Air France Shuts Down Low-Cost Carrier Joon

A number of low-cost European airlines have shown signs of trouble since budget airlines Primera and Cobalt shut down in late 2018. The newest addition to the list of small European airlines to fold is the millennial-focused Joon—Air France’s budget venture. Joon was barely a year old when its parent airline announced last week that

Here Are the Worst Times to Travel This Memorial Day Weekend

AAA is out with its annual Memorial Day travel forecast , which outlines not only how many people will hit the road this year, but when. According to the organization, “INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24 in the late

Southwest Bumps Overbooking

Southwest is getting out of the overbooking game. Following the recent “ incident ” involving United Airlines, Southwest will heretofore only sell as many tickets as it has seats. According to Southwest CEO Gary Kelly, this decision has been in the works for years.  The airline has “been taking steps over the last several years to

The World’s Largest Airport Will Cost $36 Billion

When a planned $32 billion expansion is completed, Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) will be the world’s largest. The airport, named for the emirate’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will eventually handle more than 200 million passengers a year, and be capable of accommodating 100 double-decker Airbus A380s at a time. For

Auf Wiedersehen: Air Berlin Files for Bankruptcy

German low-cost carrier Air Berlin filed for bankruptcy earlier this week, after one of it’s largest investors, Etihad Airlines, declined to finance a business-saving bailout. Air Berlin carries more than two million passengers per year, but struggled amidst intense competition from rival carriers in the Europe market. The airline has European hubs in the eponymous

Delta Ends Empty Middle Seats Policy

For the last few months, Delta has been the lone U.S. airline holding out and leaving middle seats empty, but that’s about to change. Delta CEO Ed Bastian just announced that the airline will be unblocking the middle seat and booking flights to full capacity starting May 1. Bastian cited an increase in COVID-19 vaccination

Airlines Set to Pull in Record $39 Billion in Profit This Year

Yep, that’s “billion” with a ‘b’. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade group for the world’s airlines, estimates that global profit for 2016 will be $39.4 billion this year, a nine percent increase over 2015. “It seems that we are living in extraordinary financial times,” said IATA director-general Alexandre de Juniac. He also noted that

La Compagnie to Shut Down Business-Class Flights to London

Google “La Compagnie” and the top non-sponsored result describes the airline thusly: “Discover Paris and London with La Compagnie, the unique French all-business-class airline, at an affordable price.” That descriptor is accurate today, but won’t be from September 25, when La Compagnie suspends its service between the U.S. and London. The company linked its withdrawal

Southwest Says ‘No’ to Basic Economy

Basic economy fares may be sweeping through the industry, but one airline says it’s staying out. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said today that his carrier has no interest in dividing its cabins into multiple levels of service. “What you have at Southwest is a very strong brand position in customers’ minds,” Kelly said on a fourth-quarter earnings

PreCheck Now Available When Flying 19 Airlines

It’s been a long time in coming, but PreCheck, the TSA’s trusted-traveler program, is now available to passengers flying on Frontiers Airlines . PreCheck-enrolled travelers may access expedited screening lanes in more than 180 U.S. airports, with no need to their remove shoes, laptops, liquids, belts and light jackets. According to the TSA, 97 percent