airline industry

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Passengers Sue Alaska Airlines Over Midair Scare

Filing criticizes screening procedures for crews after off-duty pilot had to be subdued

(Newser) - The off-duty pilot who prosecutors say tried to crash an Alaska Airlines flight faces attempted murder charges , and the airline is now being taken to court, as well. Three people who were passengers on Flight 2059 from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco filed a class-action suit on Thursday saying they...

Suit: United Staffs Dodgers' Charters With Young, White Blondes

2 longtime flight attendants accuse airline of race, age discrimination

(Newser) - Two United Airlines flight attendants are suing their longtime employer, whom they allege discriminates against employees based on race, national origin, religion, and age. The plaintiffs claim they were demoted from the airline's sports team charter program—a highly coveted position in which flight attendants can earn double or...

United Airlines Is Making a Big Boarding Change
United Airlines Is Making
a Big Boarding Change
in case you missed it
Oct 22, 2023 7:45 AM CDT

United Airlines Is Making a Big Boarding Change

Those in window seats will board first, followed by middle, then aisle

(Newser) - In what some might see as an obvious move , United Airlines is making what media outlets are painting as a big change to its boarding process: Passengers with window seats will board first. Well, they'll still board after everyone who is allowed to pre-board, plus all the fancy passengers...

Cost of Flying Drops, for Now
Cost of Flying Drops, for Now
Aug 9, 2023 1:28 PM CDT

Cost of Flying Drops, for Now

Domestic flight capacity is back at pre-pandemic levels

(Newser) - The cost of flying has come down considerably in recent weeks but the bargains aren't going to stick around forever, travel industry experts say. According to flight-booking app Hopper, the average round-trip airfare in the US dipped to $257 in the last week of July—lower than in the...

Administration Wins End to JetBlue-American Alliance
JetBlue Gives Up
on American Alliance
updated
Jul 5, 2023 6:45 PM CDT

JetBlue Gives Up on American Alliance

Former partner is still appealing ruling against the arrangement in Northeast

(Newser) - JetBlue will abandon its partnership in the Northeast with American Airlines, accepting a judge's ruling though its former partner is appealing it. JetBlue said Wednesday it will instead concentrate on acquiring Spirit Airlines, CNBC reports, after a court found that the deal with American hurts competition. American confirmed Wednesday...

Buttigieg Warns 5G Change Could Delay Flights

All airlines won't meet July 1 deadline

(Newser) - Airlines and industry groups have warned the federal government that some carriers are having trouble being ready for a 5G switchover by the July 1 deadline, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is in turn warning travelers they could run into snags this summer. "There's a real risk of...

White House Is Cracking Down on Airline Cancellations

Airlines would have to reimburse customers for delays that were within their control

(Newser) - The Biden administration is proposing new regulations that would require airlines to compensate passengers and cover their meals and hotels if they are stranded for reasons within the airline's control. As the AP reports, President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were unveiling the plan on Monday. It continues...

Last Year, Frontier Was the Most Complained-About US Airline

Overall, complaints were more than 5 times higher than in 2019

(Newser) - Airline passengers complained a lot last year—and they had a lot to complain about, according to a report from the Public Interest Research Group . The group says complaints against US and foreign airlines, travel agents, and tour operators hit 77,656 in 2022, more than five times the number...

5 of 8 Toilets Broke on Long-Haul Flight

Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna to New York had to turn back 2 hours in

(Newser) - If being stuck in a tiny box with 300 strangers at 35,000 feet isn't your cup of tea, being stuck with 300 strangers at 35,000 feet with only three functioning bathrooms is probably less so. As AFP reports, such was the case of an Austrian Airlines flight...

Southwest Resumes Flying After Nationwide Grounding

Tech glitch briefly kept planes from flying, but now many flights are delayed

(Newser) - Southwest has resumed flights after all were briefly grounded Tuesday morning because of a tech glitch. Those flying on the airline can expect delays, however: Roughly 40% were behind schedule as of noon, reports USA Today . The company's explanation for the snafu: "Early this morning, a vendor-supplied firewall...

American, Southwest Post Drastically Different Q4 Stats

American sees a profit of $803M; Southwest takes $220M loss after a chaotic December

(Newser) - American Airlines offered more proof Thursday of the recovery in air travel, posting a better-than-expected profit for the fourth quarter, while Southwest Airlines lost money because of massive flight cancellations last month. Southwest said it also expects another loss in the first quarter, though it added it was encouraged by...

As Airlines Abandon Them, Small Cities Are Forced to Pay Up

'Time' looks at what deregulation has wrought

(Newser) - If you're of a certain relatively youthful age, you may not know that prior to 1978, airlines were regulated. As Alana Semuels recaps in a lengthy piece for Time , until that point the government "saw airlines as an essential service, kind of like the post office." The...

'Emotional Support' Snake Doesn't Fly

Airline doesn't allow woman to carry on a 4-foot boa constrictor

(Newser) - The TSA reports it headed off a real-life sequel when it found a snake on its way to a plane. Agents at Tampa International Airport found a 4-foot boa constrictor in a carry-on bag last month when it showed up on a checkpoint X-ray, the agency said. The passenger told...

Frontier Airlines Has Ditched Telephone Customer Service

Support is now solely online or via text

(Newser) - The waiting time to talk to a person on Frontier Airlines' customer service line has now been extended to forever. The budget carrier says the transition to offering online, mobile, and text support only was completed last weekend, CNBC reports. Callers to the customer service line now get the message:...

Here Are the Best Airlines in the World

None from the US make the Skytrax top 20, with Qatar Airways at No. 1

(Newser) - A new ranking of the world's airlines does not speak well of service in the US. As Thrillist notes, not a single US airline cracks the top 20 in the eyes of Skytrax , an airline and airport review site based in the UK. You have to scroll down to...

Airlines Might Be Forced to Give More Refunds

Department of Transportation proposes rule changes

(Newser) - The Transportation Department is proposing to require airlines to offer passengers a refund if their flight schedule is changed significantly or the airline makes major changes to their itinerary, the AP reports. The proposed rule announced Wednesday would require airlines to give refunds if their departure or arrival time changes...

Latest Travel Nightmare Involves Lufthansa, Germany

Nearly 1K flights were canceled Wednesday in and out of Munich, Frankfurt

(Newser) - Wednesday was a really bad day to be booked on a Lufthansa flight in or out of Germany. The New York Times reports that roughly 3,000 "nonflying" employees walked off the job at 3:45am Wednesday, with plans to protest for higher wages until 6am Thursday. The resulting...

Buttigieg, Who's Been Stranded, Warns of Steps Against Airlines

Industry bosses say they're working to make sure next holiday weekend has fewer disruptions

(Newser) - The day after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with airline leaders to quiz them about widespread flight disruptions, his own flight was canceled and he wound up driving from Washington to New York. "That is happening to a lot of people, and that is exactly why we are paying...

JetBlue Goes Hostile in Takeover Bid of Spirit

It's competing with Frontier to acquire Spirit

(Newser) - JetBlue is going hostile in its bid for Spirit Airlines and asking Spirit shareholders to reject a proposed $2.9 billion acquisition by Frontier Airlines, per the AP . JetBlue is going straight to shareholders of the Florida airline in hopes of pushing its board to the negotiating table. Shares of...

Delta Makes Big Move to Keep Flight Attendants Happy

Airline will be the first in the US to pay flight attendants during boarding

(Newser) - Unlike most flight attendants at other major airlines, Delta Air Lines flight attendants aren't unionized—and the company may be trying to keep them that way with an offer to pay them during boarding, which would be a first for a US airline. Flight attendants are usually paid starting...

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