Jul 14th, 2011 at 11:00AM: This week, The Atlantic used The American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) data to compile a list of the 19 Most Hated Companies in America. Joining Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Facebook all with a score of 64 or more out of 100 are even lower-scoring American Airlines (63), United Airlines (61), and US Airways (61). Worst of all air carriers? Delta Air Lines scoring an ultra low 56 on ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
ContinentalAirlines posts
Airlines dominate Most Hated Companies list
Jul 14th, 2011 at 11:00AM: This week, The Atlantic used The American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) data to compile a list of the 19 Most Hated Companies in America. Joining Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Facebook all with a score of 64 or more out of 100 are even lower-scoring American Airlines (63), United Airlines (61), and US Airways (61). Worst of all air carriers? Delta Air Lines scoring an ultra low 56 on ...Tom Stuker becomes first frequent flyer to pass 10 million miles, United celebrates
Jul 11th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
Ryan Bingham exists in real life, and his name is Tom Stuker. Mr. Stuker, an automotive consultant based in Chicago has been flying United for over 20 years, and this Saturday afternoon, somewhere between Los Angeles and Chicago he officially crossed the line over 10 million frequent flyer miles.
To celebrate, the folks at United hosted a private celebration at Chicago's O'Hare airport, ...Twin United pilots throw opening pitches in Chicago's crosstown classic
Jun 25th, 2011 at 2:30PM:
The rivalry between the Cubs and the White Sox is no doubt one of the greatest in the sports community, each teams reflecting the vastly different attitudes and culture between the north and south sides of Chicago. Despite the tension, however, there's always room for some joviality, and this year, United jumped into the fray by bringing a pair of its identical twin pilots down to U.S. ...Airline fees are worth more than Facebook
Jun 13th, 2011 at 3:30PM:
Outside the travel world, everyone's marveling at the prospect of a Facebook IPO, which could be valued at as much as $100 billion. So, what are we missing while we fawn over Mark Zuckerberg's creation? How about the slow, stodgy, ugly airline industry. Known for a painful user experience and a steady decline of free features, the likes of Delta and American Airlines are outdoing the hottest ...United Airlines celebrates 85 years of flying with a retro livery Airbus A320
Apr 6th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
At a special event at Chicago's O'Hare airport, United Airlines took to a stage to unveil a special Airbus A320 repainted with a retro livery.
During the event, CEO Jeff Smisek also honored some of his colleagues with the longest history of representing United. The 12 staff members represented a combined 450 years of service. One of the longest serving employees is Captain Jack Lampe, who ...Vegetarian passenger tosses meat at flight attendant
Mar 21st, 2011 at 2:30PM:
One of the simple truths about air travel is that the food is usually somewhere between sub-par and awful. Sure, there are exceptions, but these are unlikely oases in a desert of damp sodium-rich indelicacies. Unless you are posted up in first class on Singapore Air eating pan-seared Chilean bass in bouillabaisse broth with capsicum confit and zucchini pasta or one of their many other haute ...United Continental to expand Economy Plus seating to Continental aircraft
Feb 17th, 2011 at 4:30PM:
Compared to some other carriers, inflight services on United Airways have always been a little lacking. They don't have a neat touch-screen entertainment system, limited inflight WiFi and no live TV or radio. Thankfully, they do have two perks you don't find on any of the other domestic carriers - increased legroom in part of the cabin and the ability to listen in on cockpit communications.
...Travel Agent scams thousands by selling fake vouchers
Feb 16th, 2011 at 6:00PM: Avoiding the hustle is part of travel. You look for the good deals, and inspect the great deals with much scrutiny, hoping for it to shake out in the end. From $10 easyjet flights from London-Gatwick to free cab rides in Bangkok, anyone that has done either realizes rather quickly the high price of low cost. Whether it be wasting an afternoon at tourist traps or corralled like cattle onto a ...First major signs of the United - Continental merger: 500 jobs lost in Houston
Feb 8th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
We'll file this piece of news under "quelle surprise" - now United Airlines and Continental Airlines are working hard to merge their companies, the first victims will be found at the Houston based headquarters of Continental.
Within the management and clerical ranks, 500 people will soon be without a job. The firings begin in April, and will continue through June 30. Workers will leave with ...Continental offers "Fare Lock" technology
Dec 16th, 2010 at 10:30AM: We're all about comparison shopping here at Gadling. But what happens when you wait just a moment too long and that oh-so-perfect fare is gone? It sucks, that's what. Which is why we're excited to experiment with Continental Airlines' newest feature, FareLock, an option that offers customers the opportunity to hold reservations and lock-in ticket prices for 72 hours or seven days with no ...Which airline charged more than $500 million in cancellation fees?
Dec 14th, 2010 at 8:00AM:
There isn't as much money in cancellations as there is in baggage fees, it seems. So far, close to $2.6 billion has been charged for bags this year (with three quarters measured), and U.S. airlines have only racked up $1.7 billion in cancellation fees. And, as usual, there's one culprit that consumes around 30 percent of this, with the top five airlines accounting for more than 80 percent of ...Which airline made the most money on baggage fees?
Dec 13th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Last year, baggage fees were used by airlines to make up for lost fare revenue, as the recession kept people on the ground. This year, it's just been a great source of extra revenue, as passenger traffic and fares are up – and the fees haven't gone away. Almost all airlines are getting in on the action, some more egregious than others.
Well, data for the third quarter of 2010 is in, and ...Gadling's favorite airlines for 2011
Dec 9th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
Even with airlines falling over themselves in an effort to generate profits out of new fees and charges, flying retains some glamour and excitement. No? Not working for you? Well there are mileage programs to exploit and perks to chase. And even in the direst landscape for customers, there are always new routes to sample, smiling flight attendants to befriend, and reliable pilots to thank for ...Five United Airlines non-answers about the frequent-flier future
Nov 5th, 2010 at 12:00PM: United Airlines decided to dive into the weeds. Executives from the airline met with close to 200 members of the online forum FlyerTalkers to discuss some of the major issues they see with the carrier, according to USA Today. This may not seem like a bold move, but to put the company's top dogs out in front of some of the highest-value customers comes with plenty of risk, especially for an airline ...Continental Airlines iPhone app includes Point Inside airport maps and more
Oct 29th, 2010 at 6:00PM: Continental Airlines has jumped on board the "make an app" bandwagon. But unlike a lot of branded travel apps, this one is amazingly well designed.
At the heart of the app are all the things you'd expect from an airline app - flight booking, flight status and links to contact information.
But in designing their app, Continental went way beyond the ordinary - for starters, the app includes ...Airline fees never going away, $1.2 billion in first half
Oct 19th, 2010 at 11:00AM: In the first six months of 2010, U.S. airlines raked in $1.2 billion – and that's just from change and cancellation fees. The industry is on track to see $2 billion in revenue just on ticket-related fees this year.
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, here's where the money's going:
Delta had the most at $347.1 million in the first half of 2010
American Airlines was ...New Continental - United combination already leading on-time performance charts
Oct 12th, 2010 at 3:30PM:
The new combination of Continental Airlines and United Airlines is already off to a good start - the two just took the top spots in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights among the leading carriers in the country.
The Department of Transportation measures the on-time performance, and the information is published in the Air Travel Consumer Report. Continental ended the month with ...Fallen American Airlines could be next to merge ... with JetBlue?
Oct 12th, 2010 at 12:00PM: American Airlines used to be the largest airline in the industry – now it's third. Merger activity has narrowed the field, with Southwest-AirTran and United-Continental the latest deals that hit the sector. So, all eyes are on who will succumb to the urge to merge next, and American is being eyed as the next player.
According to a Forbes blog post, analysts from Morningstar believe that ...Five reasons airline fees up 50% year-over-year
Sep 27th, 2010 at 3:30PM: Does your wallet feel a little bit lighter? A new USA Today analysis reveals that airline fees are on the rise, with some up more than 50 percent relative to a year ago. The study compares the extra fees (not to be confused with fares) of 13 airlines and shows just how important this revenue source is to the airline sector.
According to USA Today, "The numerous fees are a sore subject for many ...British man passes through U.S. TSA security checkpoint with bag full of fireworks
Aug 17th, 2010 at 5:30PM: When 29 year old Paul Jones celebrated the 4th of July in Kansas, he ended up with a large bag of unused fireworks. Instead of discarding them, he kept them in a bag and brought them home back to the United Kingdom. In doing so, he was able to keep them in his carry-on luggage, and even passed the bag of explosives through the Kansas airport x-ray machine, in plain sight of officers.
It wasn't ...
