Apr 4th, 2012 at 4:00PM: Recent airline pricing changes have brought some lower fares through some creative re-categorization of seats with mixed results. Before, buyers of air tickets could count on the good seats being in first or business class and the bad seats in coach. Now, airlines are breaking it down further with seating options that offer seats a bit better and worse than the standard fare.
Delta's new ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
US Airways posts
Creative Airline Pricing, Cost Cutting A Sign Of The Times
Apr 4th, 2012 at 4:00PM: Recent airline pricing changes have brought some lower fares through some creative re-categorization of seats with mixed results. Before, buyers of air tickets could count on the good seats being in first or business class and the bad seats in coach. Now, airlines are breaking it down further with seating options that offer seats a bit better and worse than the standard fare.
Delta's new ...Galley Gossip: Why flight attendants might not open an emergency exit during an evacuation
Feb 9th, 2012 at 11:30AM: The first thing a flight attendant does before opening an emergency exit during an evacuation is assess the conditions outside. This is one reason why some airlines require passengers seated in the exit rows to keep their window shades up during takeoff and landing. The last thing you want to do is escape one bad situation only to find yourself in an even worse one. Think fire. Water. Captain ...Obese passenger forces neighbor on US Airways flight to stand for 7 hours
Nov 23rd, 2011 at 4:00PM: Arthur Berkowitz, a passenger on US Airways Flight 901 from Anchorage to Philadelphia, had no other choice but to stand up during his seven hour flight. It seems the next seat over was occupied by a passenger so overweight that it was impossible for Berkowitz to stay in his seat. Now, Berkowitz is speaking out about the ordeal.
"I didn't fly from Alaska to Philadelphia on Flight 901," Berkowitz ...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 ...2011 Airline Quality Ratings - AirTran at number one
Apr 5th, 2011 at 10:00AM: The 2011 Airline Quality Ratings (AQR) were just released, and AirTran topped the list at number one. The Atlanta based air line got top marks in the study that accounts for on time arrivals, mishandled baggage, complaints, and other metrics. The study only includes airlines in the United States and provides interesting statistics about the overall quality of domestic air travel.
The main form ...Toxic fumes found on planes, flight crews want action
Mar 10th, 2011 at 12:15PM:
Pilots and flight attendants are reporting toxic fumes being released into planes. The accidental release of toxins has caused flight crew members to become sick and some hospitalized. A year later, some of those affected are still off work, looking for answers and want something done about it.
A month-long investigation by WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina revealed 30 US Airways aircraft ...US Airways increases baggage fees
Feb 10th, 2011 at 12:30PM: Here we go again. On the heels of greatly improved profits, US Airways has announced an increase of up to 80% on the charge for overweight bags.
In addition to the base price for checked bags of $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second, the additional fees for overweight bags are increasing. Overweight bags that weigh between 50 and 70 pounds will see the price increase from $50 to $90. ...Trapped baggage handler yells and screams for attention
Feb 9th, 2011 at 10:00AM: Passengers on a US Airways flight at Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. got a bit of a fright when they heard yelling and screaming coming from under their seats.
They alerted a flight attendant, who mentioned the odd noises to the pilot. As it turns out, one of the baggage handlers had been left behind in the locked hold, and was trying to get some attention before the plane departed. ...United Continental and US Airways boost revenue - only one of them actually profits
Jan 26th, 2011 at 1:30PM: The aviation world is a funny beast - one in which losing money has come to be expected, and losses are all part of "doing business". The past couple of years have been exceptionally tough for the US legacy carriers - but big changes in how they do business seem to be paying off.
US Airways earned $28 million on revenue of $2.91 billion - up nearly 11%. United Continental issued its first ...Mystery bag gets passenger yanked from Boston flight
Jan 4th, 2011 at 9:00AM: Was Ognjen Milatovic a nutty professor? Only time – and the legal process – will tell. The University of North Florida professor of mathematics and statistics put a carry-on in the overhead bin ... and his fellow passengers said it was making strange noises. Then, he wouldn't get off his phone and take his seat when told to do so by the crew.
So, he was turned over to the ...Extra airline fees could mean better service! This is the FUTURE
Dec 21st, 2010 at 3:00PM: Soon, airlines could make all their profits on the extra fees you pay. Seriously. Yesterday, the Department of Transportation revealed that airlines have had their most profitable year since it started tracking the data back in 2002. And, a good chunk of revenue came from baggage fees, reservation change fees and ancillary fees. In the third quarter alone, it was good for more than $2 billion. So, ...Airlines have best quarter ever ... thanks baggage fees!
Dec 20th, 2010 at 3:30PM: Every time you pay to check an extra bag you're making someone's life better. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation reveals that the third quarter of 2010 was the most profitable for the U.S. airline industry since the department began keeping score in 2002. The industry's operating profit margin hit 10.5 percent in aggregate. Low-cost carriers, as a class, had an operating ...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 ...Dog bites passenger and flight attendant, forces US Airways landing in Pittsburgh
Dec 7th, 2010 at 12:00PM: Mandy is one tough bitch.
On US Airways Flight 522 from Newark to Phoenix, this 12-pound Manchester terrier busted out of its cage. You would have too ... if the drugs had worn off. With no more sedatives in her system, Mandy bit a man sitting next to her 89-year-old owner. Then, the dog shot up and down the aisle, also biting a flight attendant, according to the NY Post.
As a result of this ...Federal Court reverses ban on US Airways New Mexico liquor license
Dec 5th, 2010 at 11:00AM: This week, a federal appeals court overturned a ban the had been preventing US Airways from serving alcohol on flights to and from the state of New Mexico. The ban was put in place back in 2006 after an incident involving a drunk passenger.
The passenger, Dana Papst had been served two drinks on his US Airways Albuquerque flight, despite already being intoxicated. On his drive back home from ...Airlines not alone in poor customer service studies
Oct 30th, 2010 at 3:00PM:
The Airline Quality Rating report was released last week, exposing the five worst airlines in the United States. It's fun to beat up on the airlines ... as it is to beat up on other companies and industries notorious for poor customer service. So, this made me wonder just how the airlines stack up against everyone else.
Back in August, the American Customer Satisfaction Index rated hundreds of ...Photo of the Day (10.26.10)
Oct 26th, 2010 at 5:00PM:
I loved visiting airports at a very early age. There was (and will always be) something fascinating about the constant commotion, the bright colors, and overwhelmingly complex machines barreling down the tarmac. The hundreds of people walking through the airport doors; in transition, heading to exciting new destinations or returning home with stories to share.
This photograph of the ...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 ...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 ...
