Times are tough for British Airways, but I have a lot of respect for Willie Walsh. British Airways’ chief executive Willie Walsh has turned down a six-figure bonus for the second year as the carrier struggles with losses and...
Delta Sends Unaccompanied Minors to Wrong Cities
First dogs, now kids on Delta. Delta Airlines says a paperwork mix-up resulted in a boy being sent to Cleveland and a girl being flown to Boston by mistake. Can you imagine waiting for Jimmy in Boston and Sally shows up...
Austrian Airlines to Launch Vienna-Mumbai Route
Austrian Airlines will be starting Vienna-Mumbai service this October and increase service to New Delhi from five to six flights per week. I’ve never had a chance to fly Austrian Airlines (though I am considering a trip to Iraq...
Emirates Orders 32 more A380s from Airbus
Emirates, a rising star among airlines, ordered 32 additional A380s from Airbus this week. Airbus recently received its 10th A380 delivery and augments its previous order of 58 super jumbos. The deal, worth $11.5 BN, was announced at the...
Route through Chicago if you want a bump this summer?
Continuing on the theme of bumps, Chicago O’Hare (ORD) might be a wise airport to connect in this summer if you are looking for a bump. It also might be the airport you want to avoid if you are...
Airlines Work to Update Technology
…[I]f you’ve ever been stranded at an airport during a raging thunderstorm, chances are you will end up standing in a long line watching a gate agent typing furiously on an outdated computer. Isn’t that the truth? Here’s the...
United’s Secret Plan to Cut Fuel Costs
Well, it’s not a secret anymore. United Airlines will become the first airline to conduct two trans-Atlantic flights using state-of-the-art flight planning to reduce environmental impact and save fuel. The flights, which will be flown on June 5, 2010...
New Protections Proposed for Airline Passengers
The Obama Administration has proposed new "rights" for airline passengers that will likely go into effect this fall. Among the changes: The maximum limit for Involuntary Denied Boarding compensation would increase from $800 to $1,300 and award tickets would...
Ohio Woman Defrauds United of $400,000+
Another reason to be weary of the contract employees of United Express: An Ohio roller derby skater who used the team name "Sadistic Sadie" has admitted in federal court to illegally obtaining more than $400,000 in airline tickets while...
Upgrades to Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX
After years of neglect, progress is being made on the dilapidated Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Phase I of the update on the 26-year old structure is now complete. By far the most important change: The largest part of the...
Fierce Competition for Loyalty in Lucrative NYC Airline Market
Bloomberg had a nice piece yesterday on the über-competitive NYC airline market. At stake is a bigger slice of the $13.6 billion spent each year by passengers who start or end trips in New York, which no carrier dominates. More...
Continental Announces Nonstop 787 Service from Houston to Auckland
Although flights will not start for another year and a half (longer if Boeing runs into more production trouble), Continental announced that it will utilize its first 787 on a new Houston-Auckland route. With 228 Economy and 36 lie-flat...
Woman Left on Aircraft in Philadelphia Now Suing United
Not surprisingly, the woman who overstayed her visit on a United Express/Trans State regional jet is suing United. The lawsuit claims false imprisonment, infliction of emotional distress and negligence… According to police and the Transportation Security Administration, the passenger didn’t wake...
Sleeping Passenger Left on UX Plane for 3.5 Hours at PHL
For someone who finds it difficult to sleep in a First Class seat, I am amazed that anyone is able to sleep on a ERJ-145, let alone the way that Ms. Guire did: Like a lot of travelers, Ginger...
Chris Elliott Whines that Upgrades are too Expensive on United
Chris Elliott actually makes some fair points in his latest column about pet fees, change fees, walk-up fares, and ticket pricing. He oversimplifies and exaggerates, but his concerns are not outrageous. But then he addresses United’s co-pay upgrade scheme...
Senate To Examine United-Continental Merger on Thursday
photo courtesy: Wall Street Journal I always get a kick out of bloviating Senators and this week will feature a doubleheader on Thursday, when the Senate examines the Continental-United merger. …First up, on Thursday, is a full hearing of...
UPDATE: Homeless Man Living off Frequent Flyer Miles Lands Job
Remember the homeless man who was living off his frequent flyer miles? He finally found a job. Jim Kennedy, a 46-year-old California man, weathered the recession by using his one-million-mile-plus stockpile of hotel and airline points to keep a roof over...
AA Flight Attendants: We are NOT the highest paid and least productive in the airline industry!
Yesterday, I blogged about AA’s assertion that its FAs are the highest paid and least productive in the airline industry. Not surprisingly, the AFPA doesn’t agree and offers this response: Convincing?
American Airlines’ Flight Attendants Authorize Strike
What is it with OneWorld and strikes? First BA, now AA? American Airlines flight attendants authorized their union leaders today to call a strike against the second-largest U.S. carrier if they are freed from further negotiations. About 97 percent...
$200 Voucher for Lost Dog on Delta
While I’d never entrust my dog to an airline, unless I was flying with Captain Flanagan, I’d expect a little more than a voucher and a reimbursement of the cost of my pet carrier. Losing luggage is one thing,...
