It’s been a rough month for United Airlines, but even this week’s latest scandals might not be enough to bite into the company’s bottom line.
After all, when it comes down to it, The Points Guy’s Emily McNutt said only one thing really matters to consumers.
“Industry trends show us that passengers are looking for low fares,” the news editor told Cheddar. “So I don’t think [the incidents] would be that detrimental for United in the long run.”
Just this week a puppy died on a United flight, sparking national outrage and prompting Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) to propose [legislation](https://twitter.com/SenJohnKennedy/status/974314896098824197) to protect pets while traveling. Days later another dog was mistakenly sent to Japan rather than Kansas City.
And it doesn’t stop there. Last year a passenger was dragged off a United cabin and a pet rabbit died on one of its aircrafts. Earlier this month, before the latest news, the company said it would subject its customer service staff to a mandatory “compassion” training to prevent such incidents from happening again.
But even if nothing changes, consumers who want to boycott but are driven by price may have little choice.
“Route networks are expanding in a way, but they’re also condensing in the sense that low-cost carriers are growing into this legacy market and taking over,” she said, “especially on domestic flights.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
