airline industry

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Airline Eyes Charging for Toilets

Irish budget carrier may put coin slots on lavatory doors

(Newser) - Just when you thought the airlines had figured out how to wring every penny out of flyers, budget carrier Ryanair announced it was mulling a new fee: a $1.50 charge to use the toilets. The Irish airline's CEO said today he was considering "putting a coin slot on...

'Sexist' Airline Ad Riles Up UK TV Viewers

Virgin Atlantic defends spot; standards board says it's 'humorous'

(Newser) - A Virgin Atlantic TV ad featuring female flight attendants strutting through Heathrow Airport while harried male passengers ogle them is not sexist, Britain’s advertising watchdog has ruled. The ad, celebrating Virgin’s 25th anniversary, drew 29 complaints, reports the Telegraph. Critics cried stereotyping; the independent Advertising Standards Authority said...

Flight 1549's Pilot a Dying Breed

'Sully' from age when pilots were trained to be mavericks

(Newser) - In an era when pilots are trained to minimize risk and stick to standard procedures, Chesley Sullenberger of Flight 1549 may be one of the last of his kind, New York magazine reports. He was trained in an earlier era, one in which pilots were treated as gods, and a...

After Turbulent Year, Airlines See Smoother 2009

Falling fuel prices and capacity better in line with demand will help profits

(Newser) - The nation’s airlines—which scrambled to retask fleets and ground fuel-guzzling aircraft last year as energy prices rose and passenger miles dropped—are likely to have a smoother flight in 2009, reports the Wall Street Journal. Reduced capacity has allowed them to better match supply and demand, and falling...

British Air, Qantas Merger Talks Crash

$6 billion deal won't fly after airlines disagree on key issues

(Newser) - A $6 billion merger between British Airways and Qantas Airways that would have created a global carrier failed to fly after the two sides couldn’t agree on who would control the business, reports Bloomberg. The decision frees BA to pursue talks with Spain’s Iberia. Qantas is likely to...

Boeing to Delay Launch of Dreamliner—Again

Machinists strike, other bugs throw more wrenches into Boeing's production

(Newser) - Wheels-up time for Boeing’s much-anticipated Dreamliner jet will likely be delayed at least another 6 months, leaving customers wondering if the aircraft will ever take to the skies, the Wall Street Journal reports. The fourth delay, attributed to the recent machinists strike, bugs in the plane’s computer software,...

British Airways in Merger Talks with Qantas

Shares soar 12% on news

(Newser) - British Airways is in talks with Australia's Qantas Airways about a potential merger, the firm said today, sending its shares soaring as it fueled expectations of consolidation in the hard-hit aviation industry. Already pursuing a revenue-sharing deal with American Airlines and Spain's Iberia SA, BA said it’s exploring a...

Airfares Dip on Last-Minute Holiday Trips

Ugly economy pushes demand down, along with price of fuel

(Newser) - With many consumers too concerned about their wallets to make pricey trips, airlines are, for the first time in memory, lowering prices before the holidays, the Chicago Tribune reports. The reversal of convention is allowing late buyers to scrounge tickets for as much as $200 less than travelers who locked...

Airport Security Loophole Gets High-Tech Fix

Encryption makes boarding pass 'impossible' to forge

(Newser) - The government is finally closing a well-known loophole that makes it easy for would-be terrorists to board planes, Wired reports. Under current rules, it’s possible to forge a boarding pass at home. But new measures will put the passes, with secure barcodes, on smartphones, making it “well-nigh impossible...

Hey, at Least Travel Costs Are Plunging

Airlines, cruises, hotels slash prices for those who can still afford it

(Newser) - There’s a spot of good news for travelers amid the barrage of dire economic reports: Those looking for a flight, cruise, or hotel stay may find surprisingly good deals. As financial woes keep many Americans grounded, the travel industry is forced to drop prices to fill space, the Los ...

Strike Grounds Dreamliner to '09

Test flight for Boeing's first new jet in 14 years pushed back for a fifth time

(Newser) - The maiden flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has been delayed for the fifth time, reports the AP. The company says the 8-week strike by its workers means the next-generation passenger jet now won't take off until an unspecified date next year. Canceled orders are unlikely despite the delay, says an...

UK Cabin Crews Knock Passengers Online

Virgin and British Airways workers land in trouble for Facebook comments

(Newser) - Virgin Atlantic has fired 13 cabin staffers for mocking passengers and joking about engine safety on Facebook, the Guardian reports. The online messages quipped about cockroaches on planes and referred to passengers as "chavs," a British term for "white trash." The airline publicly chided the...

Boeing Reaches Deal With Striking Union

Tentative agreement would end 52-day machinists walkout

(Newser) - Boeing's 27,000 striking machinists could be back to work within days if they approve a deal hammered out with the help of a federal mediator late last night, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. The deal will give machinists a 15% pay increase over four years and limit the amount of...

Boeing CEO Hopeful as Strike Talks Set to Resume

Firm may find compromise on crucial outsourcing issue

(Newser) - Boeing’s CEO is confident that the next round of talks could resolve a costly strike by its machinists union, the Seattle Times reports. With formal negotiations set to resume tomorrow, Jim McNerney thinks headway can be made on the pivotal issue of outsourcing the production of parts traditionally fashioned...

Welcome to Illegal Immigrant Air
 Welcome to Illegal Immigrant Air
Oct 17, 2008 10:44 AM CDT

Welcome to Illegal Immigrant Air

De facto new airline shuttles aliens home

(Newser) - There’s a new airline in town, and it’s offering all the amenities: leather seats, ample legroom, free food, and impeccable service. There’s just one problem: Its passengers would usually rather not be traveling, the Wall Street Journal reports. Welcome to ICE Air, the de facto new airline...

Southwest Loses $120M on Bad Oil Bet
 Southwest 
 Loses $120M 
 on Bad Oil Bet 
EARNINGS REPORTS
Oct 16, 2008 7:36 AM CDT

Southwest Loses $120M on Bad Oil Bet

Otherwise, quarter beat expectations

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines posted a $120-million third-quarter loss today, due almost entirely to a one-time $247-million charge on an oil bet gone wrong, the New York Times reports. Southwest aggressively locks in its fuel costs far in advance, which looked brilliant last year, as oil prices skyrocketed. But oil’s steep...

Planes Sent Toward Storms to Test Air Traffic Controller

FAA investigates Fla. incident in which 4 jets sent miles off course

(Newser) - The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident in which four Orlando-bound passenger jets were rerouted on Saturday in an effort to train a new air traffic controller. The Daily Mail reports the jets were directed into an area where thunderstorms were raging and that one, a Virgin Atlantic plane,...

Boeing Strike Drags on After Talks With Union Collapse

Outsourced production remains logjam issue in dispute costing airplane-maker $100M a day

(Newser) - Talks broke down between Boeing and its machinists’ union yesterday, with no agreement in sight to end the 38-day-old strike, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Negotiations snagged over job security: Boeing has cut labor costs by outsourcing the production of certain parts formerly made by the machinists, and the return of...

American Readies Piecemeal Pricing

'Unbundling' divides trip cost with fees for food, extras

(Newser) - American Airlines is about to accelerate the trend of breaking the cost of a trip into an airfare plus many smaller fees. Starting next year, American plans to imitate the a la carte pricing structure pioneered by Air Canada, airline officials say. There are likely to be a few basic...

Sides Dig In Despite Boeing Strike Costs
Sides Dig In Despite Boeing Strike Costs
ANALYSIS
Sep 29, 2008 1:35 PM CDT

Sides Dig In Despite Boeing Strike Costs

Stoppage in week 4; price tag nears $1.3B for aircraft giant

(Newser) - Machinists employed by Boeing have been on strike for more than 3 weeks, with no end in sight; analysts say if the stoppage reaches a month, it could cost the aircraft maker $1.3 billion, the Seattle Times reports. The union sees its position as good, given Boeing’s huge...

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