✈️ Delta wants you to rebook

Plus: Roe and digital privacy | Thursday, June 30, 2022

Open in app View in browser     Axios What's Next By Jennifer A. Kingson, Joann Muller and Alex Fitzpatrick · Jun 30, 2022 Flying this weekend? Godspeed — it's gonna be rough out there, Joann writes in her story today. Today's Smart Brevity count: 1,160 words ... 4 1/2 minutes.     1 big thing: Airlines prep for the weekend from hell Illustration: Megan Robinson/Axios   Delta Air Lines already knows it will face "operational challenges" over the Fourth of July weekend, so it's trying to get customers to rejigger their plans ahead of time by offering free rebooking, Joann Muller reports. Why it matters: It's a sign of how bad the state of air travel is today that airlines have to beg their passengers to change their vacation plans. But at least Delta is trying to be proactive in the face of cascading issues that are disrupting air travel worldwide. What's happening: Delta, some of whose pilots are picketing at major U.S. airports today, is issuing an unusual systemwide travel waiver for July 1-4, which aims to spread out the crush of holiday travel by letting customers rebook their trips for free to avoid the busiest days. Like other airlines, Delta had already suspended change fees, typically around $200. Customers won't have to pay the fare difference for a new flight, either — as long as they keep the same origin and destination. The travel window is tight, however: The waiver is only good for rebooked trips completed by July 8. It's not a free pass to reschedule your travel plans to later this year. The intrigue: There's a lot of finger-pointing going on between the airline industry and the federal government, which is responsible for air traffic control through the Federal Aviation Administration. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian sees a "stressed" air traffic control organization as the leading cause of flight disruptions in the U.S., he told staff in a June 29 webinar viewed by Airline Weekly. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who oversees the FAA, blamed airlines' downsizing, despite $54 billion in federal aid, during the pandemic. "The majority of cancellations, and the majority of delays, have nothing to do with air traffic control staffing," he told NBC Nightly News on June 28. The big picture: Given the choice between paying higher gas prices or rolling the dice on air travel, more people are choosing to drive if they can. Even with gas averaging around $5 a gallon, a record 42 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more by car this Independence Day, according to AAA. Widespread flight delays and cancellations are a likely factor for the increased car travel, AAA said. The share of people traveling by air will be the lowest since 2011. If you're hitting the road, expect the worst traffic jams on Thursday and Friday afternoon, says AAA. Air travelers, meanwhile, should plan ahead and remain flexible, advises Nick Ewen, director of content at The Points Guy, a travel advisory website (which offers more tips here). "My overarching message is: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and ultimately expect something in between. It probably is not going to be the worst case scenario, but also it's probably not going to be a smooth trip." The bottom line: There are no quick fixes for the airline industry's current woes — which range from staffing shortages to cascading weather delays — so remember to pack your patience. Share this story.     2. What Roe's loss means for digital privacy Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   Privacy experts fear the overturning of Roe v. Wade will further expose our online lives to criminal investigations, Axios' Margaret Harding McGill and Ashley Gold report. Why it matters: The federal right to an abortion provided by Roe had its foundation in the concept of a personal right to privacy, which is now in question. The details: The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly guarantee a right to privacy, but court decisions over the years have formed one derived by implication from other rights. The right to an abortion relies on the same 14th Amendment guarantee that provides the rights to contraceptives, interracial marriage and same-sex marriage. Yes, but: In his opinion overturning Roe, Justice Samuel Alito acknowledged that privacy can be understood both as the right to avoid unwanted disclosures and as the right to make decisions without government interference. "The court then deeply undermined that second sense of privacy but did not address the first," said Tulane University law professor and privacy expert Amy Gajda. Reality check: The Supreme Court has largely not applied a right to privacy to data privacy. Also, users theoretically give up many protections on their data once they agree to any service provider's terms. Read the rest.     3. What's up with EV quality control? Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios   New EVs have nearly 40% more problems than internal combustion cars and trucks, according to J.D. Power's latest annual survey on initial vehicle quality, Axios' Alan Neuhauser reports. Why it matters: EVs are enticing in part because they're supposed to be easier to maintain and cheaper in the long run. By the numbers: Battery electric vehicles experienced 240 problems per 100 vehicles in the 2022 model year, the survey found. Plug-in hybrids fared no better, with 239 problems per 100 vehicles. Combustion vehicles: 175 problems per 100 vehicles. The details: The battery electric figure excludes Tesla because of its enormous sales volume compared to legacy automakers. But Tesla models averaged 226 problems per 100 vehicles. These figures, of course, are for "initial quality." The core argument about EVs' long-term quality and reliability may stand over time. Still, we don't envy the folks shelling out big bucks for an EV only to find themselves back at the shop for service within a year. Alan's thought bubble: Building a car is hard, and most non-Tesla EVs are new to the market — so some of this is likely growing pains. Share this story.     A message from Axios Win the race for (remote) talent     Reach over 800,000 smart professionals in the fastest growing cities in America. Axios now has job boards to get your openings in front of qualified candidates. Post your job opportunities on Axios.     4. ✈️ The departures board that knows your name Photo courtesy Delta Air Lines   Detroit Metropolitan Airport is now home to a first-of-its-kind departure board that uses facial recognition tech to show travelers customized info about their flight, Alex Fitzpatrick writes. Why it matters: The board, called Parallel Reality, is an intriguing real-world example of the power of facial recognition. Delta's innovation team partnered with California-based tech startup Misapplied Sciences to develop the screen. Delta is also rolling out facial recognition tech that allows travelers to get to their gates without showing their ID or boarding pass. How it works: The new departure board uses facial recognition, multi-view pixels and "proprietary technology" to display personalized flight information to travelers who opt-in to the program. It can show info for up to 100 distinct passengers simultaneously. If you and I were both standing next to one another and looking at the board, we'd each see only the information relevant to our respective flights. Yes, but: Any kind of facial recognition tech brings the obvious privacy concerns and creep factor. It's also not all that hard to find flight info on old-school displays, or on your phone.     5. One fun thing: All hail the giant Cheez-It The Taco Bell Big Cheez-It Tostada. Photo courtesy Taco Bell   Brace yourself for what's got to be the single biggest cheese-flavored snack cracker out there. Taco Bell and Kellogg's are joining forces to create the Big Cheez-It Tostada and the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme, both of which are built around a single Cheez-It 16 times the usual size. Yes, but: Both the tostada and crunchwrap will be available for just two weeks at a single Irvine, Calif. location, per Taco Bell.     A message from Axios Win the race for (remote) talent     Reach over 800,000 smart professionals in the fastest growing cities in America. Axios now has job boards to get your openings in front of qualified candidates. Post your job opportunities on Axios.   Was this email forwarded to you? Get your daily dose of What's Next magic by signing up here for our free newsletter. Are you a fan of this email format? It's called Smart Brevity®. 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