airline industry

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More Cuts Await Slumping Airlines

Delta, AA among carriers who can't cover costs

(Newser) - As rising oil prices and sluggish demand continued to hammer the airline industry, Delta, American, and several other carriers forecast further cuts to service yesterday, reports the Wall Street Journal. Despite massive reductions in service, CEOs said at an industry meeting that they still aren't covering costs. "Earnings are...

Wider Fliers Call for Wider Seats

(Newser) - So-called “passengers of size” have been irritating fellow airline passengers for decades, but lately the scales have tipped decisively against them, the Wall Street Journal reports. Many airlines now require wider travelers to buy two seats, a solution that pleases the skinny, but miffs advocates for the obese. Why,...

Airlines Need Steeper Prices, a Shakeout, to See Profits

Industry knows crisis management, but future hazy

(Newser) - The airline industry, an old hand at crisis aversion, is holding its own in the recession by cutting costs, along with fares, the Wall Street Journal reports. But higher prices to consumers—and a major shakeout—would be needed to get even close to profitability. The industry expects to lose...

Airbus Sends Warning on Speed Sensors

Faulty readings may have played a role in Air France crash

(Newser) - The maker of the Air France jet that crashed in the Atlantic issued a warning to pilots on how to respond when speed sensors malfunction, buttressing a belief that faulty readings played a role in the disaster, Reuters reports. An Airbus memo also says the company is replacing all such...

Huge United Order Sparks Jet Builder Face-Off

Bargain-hunting airline invites Boeing, Airbus to duke it out

(Newser) - Hoping to score a good deal by exploiting the recession, United Airlines has called on Boeing and Airbus to bid on an order for up to 150 new jets, the Wall Street Journal reports. The plan could bring in $10 billion for one of the manufacturers, both of whom face...

Ryanair Serious About Pee Fee
 Ryanair Serious About Pee Fee 
Jun 2, 2009 1:56 PM CDT

Ryanair Serious About Pee Fee

(Newser) - Ryanair’s CEO isn’t joking about ripping two of the three toilets out of his planes and charging for the use of the remaining one, the Guardian reports. “We are serious about it,” said Michael O’Leary, nicknamed “Michael O’Really” by industry skeptics. “We...

New Budget Airline Launches With 1 Plane, $9 Seats

First few seats are $9; all extras will cost you

(Newser) - The founder of the short-lived discount airline Skybus thinks conditions are right for a second attempt at adding service to less-used regional airports, the Chicago Tribune reports. JetAmerica will follow the model of European budget carriers like Ryanair, offering a handful of seats for $9 and charging for services like...

Virgin Soars as BA Posts Record Loss
 Virgin Soars 
 as BA Posts 
 Record Loss 
EARNINGS REPORTS
May 26, 2009 5:37 AM CDT

Virgin Soars as BA Posts Record Loss

Branson's airline doubles profits year-on-year

(Newser) - Virgin Atlantic announced today that its annual profits had nearly doubled to $109 million, while its rival British Airways posted a record annual loss of $638 million. According to the Times of London, Richard Branson's airline increased its market share and drew substantial revenue from its premium services. Virgin, which...

Cheap Deals Bring Back the Vacation
 Cheap Deals 
 Bring Back 
 the Vacation 

TRAVEL
May 19, 2009 11:53 AM CDT

Cheap Deals Bring Back the Vacation

Flights, hotels drop prices in economic slump

(Newser) - When it comes to vacationing this summer, “the power is with the consumer,” says a consultant: The troubled economy has airlines, hotels, and cruises dropping prices dramatically. International airfares are down 14%, domestic fares 17%, Travelocity says; and for the first time since 2005, AAA predicts an uptick...

Belongings Trickle Back to Flight 1549 Passengers

(Newser) - Over the past few weeks, items both practical and sentimental have been returned to the lucky passengers of Flight 1549, the New York Times reports. Even ruined belongings are packed carefully in tissue paper and dryer sheets. “It made a very emotional experience as positive as it could have...

Buffalo Crash Puts Pilot Fatigue Under Microscope

(Newser) - You want to be a flashy, high-flying pilot? Get ready for poverty-level wages, grueling commutes, and near-constant exhaustion, the New York Times reports. The inquiry into the crash of Flight 3407 near Buffalo has thrust regional airlines into the spotlight, and with that attention comes concerns about pilots’ challenging lives....

Biden's Flu Advice Gives White House a Headache

(Newser) - Oh, Joe. The vice president's impromptu advice this morning to avoid airplanes and subways has resulted in a daylong series of rebuttals and backtracking, reports the Christian Science Monitor. “To suggest that people not fly at this stage of things is a broad brush stroke bordering on fear mongering,...

To Promote Reporting, FAA Wants Bird Strike Info Secret

(Newser) - The FAA wants bird strike information kept confidential to encourage accurate reporting by airlines, ABC News reports. “There is a serious potential that information related to bird strikes will not be submitted because of fear that the disclosure of raw data could unfairly cast unfounded aspersions on the submitter,...

'09 Airline Losses Likely Worse Than Post-9/11

Companies to lose $4.7 billion in economic crisis

(Newser) - World airlines will lose $4.7 billion this year, and revenues will plummet $62 billion—worse than after 9/11, a top industry association said. The grim estimate is almost twice what it was in December and reflects “the rapid deterioration of the global economic conditions,” said the International...

Congressional Run-Ins With TSA Continue

(Newser) - It’s not quite a David Vitter, but Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio had his own run-in with airport security this week, the Washington Post reports. DeFazio, one of the architects of the Transportation Security Administration, had to endure what he thought was an unnecessary search. But when he told the...

Airlines Panic as Recession Grounds Passengers

Falling price of oil fails to make up for slump in demand

(Newser) - A steep slide in passengers has airline execs reaching for the panic button, reports the Wall Street Journal. Airlines had banked on the drastic drop in oil prices more than making up for falling demand caused by the recession, but the decline—especially in first and business class—has been...

Plunging Airfares Hit 2-Year Low

Airlines desperate to fill seats

(Newser) - The recession is causing a drop-off in ticket sales, which in turn is causing the airlines to make deep fare cuts, reports the Wall Street Journal. According to Travelocity, airfares for the 100 most popular routes have hit a 2-year low, and are priced 40% lower than last June's peak....

Carry On! Fewer Checked Bags Cut Lost Luggage

Airlines lost 1.3M fewer bags last year as new fees convinced passengers to carry on

(Newser) - Through their relentless fees, airlines have managed to put the task of transporting often-lost luggage in much safer hands. Last year—as passengers carried aboard the baggage they previously checked for free—airlines lost 1.3 million fewer bags than in 2007, the Chicago Tribune reports. The 33% improvement was...

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...

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