airline industry

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'Too Fat to Fly' Woman Sues Southwest

Overweight passenger wants airline to clarify policy

(Newser) - A woman who says a Southwest gate agent told her she was "too fat to fly" and needed to buy a second seat is suing the airline—not for money, but for an industry standard to be established for fliers who have to pay for an extra fare, reports...

Delta Buys Own Oil Refinery
 Delta Buys Own Oil Refinery 
May 1, 2012 6:36 AM CDT

Delta Buys Own Oil Refinery

Aims to shave jet fuel costs in unprecedented deal

(Newser) - Delta Air Lines is pocketing a Pennsylvania oil refinery in an industry-first move to clip its ever-burgeoning jet fuel costs, which soared to $12 billion last year. The $150 million deal—about the cost of a new jetliner, notes Reuters —is set to satisfy 80% of the airline's...

American Air Sues Worker Behind Parody Videos

Fired flight attendant claims paying customers were bumped for airline execs

(Newser) - American Airlines is suing a former flight attendant who has mocked the airline's management in a series of YouTube videos. Gailen David, who was fired a few weeks ago, revealed the flight plans of several airline execs and claimed that the airline had bumped frequent flyers from first class...

Expect Pricey Flights All Decade: FAA

US forecasts more passengers, less space

(Newser) - Expect airfares to stay high for the rest of the decade: Prices won't drop until there's more competition for airlines, which won't happen for a while, an FAA report says. Passengers' miles flown will almost double over the next two decades, from 815 billion last year to...

Virgin Atlantic's New Hire: 'Whispering Coach'

To safeguard its first-class passengers' ears, of course!

(Newser) - Add this to the list of things elite Virgin Atlantic passengers will soon enjoy: ear comfort. The British airline has retained the services of a "whispering coach" whose job is to make sure that those who book a seat in its forthcoming Upper Class Dream Suite aren't submitted...

Bankrupt Air Australia Strands Thousands

Ticket holders may not get refunds

(Newser) - An Australian airline has gone bankrupt—leaving some 4,000 passengers stranded in spots like Indonesia and Hawaii. "It currently appears that there are no funds available to meet operational expenses so flights will be suspended immediately," Air Australia and its new administrators said today, according to CNN...

China Refusing to Pay EU Airspace Carbon Tax

Will Europe stop flights?

(Newser) - China is prohibiting all of its airlines from paying the EU's new carbon tax, a standoff that is likely destined for a World Trade Organization unfair trade practice suit, reports the BBC . The long-planned European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme came into effect the first of the year, and...

Angry Over Regulation, Spirit Institutes Snarky Fee

'Unintended Consequence' fee intended to chide transportation department

(Newser) - Spirit Airlines is angry over a new Department of Transportation rule—and it's making sure customers know it, by slapping a $2 "Department of Transportation Unintended Consequence Fee" on all tickets. The new rule, which went into effect last week, requires airlines to give customers a full refund,...

American Airlines to Cut 13K Jobs

Airline will emerge from bankruptcy with fewer workers

(Newser) - The parent of American Airlines wants to eliminate about 13,000 jobs—15% of its workforce—as the third-biggest US airline remakes itself under bankruptcy protection. The company aims to cut labor costs by 20%, and will soon begin negotiations with its three major unions. AMR Corp. CEO Thomas W....

Top Carriers Weigh American Airlines Merger

US Airways, Delta in the running

(Newser) - Fellow airlines and a private-equity firm are considering buying American Airlines' parent company, which filed for bankruptcy just months ago . Though AMR has struggled in recent years—American hasn't turned a profit since 2007—its decades-old airline holds the No. 3 position among US carriers by traffic. A merger...

Overweight People Should Pay More to Fly
Overweight People Should
Pay More to Fly
OPINION
Jan 12, 2012 1:03 PM CST

Overweight People Should Pay More to Fly

Former Qantas economist makes his case

(Newser) - The former chief economist at Qantas thinks it's about time that airlines charged heavier people more for plane tickets as a matter of policy. "The rationale is simple," writes Tony Webber in the Sydney Morning Herald . "The fuel burnt by planes depends on many things but...

5 Must-Have Apps for Fliers
 5 Must-Have Apps for Fliers 
Jan 7, 2012 5:34 AM CST

5 Must-Have Apps for Fliers

Find tickets, new flights, even lounges

(Newser) - Every air traveler armed with a smartphone should load up on these five apps, says the Travel section of USA Today:
  • SkyScanner (Free): This app will hunt down the best price for your ticket. It scans not only all of the airlines' websites but all of the online travel agencies
...

Google Flight Search Shakes Up Travel Market

 Google Flight Search 
 Shakes Up Travel Market  
in case you missed it
Dec 31, 2011 7:00 AM CST

Google Flight Search Shakes Up Travel Market

Online agencies accuse search firm of abusing its power

(Newser) - Online travel agents like Expedia and Orbitz complain that Google's new flight search tool is unfairly squeezing them out of business. Searches like "NY to LA" now produce a Google chart of airfares, with links directly to airlines, that appear above the results for middlemen. The travel sites...

Riskiest Part of Flight Might Now Be on Ground

With skies safe, officials turn their attention to 'surface threats' on runways

(Newser) - "America's skies are the safest they have ever been," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters this week, and the stats back him up: Deaths from accidents in US commercial aviation have plummeted over the last 15 years, with none registered at all in 2011. Aviation officials say...

Sick of Bad Seatmates? Airline to Let You Cherry-Pick

...using social media, of course

(Newser) - Not fun: Being stuck next to a super-chatty traveler or big drinker on a long flight when all you want to do is sleep. The modern-day solution: Forget earplugs, just book on KLM, which will next year launch a service called "meet and seat." The move will allow...

American Airlines Files for Bankruptcy

Parent firm says voluntary move best choice for firm

(Newser) - American Airlines and American Eagle's parent companies are filing for bankruptcy protection. AMR Corp. and AMR Eagle Holding Corp. said today that they filed voluntary petitions to reorganize, saying it's in the best interest of the companies and its shareholders. American says it sought protection to reduce its...

Qantas Luxury Contest on Twitter an Embarrassment
 Qantas Has 
 'Epic PR Fail' 
 With Twitter 
 Campaign 
in case you missed it
Nov 27, 2011 7:07 AM CST

Qantas Has 'Epic PR Fail' With Twitter Campaign

It's not a great time to ask customers to tweet 'luxury' suggestions

(Newser) - It’s been a rough stretch for Qantas. First, the Australian airline abruptly stranded customers around the world amid a contract fight with its unions; then those talks collapsed entirely; this week, the firm ticked off customers again with a contest on Twitter . It asked people to tweet their “...

Small Planes to Small Cities Seeing Big Cuts

Soaring fuel prices have made small planes least profitable for airlines

(Newser) - The big airlines may be pampering their first-class passengers more than ever , especially on international routes, but around the United States, small-plane service to small cities is increasingly getting the ax, reports the AP . Over the past two years, the big airlines have cut service entirely to 27 US cities,...

Life in First Class Gets Even Cushier

Airlines chasing big spenders with luxurious perks

(Newser) - It's enough to make a cramped coach passenger cry: US airlines are going after big spenders by making life in first class an ever-more pampered affair. The AP rounds up some of the upgrades: flat-screen TVs, seats that fold into beds, upscale meals served on china, and personal attention...

Airline Hit With $900K Fine for Tarmac Waits

American Eagle first to be fined under new policy

(Newser) - American Eagle Airlines has been hit with the first fine issued under new rules prohibiting airlines from keeping passengers stuck in planes on the tarmac for more than three hours. The regional carrier was fined $900,000 for keeping a total 608 passengers on board 15 different flights on the...

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