seats

Oct. 31 (UPI) — Ohio’s representatives approved a bi-partisan redistricting map that might help Republicans gain more seats, but Democrats OK’d the plan because the others offered were worse for them.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission approved the measure unanimously Friday.

“Coming to an agreement that is in the best interest of the state, not just the most vocal elements of either party, I think is some of the toughest things that we can do as elected leaders in 2025,” said state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

But Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio said it was the best option among bad ones.

“Facing this impossible challenge with no certain path to preserve a fair map, we worked toward compromise,” said Antonio, D-Lakewood.

Democrats faced a Friday deadline because the Ohio constitution allows Republicans to create a map without Democrats in November. They were also concerned about a case before the U.S. Supreme Court on the Voting Rights Act.

Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes of Akron will get a slightly more favorable northeast Ohio district, but it will still be very competitive, Punchbowl News reported.

Toledo Rep. Marcy Kaptur‘s district will be more difficult to win, but not impossible. She’s the longest-serving representative in the United States, and she won a close race in 2024. Her district chose President Donald Trump by seven points.

“Let the Columbus politicians make their self-serving maps and play musical chairs, I will fight on for the people and ask the voters for their support next year,” she wrote on X.

Cincinnati Rep. Greg Landsman also saw his chances at re-election diminished.

Ohio House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, D-Cincinnati, said all of Ohio’s Democratic congresspeople could still win.

“This is a district Greg Landsman can and will win in, and that’s what the people of Cincinnati deserve,” Isaacsohn said.

Ohio had a failed ballot measure in 2024 that would have put residents in charge of making district maps.

“There’s a lot of anger and frustration in this room, and it’s not just the result of this most recent betrayal. The anger and frustration has been years in the making,” said Mia Lewis, associate director at Common Cause Ohio, the Dispatch reported.

“You have shown all of us, all of Ohio, that politicians cannot be involved in drawing district lines.”

Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, said the people were denied being part of the process. “Republican and Democratic voters feel like their parties sold them out — and they’re both right.”

SOUTHWEST Airlines has revealed its new cabin interior and the seats have been made to be extra comfy.

The budget airline says it has listened to travellers and improved facilities in its updated cabin like USB chargers and entertainment holders.

Southwest Airlines is the world’s biggest budget airline as it serves the largest number of routes around the world.

Now, it has revealed the new design onboard its Boeing 737 MAX 8 – the airline even took passenger feedback into account when creating the new cabin.

It has covered “employee perceptions of color, comfort, and aspirations for the overall onboard experience, and it’s meant to create a cabin environment that feels modern, welcoming, and uniquely Southwest.”

The airline added that its seats “are intuitively designed for ultimate comfort, while maximizing seat width and overall support”.

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The design should make for better lumbar support than the current seats on Southwest’s planes.

Along with a new seat design the cabin has bigger overhead lockers with space for 60 per cent more bags, USB-A and USB-C chargers at every seat and carpeting and lighting updates.

It even has a holder for electronic devices on the back of seats, and tray tables have inset drink holders on left and right.

On the plane are extra legroom rows which have been fitted ahead of the official launch of assigned seating from January 2026.

More than half of the carrier’s planes have now been fitted with extra legroom as of mid-October 2025.

So while economy seats have been fitted with extras, they aren’t any bigger. The pitch is 31″, while extra legroom seats have five inches more legroom.

Extra legroom seats also come with two free checked bags, early boarding, premium drinks and snacks, and free Wi-Fi.

Earlier this year, Chris Perry, a Southwest spokesperson, told USA TODAY: “We didn’t want to remove any seats from the planes so we pulled down an inch of pitch to accommodate the ELR [extra legroom] seating and stay at 175 seats” referring to the Boeing 737-800 and Max 8 planes

He added the airline’s 737-700s will each have six fewer seats after retrofits.  

Meanwhile, another airline has revealed its new cabin configuration which stops passengers in basic economy from fully reclining its seats.

WestJet announced it has had a “full cabin refresh” and introduced economy seating with a “fixed recline” to its Boeing 737-8 MAX and 737-800 aircraft.

WestJet explained that the reason for this is to “help preserve personal space”.

For passengers who do want to put their seats back, you can do so in premium – a new seating option which has been added to the aircraft.

The airline went on to add that the new seating options are good news for passengers as it will result in cheaper tickets.

It’s not uncommon for airlines to reduce the size of an economy pitch altogether.

This is because filling economy seats means that airlines can cover basic costs, whereas selling premium or first class tickets is where they make their money.

By reducing the size of economy seats, or even taking some out altogether, airlines have room to create more space for high-profit cabins.

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Here’s one major airline that has launched its first lie-flat beds in premium economy.

Plus, one of the world’s best airlines reveals plans to launch ‘game-changer’ new economy seats.

Budget airline Ryanair has announced it is reducing capacity in another European hotspot this winter over a tax row with the German government – it comes after cuts to routes in Belgium and Spain

Ryanair has revealed plans to reduce its capacity in Germany this winter, following earlier route cuts in Spain and Belgium. The move will affect 24 routes across nine German airports, reducing the airline’s carrying capacity by 800,000 for the season.

The decision comes amid a tax dispute with the German Government. Ryanair is urging Germany’s transport minister to lower the costs of air travel in the country, claiming that current charges are reinforcing Lufthansa’s alleged “monopoly” in the region.

The Irish airline has warned the German government that it will relocate this cut capacity to other EU countries unless the 24% aviation tax increase introduced in May 2024 is reversed and air traffic control charges are reduced.

Speaking from Berlin, Ryanair’s CMO, Dara Brady, said: “It is very disappointing that the newly elected German Government has already failed to deliver on their commitment to reduce the regressive aviation tax and sky-high access costs which are crippling Germany’s aviation sector.

“As a result, Ryanair has been left with no choice but to reduce our Winter ’25 capacity by over 800,000 seats and cancel 24 routes across 9 high-cost German airports. This completely avoidable loss of connectivity will bring our capacity below Winter ’24 levels and will have a devastating impact on German connectivity, jobs, and tourism.”

The carrier told ministers that German air traffic will keep falling unless the nation becomes more competitive alongside other European destinations. But it also highlighted that if officials choose to slash costs, Ryanair could potentially double passenger numbers and generate more than 1,000 extra jobs across the country.

Ryanair’s reductions will affect the following airports, among others:

• Berlin
• Hamburg
• Memmingen
• Dortmund
• Dresden
• Leipzig

Germany transforms into a tourism magnet during winter months thanks to its famous Christmas markets. Plus the snow-covered landscapes of the Black Forest is an idyllic backdrop couples flock to for a cozy winter break.

Ryanair’s declaration follows shortly after it announced a 16% cut in its carrying capacity across Spain. Last month, the budget airline disclosed this was also down to a row over airport charges.

At the end of August, Ryanair slashed its operations to Brussels Airport by 6% citing “high” airport fees. CEO Michael O’Leary also confirmed the carrier wouldn’t be rolling out any expansion schemes in Belgium this winter because of the extra levies.

ANOTHER 800,000 seats are being scrapped by Ryanair this winter.

The budget Irish airline has already cancelled millions of seats earlier this year across Spain.

And it has since confirmed that more flights will be now cancelled across Germany later this year, affecting 24 routes.

This affects the cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Memmingen – many popular Christmas Market destinations.

The airports of Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig will also remain closed over winter.

The airline claims high airport taxes are the reason for their departure, calling for them to be lowered.

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Ryanair CMO Dara Brady, said it was “disappointing” that the new German government have failed to reduce the aviation tax and access costs, and that the “German air travel market is broken”.

He added: “As a result, Ryanair has been left with no choice but to reduce our Winter ’25 capacity by over 800,000 seats and cancel 24 routes across 9 high-cost German airports (including Berlin, Hamburg, and Memmingen), in addition to maintaining our closures of Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig.

“This completely avoidable loss of connectivity will bring our capacity below Winter ’24 levels and will have a devastating impact on German connectivity, jobs, and tourism.”

High airport taxes is also the reason for pulling thousands of flights in Spain as well.

Back in August, Ryanair confirmed that two million seats would be axed to a number of Spanish airports.

This also included the cancellation of all routes to Tenerife North, Vigo and Santiago.

The pulling out of Vigo means there will no longer be any direct routes from the UK to the Spanish city.

And another 1.2million seats were confirmed to be cancelled next summer across Spain.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary explained: “If the costs in regional Spain are too high, I will fly elsewhere.

“We are better off flying at the same cost to places such as Palma [on the island of Majorca] than flying to Jerez.”

In recent months, the airline has been adding flights in other destinations, with a huge expansion across Morocco. 

Other cities which are getting more Ryanair flights include Alicante, Valetta and Warsaw.

And new rules are being rolled out which Ryanair passengers need to be aware of.

From November 12, passengers will no longer be able to print their boarding passes out at the airport.

Instead, only digital boarding passes will be accepted via the app.

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Some airports in Morocco and Albania will still require a physical copy, which passengers will have to print out themselves.

And here is what you need to know about the new Ryanair baggage size rolled out last month.

RYANAIR has launched its winter 2025 schedule for a popular Spanish destination – and it means more flights from the UK.

The budget airline has announced its winter schedule for Alicante, with 79 routes in total including 10 new destinations.

Alicante is known for having pretty beaches with clear waters and a famous nightlife scene.

And new flights to Alicante will include from Cardiff in Wales as well as Aberdeen in Scotland.

Three flights a week will operate from each airport to Alicante.

And extra flights will be added from Edinburgh to Scotland, a route already in place.

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As a result of the additions, Ryanair‘s winter capacity in Alicante will rise by 12 per cent.

However, the additions come as Ryanair has scrapped around two million seats to Spain in the past months.

Last month, the airline said that they would be cancelling all of their flights to Tenerife North, Vigo and Santiago.

Ryanair currently has two aircraft based at Santiago de Compostela and when Sun Travel looked at Ryanair’s booking platform, it found that the last flight to the destination before operations cease, departs on March 27, 2026.

For Tenerife North, no flights appear on the booking platform and all Ryanair flights to Vigo will stop in January 2026.

Both of the airline’s bases at Valladolid and Jerez will remain closed as well.

Just last week O’Leary also confirmed that a further 1.2million seats would be axed to Spain next summer, yet the airports that will be impacted have not been revealed yet.

The flurry of cancellations come as the airline disagrees with current airport tariffs in Spain.

AENA, which owns and operates 46 airports across Spain, recently announced that airport charges would increase by 6.5 per cent at the start of 2026, marking the highest rise in a decade.

The charges are for airlines’ use of airports and services at them, such as using terminals, runways, security and baggage handling.

Last week, O’Leary said: “AENA and its major shareholder, the Spanish Govt, continue to harm regional traffic growth, tourism and jobs in Spain through high airport fees and unjustified price increases.

“AENA should be lowering airport fees at underused Regional airports, but instead they plan to increase them by seven per cent, the highest fee increase for over a decade.

“The Spanish Govt has failed to stimulate Regional tourism and jobs, as it continues to protect the Aena Monopoly’s high fee operations.

“We regret that these fee increases make Regional Spanish airports uncompetitive, and this is why Ryanair is switching 1.2m more seats away from Regional airports in Spain in S2026, to some of Spain’s bigger airports, but mainly to lower-cost competitor airports in Italy, Morocco, Croatia, Sweden, and Hungary.”

It is believed that AENA is implementing the increased tariffs to fund investments in its airports.

This includes Malaga Airport, which is set to undergo a £1.3billion multi-year expansion project which will include making the terminals larger and security more efficient.

Barcelona Airport is also due to get a major upgrade.

If plans are approved, AENA will invest £2.8billion into expanding the airport, with the operator hoping to reach a runway capacity of 90 flights per hour.

Both projects form part of the DORA III plan – a £11.3billion investment plan for the next five years.

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In other Spanish flight news, another airline is launching new flight routes from UK to five top Spanish destinations including ‘Europe’s best city’.

Plus, Jet2’s new flights will connect the UK to two Spanish beach cities.

When it comes to short haul flights, the seat width is between 17 and 18 inches which may not sound like much – but that extra inch can make a lot of difference.

You’re all set for your dream holiday, breezed through security and about to board the aeroplane when you spot it: a tiny middle seat that’s going to be your home for the duration of your flight.

Thankfully, there’s now a method to determine which budget airline offers the widest seats, ensuring you don’t have to compromise on comfort.

Last year, Which? did the maths to identify which airlines offer the most spacious seats, helping you get the best value for your money.

For short haul flights, the seat width (the distance between each armrest) typically ranges from 17 to 18 inches, which might not seem like a significant difference, reports the Express.

However, that additional inch can make a world of difference when you’re crammed in like sardines.

According to the experts, the airlines offering the widest economy seats include Wizz Air, TAP Portugal, easyJet and Lufthansa, all boasting widths of 18 inches.

This leaves airlines like Aer Lingus, Loganair, Jet2 and Norwegian with the narrowest seat widths, which can all be as low as 17 inches. Below is a breakdown of airline seat width and legroom in inches.

If you’re looking to maximise space on your budget flight without shelling out extra cash, there are a few tricks you can employ.

One hack is to book a seat in the bulkhead – the seats located directly behind the partitions, curtains or screens that divide the plane. With no seats in front, you’ll have enough room to stretch your legs.

However, these can be a bit narrower if tray tables are stowed in the armrest.

If a bulkhead doesn’t take your fancy, opt for a seat towards the back of the plane where they taper. This could occasionally result in fewer seats in a row – but naturally, you might find yourself next to the loo queue which can be somewhat disruptive.

If you’re on a flight that’s already airborne and you spot extra vacant seats, you can always politely ask the cabin crew if it would be possible to switch.

Remember, if you don’t ask, you won’t get – and provided you’re polite, there’s a likelihood they will accommodate your request.

If you have additional requirements that would benefit from more room, such as being tall or pregnant, you’ve got a better chance of being relocated to a more spacious area.

Jet2 has said it will cut the number of seats available on its flights by around 200,000 in the coming months after the budget travel giant warned shareholders about earnings forecasts

Holidaymakers who rely on Jet2’s bargain fares will find fewer seats available in the coming months, after the budget airline received disappointing earnings projections.

The low-cost travel company is set to pull around 200,000 seats from the market over the next few months, leaving 5.6 million on offer during the winter period.

Whilst this still marks a nine per cent rise compared to last year, Jet2 has chosen to scale back its growth plans following predictions that the travel giant’s profits would fall short of expectations.

The news triggered a sharp decline in the company’s share price on Thursday, with analysts forecasting earnings of approximately £449m for the year ending March 2026, up from £446.5m the previous year. Stock values plummeted by roughly 13 per cent following the announcement.

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Jet2 revealed that cost-conscious travellers are increasingly displaying a “later booking profile”, snapping up flights at short notice and leaving the airline with “limited visibility” over passenger numbers during the winter months when many seats remain “still to sell.”

The low-cost carrier witnessed package holiday reservations climb by 2 per cent over the summer, which ThisIsMoney reports as a decline from the eight per cent surge recorded last year.

Nevertheless, these statistics also highlight shifting consumer behaviour, with flight-only bookings soaring by a substantial 17 per cent.

Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy informed shareholders that the concerning figures stemmed from “operating in a difficult market,” though he emphasised that their expanding customer base would “provide the foundation for a solid financial result this year and for further profitable growth in the years to come.”

The budget airline, which conducted its annual general meeting on Thursday, revealed it had introduced a “modest increase” in package holiday prices this summer and noted it would be premature to release “definitive” figures regarding the company’s overall profitability.

Last month, Jet2 became the first carrier in Britain to provide complimentary plane tickets to certain passengers, aiming to make their service more accessible for additional customers. All families travelling with a child under the age of two will now avoid purchasing a ticket for their little one, whether booking a package holiday or an individual flight.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, explained to ThisIsMoney: “Millions of people prioritise experiences over material goods, with foreign holidays high up the list of things they scrimp and save for. Such a trend should be positive for airlines and holiday companies, yet countless individuals are leaving it to the last minute to make a booking.

“Jet2 has once again bemoaned this situation, leaving it with cloudy rather than crystal clear earnings visibility. Management cannot keep their fingers crossed that sales will eventually come through; they need certainty given the expense in running a fleet of aircraft and a complex accommodation chain.

“Guidance that full-year earnings will be at the lower end of market forecasts has wiped out Jet2’s share price gains so far this year. It’s a disappointing setback for the business and has dragged down shares in other airlines including EasyJet and Wizz Air.”

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers are meeting in a special session to redraw the state’s U.S. House districts as part of President Trump’s effort to bolster Republicans’ chances of retaining control of Congress in next year’s elections.

The special session called by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe began Wednesday and will run at least a week.

Missouri is the third state to pursue the unusual task of mid-decade redistricting for partisan advantage. Republican-led Texas, prodded by Trump, was the first to take up redistricting with a new map aimed at helping Republicans pick up five more congressional seats.

But before Texas even completed its work, Democratic-led California already had fought back with its own redistricting plan designed to give Democrats a chance at winning five more seats. California’s plan still needs voter approval at a Nov. 4 election.

Other states could follow with their own redistricting efforts.

Nationally, Democrats need to gain three seats next year to take control of the House. Historically, the party of the president usually loses seats in the midterm congressional elections.

What is redistricting?

At the start of each decade, the Census Bureau collects population data that is used to allot the 435 U.S. House seats proportionally among states. States that grow relative to others may gain a House seat at the expense of states where populations stagnated or declined. Though some states may have their own restrictions, there is nothing nationally that prohibits states from redrawing districts in the middle of a decade.

In many states, congressional redistricting is done by state lawmakers, subject to approval by the governor. Some states have special commissions responsible for redistricting.

What is gerrymandering?

Partisan gerrymandering occurs when a political party in charge of the redistricting process draws voting district boundaries to its advantage.

One common method is for a majority party to draw a map that packs voters who support the opposing party into only a few districts, thus allowing the majority party to win a greater number of surrounding districts. Another common method is for the majority party to dilute the power of an opposing party’s voters by spreading them thinly among multiple districts.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that federal courts have no authority to decide whether partisan gerrymandering goes too far. But it said state courts still can decide such cases under their own laws.

How could Missouri’s districts change?

Missouri currently is represented in the U.S. House by six Republicans and two Democrats. A revised map proposed by Kehoe would give Republicans a shot at winning seven seats in the 2026 elections.

It targets a Kansas City district, currently held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, by stretching it eastward into Republican-leaning rural areas. Meanwhile, other parts of Cleaver’s district would be split off and folded into heavily Republican districts currently represented by GOP Reps. Mark Alford and Sam Graves. Districts also would be realigned in the St. Louis area but with comparatively minor changes to the district held by Democratic Rep. Wesley Bell.

Republican lawmakers had considered a potential 7-1 map when originally drawing districts after the 2020 census. But the GOP majority opted against it because of concerns it could face legal challenges and create more competitive districts that could backfire in a poor election year by allowing Democrats to win up to three seats.

Could other states join the redistricting battle?

Mid-decade redistricting must occur in Ohio, according to its constitution, because Republicans there adopted congressional maps without sufficient bipartisan support. That could create an opening for Republicans to try to expand their 10-5 seat majority over Democrats.

A court in Utah has ordered the Republican-controlled Legislature to draw new congressional districts after ruling that lawmakers circumvented an independent redistricting commission established by voters to ensure districts don’t deliberately favor one party. A new map could help Democrats, because Republicans currently hold all four of the state’s U.S. House seats.

Other Republican-led states, such as Indiana and Florida, are considering redistricting at Trump’s urging. Officials in Democratic-led states, such as Illinois, Maryland and New York, also have talked of trying to counter the Republican push with their own revised maps.

What else is at stake in Missouri?

A special session agenda set by Kehoe also includes proposed changes to Missouri’s ballot measure process.

One key change would make it harder for citizen-initiated ballot measures to succeed. If approved by voters, Missouri’s constitution would be amended so that all future ballot initiatives would need not only a majority of the statewide vote but also a majority of the votes in each congressional district in order to pass.

If such a standard had been in place last year, an abortion-rights amendment to the state constitution would have failed. That measure narrowly passed statewide on the strength of “yes” votes in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas but failed in rural congressional districts.

Lieb writes for the Associated Press.

Aug. 29 (UPI) — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday signed legislation for a new congressional map in the state in an attempt to add five GOP seats in the U.S. House for the 2026 midterm elections.

The border-changing in the Lone Star state has triggered efforts in other states to redraw their maps, including Democrat-dominant California, the largest state ahead of Texas.

Early Saturday, the Texas Senate sent the legislation to the governor for the new redistricting maps, three days after the state’s House passed the bill. For several days, the House couldn’t reach a quorum because Democrats fled the state, including to California and New York. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton sought to arrest them.

“Today, I signed the One Big Beautiful Map into law,” Abbott said in a video on X. “This map ensures fairer representation in Congress. Texas will be more RED in Congress.”

Holding the document with his signature, he said: “Texas is now more read in the United States Congress.”

The state currently has 38 congressional districts, 25 of which are controlled by Republicans.

In the U.S. House, Republicans currently hold a 219-212 advantage with vacancies from the deaths of three Democrats and one GOP member who resigned.

Congressional maps are traditionally redrawn every decade after data is released from the U.S. Census, which is next scheduled to take place in 2030.

President Donald Trump had asked Abbott to redraw the borders, which required a 30-day special legislative session. When Trump was first president, Democrats took control of the House in 2018. This led to blocking some of his legislative policies and two impeachments.

“I promised we would get this done, and delivered on that promise,” Abbott said in the statement after the Senate approval, calling the legislation “a bill that ensures our maps reflect Texans’ voting preferences.”

He had vowed to call additional special sessions if the quorum still was elusive.

State Sen. Phil King, a Republican, said while the maps will create more competitive districts, he expects Republicans will win the seats.

He said with House Bill 4 that “I believe, should elect more Republicans to the U.S. Congress, but I’m here to tell you, there are no guarantees.”

The redistricted maps are facing a court test. A three-judge panel in a U.S. District court in El Paso set a preliminary injunction hearing for Oct. 1-10.

“This isn’t over — we’ll see these clowns in court,” Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder said. “We aren’t done fighting against these racially discriminatory maps, and fully expect the letter of the law to prevail over these sycophantic Republican politicians who think the rules don’t apply to them.”

Democrats say the new borders are racially discriminatory, including in metro areas of Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

“Members, it breaks my heart to see how this illegal and rigged mid-decade redistricting scheme is dividing our state and our country,” Rep. Chris Turner, a Democrat, said. “This is Texas, it’s not Washington D.C. The impulses of outside politicians and their billionaire backers shouldn’t dictate what we do in this chamber, in this House.”

Rep. Todd Hunter, a Republican who wrote the bill, said four of the five new districts were “majority-minority Hispanic” but now trending Republican.

And in California, the new map could add five seats for Democrats, who hold a 43-9 edge. But unlike in Texas, voters in November must approve the change. California’s borders are drawn by a nonpartisan group and new legislation left it up to a referendum.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the so-called “Election Rigging Response Act” on Aug. 21.

“The People of California will be able to cast their vote for a Congressional map. Direct democracy that gives us a fighting chance to STOP Donald Trump’s election rigging,” Newsom said on X after the legislation was approved. “Time to fight fire with fire.”

Other states with a Democratic majority, including Illinois, New York, Maryland and Oregon, are considering changing the borders.

On the flip side, legislatures in Ohio, Indiana and Florida may redraw congressional borders before the 2026 midterm elections.

And late Friday, Missouri’s Gov. Mike Kehoe announced a special legislative session to draw a new voting map for his state will begin next Wednesday. Trump had been requesting the move in that state, too.

These states traditionally redo their borders at the start of each decade but in Ohio, under state law, a new congressional map must be approved by November 30. The previous map lacked bipartisan support.

On Tuesday, Utah Judge Dianna Gibson threw out the state’s congressional map, forcing Republicans to defend the current lines or draw a new one. Republicans overruled a ballot measure passed by voters to outlaw gerrymandering.

Republican legislatures control 28 of the 50 states with 18 by Democrats and four chambers divided politically.

The Federal Trade Commission accused a shadowy group of flooding Ticketmaster with fake accounts to purchase and resell tickets to concerts by Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and other top artists.

The FTC alleged that between Nov. 1, 2022, and Dec. 30, 2023, a core group of three individuals used a network of sites such as Totaltickets, TotallyTix and Front Rose Tix to purchase at least 379,776 tickets from Ticketmaster, spending nearly $57 million. The complaint states they then resold those tickets on secondary marketplaces for nearly $64 million.

The trio allegedly used software to mask IP addresses, purloined credit cards and SIM cards to create fake Ticketmaster accounts. They also enlisted friends and family to create Ticketmaster Verified Fan accounts, giving small sign-up bonuses and kickbacks for creating new accounts.

The FTC alleges that the group made $1.2 million from flipping tickets to Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour in 2023 alone. According to the complaint, at a Las Vegas Taylor Swift concert, “Defendants used 49 different accounts to purchase 273 tickets to Taylor Swift’s March 25, 2023, concert at Allegiant Stadium, dramatically exceeding The Eras Tour’s 2023 six-ticket limit. Defendants then marked up and resold these tickets, netting $119,227.21 in revenue.”

For one Bruce Springsteen show at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 1, 2023, “Defendants used 277 different accounts to purchase 1,530 tickets, dramatically exceeding Springsteen and the E Street Band’s four-ticket limit. Defendants marked up and resold these tickets, netting $20,900.84 in revenue.”

The FTC alleges their actions are a violation of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act. Representatives for Ticketmaster parent firm Live Nation did not immediately return a request for comment.

While Ticketmaster is not accused of any wrongdoing in the complaint, Swift famously lambasted Ticketmaster after the Eras Tour on-sale fiasco in which many fans were locked out of opportunities to buy tickets and saw seats instantly snapped up and placed on resale markets at many times the face value.

“There are a multitude of reasons why people had such a hard time trying to get tickets and I’m trying to figure out how this situation can be improved moving forward,” she wrote in a 2022 social media post. “I’m not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them multiple times if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could.”

“It really pisses me off that a lot of [fans] feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them,” Swift added.

The incident prompted rowdy hearings in Congress and a federal antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Although Ticketmaster is not targeted in the complaint, the FTC does include a slide that it says is from a 2018 presentation deck, where Ticketmaster warns of “Serious negative economic impact if we move to 8 ticket limit across the board.” In March, President Trump issued an executive order to combat fraudulent ticket reselling practices.

A man was left baffled when a family of plane passengers lied to a flight attendant in order to get him to switch seats with them – but he ended up getting the last laugh

Unless you can shell out the money for an upgrade, travelling by plane is often a draining experience. You can find yourself sitting in a cramped space for hours on end next to a complete stranger, and it’s often luck of the draw whether your seatmate has any bizarre habits that make you want to tear your hair out.

But one man has claimed that sometimes, not even getting upgraded to a fancier class makes you exempt from rude passengers who expect you to accommodate them. In fact, he asserted that on one recent flight he took, a family attempted to lie to a flight attendant so that they could take his seat from him.

In a post on Reddit, the man explained he decided to book business class on a recent flight because he could bag himself a window seat while guaranteeing that the middle seat remained unbooked, meaning he’d have a bit more room.

When he boarded his flight, he took his seat across from an older man sitting in the aisle seat on the other side of him. Moments later, however, the other man’s wife and son came in and asked if he would switch seats with them to allow the family to sit together.

But there was one problem – the wife and child were in economy class, so swapping seats would have meant a downgrade.

Warning: The below Reddit post contains strong language.

The man refused this unfavourable offer, and the family made a counteroffer in which the son would sit in the free middle seat with his dad while the mum went back to economy. It turned out they lied to flight attendants on board the plane to make this deal happen.

In his Reddit post, he wrote: “His wife and son came in, asking me to switch (business for economy) so they could all sit there. Then, [they] told me that if I didn’t switch with the wife, the son would sit in the middle at least. [The dad] reasoned that I didn’t need an empty seat next to me and claimed the stewardess allowed it.

“Turned out, [the flight attendant] said it was possible if the other passenger agreed, to which they replied that I was family, so I would 100% agree.”

The man refused to move and told the flight attendants the truth, and the family were eventually made to go back to the seats they had been assigned.

He added: “I didn’t budge. The son and wife had to stay in the economy, and his father spent almost four hours muttering passive-aggressive comments. Whenever I took off my headphones, he was still going…

“Like what the f**k. But shoutout to the stewardesses (another one had to come, because they refused to go back to their seats) for staying professional.”

Commenters on the post were shocked at the family’s behaviour, especially considering that the dad could have swapped with someone in economy class to ensure his family could sit together, but didn’t want to give up his luxury experience.

One person said: “He didn’t give up his seat for his family, just wanted you to.”

Another added: “It’s wild how some people feel entitled to what others paid extra for. Lying about being your family? That’s next-level manipulative. You had every right to your seat and your space. Props to you for standing your ground, and huge respect to the flight attendants for backing you up.”

A third wrote: “The family 100% booked like this on purpose. Get three business class upgrades for the price of one. They probably saw a ‘travel hack’ on TikTok and then were mad when the scam didn’t work. Good on you for not budging.”

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Republican leaders said Tuesday that they were prepared to end their stalemated special session and immediately begin another standoff with Democrats in the GOP’s efforts to redraw congressional maps as directed by President Trump.

It’s the latest indication that Trump’s push to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections will become an extended standoff that promises to reach multiple statehouses controlled by both major parties.

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows confirmed the plans during a brief session Tuesday morning that marked another failure to meet the required attendance standards to conduct official business because dozens of Democrats have left the state to stymie the GOP’s partisan gerrymandering attempts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Burrows said from the House floor that lawmakers will not attempt to reconvene again until Friday. If Democrats are still absent — and they have given no indication that they plan to return — the speaker said Republicans will end the current session and Gov. Greg Abbott will immediately call another.

The governor, a Trump ally, confirmed his intentions in a statement.

“The Special Session #2 agenda will have the exact same agenda, with the potential to add more items critical to Texans,” Abbott wrote. “There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them. I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed.”

Abbott called the current session with an extensive agenda that included disaster relief for floods that killed more than 130 people. Democrats balked when Abbott added Trump’s redistricting idea to the agenda. Burrows on Tuesday did not mention redistricting but chided Democrats for not showing up for debate on the flood response package.

The redistricting legislation would reshape the state’s congressional districts in a design aimed at sending five more Republicans to Washington.

The scheme is part of Trump’s push to shore up Republicans’ narrow House majority and avoid a repeat of his first presidency, when the 2018 midterms restored Democrats to a House majority that blocked his agenda and twice impeached him. Current maps nationally put Democrats within three seats of retaking the House majority — with only several dozen competitive districts across 435 total seats.

Texas Republicans have issued civil warrants for the absent Democrats. Because they are out of state, those lawmakers are beyond the reach of Texas authorities.

Burrows said Tuesday that absent Democrats would have to pay for all state government costs for law enforcement officials attempting to track them down. Burrows has said state troopers and others have run up “six figures in overtime costs” trying to corral Democratic legislators.

Barrow and Lathan write for the Associated Press. Barrow reported from Atlanta.

A woman has left people divided after a mum asked her to swap seats with her son for a ‘stupid’ reason, but she branded her as selfish and accused her of ‘making a scene’

Everybody has their preferred plane seat, which is likely to be a window or an aisle. The middle seat is often one that’s dreaded – especially if you’re sitting next to random people. But when one woman asked if she could swap with the occupant of a window seat on the plane for a “stupid” reason and was told no, she was seething.

Posting a video of her side of the interaction, @life_in_mini_stories shared a clip of a woman sitting in a window seat, minding her own business. Of course, many times when you occupy these seats, you’ve paid an additional fee for the pleasure.

She shared a woman allegedly said to her: “Excuse me, would you mind switching seats? My son really wants to sit by the window. He just loves watching the clouds.”

The female responded by saying she couldn’t switch, because she “picked this seat ahead of time”. The woman in the video also shared she also likes looking outside during a flight.

The mum was incensed already, saying she didn’t understand why the woman wouldn’t swap with her, pointing out “nobody has ever refused before”.

She also seethed: “You must not have kids; otherwise, you’d know it’s normal to give your seat up for a child. Or do you want him crying for the whole flight?”

The woman in the video explained it wasn’t her “problem” if the child was crying, stating once more that she wouldn’t be giving up her seat.

“If you wanted your son to sit by the window, you should’ve planned ahead and booked a window seat,” she pointed out.

The mum said she wasn’t “paying extra just because one person thinks she’s smarter than everyone else”. She also continued her attack, saying: “You’re a grown woman, have some shame,” accusing her of “making a scene”.

But the female responded by pointing out she knows she’s a “grown woman,” and that’s why she books her seat “ahead of time instead of guilt-tripping strangers into giving theirs up”.

The mum accused her of not caring about other people’s feelings, or children, branding her as “disgusting”.

In the comments of the video, someone wrote: “You’re 100% in the right and she has absolutely no right to ask.”

Another added: “Asking is okay, but she needs to take no for an answer.”

“While I agree that I’d keep my seat, I also think the mother of the child has a right to ask as much as I have the right to say hell no,” somebody shared.

A man seethed: “NEVER give up a seat you prepaid extra for! ESPECIALLY to accommodate those who tried to be clever by not paying for seats they wanted.”

Someone joked: “You’re teaching that child and parent a great lesson… In the real world you, #1 plan ahead, #2 stand your ground, #3 you can’t get what you want by crying.”

A former Heathrow Airport employee has revealed an easy trick to getting your seats changed at the very last minute, avoiding the extra fees – but there’s a catch

When it comes to travelling for long hours, especially on a plane, everyone wants to sit next to their loved ones. But sometimes, big parties get split up. Here’s how travellers can change their seats at no extra cost. Many of us are counting down the days until our much-deserved holidays, away from the busy city life and spending some time at the beach soaking in all the UV rays.

But at the time of checking in for our flight, we’ve all been in a situation where seats have been allocated poorly. A former check-in agent at the UK’s busiest airport Heathrow shared some insightful information as to when the most appropriate time to ask for a seat change is – and it’s not at the check-in desk.

READ MORE: Airport worker shares tip to make your suitcase the first off the plane

She said: “Online check-in doesn’t always offer the best seat selection, and let’s be honest, no one likes getting stuck in the middle seat.” The former airport worker revealed that the best time to ask for this is after the check-in closes.

It’s important to note that all airlines operate differently, and different rules apply based on the routes. Although most airlines will automatically seat you with the people under the same reservation, sometimes, sudden changes occur.

For those who wish to have their seats changed, they must wait until the check-in time closes, or in some cases, after all passengers have boarded. “This is when all unclaimed seats, such as those from passengers who haven’t checked in, become available,” she added.

According to Forbes, airlines allocate seats for weight and balance reasons, which is why it’s important for passengers to sit in their designated seats.

Gerrie Brand, a spokesperson for Dutch airline KLM, said: “The captain calculates weight and balance for take-off. If the occupancy is low, passengers tend to want to change seats, but that could change the weight distribution and balance for take-off.”

READ MORE: Plane passengers warned they might want to swerve travel pillows on flights

However, the former Heathrow employee warned that this trick doesn’t always work, especially during peak season. In this case, passengers can ask the cabin crew once on board, or the passenger who’s seated next to them.

As holidaymakers look forward to their much-deserved breaks, it’s important to remember that check-in agents are human too and will always try to accommodate all passengers, especially those travelling with small children.

Nonetheless, as much as travelling can be expensive and stressful, taking out your anger on the staff won’t benefit you at all! Kindness goes a long way, so just be nice!

If you’re about to book seats, read this first and then decide

If you’re heading on holiday soon and wondering whether or not to book specific seats, you may want to hold off. According to travel experts at Which?, you’re “probably wasting” your money if you’re paying to sit together.

It comes as Which? Travel found many customers who didn’t pay for seat selection “told us they ended up seated with their travel companions anyway.” Talking about other major airlines, they state that “most” of them will “automatically seat you with the people you booked with” with the figure for those being seated together for easyJet standing at 93% with Jet2 at 90%.

Am I legally entitled to sit with family?

Many people may think that there is a legal requirement to do this, especially those with children. But this is not the case at all. Which? explained: “There’s no legal right to sit next to your family, not even children.”

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says: “Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults.”

In a recent post, Which? also stress: “There is no UK law that says children have to be seated with their parents on a plane.”

What UK airlines sit families together?

Which? state: “Most airlines will seat people who book together for free, whether they’re families or not. Paying for a seat is usually unnecessary – except with a couple of carriers, as we’ll see below.

“We’ve looked at the policies of some of the major airlines to see how likely they are to seat children with parents – and whether you’ll need to pay extra. Also, be warned that some airlines will charge hundreds of pounds more for a baby than others.”

Travelling soon?

If you are set to travel soon, holidaymakers should also know that there are seven essential passport checks you should carry out before heading on holiday this summer. Travel insurance experts at Tiger.co.uk have said people should ensure the laminate over the personal details page is not lifting or peeling.

This is because it could raise suspicions of tampering. This is a common reason for passports being flagged or rejected so even if all the information is readable, it’s best to get your passport replaced to prevent any issues.

They further add that if your passport has sustained water damage, you likely won’t be able to use it as a valid travel document. While minor exposure to water such as slightly crinkled page edges shouldn’t be an issue – further damage like smudged ink or discolouration can lead to delays or refusals at the border. You can read about all seven key passport checks for Brits here.

A man shared his outraged after being asked to move plane seats so a young boy could look out the window – but he argues it’s unfair because he paid extra for the view

When it comes to travelling overseas, most people make sure to pre-book the best seat possible on their flight. That’s exactly why one man decided to spend an extra £200 on a window seat when travelling to Brazil to visit his family.

After sitting down and getting comfortable in his spot, he was soon approached by another passenger who asked him he give up his window seat for his son. Detailing the incident on Reddit, he recalled: “This stranger who was seated on the middle plane seats across from me with his child asked me if I could give up my window seat for his kid. I said, ‘Sorry, but no. I paid an extra 200 for this seat’.”

Expecting the father to understand, he was met instead with a persistent “glare”, prompting an internal reaction: “In my head I said, ‘Okay f*** you too!’ And went back listening to my music while looking out the window.”

The situation escalated when a flight attendant tapped him on the shoulder with the same request.

He firmly showed the cabin crew his ticket and payment receipt, resolutely stating: “I pulled out my ticket and the receipt I got when I paid extra for the window seat and told her, ‘No, I paid extra for window seat’.

“She said, ‘Okay, sorry to bother you sir’. I saw her walk back to him and say, ‘no’ for me. “

READ MORE: ‘I was sick of neighbour letting dog poo in my garden so I got brutal revenge’

Annoyed, the dad glared at him again – believing he was being unreasonable and unkind to his son by refusing to move.

Commenting on his post, one user said: “I used to fly for work every few weeks. It was pretty common for this to happen.

“I did the exact same thing. If I paid extra for a seat, I said no. If I was just changing seats so family could sit next to each other, and they were polite, I usually switched.”

They continued: “Didn’t matter to me. Just the politeness. I was going to read most of the time anyway. If they were rude I just said no and stuck my head in a book.”

Another user chimed in: “When I flew alone I really didn’t care where I sat and didn’t pay extra for a pre-chosen seat. But if you do care about sitting together then pay more and don’t harass other people to give up their seat for you.”

A third user suggested: “If a situation like this happens again, let them know that there is a £500 surcharge in order for you to move.”

Yet another user added: “What on Earth is it with flight stewardesses asking someone that? Like no, you paid for your seat stop complaining!”

A cabin crew member shared her thoughts on whether or not people should be allowed to recline their seats on flights – and people are very much divided on the issue

The age-old debate on the etiquette of reclining seats in planes has finally been addressed by a cabin crew member – although not all passengers agree.

In the world of flying, there are two camps – those who hit the recline button on their plane seat and those who fume silently when the person in front does. Travelling economy class on long-haul flights is hardly a luxury experience, leading many to tilt back their seats in the quest for additional comfort during a snooze.

Naturally, this leads to frustration for the passengers behind them, particularly if, mid-recline, they’re trying to enjoy their in-flight meal. But who is in the right?

To put an end to the widespread wrangling, TikTok user Hannah, who has over eight years’ experience as a cabin crew member, weighed in on the matter.

As a cabin crew member, she has had to “split up grown adults” who were arguing about whether or not they can recline their seats on multiple occasions. “For some reason, I don’t know why, this is such an issue on flights,” she added in the recent video.

She sides with the pro-recliners. When passengers ask her to intervene against those using the recline feature, she tells them: “If the seat function has a seat recline, they are allowed to recline it.”

The flight attendant agrees it is considered polite to keep seats upright during meal service, allowing passengers to use their tray tables to eat. In such instances, it is deemed acceptable to ask someone not to recline.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘do you mind asking that person to put their seat up while we eat’, that’s just polite. But at any other time in the flight, that’s not the meal service, recline away,” she noted, adding: “I think it’s really unfair, and really unnecessary to ask someone not to recline their seat for a 14 hour flight. Even a seven hour flight, if that seat reclines, you can recline it.”

Commenters were sharply divided on the matter, with some firmly opposed to the flight attendant’s stance. One wrote: “The problem is the plane design! Created to cram as many people in for profit now over passenger comfort. Reclining on some planes now, means you can’t see you screen properly and/or legs crushed!”

Another agreed, stating: “Some seat reclines are ridiculous though. Way too far back in your face.”

But many wholeheartedly agreed that passengers have the right to recline. One person wrote: “Totally agree. I HOPE the person ahead puts it forward for [meal service] but even if they don’t, thats their choice and tough luck for me I guess. I’d pay more to sit at the front if it really bothered me.”

Another supporter chimed in, saying: “Absolutely agree. during the meal service no, any other time yes.”

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.

A plane passenger taught an ‘entitled’ man the importance of planning ahead after refusing to swap seats on a flight so he could enjoy the journey next to his girlfriend

A man has been praised for refusing to swap plane seats so an ‘entitled’ boyfriend could sit next to his partner on a flight. The 29-year-old explained how he was travelling home from a work trip and made sure to pre-book an aisle seat so he could stretch his legs out a little.

However, his peaceful journey was disrupted when another passenger spotted him sitting alone and approached him to ask a ‘favour’. He said on Reddit: “I was flying home from a work trip and had booked an aisle seat because I’m tall and need legroom. As soon as I sit down, a guy comes over and says, ‘Hey bro, can we switch? My girlfriend’s by the window and I’m in the middle back there.’

“I glance at his seat, literally the second-worst spot on the plane. I say, ‘Sorry, I booked this one specifically’. He gets annoyed and says, ‘Dude, I’m just trying to sit next to my girl.'”

He told him he understood why he’d want to swap seats but tried to gently explain he didn’t want to give up his comfort for a stranger.

He added: “He said, ‘You’re sitting alone, man. What do you need the aisle for?’ I replied, ‘Because I paid for it. That’s how seats work’.

“He called me an ‘inconsiderate loner,’ which was cute, considering he tried to guilt-trip me into a downgrade. The flight attendant eventually had to tell him to sit down or be removed.”

Sharing a final message of disgust on social media, he added: “Couples don’t get priority over people who planned ahead. Sorry not sorry.”

While most users praised him for standing his ground, others shared their own stories about ‘entitled’ passengers on planes.

One user said: “This happened on a 12h flight from Korea to Toronto and when the person said no the girlfriend started bawling and eventually someone else nearby traded with her.

“I was so mad they gave into her crocodile tears because now she’s going to do it every damn flight.

“This poor tiny Asian woman was stuck in a middle seat for 12 hours instead of her aisle seat because a pretty young white woman can cry on command.”

Another user added: “In the airplane seat war card game, inconsiderate loners beat inconsiderate losers every time. Especially the ones too cheap to buy an aisle seat.”

A third user said: “This exact thing happened to me! What preceded it was the girl jumping into the window seat in my aisle and laughing cutely at him that she got the good seat first.

“Then she asked if I could trade with him (in the middle seat in another row) so they could sit together.

“I thought, if they really wanted to sit together, she could have given up her window seat to someone for a fair trade.

“I said no. She replied, ‘It doesn’t hurt to ask’. Sure it doesn’t, but don’t expect anyone to take a downgrade to give you an underserved upgrade.”

Chelsea kicked off their Fifa Club World Cup campaign against Los Angeles FC to tens of thousands of empty seats in Atlanta.

The game started at 3pm local time on a working Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The ground can hold 75,000 spectators, but the entire top tier was closed for this match.

Sources told the BBC that Fifa was expecting a crowd of about 26,000, but it did not appear that busy at kick-off.

A small middle tier seemed to be mostly full, but a larger bottom tier was more than half empty.

The cheapest ticket was about £37 before kick-off. During the game tickets were still on sale online for £26 – with many available in nearly every section.

Los Angeles is more than 2,000 miles away from Atlanta, across the southern United States.

Their 1,500 ultras dominated the atmosphere.

The newly expanded Club World Cup is being treated as a dress rehearsal for the international World Cup next summer, which will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The CWC is just being played in the US.