Extra fees charged by airlines to check bags or reserve a seat with extra legroom can increase the cost of a ticket by more than 50 percent. That is a key finding of an analysis by the Consumer Travel Alliance, a nonprofit consumer organization that studied the cost of extra fees on nine major airlines along four popular routes.
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FAA tells airlines to inspect Boeing cockpit windows
From Bloomberg | The Federal Aviation Administration said today that U.S. airlines flying Boeing Co. 757, 767 and 777 aircraft must inspect or replace the cockpit windows after 11 reports of fires tied to electrical wiring in the past two decades.
United shares rise on strong June results
Shares of United Airlines’ parent UAL Corp. rose on Friday, after the Chicago-based airline reported stronger passenger revenue gains than its peers for the month of June.
After the close of Thursday’s trading session, United announced that its consolidated passenger revenue per available seat mile — a standard measure of airline revenues — increased an estimated 30.5 percent to 31.5 percent in June versus prior-year results. Get the full story »
United had four extreme tarmac delays in May
Chicago-based United Airlines will put to the test new rules that threaten airlines with fines of up to $27,500 per passenger for planes that idle on an airport’s tarmac for more than three hours.
United operated four of the five flights in the U.S. during May that were delayed on the tarmac beyond the new limit mandated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, including one flight that was delayed for nearly five hours. Get the full story »
July 8, 2010 at 3:20 p.m.
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Filed under: Airlines, Defense, International, Manufacturing, Policy, Politics Boeing a front-runner again for tanker contract
Boeing Co. once again finds itself as the front-runner as Friday’s deadline approaches for submitting proposals for aerial refueling tankers, one of the largest and most controversial contests overseen by the Pentagon.
Although the latest contest hasn’t formally begun, Boeing and its primary competitor, EADS North America Inc., are jockeying for position and exchanging shots over which company’s tanker is the superior entry for the initial $35-billion contract. Their supporters, meanwhile, are wrangling over whether a long-running trade dispute between the U.S. and European Union should also influence the contest’s outcome.
Getting an early jump into the race, EADS submitted its 8,000-page tanker proposal on Thursday. Boeing intends to follow suit early Friday morning, said Boeing spokesman William Barksdale. Get the full story »
United Airlines demands first-class ticket for cello
From the Daily Mail | A Nebraska musician says United Airlines wouldn’t let him on a Denver-to-New York flight unless he paid $1,052 for a first-class ticket for his 300-year-old cello after determining it would not fit in the coach seat for which he had already bought a ticket. The musician said he had transported the cello in coach seats in the past and called airlines “anti-musician.”
Pentagon pressures Boeing, others to reduce costs
Lockheed Martin Corp. is moving to trim its executive ranks as the Pentagon, its biggest customer, pressures defense contractors to cut overhead costs on huge weapons programs. Lockheed said Tuesday it is offering directors and vice presidents financial incentives to leave voluntarily by Feb. 1.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week that he wants to find savings among the roughly $400 billion the Pentagon will spend this fiscal year on defense contractors. The companies, which also include Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co. and Boeing Co., among others, provide the military with a wide range of weapons and services.
Hard-drive theft puts AMR personnel data at risk
AMR Corp., parent of American Airlines, Friday said a hard drive containing personal information on 79,000 retirees, former employees, and current employees has been stolen from the company’s pension department. Get the full story »
Google scoops up air travel data firm ITA Software
Google Inc. is poised to shake-up the online travel market with its $700-million acquisition of ITA Software Inc., whose search engine tools are used to power leading Web-based travel agencies like Chicago-based Orbitz Worldwide.
The all-cash deal announced Thursday would make Google a vendor to — and potential competitor of — many of the most prominent online travel sites, including Kayak.com, FareCompare.com, Hotwire Group and Microsoft Corp.’s Bing Travel.
The deal is almost certain to face tough scrutiny from federal antitrust officials, given Google’s conflicted role and its clout as a sprawling Internet giant. Get the full story »
Continental to start selling mojitos, other cocktails
Continental Airlines is joining the buy-on-board menu wars with specialty cocktails. The airline announced Wednesday that it will start selling mojitos, pomegranate martinis and Red Bull energy drinks.
Starting Thursday, customers will be able to buy the drinks with alcohol for $9 and without it for $3. Get the full story »
Daley wants liquor carts at O’Hare, Midway
Liquor could be sold from pushcarts at the city’s two major airports under a measure proposed today by Mayor Richard Daley. The plan: To create a new type of liquor license allowing “the sale of alcoholic liquor from pushcarts within authorized areas at O’Hare and Midway,” according to the ordinance. The beer and liquor pushcarts would be located beyond the security checkpoints at passenger terminals.
Continental, United to meet with FAA next week
Leaders of Continental Airlines Inc. and United Airlines will meet U.S. regulators next week to review the technical aspects of their planned merger.
The airlines said in a filing that they will hold a “kick-off meeting” with the Federal Aviation Administration on July 9 to outline the process for securing a so-called “single operator certificate”, a formal combination targeted for the first quarter of 2012. Get the full story »
Suit filed to block United-Continental merger
From Bloomberg News | Attorney Joseph Alioto, who claims to represent U.S. consumers, filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco to block the planned merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines, arguring that it would create a monopoly that would hike fares and limit jobs.
Dubai may postpone Boeing, Airbus orders
Dubai’s financial woes may force majority state-owned Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to renegotiate some 220 aircraft orders with Boeing and Airbus, French daily Les Echos said on Monday. The debt-laden emirate has chosen to turn part of its deliveries into new contracts for airline Emirates, the paper said, without citing a specific source. Get the full story »
British Air cabin crews delay strike vote
The union representing British Airways cabin crews says a new ballot on strike action is being postponed so its members can consider an offer from the airline.
The Unite union said Monday that the vote, which had been scheduled to begin Tuesday, would be delayed. Get the full story »
