraft, Sharman says.

“We better understand the atmosphere now, and our computing ability has meant we can provide better descriptions of turbulence,” Sharman says. “By its very nature, turbulence is so chaotic that you need a lot of computer power to throw at it before you can see what is actually happening. This observing strategy is a breakthrough for us.”

Related: airportraits show what it would look like if all the planes took off at once

Costs of turbulence

Part of the anxiety around turbulence is the fear of the aircraft failing. It’s a natural response, especially if you’ve had the experience of watching a wing bend to a seemingly impossible degree .

“I once had a person in front of me start screaming that we were all going to die because she saw the wingtip flexing,” recalls Marilyn Smith, an aeronautics engineer at Georgia Tech . “It’s good that the wing flexes; if it was so rigid that it didn’t, the plane would probably be so heavy that it couldn’t fly. Everything on a plane has been tested to within an inch of its life so that it won’t fail.”

In addition to physical tests in labs, where full-sized aircraft are subjected to stresses above and beyond what they’d encounter while airborne, Smith says that high-powered computing has made it possible to digitally model a wider range of hypothetical scenarios. Monitoring for maintenance issues has improved as well: onboard sensors keep track of components known to be vulnerable to fatigue, and flag that part for inspection or replacement.

Could airplane design be changed to eliminate the experience of turbulence altogether? Smith says likely not, at least in the near term. One area of research is looking at the possibility of instant reaction to sudden gusts by altering the airflow around the surface of the wing itself—though Smith warns that this is an extremely difficult problem to solve while keeping an airplane lightweight, low-cost and energy efficient.

Fassi Kafyeke, head of innovation at Bombardier , is looking to electrical propulsion technology as one way of altering the shape and feel of tomorrow’s airplanes. Without the need to confine smaller electric engines beneath the wing, they could be located almost anywhere on a plane’s body along with multiple smaller fans to propel the plane forward.

Though design changes like those would mainly address efficiency, turbulence does play a factor in aircraft performance and energy consumption: Flight path and altitude changes to avoid turbulence is estimated to cost U.S. airlines as much as $100 million a year, and burn an additional 160 million gallons of fuel per year.

Climate shifts could exacerbate those costs even more. Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading in the U.K., has estimated that by 2050 to 2080, changes to the jet stream from climate change will result in an increase of clear-air turbulence of 113 percent over North America , and as much as 181 percent over the North Atlantic. He’s currently working with Airbus to translate those projections into aircraft design parameters.

“The planes that manufacturers are designing today will still be flying in the 2050s, 60s, and 70s, and they’ll need to withstand the buffeting they’ll get,” Williams said. “It’s early stages yet, but they’re already looking at whether there will be the need for tweaks to their airframes to make them more robust.”

How to cope

Armed and ready though you may be with knowledge of meteorology and engineering, there are a few more solid strategies to plan for and cope with turbulence once on the plane.

Fly early in the day and sit as far forward in the plane as you’re able, says Heather Poole, a flight attendant for 21 years and author of the book Cruising Attitude .

“Turbulence is worse at the back of the plane,” she says. “There have been times when I’ve seen the folks in coach holding on like it’s a rodeo, and I’ve had to call the cockpit because they experience it differently up there.”

Stay buckled up, even when the seatbelt light is off, Poole adds, since even a loosely fastened belt will keep you from hitting your head on the overhead bins. And don’t try to hand babies across the aisle or give coffee back to cabin crew who are trying to secure loose objects.

She also suggests just mentioning to your flight crew if you have anxiety—they’ll go out of their way to check on you if things get bumpy. Apps like My Radar and Soar also can also demystify what’s in the sky ahead.

“That’s what the fear is about, mostly, the lack of a sense of control,” Poole says. “If you learn more about the weather, and what it is, and where turbulence might be, then you have a better sense of how it happens and that you’ll be okay.”

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Simple Flying

A 'peak' at the busiest & quietest days of the week to fly.

It's nice to be able to avoid congestion if possible.

• Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often less busy for air travel due to fewer passengers mid-week.
• Weekends and holidays result in busier and more expensive flights, especially Friday evenings and Sunday mornings.
• Traveling early in the morning or late at night can provide a quieter experience, with fewer passengers familiar with airport routines.

Have you ever noticed the difference between flying during a regular weekday and a holiday weekend? Getting through airport check-in, security, and boarding becomes quite the breeze when there isn't chaos around, like during most holiday travels. Traveling in the middle of the week also means less crowded airports than during weekends. Simple Flying explores which time of the year is less busy for air travel, including days and times of the week.

Best days of the week

There isn't a definitive answer to which day of the week is the quietest. It is worth doing some research into the airport from which you are flying. However, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often less busy. This is because you have to take more days off work to fly mid-week, which people are usually reluctant to do. Midweek fares are also often cheaper than weekends.

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In contrast, traveling near or on weekends is typically more expensive and busier. Leisure travelers looking to enjoy a weekend away tend to go on Friday and Monday. At the same time, passengers who commute every week for work also travel on Monday and Friday to return home for the weekend. As such, Sundays can be busy as business travelers try to get a head start on the week ahead.

Similarly, people traveling for extended vacations tend to travel during the weekend to maximize holiday time. Friday nights and Saturday mornings can see some airports busier than ever, so traveling before 4 pm on Fridays could be better. Weekend flights are more in demand and subsequently more expensive.

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The exception to the rule.

There is one big exception to the rule: package holiday companies. For some tourist destinations, a large percentage of flights are operated by or in partnership with package holiday companies. In these cases, if you aren’t traveling with one of these companies, the quietest day is just any day, not a changeover day.

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Generally, there is a standardized changeover day (or days) when holiday companies carry vast numbers of passengers over two days. Typically, this is the weekend, but the changeover day can be mid-week if they want to allow passengers a whole weekend at the destination. If the changeover day is a Tuesday, this will become the busiest day, while the weekend might become quiet.

Best time of the day

As the old saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. Getting up early is your best option if you can’t fly on one of the quieter days. If the flight leaves before 8 AM, meaning you must arrive around 5-6 AM, you should be in for a quiet time. Fewer people prefer to travel that early.

However, not everyone can function that early. If you’re a night owl, flying late is also a good option. It may be busier than morning, as many people who fly for business will fly overnight to arrive in time for meetings the next day. So, while you will have to deal with more travelers, they are more likely to be frequent flyers familiar with the airport routine, reducing congestion.

Worst times of the year to fly

Holidays and peak travel seasons call for hiked airfares, crowded airports, and travel congestion. During those times, not only is air travel more costly and inconvenient, but passengers do not get the type of service they pay for. Upgraded Points show some of the worst travel times of the year for air travel in the United States and when the fares are generally hiked during the time period.

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The bottom line.

A quick cheat sheet on the quietest times to fly is:

• Off-peak time of the year (February to April and September to November)
• Mid-week (Tuesday and Wednesday)
• Early morning (12 AM to 6 AM)

Traveling during off-peak times will generally ensure lower fares, less crowded airports, relatively convenient travel, and greater chances of receiving the promised services. Air travel over a holiday period or during a major event typically results in overcrowded airports at most times. Regarding the day of the week, traveling on Tuesday or Wednesday will mean avoiding the highest fares and the busiest times. Moreover, an early morning flight will reduce the chance of queueing for hours.

Do you have any tips or tricks for a smooth airport experience? When do you prefer to fly? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

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• Premium economy

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Frequently asked questions

Will I get a meal on my flight? What to know about food service on major US airlines.

• Most domestic economy passengers don’t get a full meal included in the price of their ticket.
• Many flights, especially long-haul ones to international destinations, include meal service, even in economy.
• Even on flights where meals aren’t included in the ticket price, many offer more filling options for purchase than the free bag of nuts or packet of Biscoff you may get otherwise.

Travelers often assume they won’t be fed when they fly. While it’s true that most domestic economy passengers don’t get a full meal included in the price of their ticket, it’s inaccurate to say meals never get served on planes.

Many flights, especially long-haul ones to international destinations, include meal service, even in economy. And even on flights where meals aren’t included in the ticket price, many offer more filling options for purchase than the free bag of nuts or packet of Biscoff you may get otherwise. Frequent flyer status can also get many travelers perks like free premium drinks on most carriers.

Here’s what the four major U.S. airlines offer for inflight meals and refreshments.

American Airlines

Free in Main Cabin and Main Cabin Extra on all flights traveling more than 250 miles

• Tea, Coffee, water, Coca-Cola soft drink products
• Biscoff cookies and pretzels

For purchase in economy on domestic flights

• Premium snacks
• Beer, wine and spirits

Free in economy on flights to and from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the Middle East, select South American cities, between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii, and on the following routes: JFK-LAX, JFK-SFO, JFK-SNA, BOS-LAX and select departures on the MIA-LAX route:

• All free beverages and snacks available on shorter flights
• Inflight meal

In domestic first class, premium economy, business class on short-haul international flights, and all travelers on Flagship Business and Flagship First tickets have access to all the previously listed free refreshments, plus premium dining menus that vary by region and route, along with specially selected beer, wine and spirits.

Delta Air Lines

Free in Main Cabin on all flights traveling more than 250 miles

• A selection of snacks
• Snack boxes

Comfort+, domestic first class, Premium Select and Delta One fares always include beer, wine, and spirits. Free hot meals are also available on select domestic First Class and all domestic Delta One flights. 

On long-haul international flights, meals and beverages, including beer, wine and spirits, are included for every cabin class .

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Southwest Airlines

Southwest only has economy class, so all its flights include:

Beer, wine and spirits are available for purchase, though elite Rapid Rewards members may receive drink coupons as a perk.

United Airlines

In economy , all flights over 300 miles include free snacks, water, tea, coffee and soft drinks, and beer, wine and spirits for purchase.

On flights over 500 miles, premium snack boxes are also available for purchase in economy, and on domestic flights over 1,190 miles, hot meals are also available for purchase in economy.

On flights to Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the South Pacific, and select destinations in Latin America, the economy fare includes a meal, snack, beer, wine, water, soft drinks, coffee and tea. Spirits are also available for purchase.

In domestic business and first class :

• Free alcohol is available on request on flights over 300 miles
• Free snacks are also available on flights between 300 and 900 miles
• On flights over 900 miles, a hot meal will be offered
• On flights over 1,190 miles, a pre-arrival snack will also be offered in addition to the main meal

On Polaris international business class flights, a premium hot meal and beer, wine and spirits are included in the price.  

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].

The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more .

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• At the airport

Checked bag policy

Checked bag allowances.

Changes to bag allowances and fees have been updated as of February 20, 2024.

Travel within / between the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands – 1st checked bag fee is $40 ($35 if you pay online) and the 2nd checked bag fee is $45.

Travel to / from Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and Guyana – 1st checked bag fee is $35 and the 2nd checked bag fee is $45.

All bag fees are non-refundable and apply per person, at each check-in location, each way, even if you purchase or get an upgrade that includes free checked bags. If you believe you've been incorrectly charged for bag fees, contact an American representative for help or file a refund claim within 45 days.

• Bag limitations
• Bag and optional fees

How many bags can you take?

Check up to 10 bags on american airlines operated flights if your trip is:.

• Transatlantic
• Transpacific

Check up to 5 bags on American-operated flights if you’re traveling to / through / from:

• Mexico / Caribbean / Central America*
• South America*
• Bag regions

*There are seasonal and year-round bag restrictions

We calculate the size limits of your bag by adding the total outside dimensions of each bag, length + width + height.

For all regions, except to / from Australia or New Zealand, your checked bag allowance is:

• Dimension: 62 in / 158 cm
• Weight: 50 lbs / 23 kgs
• For First / Business, weight is 70 lbs / 32 kgs for complimentary bags and 50 lbs / 23 kgs for excess charged bags

For all confirmed customers on flights to / from Australia or New Zealand:

• Weight: 70 lbs / 32kgs for complimentary bags and 50 lbs / 23 kgs for excess charged bags
• Oversize and overweight bags

What it will cost

In some cases, you won't have to pay the fees for up to 3 bags when traveling on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines. If you qualify for complimentary bags based on your AAdvantage ® status or one world ® status, the benefits are based on your highest status level at time of ticketing or check-in.

If your status level is:

• Higher at ticketing than at check-in, show your ticket receipt to the airport agent
• Lower at ticketing than at check-in, current benefits will automatically apply

Free checked bags may not apply to codeshare flights operated by our partners. Visit the website of the airline operating your flight for details.

Other airlines

1st checked bag is complimentary for:

• Eligible AAdvantage ® Aviator ® and Citi ® / AAdvantage ® cardmembers (on domestic American Airlines operated itineraries)
• AAdvantage Gold ® status
• GOL Diamond Smiles members
• oneworld ® Ruby

or when traveling to these destinations:

• El Salvador*
• New Zealand^
• South Korea^
• Transatlantic*

*Excluding Basic Economy

^Excluding Basic Economy for tickets issued on / after June 7, 2023

1st and 2nd checked bags are complimentary for:

• AAdvantage Platinum ® status
• one world ® Sapphire members
• Confirmed Domestic First customers
• Confirmed Business customers
• Confirmed Premium Economy customers

1st, 2nd and 3rd checked bags are complimentary for:

• Confirmed Flagship ® First and Flagship ® Business Plus customers*
• AAdvantage Executive Platinum ® status
• AAdvantage Platinum Pro ® status
• one world ® Emerald
• Active U.S. military and / or dependents with ID traveling on orders (1st - 5th bags free of charge)**
• Active U.S. military with ID on personal travel**

*Applicable only to Flagship ® First International, Flagship ® First Transcontinental and Flagship ® Business Plus. AAdvantage Executive Platinum ® status, AAdvantage Platinum Pro ® status and oneworld ® Emerald members traveling in Flagship ® First may check a 4th bag at no charge

**Free checked bags apply when traveling on American marketed and operated itineraries. Free checked bags don't apply to codeshare flights operated by our partners.

Save time, pay online

Don’t wait in line at the airport – get the best price available and check up to 3 bags when you check-in on aa.com or in the app.

Pay for your checked bags online within 24 hours of departure and receive the best price available for travel on domestic flights within and between the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska, and select markets in the Caribbean and Central America.

For tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024, save $5 on the 1st checked bag fee for travel within and between the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.

For more information about paying for your bags online, visit our customer service FAQs.

Customer service FAQs

All published bag fees apply at each check-in location and are base rates according to travel dates and destination; applicable taxes are not shown.

All bag fees are non-refundable and apply per person, each way, even if you buy or get an upgrade that includes free checked bags. If you believe you were incorrectly charged for bag fees, contact an American representative for help or file a refund claim within 45 days.

^Main Plus includes 1 extra free checked bag in addition to the Main Cabin allowance (max of 2)

^^A $30 1st checked bag fee and a $40 2nd checked bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before February 19, 2024. A $40 1st checked bag fee ($35 if paid online) and a $45 2nd checked bag fee applies within / between the U.S. (including HI / AK), Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands for tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024. Otherwise, a $35 1st checked bag fee and a $45 2nd checked bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024.

*Free bag excludes Basic Economy: For Basic Economy travel to / from Haiti, a $30 1st bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before February 19, 2024 and a $35 1st bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024. For Basic Economy travel to/from Panama / Colombia / Ecuador / Peru a $45 1st bag fee applies. For Basic Economy travel to / from South America (excluding Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname) a $45 1st bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before September 19, 2023 and a $60 1st bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after September 20, 2023. For Transatlantic Basic Economy travel, a $75 1st bag fee applies. For Transpacific Basic Economy travel for tickets issued on / after June 7, 2023 a $75 1st bag fee applies and for tickets issued on / before June 6, 2023 there is no 1st bag fee.

**For travel to / from Panama and South America (except Guyana and Suriname), a $65 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before September 19, 2023 and a $100 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after September 20, 2023.

Flights departing Canada

Find out how much you'll pay for checked bags and other fees on roundtrip and one-way flights departing Canada, displayed in CAD.

Bag and optional fees - Canada

If your region isn’t listed, we can still help:

• Reservations and ticket changes

Through checked bags

We only through check bags if all your tickets are in the same reservation and you’re connecting to another American Airlines or one world ® flight.

Each passenger traveling to Cuba may only check up to 2 bags* with a maximum weight of 70 lbs / 32 kgs per bag, plus 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item.

• Carry-on bags

*Seasonal exceptions apply to Havana, Cuba effective for travel on / after March 14, 2023

*For travel to Cuba, a $30 1st bag fee applies to Basic Economy and Main Cabin for tickets issued on / before September 19, 2023. For tickets issued on / after September 20, 2023 a $30 1st bag fee applies to Basic Economy and there is no 1st bag fee for Main Cabin. For tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024 a $35 1st bag fee applies to Basic Economy and there is no 1st bag fee for Main Cabin.

**For travel to Cuba, a $200 2nd bag fee applies seasonally for travel from November 16 – January 9. A $150 2nd bag fee applies otherwise. Excludes Main Plus for tickets issued on / after September 20, 2023.

^Main Plus includes 1 extra free checked bag in addition to the Main Cabin allowance (max of 2).

What else can you travel with?

• Mobility and medical devices
• Traveling with pets
• Special items and sports equipment

Restricted items

There are some items that are only allowed in checked bags or your carry-on. Check to see how to pack and travel with restricted items.

Flying on a partner airline?

Find helpful information if your trip includes 1 or more flights with our partner airlines.

• British Airways
• Japan Airlines
• Qatar Airways

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Things to Do in Elektrostal, Russia - Elektrostal Attractions

Things to do in elektrostal.

• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Good for Kids
• Good for Big Groups
• Adventurous
• Budget-friendly
• Hidden Gems
• Good for Couples
• Honeymoon spot
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Electrostal History and Art Museum

2. Statue of Lenin

3. Park of Culture and Leisure

4. museum and exhibition center.

5. Museum of Labor Glory

7. Galereya Kino

8. viki cinema, 9. smokygrove.

10. Gandikap

11. papa lounge bar, 12. karaoke bar.

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Elektrostal, visit elektrostal, check elektrostal hotel availability, popular places to visit.

• Electrostal History and Art Museum

You can spend time exploring the galleries in Electrostal History and Art Museum in Elektrostal. Take in the museums while you're in the area.

• Cities near Elektrostal

• Places of interest
• Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
• Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino
• Peter the Great Military Academy
• History of Russian Scarfs and Shawls Museum
• Ramenskii History and Art Museum
• Bykovo Manor
• Pekhorka Park
• Balashikha Arena
• Malenky Puppet Theater
• Drama Theatre BOOM
• Balashikha Museum of History and Local Lore
• Pavlovsky Posad Museum of Art and History
• Saturn Stadium
• Church of Vladimir
• Likino Dulevo Museum of Local Lore
• Orekhovo Zuevsky City Exhibition Hall
• Noginsk Museum and Exhibition Center
• Fairy Tale Children's Model Puppet Theater
• Fifth House Gallery
• Malakhovka Museum of History and Culture