Jun 8th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The most recent U.S. Department of Transportation data is out, and it's time for the airlines to brace themselves. The good, the bad and the ugly can be discerned from the data, and numbers are notoriously poor at showing excuses (I mean, "underlying reasons").
So, let's start with what looks good. Hawaiian Airlines is most likely to get you to your destination on time, leading U.S. carriers ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
unitedairlines posts
Airline industry best and worst of April 2011
Jun 8th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The most recent U.S. Department of Transportation data is out, and it's time for the airlines to brace themselves. The good, the bad and the ugly can be discerned from the data, and numbers are notoriously poor at showing excuses (I mean, "underlying reasons").
So, let's start with what looks good. Hawaiian Airlines is most likely to get you to your destination on time, leading U.S. carriers ...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 ...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 ...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.
...Breaking: United grounds all Boeing 757 aircraft
Feb 15th, 2011 at 10:00PM: If you were scheduled on a United 757 earlier today and are wondering why it was canceled, we now know why. According to the Wall St. Journal, the airline is in the process of grounding its entire fleet in order to perform maintenance checks to air data computers that were modified earlier this year.
According to Gadling's resident pilot Kent Wien:
There are two air data computers on every ...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 ...United Airlines launches Three Perfect Days contest -- win a free vacation!
Jan 20th, 2011 at 2:30PM: Good with a video camera and a Final Cut Pro? United Airlines might have the perfect opportunity for you to win your dream vacation.
Yesterday they launched a new promotion on Facebook soliciting video entries for their "Three Perfect Days" contest. All that you have to do to enter is make a short video explaining what you would do with three perfect days of vacation and post it to their site. ...United and American sue City of Chicago for planned O'Hare expansion
Jan 18th, 2011 at 8:00PM:
United Airlines and American Airlines have taken a disagreement with the City of Chicago to court, asking a judge to block a planned expansion of the airport.
At the heart of the disagreement is "phase 2" of the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP). The modernization of O'Hare started years ago and was badly needed - it included new runways, a new air traffic control tower and upgrades to the ...Hot coffee hijacks United Airlines plane?!
Jan 5th, 2011 at 3:30PM: Drinking and driving is a problem ... and drinking and flying is no different. A United Airlines pilot found this out the hard way: he spilled his coffee, which triggered a hijacking alert. So, United Flight 940, which was set to go from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany, had to dash across the border to Canada for an unscheduled stop.
A hijacking alert can have that effect, you know.
The plane ...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 ...Airlines, airports and passengers: nothing but gains this year [INFOGRAPHICS]
![Airlines, airports and passengers: nothing but gains this year [INFOGRAPHICS]](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.gadling.com/media/2010/12/airportlounge_thumbnail.jpg)
Dec 10th, 2010 at 12:00PM: There are a whole lot more of us flying this year: 4.3 percent more, to be exact. That's the increase in domestic air traffic from September 2009 to September 2010, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. In that month, U.S. airlines had 57.3 million passengers, leading to the largest year-over-year gain since September 2007. Meanwhile, international passenger ...The death of cheap tickets? Four factors to watch!
Dec 7th, 2010 at 1:00PM: Are the days of bargain pricing over? There's a lot of pessimism around this issue. After getting smacked around in 2008 and 2009, this year has been a good one for air carriers, and USA Today reports: "Airfares are on the rise again and unlikely to fall again anytime soon." Yet, a travel industry recovery comes with advantages, as more people want to fly, and they tend to be willing to stomach ...Are airlines bad for your health? Five perspectives on plane food
Nov 30th, 2010 at 3:30PM:
Lately, it seems like the easiest way to lose weight is to fly regularly. There isn't much to munch on in the skies, as airlines have cut back on just about anything that looks like an amenity. Fatty foods have been replaced by none at all, which is great for your waistline, right?
It turns out that you can still pork up on a plane, even if you think the dismal state of customer service ...Earn 1000 bonus miles when you use mobile check-in this Holiday season on United Airlines
Nov 10th, 2010 at 1:30PM: United Airlines is taking a bit of stress off the Holiday travel season with a pretty generous 1000 mile bonus for passengers who use their mobile check-in service.
Mobile check-in is available on all United and United Express operated flights within the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The promotion does have one minor caveat - you need to register at ...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 ...United puts Economy Plus on sale, $5 more than coach
Nov 2nd, 2010 at 3:00PM: Normally when airlines put fares on sale it's no big news here at Gadling. Not a day goes by when some legacy airline or some large hotel chain releases a paltry discount on overpriced tickets -- a sale that most times is not much cheaper than your average unadvertised, competitive faremongering.
United did something a bit different this time though: they put their Economy Plus section on sale, ...Disruptive passenger arrested in Denver after bomb threat
Nov 1st, 2010 at 11:00AM: A disruptive passenger was arrested at Denver International Airport this past weekend when he said he had a bomb. The passenger was late for a flight to Salt Lake City, missed the connection and left his luggage on the plane. After being "disruptive in the gate area" and making inappropriate comments," a United Airlines spokesman told CNN, the passenger claimed he had a bomb in his bag.
This ...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 ...
