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From the Houston-Chronicle | U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D.-Houston) called on Texas to develop incentives that would keep Continental from merging with United Airlines or encourage a merged United-Continental to be headquartered there, at a press conference this morning outside Continental’s downtown Houston headquarters.
Get the full story: chron.com
Associated Press | A new round of inspections was ordered Monday for some Boeing 737s that
can develop a dangerous vibration in the tail.
The inspections cover the mechanism that attaches a movable flap to the
plane’s elevator, the surface in the plane’s tail that points the nose
up or down. If that flap comes loose it can cause a severe vibration,
the Federal Aviation Administration said.
By Julie Johnsson | American Airlines postponed the launch of its Chicago-to-Beijing service hours before the first flight was due to depart Monday because of a dispute with the Chinese government over landing slots.
The Texas-based carrier, which operates a major international hub at O’Hare, said it had postponed the start of service until May 4, and would rebook or provide refunds to passengers who had purchased tickets for the Monday flight.
Tribune staff report | Fast-moving merger talks between United and Continental Airlines hit a snag over the weekend as the two companies disagreed how to value the deal, according to a report in the New York Times.
Talks hit an impasse over the stock price used to compute the
exchange ratio for the all-stock transaction, the New York Times
reported. Continental wants United shares to be valued prior to April
7, when United’s stock soared 18 percent on reports that it was in
talks with US Airways.
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Dow Jones Newswires | The parent of United Airlines said Friday that the recovery in the revenue environment was stronger than previously reported, as an accounting change boosted its estimate of a key sales metric for the first quarter.
UAL Corp. said it will recognize an extra $64 million in revenue for the quarter after fresh data revealed that more frequent-flyer miles were set to expire, reducing the negative sales impact of the incentive.
A United Airlines check-in area and a Continental Airlines kiosk at O’Hare International Airport. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
By Julie Johnsson | United Airlines’ merger talks with Continental Airlines are progressing
rapidly, and many of the key issues involved with melding the carriers have been resolved, said a person close to the talks.
Telephone calls are flying between carriers’ management teams and their directors, and a deal could be completed as soon as next week.
By Julie Johnsson
| US Airways is no longer interested in merging with United Airlines, and
it wants the world to know.
In a highly unusual move, US Airways announced Thursday that its board
had decided to end talks with the Chicago-based carrier. The statement
by Doug Parker, US Airways’ chairman and CEO, signaled the anger and
frustration that executives of the Phoenix-based carrier felt when
United put their discussions on hold last week, days ahead of a planned
merger announcement, to focus on a potential deal with Continental
Airlines, say people close to the carrier.
Passengers aboard a 2007 JetBlue flight, waiting to leave John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Due to a snow storm, the flight was canceled, but not until the passengers waited 8 1/2 hours in the plane. (AP Photo/Lou Martins)
Associated Press | Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said
Thursday that he has turned down requests from five airlines for
temporary exemptions to a rule against keeping passengers waiting longer
than three hours on airport tarmacs.
The new rule takes effect April 29. The department has said airlines may
be fined up to $27,500 per passenger for each violation of the rule.
Associated Press | Spirit Airlines will add service to Chicago from Atlantic City International Airport starting next spring. Connecting service to Las Vegas will be available through Chicago.
By Julie Johnsson | President Obama’s recently enacted health care legislation took its toll on Boeing Co. earnings as the Chicago-based aerospace company reported a $150 million non-cash charge, or $0.20 per share, for a future tax benefit that it will lose as a result of the new law.
The charge contributed to a 15 percent drop in Boeing’s net income of $519 million, or $0.70 per share, compared to prior-year results. Revenues at the Chicago aerospace company fell 8 percent to $15.2 billion as it delivered fewer airplanes to customers than in early 2009: 108 versus 121.
Associated Press | Boeing’s first-quarter profit topped
expectations and the aircraft maker says it still expects to deliver
the first of its new 787s by the end of this year. The 787 flew more than two years late, and Boeing is still putting it
through test flights. Some analysts have worried that delivery would be
pushed back to early next year.
Associated Press | The president of Spirit Airlines says there’s been no significant fallout his new charge for carry-on bags. Ben Baldanza defends his business model in a nationally broadcast interview while acknowledging it didn’t sit well in some quarters. He joked that he’d never consider charging for bathroom use.
Associated Press | United Airlines and Continental Airlines are
in the early stages of exchanging financial information that could lead
to a deal to combine and create the world’s biggest airline, people
briefed on the talks said Tuesday. United had been talking with US
Airways about a combination, but speculation has increased that United
is more interested in the larger Continental.
The exchange of information between United and Continental was
confirmed Tuesday by two people who were briefed on the talks. They
spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to
publicly discuss the negotiations.
By Wailin Wong | Glenn
Tilton, chief executive of United Airlines parent UAL Corp., received
$3.9 million in total compensation last year, more than double the $1.7
million he received in 2008, according to the Chicago-based company’s
proxy filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The increase in compensation stemmed almost entirely from grants of
restricted stock and stock options. Tilton’s salary was unchanged from
2008 at $850,000, and he did not collect a bonus. The proxy statement
said the human resources subcommittee of UAL’s board decided in March
2009 not to award salary increases to senior officers because of
various factors, including the company’s performance and industry
conditions.
By Kiah Haslett | United Airlines announced it is adding several non-stop flights from its Chicago hub to New York LaGuardia and Pensacola, Fla., as well as a daily roundtrip between Houston and its Los Angeles hub.
The daily roundtrip between O’Hare International Airport and LaGuardia begins June 9. The eastbound flight will depart at 8:30 a.m. and arrive in New York at 11:42 a.m. The westbound flight will depart at 12:30 p.m. and arrive in Chicago at 2:04 p.m. Initially, the service will be offered by United Express. On Aug. 24, United will take over the route and could operate as many as 18 flights a day between the airports.
