3 Airlines Raise Checked Bag Fees to Match JetBlue Changes

Move over, JetBlue:  United , Air Canada , and WestJet all announced an increase to their checked bag fees to directly match a fee hike  JetBlue  introduced just a few days ago. The first checked bag on each airline now costs $30 ( Air Canada’s start at $30 and vary ), and a second checked

As Revenue Declines, Southwest Mulls New Airline Fees

Did you feel that? Did the earth just move below our feet? It’s true: Southwest, struggling to meet its 2016 revenue goals, is considering adding ancillary fees to bring in additional cash. according to a USA Today report . The good news? Bag fees are off the table. Related: Checked-Bag Fees to Increase on Some

JetBlue Will Offer Basic Economy Airfare in 2019

JetBlue has announced it will join American, Delta, and United in offering bare-bones “basic economy” fares beginning in 2019. The new, no-frills fares will still include the line’s standard free on-board Wi-Fi, snacks and soft drinks, and a full-size carry-on bag plus personal item, the airline said. But basic economy passengers can expect to see

Senators Call Out Airlines for Flight Disruptions

The recent computer meltdowns at Southwest and Delta, two of the country’s most efficient and financially sound carriers, resulted in thousands of cancelled and delayed flights, disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of travelers. And they were just the latest incidents in what has come to seem like a systemic problem. Why? And what

Those Samsung Smartphones, Still Smokin’

In a blow to smartphone giant Samsung, and a scare for a plane full of passengers, Southwest flight 994 last night was evacuated when a Galaxy Note 7 overheated and began smoking. According to USA Today’s report , the phone in question was a replacement for the owner’s original phone, which was among 1 million

Airfares Have Hit a Record Low Average, U.S. Government Says

The no-frills “Basic Economy” airfares many travelers have come to hate (or maybe love, depending who you are) seem to be working in at least one way: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics says that average airfares in the U.S. were $343.28 in the third quarter of 2018, which is a record

Travelers to DOT: No Inflight Calls, Please!

To all appearances, the hot-button issue of inflight phone calls has been settled. If you’ve flown on a U.S. carrier lately, you’ve almost certainly heard no one yakking on a cellphone or other mobile device while airborne, and you might well assume that there’s an outright ban on inflight calling. Indeed, the Association of Flight

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

United ‘Re-Accommodates’ a Passenger and the Internet Explodes

The media—social media, asocial media, major media, marginal media, all media—has been positively aflame for the past 24 hours with reporting and editorializing on United Airlines’ latest mishandling of a passenger confrontation. The facts of the case are not in dispute. United’s Sunday-night flight UA3411 between Chicago and Louisville was full—100 percent full—and all passengers

Southwest Lands at Wrong Airport; Passenger Sues

As reported by the Branson Tri Lakes News , a passenger on a Southwest flight in 2014 that landed at the wrong airport is suing the airline for $74,999.99. The plaintiff, Troy Haines, was returning from Chicago to Branson Airport. But the flight crew mistook the M. Graham Clark Airport, about seven miles away, for