American is the latest to remove 737 Max flights from schedules into January
As the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is still uncertain as to when it will recertify Boeing 737 Max aircraft for commercial flights, American Airlines has become the latest carrier to remove the plane from its flight schedules through the holidays and into January. Southwest already removed the beleaguered aircraft from its schedules through Jan. 5, 2020. United Airlines still has the 737 Max returning to its schedules as of Dec. 19 but industry analysts believe the carrier will also revise its plans as well.

American was selling tickets on flights due to operate with the 737 Max aircraft after December 4. However, American now says it will keep the plane out of service until at least Jan. 16. At that point it will “slowly phase in” the 737 Max, assuming there are no further delays with the official recertification of the aircraft. American will be cancelling select flights as it works to minimize the overall impacts of this latest delay. Customers holding tickets on affected flights are being automatically rebooked and notified by American. If the new alternative is unacceptable, customers can change to a different flight on the same route or receive a refund even if the ticket is nonrefundable.

Ridesharing in the news with new limitations at LAX and new offerings in NYC
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will become the latest major airport to restrict rideshare pick-ups to designated areas. Starting Oct. 29, all ridesharing and taxi users will need to take a shuttle bus to a new special area designated for pick-ups near Terminal 1.  Airport officials say the shuttle ride should take no longer than 15 minutes. The move is aimed at reducing traffic congestion that has mushroomed over the past few years. Rideshare passengers will still be dropped off curbside at the terminal and chauffeured rides will be exempt from the new pickup rules. 

In New York, passengers who want to get to JFK airport faster can now elect to take Uber Helicopter from downtown Manhattan.  Uber began testing the service earlier this year with its top-tier users, but now all customers can start using the Uber Helicopter service. The average ride should take about eight minutes from take-off to touch-down and will cost between $200 and $225 per person depending on demand. Travelers should note that Blade also offers helicopter service from several Manhattan locations to all three NYC area airports and also offers private air transport programs in Los Angeles and San Francisco.