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USA3000 to Shut Down

Apple Vacations, one of the country’s largest tour operators, has decided to shut down its airline subsidiary, USA3000, early in January. Although neither the airline’s nor Apple’s website has anything to say about a shutdown, the airline does not accept reservations after January 6.

Compared with some airline shutdowns, this one will have minimal impact:

  • Apple has arranged for alternative charter flights on other airlines for all existing bookings, with no additional costs and (usually) little change in schedules.
  • This is not a financial failure; Apple is a going concern, and the shutdown is apparently a simple business decision to “outsource” its charter flying to other airlines rather than maintain an in-house airline operation.

Neither Apple nor USA3000 is saying any more than absolutely necessary, but there is no reason that anyone should worry about any existing bookings or hesitate to make any new ones. The only downside—if any—is that USA3000 generally earned high marks in traveler surveys, and it’s too early to say if the substitute lines will treat Apple customers as well.

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