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

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

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

Marriott Reveals New Unified Loyalty Program

When Marriott acquired Starwood in 2016, there was much speculation on how the merger would affect two very different loyalty programs. Since then, the Marriott and Starwood programs have operated independently, but as of yesterday, Marriott has announced that the programs, plus the Ritz-Carlton Rewards program, will officially merge into one mega-program beginning in August

Travelers, Rejoice: Airline Cancellations and Mishandled Bags Are Down

This April was a good month for airlines and travelers alike. The latest numbers from the Department of Transportation show airlines canceled just one percent of flights for the month, down from 2.8 percent in March. That also beats the airline cancellation rate from April 2017, which was 1.6 percent. On-time arrivals also improved from

Alaska-Virgin America Merge, Creating 5th Largest U.S. Airline

On the landing page of a new website touting the consumer benefits of Alaska’s acquisition of Virgin America , which closed today, there’s this: Alaska Airlines and Virgin America are coming together. Like bacon on a donut, electricity and guitars, or Labradors and poodles, we’re an odd couple that works well together. We may seem

Did the Olympics Accidentally Cause Airport Panic at JFK?

If you didn’t believe the old adage that fear is contagious , the details of this weekend’s false-alarm evacuation of JFK Airport might change your mind. According to a New Yorker reporter who experienced the incident, unfounded reports of gunfire at New York City’s busiest air hub caused stampedes and panic that spread rapidly across

The Best Frequent Flier Programs for 2025

Savvy travelers know the value of a good airline loyalty program. With perks like airport lounge access, seat upgrades, and free or discounted travel, it pays to rack up those frequent flier miles. WalletHub recently released their annual study ranking the best frequent flier programs to help travelers decide which airline best meets their needs.

JetBlue Has a New Boarding Scheme. It’s Complicated

To airline managers, an airplane sitting on the ground is a horror: an expensive asset failing to justify its expense. The goal is full utilization, which means keeping planes airborne as many hours as possible, with as many passengers on board as possible. One key to maximizing utilization is timely turn-arounds, which require quick, orderly