This issue appears to have been raised at the highest diplomatic level during Donald Trump’s state visit to China last week, when the US President reportedly urged the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, to grant Visa Inc. wider access to China’s tightly controlled payment market.

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“I said, ‘What about letting Visa?’” Trump said in an interview with Fox News. “We had the head of Visa there today, by the way. Visa is a big deal. I said, what about using Visa in China? For some reason, they were blackballed, and maybe that will come off.”

Trump’s visit was heavily focused on cementing a trade détente between the world’s two largest economies, following a period of sharp escalation over tariffs and China’s restrictions on rare earth exports.

The US delegation included the CEOs of several major American corporations, including Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg and Visa’s Ryan McInerney. Trump’s push on Visa goes far beyond financial diplomacy and would directly enhance the experience of millions of travellers.

Despite China’s efforts to boost inbound tourism by expanding its visa-free entry schemes, payment systems remain one of the biggest obstacles for foreign visitors trying to navigate the country’s predominantly cashless economy. Following its 2024 visa-free expansion, China welcomed around 65 million foreign visitors, which is more than double the figure for 2023, though still below the roughly 97.7 million arrivals recorded in 2019.

According to the 2026 study Exploring Foreign Tourists’ Payment Experiences in China by researchers at the University of Innsbruck, payment difficulties immediately impact on transport, accommodation, bookings, shopping and general travel satisfaction.

China’s cashless ecosystem, which is dominated by WeChat Pay and AliPay, was designed with domestic users in mind and requires them to have a local phone number and bank account for verification purposes. While foreign cards work reliably at luxury hotels and international chains, they are far less accepted at smaller restaurants, street markets, and regional tourist destinations. Visa cards were among the least consistently accepted.

Some of the tourists interviewed for the study reported carrying large amounts of cash as a backup option, while others described failed hotel bookings, rejected transactions, and even cancelled travel plans due to an inability to process payments.

This issue has long been a source of friction between Washington and Beijing.

In 2015, China opened its bank-card clearing market to foreign companies, ending the monopoly of state-backed China UnionPay. Mastercard and American Express later secured approvals through partnerships with Chinese firms. However, Visa remained excluded from domestic yuan-clearing operations. This dispute dates back to a 2012 WTO ruling which found that China was discriminating against foreign payment providers.

Since then, China has introduced measures to ease barriers for international visitors, raising mobile payment spending limits for foreigners and requiring tourist sites to accept cash and international cards. Nevertheless, the Innsbruck study found that many travellers were still encountering the same obstacles, highlighting the persistent gap between policy announcements and real-world experience.

Beijing has upgraded more than 20,000 sets of facilities at subway stations to support contactless payments for foreign Mastercard and Visa card holders. Starting Friday, passengers can use cards issued overseas to take rides on the city's rail transit network. pic.twitter.com/EETqfCn0UE

— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) September 13, 2024

This debate mirrors efforts elsewhere to simplify cross-border payments in the other direction. In February this year, the European Travel Commission (ETC) and Mastercard launched a co-branded travel card with Chinese banking partners to facilitate transactions for Chinese tourists visiting Europe.

As China seeks to position itself as a more accessible destination, ensuring that payment systems are interoperable may prove to be just as important as visa policy itself.

L’article Trump pushes China to ease payments with Visa for foreign travellers est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Addressing the United Kingdom’s situation more specifically, he said “the major problem facing the UK is timing. You normally expect to see a 25% increase in flights and fuel requirements in the months of July and August versus, let’s say, March,” adding: “I think the concern will be that if sufficient alternative supply isn’t sourced, there may be some shortages when we get into the peak summer period.”

Walsh believes significant disruption to schedules can be avoided (and airlines will be keen to avoid problems since the EU has insisted they remain responsible for compensating passengers amid the current issues). But he warned of rising ticket prices ahead and noted that the impact of the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping passage, could continue into 2027. This goes beyond the worst-case scenarios laid out by analysts when the crisis first began.

Tui’s chief executive, Sebastien Ebel, and the European Union’s energy commissioner, Dan Jorgensen, have dismissed the prospect of serious fuel shortages in the near-term, but the latter has not ruled out longer-term effects.

Meanwhile, countries around the world have been seeking solutions to the oil shortages, ranging from authorising the import and use of US fuel for European airlines to increasing home-owned refinery production, as seen in the UK.

Following the war in Iran, flight cancellations by Middle Eastern carriers disrupted flows, causing a significant rebalancing of air traffic in four major region-pairs that were heavily dependent on Middle East for connectivity. More in the #WeeklyChart https://t.co/ZgShCGcEP0 pic.twitter.com/czWQ0qoYZ5

— IATA (@IATA) May 16, 2026

Some of the solutions have been flagged by green campaigners as a step backwards for climate agendas, as some nations fall back on dirtier fuel. Indonesia, one of the world’s largest coal exporters by trade value (alongside Kazakhstan, Russia, Colombia, and Mongolia), is prioritising domestic supply chains over exports, limiting regional availability.

Responding, Bangladesh has increased both generation ​and imports of coal-fired power. India, almost 75% dependent on coal for power, is operating at maximum coal-fired generation and has cancelled planned stoppages. Vietnam is already considering importing coal from the United States and Laos, according to energy market tracker Argus Media.

South Korea declared earlier this spring that it would postpone the closure of its coal-fired power plants, originally timetabled for 2040, and has eased cost penalties on electricity produced from coal. The Philippines is also increasing coal-burning under national emergency measures. Similarly, Japanese officials have temporarily allowed an Industry Ministry reprieve on coal-fired power plant restrictions, allowing older, less efficient coal-fired plants to continue running for the next fiscal year.

L’article Rising fuel costs make higher Europe air fares inevitable this summer, says IATA chief est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Presented as part of a broader mobility package, the initiative introduces the concept of a “single ticket” for journeys that combine services from different railway companies. The objective is clear: one journey, one ticket, and full rights for passengers across the entire trip.

Tackling fragmentation in Europe’s rail system

Despite growing demand for sustainable transport, booking cross-border rail travel in Europe remains complex. Passengers often face fragmented systems, limited transparency, and difficulties in comparing options, especially when journeys involve multiple operators.

The Commission’s proposal directly addresses these challenges by enabling travellers to search, compare and purchase combined rail services in a single transaction, either through independent ticketing platforms or directly via operators.

Ever missed a connecting train & been told it's not the operator's problem?

The EU is making rail travel simpler & fairer:

Single-ticket bookings across multiple rail operators
Full rail passenger rights for the whole journey
New obligations for ticketing platforms pic.twitter.com/VOjvsGKoru

— EU Justice (@EU_Justice) May 13, 2026

“Freedom of movement is one of Europe’s greatest achievements,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas. “Today, we are taking it a step further by making travel across all 27 Member States simpler, smarter and more passenger friendly.”

The reform also aims to open up the market by requiring dominant rail operators to share their ticketing platforms with competitors, increasing visibility for smaller players and improving competition across the sector.

Stronger passenger rights across the entire journey

A key element of the proposal is the extension of passenger rights to cover the full journey when booked under a single ticket, even if multiple operators are involved.

In practical terms, this means that passengers who miss a connection due to delays or cancellations will be entitled to assistance, rerouting, reimbursement and compensation for the entire journey, not just individual segments.

The Passenger Package has been announced!

Today, the @EU_Commission has proposed new rules for a smoother travel experience for passengers: https://t.co/K1M9Iff93x

One journey, one ticket, full rights.#PassengerRights #ConnectingEurope @Transport_EU pic.twitter.com/EKvpnErMrk

— Europe's Rail JU (@EURail_JU) May 13, 2026

This marks a significant shift from the current situation, where protections are often limited when journeys are split across multiple tickets.

Passengers may also receive meals, accommodation if needed, and alternative transport solutions, ensuring continuity of travel even in disrupted scenarios.

Towards more transparent and sustainable travel choices

Beyond ticketing and passenger rights, the Commission is introducing new obligations for booking platforms to ensure fair competition and transparency.

Platforms with significant market presence will be required to display travel options in a neutral manner, based on objective criteria such as price, travel time, or greenhouse gas emissions, rather than commercial agreements.

This is expected to make it easier for travellers to identify more sustainable options, supporting the EU’s broader climate objectives.

At the same time, new rules will ensure that transport operators and ticketing platforms can enter into fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory agreements, addressing long-standing concerns about restricted access to ticket distribution.

Remaining challenges and next steps

Alongside the legislative proposals, the Commission published an implementation report on the existing Rail Passenger Rights Regulation, highlighting progress made since 2023, including improved rules on bicycle carriage and better passenger information.

However, the report also points to persistent gaps, particularly the limited availability of through-tickets for cross-border journeys involving multiple operators, an issue the new package seeks to resolve.

The proposals will now be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for negotiation under the ordinary legislative procedure.

In parallel, Member States are expected to accelerate the implementation of rules under the Intelligent Transport Systems Directive, particularly those related to sharing multimodal transport data.

If adopted, the package could mark a decisive step towards a truly integrated European rail system, making cross-border travel not only more convenient but also more competitive and sustainable.

L’article European Commission proposes single-ticket system to simplify cross-border rail travel  est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Under its current guise, the group has been around for over two decades, bearing the name of its founding members since its creation in 2004, despite talk at the time of the original merger of a new, more neutral moniker, such as French European Airlines.

With consolidation rife in aviation—and accelerating as airlines face rising costs amid the Middle East fuel crisis—SAS is not the only airline that Air France-KLM has its eyes on. The long-awaited privatisation of TAP could also see the group win out over rival Lufthansa to embrace the Portuguese carrier into the fold. With two takeovers in mind then, plus a 19.9% stake in Scandinavia’s SAS already, as well as stakes in several other airlines, including Air Corsica, Kenya Airways and WestJet, a name with international associations would better reflect the group’s makeup.

A spokesperson said, “It is perfectly logical to hold the discussion about a new name, given that we plan to add new brands to the Air France-KLM Group. After all, the current name only reflects our two historical brands.”

The name “the Blue Group” is being mooted, according to people with knowledge of the issue who spoke to De Telegraaf. The colour is already a main element in the image of both Air France, KLM, and SAS.CEO Ben Smith is said to be in favour of a change of identity, though insiders have reported that other members of senior management are not enamoured with any name change or loss of Air France-KLM branding, calling it “a heavy step.”

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Some are sceptical about the name change being a precursor to operational changes that would see the group run from Paris, with sub-brands losing autonomy. Annual reporting also shows this has effectively already happened to KLM subsidiary AirTrade, a package operator for KLM and Transavia, now owned and run by the Paris holding. In 2025, KLM’s Adriaan den Heijer was subsumed into the Paris holding group as chief commercial officer, alongside COO Oltion Carkaxhija.

The new “unbranded” name could follow the lead of British Airways and Iberia’s  International Airlines Group (IAG) in eliminating associations with dominant carrier energy, though it remains unclear how Portuguese authorities would view any such move, since retention of national interests has been such a key part of acquisition negotiations.

L’article Air France-KLM set to change its name to The Blue Group est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Speaking to the Financial Times, the EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said neither jet fuel costs nor supply issues fall under the criteria that would exempt airlines from having to honour passenger protections. “The price of jet fuel is the reason why we have cancellations of flights and if they cancel flights without extraordinary circumstances – jet fuel prices are not extraordinary circumstances – they will have to reimburse the people,” the commissioner said.

In Brussels, we brought together air traffic management stakeholders, airlines, manufacturers and European institutions to discuss how we can better support the future of European aviation.

We exchanged views on the modernisation of air traffic management in Europe, including… pic.twitter.com/awZ9HTe7L7

— Apostolos Tzitzikostas (@tzitzikostas) May 6, 2026

The guidance adopted by the EU makes clear the rules around those exceptions. “Airlines may only be exempt from paying financial compensation if they can prove that the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances, such as a local fuel shortage. The Commission considers that high fuel prices should not be considered as constituting extraordinary circumstance,” it states.

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers, has already said it has hedged its fuel supply sufficiently to avoid cancellations. But other airlines claim their bottom lines are suffering the consequences of the Strait of Hormuz blockade that followed the US-Israel war on Iran. That financial imperative has led to the cancellation of around two million flights since the end of April, including by big European players such as Lufthansa and Ryanair’s Irish rival Aer Lingus. And over in the United States, where hedging is less common, the demise of Spirit Airlines is widely seen as having been hastened by the geopolitical situation.

AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes told the same outlet the crisis is “much worse” than the effect of COVID-19 on the aviation sector. “I thought I’d seen it all with Covid … but having seen jet fuel go up almost three times – this is much worse,” he said.

The International Energy Agency has warned that fuel supplies in the bloc could run out in six weeks. While Tzitzikostas has acknowledged the “situation is tight”, he insisted the Commission is not currently considering a change to existing customer protections and airline obligations. “We have a tourist season ahead of us. We need to be careful with words we use and avoid causing panic,” he said.

L’article Airlines to compensate travellers for fuel-related flight cancellations, EU says est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The KLM crew member, who remains as yet unidentified in press reports, was placed into an isolation unit in an Amsterdam hospital on the evening of Wednesday, 6 May. She had been collected from her home after suffering symptoms described as mild and was due to undergo testing.

The attendant’s contact with the MV Hondius passenger was brief, according to reports that say the infected person was a 69-year-old woman whose husband had died on board the cruise liner two weeks earlier. 

“Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans.

People are usually infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva.

The species of hantavirus involved in this case is the Andes virus – which is…

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 7, 2026

The bereaved and poorly voyager had been taken from the ship to Johannesburg, South Africa, where she was put aboard a KLM plane to fly to the Dutch capital for treatment, but was judged to be too sick and removed from the flight. She passed away the following day. 

A statement issued by the Dutch airline said: “Due to the passenger’s medical condition at the time, the crew decided not to allow the passenger to travel on the flight.” Contact tracing is now taking place among the other passengers and crew on the KLM flight.

Three people from the stricken cruise, including the aforementioned Dutch couple from Haarlem and a German man, have died after contracting the virus. Three others, among them a former British policeman identified as Martin Anstee, were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday in protective hazmat suits. At the time of writing, five cases associated with the cruise have been confirmed by the World Health Organisation. Another of the suspected cases arrived at Schiphol Airport aboard a different flight that came in from Gran Canaria, Dutch News has reported. 

Health authorities are working to ascertain whether the hantavirus outbreak in question, thought to be the Andean strain, which is normally spread through rodents and is not transmissible from human-to-human unless through very close contact, is in fact a mutation. The virus is usually transmitted to humans through the inhalation of rodent droppings. One theory about how the Dutch couple might have been infected recounts that they may have undertaken a birdwatching trip that involved a visit to a landfill during an excursion in Ushuaia before boarding the cruise ship Hondius in Argentina.

L’article KLM flight crew member hospitalised after contact with cruise hantavirus patient est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The analysis from T&E notes that the effects of the Middle East hostilities and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea passage for worldwide oil, are wide-ranging. While some Middle East airlines are still grounded, others have rerouted flights, cancelled routes, and changed schedules, to adapt to airspace insecurity, fuel supply issues, and changing customer demand.

Those fuel supply shortages, and costs, have pushed up not only traditional jet fuel but the price of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as well. These increases will be passed onto customers, T&E says, adding an average of €88 more per passengerfor long-haul flights, and around €29 per passenger on shorter intra-European routes.

The T&E briefing acknowledges that, amid the global shock of the crisis, some in the aviation sector are questioning climate strategies and schemes, such as the EU ETS (Emissions Trading System) and ReFuelEU. However, these are twin approaches to achieving Europe’s “Fit for 55” goals and boosting the bloc’s fuel resilience. ETS places a price on carbon emissions (driving operational efficiency), while ReFuelEU lays down a minimum quota for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blending at EU airports, rising to 70% by 2050.

 T&E argues that the current crisis should not prompt a U-turn on these policies. Rather, the situation “underscores that European aviation’s greatest vulnerability is its fossil fuel dependency, not the climate regulations,” the group says. It points out that the EU currently imports around 95% of its crude oil (including nearly all the crude oil used for the bloc’s jet fuel refining). Additionally, roughly a third of European jet fuel demand is met by directly imported refined jet fuel, with the Middle East as the main supplier. Overall, the group calculates around 30% of EU jet fuel supply, including both crude oil refined within the EU and imported refined jet fuel, relies on imports via the Strait of Hormuz.

Against that backdrop, the compliance costs of the ETS and ReFuelEU, vital parts of the bloc’s long-term energy security strategy, “are negligible compared to volatile fossil fuel price spikes.” As a result, the bloc should redouble its efforts, by continuing to protect the ETS and reinvesting its revenues, instead of surrendering to calls to provide oil price relief.

T&E also urges staying the course on SAF mandates, which it says will strengthen the domestic production capacity needed to ensure Europe’s long-term energy independence.

Finally, the environmental advocates say the bloc should Europe “consider demand-side measures that curb unnecessary flight growth, providing a quick win for energy security.”

If that were to happen, critics say, consumers could see the current period of high air ticket prices compounded by an ongoing phase of high demand and low supply. An EU Commission draft plan to address the oil supply challenge is expected on 22 April.

L’article Iran conflict adds €88 to long-haul air fares as fuel costs surge est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Airlines initially tried to absorb the shock, hoping for a swift resolution. But with fuel accounting for roughly 30% of operating costs, the pressure has become unsustainable.

Even if a diplomatic breakthrough were to emerge in the coming days, the impact is expected to linger for at least six to nine months across the industry.

In Europe, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that stocks could last as little as five weeks, while other estimates point to an even tighter two-week window.

With the summer season approaching, here is how airlines worldwide are bracing for what lies ahead.

Airlines responses

Aegean Airlines

The Greek carrier has announced a 7–8% ticket price increase and expects flight suspensions to the Middle East to be extended. It reported a “notable impact” on its first-quarter performance.

AirAsia X

The Malaysian airline has cut around 10% of its flights and raised fares by up to 40%, alongside a roughly 20% increase in fuel surcharges.

Air Canada

The carrier will suspend flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport from 1 June to 25 October, while maintaining services to LaGuardia and Newark.

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Air France–KLM

The group has doubled long-haul fuel surcharges from €50 to €100 per return trip. Flights to North America now carry an additional €70 on new bookings.
On 16 April, KLM announced the cancellation of 80 return flights within Europe in the coming months.

Air India

The airline is replacing its flat domestic surcharge with a distance-based system and increasing international surcharges to between $24 and $280, citing the absence of price controls on aviation fuel.

Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON)

The body had threatened a nationwide shutdown over a reported 300% increase in Jet A1 prices before suspending the plan, accusing fuel suppliers of artificially inflating costs. Despite exporting fuel products, domestic shortages persist.

Air New Zealand

The airline will cut around 4% of flights (approximately 1,100 services) across May and June.

Akasa Air

The Indian carrier has introduced a surcharge of 199 to 1,300 rupees (roughly €2.20 to €14.50).

Alaska Airlines

The US carrier has raised checked baggage fees by $5 for the first bag and $10 for the second, with third-bag fees rising by up to $200.

American Airlines

Similarly, baggage fees have increased by $10 for first and second bags, with the third set at $200. The airline expects an additional $400 million in fuel-related costs in the first quarter.

Asiana Airlines

The South Korean carrier plans to cut 22 flights between April and July.

Cathay Pacific

The airline will reduce passenger flights by around 2% from mid-May to late June, and 6% at its low-cost subsidiary HK Express. It has also introduced fuel surcharges of up to 34%, reviewed fortnightly.

Cebu Air

The Philippine carrier said it is continuously reviewing pricing and operational adjustments.

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China Eastern Airlines

Fuel surcharges have been introduced on domestic routes, ranging from 60 yuan (under 800 km) to 120 yuan for longer flights.

Delta Air Lines

Capacity will be reduced by 3.5%, alongside a $10 increase in baggage fees. Profit forecasts have been lowered amid continued volatility.

easyJet

The UK low-cost carrier warned of a wider-than-expected pre-tax loss of £540–560 million, including £25 million in additional fuel costs in March. CEO Kenton Jarvis said passengers should expect higher fares by late summer as fuel hedges unwind.

Frontier Airlines

The US airline is reviewing its full-year fuel outlook.

Greater Bay Airlines

Fuel surcharges have been introduced across most routes, with significant increases on flights between Hong Kong and the Philippines.

Hong Kong Airlines

Surcharges have risen by up to 35%, reaching HK$384 on certain long-haul routes.

British Airways (IAG)

The group said in March it did not plan immediate fare increases, having secured fuel hedging for the short to medium term.

IndiGo

India’s largest airline has introduced revised surcharges of up to 950 rupees domestically and up to 10,000 rupees (around €110) internationally. It is lobbying for lower fuel taxes.

JetBlue Airways

Optional service fees, including baggage, have risen by up to $9.

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Korean Air

The airline has entered emergency management, implementing cost-cutting measures and phased responses tied to fuel price developments.

Lufthansa

The group has grounded 27 short-haul aircraft earlier than planned and will retire four Airbus A340-600 jets by the end of summer, alongside further fleet reductions in winter 2026/27.

Pakistan International Airlines

Domestic fares will rise by around $20, and international fares by up to $100.

Qantas

The airline has postponed a A$150 million share buyback and increased its projected fuel bill for the second half of 2026 to between A$3.1 billion and A$3.3 billion.

SAS

The Scandinavian carrier has cancelled at least 1,000 flights in April, following earlier cancellations in March.

Spring Airlines

The Chinese low-cost carrier has raised domestic fares.

Southwest Airlines

The American announced a $10 for the first and second bag and $45 or $50 first and second.

TAP Air Portugal

The airline said fare increases will only partially offset rising fuel costs, warning that cancellations remain possible if the crisis persists.

Thai Airways

Fares have risen by 10–15% in response to fuel prices.

SunExpress

The Turkish Airlines–Lufthansa joint venture has introduced a temporary €10 surcharge on routes between Turkey and Europe. The surcharge will apply to bookings made from 1 April for departures on or after 1 May.

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Turkish Airlines

The airline will not distribute dividends from its 2025 profits, preserving cash despite strong passenger growth.

T’way Air

The South Korean low-cost carrier plans temporary unpaid leave for some cabin crew as part of cost-cutting measures.

United Airlines

The airline is cutting unprofitable routes over the next two quarters and increasing baggage fees by $10 across the Americas.

VietJet

The airline is adjusting frequencies on selected routes while maintaining its full international network.

Vietnam Airlines

Plans include cancelling 23 weekly domestic flights and requesting government support to remove environmental taxes on jet fuel.

Virgin Atlantic

Fuel surcharges will double, and the airline has warned it may not return to profitability this year.

Virgin Australia

The carrier expects fuel costs to rise by A$30–40 million and will reduce capacity by around 1%.

WestJet

A temporary surcharge of up to C$60 per booking has been introduced.

(Conversions: $1 ≈ €0.93 – ₹1 ≈ €0.011 – ¥1 ≈ €0.0065 – HK$1 ≈ €0.12 – C$1 ≈ €0.68 – A$1 ≈ €0.60)

L’article Airlines worldwide brace for prolonged jet fuel shock est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

British Airways (BA) rollout of Musk’s SpaceX Wi-Fi began on one Boeing in March 2026, with more than 300 aircraft slated to be equipped with Starlink services over the next two years. But the advent of in-flight video phone calls is causing particular concern.

BA’s Starlink service promises free-to-all download speeds of up to 500+ Mbps, as well as gaming, scrolling, streaming, and video calls. The boost such speeds could give to working productively, in shared teams globally, or the opportunity to catch up with friends and family, all while on the move, seems appealing. But, while the UK flag carrier has said that “transforming the customer experience” through fleet modernisation is “part of a wider investment in elevating every aspect of our customer journey,” critics say that passengers being able to make video calls mid-flight is not an improvement.

Expert travel commentators have pointed out that flights used to be a refuge from the “work week creep,” the phenomenon that saw constant connectivity translate into an expectation that work could take place anywhere, at all times, denying people downtime. Now, previously precious moments of uninterrupted time on flights are potentially up for grabs by colleagues, meetings, family hygiene calls, or even cold callers.

Others have noted that on many red-eyes, a tranquil place to rest, lulled only by the white noise of the aircraft, is essential, raising the prospect of “quiet zones,” resembling those on some trains, where phone calls are banned.

BA appears to be on top of the issue, already posting guidance to would-be callers, such as “please be considerate​” and “keep your voice low and use headphones​.” Aer Lingus and Iberia, BA’s IAG bedfellows, look set to offer similar advice to passengers. The same softly-softly approach is followed by Air France, which started its own introduction of Starlink in 2025. A suite of other carriers that partnered with Musk to implement Starlink, such as airBaltic, Qatar Airways, and SAS, may also need to review their in-flight etiquette rules as a result.

Most airlines ban in-flight calls in the United States, where, until now, such communications have gone against federal regulations on the use of certain radio frequencies on domestic flights. That absence of phone calls is something apparently cherished by a majority of flyers. A survey by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) found 96% of respondents are in favour of the phone call veto and think it should only be lifted for emergencies. Nonetheless, Wi-Fi-based calls do not fall under the same prohibition, DOT has confirmed, meaning US flyers and airlines could soon face the same dilemma as those across the pond, weighing the pros and cons of in-flight telecoms.

L’article British Airways Starlink Wi-Fi enables mid-flight FaceTime calls, sparking debate over “Quiet Zones” est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The launch of the so-called Entry/Exit System (or EES) finally began after a series of delays in October 2025, and was designed to take place over six months to be fully operational by 10 April 2025.

Planning to #TravelToEurope?
⁰From 10 April 2026, non-EU nationals traveling for a short stay will be recorded in the Entry/Exit System (EES) at all external borders of Schengen countries. ⁰⁰ Watch the video to see how the EES works. ⁰⁰ https://t.co/WkkeBuYFy4 pic.twitter.com/4JMI9mRJAU

— EU Home Affairs (@EUHomeAffairs) April 7, 2026

Now a mandatory part of entering the bloc, it eliminates the need for manual passport stamping at borders, instead gathering biometric data from non-European, third-country arrivals to any of the 29 nations that are part of the Schengen Zone. It is free to use and applicable to those without a residence permit or long-stay visa for stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.

The long-term vision is to make EU immigration processes and the tracking of third country arrivals and departures more efficient and seamless, and to improve security, by storing and sharing data digitally. That’s because once people have registered their information at the border, they will not have to do so again, since it is saved and should pass a quick verification whenever and wherever they leave and come back. Those with biometric passports should be able to use them at automated checkpoints.

However, the first time arrivals register for EES, they need to provide a facial image, fingerprints, and their passport information, as well as registering their entry and planned exit dates. We now know that completing all these steps at the border takes time, and travellers should allow plenty of it to ensure they do not miss flights or connections. Despite extra infrastructure, such as dedicated EES kiosks and tablet registration, long queues developed at some border points over the rollout period, raising concerns from travel industry stakeholders over the system’s impact on airport waiting times and ensuing disruption.

One important point to note is that those delays occurred over the winter season and during the system’s phased introduction, when only limited percentages of arrivals were required to go through EES, and when airport authorities had the option to suspend EES registrations if operational problems were developing. With the system now obligatory for all, and with the high summer travel season ahead, there could be further increased delays. Airport operator FMG has flagged that if only 10 % of its kiosks go offline during peak demand, queuing times could reach 90 minutes.

However, we also know there are two bits of good news emerging. The first is that an app is on its way that should make it possible, for arrivals to gain time by pre-registering their EES data in advance. It can already be accessed up to 72 hours ahead of arrival in Portugal and Sweden, generating a QR code for use at self-service kiosks at hubs. Before entering Sweden, it can be used to upload passport data, the facial image, and the entry questionnaire, while in Portugal, only the entry questionnaire can be completed.

The second positive note is that the phased EES rollout has allowed lessons to be learned about the technology, about staffing, and about managing flows through busy air hubs and ports. At the Port of Dover on the UK’s south coast, for instance, separate lanes are in use for those who need to complete EES steps. At Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, overwhelmed staff were reinforced by the National Republican Guard and Public Security Police (PSP) officers.

With the trial period theoretically over, those lessons will need to be applied across all crossing points in the 29 countries operating EES. As Raluca Marian, Advocacy Director for the International Road Transport Union (IRU), has noted: “The focus now should be on smooth, coordinated implementation that supports both border management objectives and efficient transport operations.” Part of that coordinated approach involves operators themselves. Lufthansa and Eurowings, for example, are now deploying ground agents to remind non-EU passengers to pre-register on the mobile app.

In practice, we know too that mitigations will remain temporarily in place. The European Commission has signalled that it will continue to permit flexibility on EES checks to help streamline operational pinch points until September 2026.

Meanwhile, early analyses of EU reporting by Pax Global Media, indicate the system has so far recorded 52 million crossings, identified nearly 700 travellers as security risks, and refused entry to over 27,000 people. It is also offering benefits to multinational employers, such as better visibility of staff days spent in Schengen thanks to the downloadability of raw EES data.

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