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American Airlines launched a free mobile application Monday to let iPhone and iPod Touch users track flight details, monitor standby lists, track frequent-flier accounts and check in for flights.
American is among a growing number of airlines and travel companies taking advantage of Apple’s developer-friendly architecture to create new bells and whistles to help travelers wile away hours in airports, hunt for bargains or get the biggest bang from their frequent-flier miles. Get the full story »
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin America is again planning to enter the Chicago market. Doing so would enable travelers to connect to Virgin Atlantic, pictured here at its 2007 O'Hare debut. (Charles Cherney/Chicago Tribune)
Virgin America plans to wing its way into Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport next year, part of an aggressive expansion that could triple the low-cost carrier’s size by 2016.
Virgin intends to challenge the duopoly held by American and United Airlines on direct flights from O’Hare to Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International, flights popular with business travelers and, on occasion, movie stars.
San Francisco-based Virgin, founded in 2007, has quickly won a rabid fan base for its mood lighting and edgy customer amenities. All of its aircraft are outfitted with high-speed Internet connections, while its recently upgraded inflight menu includes less traditional items like tapas plates. Get the full story »
Controversial low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is rolling the dice in Chicago, adding new daily flights from O’Hare to gambling havens Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J.
Spirit plans to begin flying to Las Vegas on Nov. 11, 2010, and Atlantic City on March 3, 2011.
The discounter is kicking off the service with a blue-light special: Introductory fares of $9 and $39, each way, for round-trip tickets purchased Thursday or Friday. Get the full story »
U.S. airlines are world-beaters when it comes to finding creative ways to boost passenger fees, onboard food sales and other revenues that aren’t rolled into an air fare, financial data show.
United, American and Delta Air Lines led all global carriers in collecting so-called ancillary revenues during 2009, according to a new study by airline consultancy IdeaWorks and Amadeus, a global clearinghouse for airline transactions.
Chicago-based United led airlines around the world by generating $1.87 billion in ancillary revenues last year, the study found. That’s about double the $963 million in fees pocketed by Australia’s Qantas Airways, the highest ranking overseas carrier in the study. Get the full story »
American Airlines announced it was shaking up its senior management team after reporting a second-quarter loss at a time when competitors like United and Delta Airlines posted their largest profits in years.
Texas-based American, which with United dominates Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, is promoting chief financial officer Tim Horton to the role of president. Get the full story »
Severe turbulence on a United Airlines flight from Washington to Los Angeles led to a number of injuries and forced an emergency landing, officials said Wednesday. The Denver Post reported 21 passengers and four crew members were injured including a girl who hit the ceiling but that the injuries were mostly minor. Get the full story »
American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia Tuesday received final approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to form a joint venture to closely coordinate schedules and share revenues on flights between North America and Europe.
The European Union approved the partnership on July 14.
American and British Airways, founding partners in the oneworld alliance, had sought for 14 years to gain antitrust immunity for a partnership that would enable them to jointly market and divvy up revenues on trans-Atlantic flights. British Airways is merging with Iberia, a recent addition to the proposed venture. Get the full story »
United Airlines and Continental Airlines said Tuesday they hammered out transition agreements with their pilots’ unions, a critical step towards reaching a broader labor accord with pilots.
Talks between the merging airlines and pilots were halted late last month due to a dispute between Chicago-based United and its pilots over lay-off protections, sources told the Tribune.
At the time, the four sides were close to hammering out “Transition and Process” agreements that provide a framework for operations until the merging carriers gain a single FAA operating certificate, a process targeted to be completed during 2012. Get the full story »
Boeing Co. has won U.S. antitrust approval to buy defense manufacturer Argon ST Inc , the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday.
Boeing said in early June that it would buy Argon for about $775 million to beef up its capabilities in sensors, communications technologies and information management. Get the full story »
Passengers check in at a United Airlines ticket counter. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, file)
United Airlines’ parent UAL Corp. reported its first quarterly profit since 2007 on Wednesday, earning a net income of $273 million, or $1.29 per diluted share, during the second quarter of 2010. The results showcase a remarkable turnaround at Chicago-based United, which a year ago was the subject of bankruptcy rumors as its cash reserves dwindled. Get the full story »
Delta Air Lines Inc, the world’s biggest air carrier, posted a better-than-expected second-quarter profit Monday, but revenue missed expectations and its shares fell more than 8 percent. The company’s third-quarter outlook raised concerns about the strength of the recovery for airlines, which are widely expected to post better results as travel demand improves from recession weakness. Other carriers’ shares were also off. Get the full story »
A Boeing 787 prepares for its first test flight in December. (AP)
Boeing Co said Thursday that issues raised in its 787 Dreamliner flight tests could delay first delivery of the long-awaited carbon-composite aircraft into the first part of 2011, but the company also expects an uptick in new plane demand over the next two decades. Get the full story »
The new Orbitz TV commercial. (Orbitz)
Chicago-based Internet travel agency Orbitz Worldwide Inc. today launches a major new advertising campaign touting the information and services consumers can expect when they arrive at their hotels.
The new campaign, developed with New York ad agency BBDO, features a branded tagline, “When You Orbitz, You Know.” Financial terms of the campaign were not disclosed. Get the full story »
U.S. and overseas airlines should be required to disclose all fees to ensure passengers, are fully informed about how much their tickets costs, congressional investigators said on Wednesday.
The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, said in a report that airlines made $1.3 billion in baggage and other fees in the first quarter of 2010, up 13 percent from the year-earlier. Get the full story »
AAR Corp.’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings dropped 21 percent as the aircraft leasing and maintenance company waits for its commercial aviation business to pick up.
The company has warned that recovery in its commercial-airlines business has been less robust than expected. The recession skewered that market, with a drop in travel and tight credit forcing AAR’s commercial-airline customers to cut back. However, the company’s sales to defense contractors have held up. Get the full story »
