In Travel News for December 6th, 2022 we talk about negotiations with Delta’s pilots union, 5G service coming soon to airlines, and new River Cruise sailings coming to Emerald Cruises.
Delta Reaches Agreement with Pilots Union
In October Delta pilots voted to authorize their union to Strike. While this didn’t mean that a strike was imminent, it was one step closer to the possibility. Delta has recently shared some good news, it looks like they have struck a tentative agreement with their pilots. The agreement will see a cumulative pay increase of 34% over three years. If this deal is approved by the union membership many believe this will be the benchmark for other airline union negotiations within the United States.
European Union to Allow 5G on Airplanes
Good news for travelers flying within the European Union. In a recent ruling by the European Commission airlines are now allowed to provide 5G service onboard flights within the EU. In theory this means that passengers will no longer need to switch their mobile devices into airplane mode, however we are still awaiting the details of how this will actually work. Currently travelers flying within the EU and many other countries such as the United States, are required to put their phones into airplane mode for the duration of the flight. Within the U.S. there has been concern that 5G could affect flight systems and disrupt altitude readings. Within the E.U. 5G is run over different frequencies then in the U.S., this difference in frequency range eliminates the problem of airline interference within the E.U.
Emerald Cruises Expands 2023 Sailings
This year we’ve seen a surge in demand for cruises that looks to remain strong through 2024. In response to this increased demand Emerald Cruises is adding four sailing dates across three of their most popular River Cruise itineraries for their 2023 sailing season. The new sailings include an eight day Danube cruise that departs on November 24th, 2023. An eight day Christmas Market cruise that will sail along the Rhine departing on December 16, 2023; and two November dates added to the eight day “Secrets of the Douro” river cruise. Costs for these sailings range between $3,395 dollars and $3,695 dollars per passenger assuming double occupancy.