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Skift • Dennis Schaal

Who Owns the Customer? OTAs' Liberal Refunds Clash with Airlines Over Rebooking Amid Iran War

Online travel agencies are offering far more liberal cancellation and refund policies during the Iran war than they did during the pandemic, sparking disputes with airlines over rebooking responsibility and who 'owns' customers when flights are disrupted. The split raises costs and complicates operational recovery for carriers.

2026-03-13T14:54:14.462134-07:00

Skift

After investing in AI, travel brands revert to human agents when crises strike

2026-03-13T12:34:57.651181-07:00

FlightGlobal

Aeroflot cuts business-class seats on 22 737-800s and seven A320s to boost economy capacity

2026-03-13T12:18:10.242838-07:00

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

Intoxicated Passenger Bites JetBlue Flight Attendant; Sentenced to Probation

2026-03-13T03:38:08.591538-07:00

News Timeline

Skift

Who Owns the Customer? OTAs' Liberal Refunds Clash with Airlines Over Rebooking Amid Iran War Online travel agencies are offering far more liberal cancellation and refund policies during the Iran war than they did during the pandemic, sparking disputes with airlines over rebooking responsibility and who 'owns' customers when flights are disrupted. The split raises costs and complicates operational recovery for carriers.

2026-03-13T14:54:14.462134-07:00

Who Owns the Customer? OTAs' Liberal Refunds Clash with Airlines Over Rebooking Amid Iran War

Skift

After investing in AI, travel brands revert to human agents when crises strike Following heavy post‑Covid investment in AI‑driven customer service, travel companies are relying on human agents to handle major disruptions. Firms report AI handles routine efficiency gains but falls short in crisis recovery, prompting retained or expanded manual teams for resilience and reputation management.

2026-03-13T12:34:57.651181-07:00

After investing in AI, travel brands revert to human agents when crises strike

FlightGlobal

Aeroflot cuts business-class seats on 22 737-800s and seven A320s to boost economy capacity Aeroflot is reconfiguring 29 single-aisle jets — 22 Boeing 737-800s and seven Airbus A320s — cutting business-class seats to add economy capacity. The 737-800 changes raise capacity from 158 to 162 seats, signalling a move to denser narrowbody layouts.

2026-03-13T12:18:10.242838-07:00

Aeroflot cuts business-class seats on 22 737-800s and seven A320s to boost economy capacity

Runway Girl

CLEAR installs biometric eGates at San José Mineta to accelerate passenger processing CLEAR has launched biometric eGates at San José Mineta International Airport to accelerate passenger processing, reduce queue times and streamline identity verification. The deployment extends operator-led automation efforts aimed at faster, contactless terminal throughput and improved passenger experience and airport efficiency.

2026-03-13T12:13:51.118920-07:00

CLEAR installs biometric eGates at San José Mineta to accelerate passenger processing

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

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Intoxicated Passenger Bites JetBlue Flight Attendant; Sentenced to Probation A heavily intoxicated passenger on a JetBlue flight bit a flight attendant and disrupted the flight, forcing an onboard disturbance response. In the subsequent criminal case, the passenger avoided jail and was sentenced to probation, court documents show.

2026-03-13T03:38:08.591538-07:00

Intoxicated Passenger Bites JetBlue Flight Attendant; Sentenced to Probation

Wall Street Journal

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Qantas to pay about $74–105M to settle COVID-era flight credits class action Qantas has agreed to settle a class action over its decision to issue flight credits instead of immediate cash refunds for COVID-cancelled flights, agreeing to pay roughly $74–105 million without admitting liability. The suit, filed by Echo Law for “hundreds of thousands” of customers, covered bookings from 1 Jan 2020 to 1 Nov 2022.

2026-03-12T23:23:30.229091-07:00

Qantas to pay about $74–105M to settle COVID-era flight credits class action

Skift

Long‑haul visitors to Europe increasingly choose trains and e‑mobility as 'slow travel' rises New research finds long‑haul visitors to Europe are increasingly replacing short flights with trains, cycling and electric ground transport as 'slow travel' gains popularity. The shift toward greener mobility is motivated chiefly by the travel experience—comfort, scenery and convenience—rather than explicit climate or carbon‑cutting concerns.

2026-03-12T10:40:08.408145-07:00

Long‑haul visitors to Europe increasingly choose trains and e‑mobility as 'slow travel' rises

ch-aviation

El Al expects Boeing 777 cabin reconfiguration to complete in 1Q27 El Al expects its Boeing 777 cabin reconfiguration programme to finish in 1Q27, the carrier told ch-aviation. The modifications will be applied across its 777 fleet as part of ongoing interior updates to support long‑haul operations and passenger experience improvements.

2026-03-12T04:58:47.197741-07:00

El Al expects Boeing 777 cabin reconfiguration to complete in 1Q27

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PaxEx News

Who Owns the Customer? OTAs' Liberal Refunds Clash with Airlines Over Rebooking Amid Iran War

After investing in AI, travel brands revert to human agents when crises strike

Aeroflot cuts business-class seats on 22 737-800s and seven A320s to boost economy capacity

Intoxicated Passenger Bites JetBlue Flight Attendant; Sentenced to Probation

News Timeline