airline industry – News Stories About airline industry - Page 20

Mar 18, 2008 2:42 PM CDT

Fly the Tech-Friendly Skies

PC World takes a look at getting connected in the air

(Newser) - Travelers who want to stay connected while they're on the move get an assist from PC World, which finds that some airlines and airports are soaring ahead in the technology stakes while others are stuck on the runway. Virgin America leads the way, with a power port in every seat,...

Air France Buys Alitalia in Cut-Rate Deal

Mar 17, 2008 3:07 AM CDT

Air France Buys Alitalia in Cut-Rate Deal

Struggling Italian carrier sells for 81% below market value

(Newser) - Embattled Italian airline Alitalia has accepted a severely discounted buyout from Air France, the BBC reports. The $1.17-billion deal, which includes both the airline and its debt, sees Air France take over the Italian carrier at 81% below company's current share price. Alitalia has been in the red for...

Fare War Breaks Out at LAX

Mar 3, 2008 11:25 AM CST

Fare War Breaks Out at LAX

Thanks to Virgin America, ticket prices dip as fuel prices soar

(Newser) - Even as fuel prices soar, Los Angeles airline passengers are enjoying an old-fashioned fare war sparked by newcomer Virgin America, the LA Times reports. Sir Richard Branson's brainchild has drawn United, Alaska, Southwest, and even longtime LAX holdout JetBlue into a feud that's seen one-way fares as low as $44....

Northwest's Merger Offers Won't Fly: Delta

Feb 27, 2008 3:13 AM CST

Northwest's Merger Offers Won't Fly: Delta

So far, proposals skirting key Delta concerns

(Newser) - An airline merger isn't going to take off until Northwest comes up with a proposal that addresses Delta's concerns, according to Delta executives. So far, offers haven't jelled with Delta priorities, including maintaining employee seniority rankings, according to a Delta memo obtained by the Wall Street Journal. Delta plans to...

Dreamliner Delays May Drive JAL Away

Feb 22, 2008 7:23 PM CST

Dreamliner Delays May Drive JAL Away

Longtime customer weighs defecting from Boeing to Airbus

(Newser) - Japan Airlines may abandon its plan to stock up on Boeing Dreamliners because of tie-ups in production of the new 787, Reuters reports. The carrier, a loyal Boeing customer, planned to buy 55 Dreamliners, but the delivery date has slipped again, to early 2009. Now JAL is checking out the...

Delta-Northwest Merger Close to Takeoff

Feb 19, 2008 6:27 AM CST

Delta-Northwest Merger Close to Takeoff

Boards meet tomorrow to vote on plans that would create world's largest airline

(Newser) - Directors at Delta and Northwest meeting tomorrow could announce a marriage of the two airlines by day’s end if a crucial deal with the airlines’ 11,000 unionized pilots can be reached, reports the Wall Street Journal. The resulting company would be the largest airline in the world, and...

Travel Costs Rise, But for What?

OPINION

Feb 13, 2008 12:30 PM CST

Travel Costs Rise, But for What?

2008 is the 'year of the fee,' but one writer demands more in return

(Newser) - We can't duck travel fees imposed by air carriers, hotels, and Uncle Sam, so let's demand more in return, Christopher Elliott writes on MSNBC. Airlines are adding $25 baggage fees and "probably illegal" fuel surcharges, and the TSA will add a “temporary” bump in security fees—so can't...

2 Airline Mega Mergers Prepare for Takeoff

Feb 7, 2008 3:05 AM CST

2 Airline Mega Mergers Prepare for Takeoff

Delta-Northwest marriage looms; United eyes Continental

(Newser) - The airline industry is bracing for what would be a mammoth double wedding, as merger talks between Delta and Northwest airlines shift into second gear, and Continental and United Airlines begin their courtship. Currently on the Delta-Northwest plate is a market price stock-for-stock transaction, with no premium for either company,...

2007 Was 2nd Worst Ever for Plane Delays

Feb 6, 2008 1:08 PM CST

2007 Was 2nd Worst Ever for Plane Delays

More than 26% of all domestic flights were late or canceled

(Newser) - It's now official: 2007 was an awful year for airline delays—the worst since the record delays of 2000. More than 26% of domestic flights were delayed or canceled, due to huge demand and a growing swarm of small planes gobbling up runway space, reports the AP. The airline with...

United to Charge Fee
for Second Bag

Feb 5, 2008 6:38 AM CST

United to Charge Fee for Second Bag

Other carriers may follow suit as airline tacks on $25 for extra suitcase

(Newser) - Many United Airlines travelers planning to check in more than one piece of luggage are going to have to pay for it, beginning this spring. Passengers buying nonrefundable economy tickets will have to fork over $25 for a second bag as the airline seeks to offset soaring fuel costs without...

JetBlue Teams With Irish Airline

Jan 31, 2008 5:26 PM CST

JetBlue Teams With Irish Airline

Carriers will expand their overseas menus this spring

(Newser) - JetBlue will team up with Irish airline Aer Lingus in the spring so both carriers can expand their overseas offerings, the Wall Street Journal reports. The move is unusual because both are low-budget airlines, the Journal notes, and these kinds of partnerships are often expensive to maintain. But the carriers...

Co-Pilot Cuffed
in Midair After Breakdown

Jan 30, 2008 2:14 PM CST

Co-Pilot Cuffed in Midair After Breakdown

Toronto-London flight makes emergency landing in Ireland

(Newser) - An Air Canada flight from Toronto to London had to make an emergency landing Monday in Ireland after the co-pilot suffered a mental breakdown in midair, the Telegraph reports. The pilot started screaming God's name while at the controls of the Boeing 767; crew members removed him from the cockpit,...

Employees as Hard on Airline as Customers

Dec 22, 2007 7:07 PM CST

Employees as Hard on Airline as Customers

CEO gets harsh feedback from workers on declining quality

(Newser) - US Airways has the worst on-time performance of any major US airline; it also has 36,000 employees encouraged to e-mail CEO Douglas Parker about everything from smelly planes to lousy in-flight snacks to a reservation system that doesn't work yet, reports the New York Times. Says Parker: The feedback...

Lufthansa Buys $300M Stake
in JetBlue

Dec 13, 2007 4:59 PM CST

Lufthansa Buys $300M Stake in JetBlue

German giant will own 19% of ailing US airline

(Newser) - Lufthansa will purchase a 19% stake in lagging JetBlue Airways for about $300 million, a move that reflects the industry-wide consolidation underway in recent months. The sale price of $7.27 a share is a 16% premium on yesterday's closing price of $6.25. The announcement immediately bounced JetBlue shares...

Boeing: Dreamliner on Schedule

Dec 11, 2007 3:25 PM CST

Boeing: Dreamliner on Schedule

Firm grappling with supply issues; will still deliver 1st in late '08

(Newser) - Boeing said today that it remains committed to delivering 109 Dreamliners by the end of 2009 despite persistent supply-chain problems, the Chicago Tribune reports. Although the aviation giant expects to eventually be able to produce one plane in 3 days, the first six—which will be used for test flights—...

Use Your Cell Phone as a Boarding Pass

Dec 4, 2007 2:29 PM CST

Use Your Cell Phone as a Boarding Pass

Houston pilot program said to add security, save paper

(Newser) - Passengers flying Continental out of Houston today will be able to use their cellphone or PDA in lieu of a boarding pass as part of a three-month pilot program, USA Today reports. After checking in, an encrypted barcode is sent to passengers’ mobile handsets, which is scanned by a TSA...

United, Delta in Merge Talks

Nov 14, 2007 3:47 PM CST

United, Delta in Merge Talks

New company would keep United name, says AP

(Newser) - United Airlines and Delta are in talks to merge and create the nation's largest airline, the AP reports. The new airline would keep the United name and surpass American as the nation's biggest. Delta's CEO denied that any specific talks are under way, but the company said it had formed...

Travelers May Spend Thanksgiving on the Runway

Nov 13, 2007 4:08 PM CST

Travelers May Spend Thanksgiving on the Runway

Already-slow industry prepares for the worst Thanksgiving in more than a decade

(Newser) - A 4% increase in holiday passengers will likely cause lengthy delays, the airline industry warned yesterday—bad news for those who miss connections and could wait 3 days for another flight. Though airlines have hired seasonal workers in the first staff expansion since 9/11, some 2.5 million passengers may...

Southwest
Unveils Perks
for Biz Flyers

Nov 7, 2007 9:28 PM CST

Southwest Unveils Perks for Biz Flyers

Carrier guarantees priority boarding, throws in a cocktail

(Newser) - Southwest unveiled today a raft of new initiatives designed to shore up revenue, including new pricing plans that benefit business travelers. The discount carrier’s new “business select” program will price seats $10-30 higher than regular fares. In exchange, Southwest, which doesn’t assign seats on its flights, will...

Airbus Finally Delivers First A380 'Superjumbo' Jet

Oct 15, 2007 9:19 AM CDT

Airbus Finally Delivers First A380 'Superjumbo' Jet

But questions persist over company's production abilities

(Newser) - After 2 years of delays, Airbus SAS delivered its first behemoth A380 to Singapore Airlines today. The world’s largest jet fell behind schedule, and development costs ballooned to $18 billion, when workers were forced to install 300 miles of wiring by hand. It should fly on Oct. 25, but...