airlines

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Final Call for Free Bags at Southwest
Last Day for
Free Bags at
Southwest
May 27, 2025 10:50 AM CDT

Last Day for Free Bags at Southwest

Airline is abandoning a cherished perk for flights booked after Tuesday

(Newser) - It's the last day to book a flight on Southwest Airlines without being hit with a fee to check bags after the airline abandoned a decades-long luggage policy that executives once described as key to differentiating the budget carrier from its rivals. The airline announced the change in March...

The Best and Worst US Airlines
The Best and Worst US Airlines
May 16, 2025 7:47 AM CDT

The Best and Worst US Airlines

Frontier, Spirit falter on US PIRG Education Fund's list of US airline delays, cancellations, and more

(Newser) - Not everyone loves to fly, and that wariness is often made worse by flight delays, cancellations, lost luggage, etc. Complaints among air travelers have spiked since the pandemic, and last year there were a record 66,675 of them against US airlines, according to the US PIRG and Education Fund...

Airline Says Deportation Flights 'Too Valuable Not to Pursue'

Petition targets startup Avelo over new deal with ICE

(Newser) - Startup Avelo Airlines, which operates low-fare service from select states, has found a new customer in Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Houston-based Avelo has signed a deal to operate deportation flights out of the country while also transporting migrants to detention centers within the US, the Wall Street Journal reports....

American Finally Caves, Will Give You Free WiFi

Free WiFi is coming in 2026 to most passengers who sign up for airline's free AAdvantage program

(Newser) - Next year will feel a lot more connected for passengers on American Airlines. Starting in 2026, flights on AA will now include WiFi for people who sign up for its free AAdvantage loyalty program, with the complimentary access provided by AT&T, reports USA Today . Currently, American Airlines passengers had...

Most Affordable Airline Is Also the Safest
The Best US Airlines
Apr 14, 2025 11:46 AM CDT

The Best US Airlines

WalletHub ranks Spirit as its top airline for 2025

(Newser) - When choosing an airline, price is key. But it's hardly the only consideration, according to WalletHub , which analyzed "other, overlooked aspects of air travel"—including canceled and delayed flights, mishandled baggage, and in-flight comfort—to rank the best from among the nine largest US airlines and two...

Trump's Tariffs Prod Delta to Yank Its 2025 Guidance

The airline had originally expected best financial year ever

(Newser) - As trade tensions ripple through the economy, Delta Air Lines yanked its full-year guidance on Wednesday. CNBC sees it as a big "shift" for the country's most profitable airline, which had initially expected the "best financial year in our history." In March it trimmed its...

Frontier: 'File for Divorce' From Other Airlines With Free Bags

Just after Southwest ditched its free checked bags program, Frontier starts its own

(Newser) - The airline industry—and passengers—are still getting acclimated to Southwest's "stunning reversal" earlier this month on its checked-bag policy, in which it ditched its allowance for two free bags and announced it would make customers pay for the honor. Now, Frontier Airlines, a budget carrier known for...

Southwest Announces a 'Stunning Reversal'

Checked bags aren't free anymore

(Newser) - Under pressure to boost revenue, Southwest Airlines—the carrier with the tag line "two bags fly free"—will start charging passengers for checked bags in what CNBC reports is "a stunning reversal." It's the first time the low-cost carrier will charge for checked bags in...

Couple: Ice From JetBlue Plane Slammed Into Our Home

Michael Reese, Leah Ferrarini file $1M suit, saying they now 'cringe in fear' when planes fly over

(Newser) - A California couple say they're looking to move out of their "dream home" after a frightening incident involving a JetBlue aircraft. Business Insider reports that Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini are suing the airline for $1 million, alleging a block of ice the size of a watermelon fell...

Most Punctual Airline Is 'Absolutely' a Surprise

AeroMexico takes the honors from aviation analytics firm Cirium

(Newser) - The airline anointed the most punctual of 2024 probably isn't one most would have predicted—including the aviation analytics firm that crunched all the numbers. It's AeroMexico, which is "absolutely" a surprise, Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen tells CNBC . The Mexican airline didn't even crack the top...

Eagle Strike Forced Plane to Turn Around in Alaska

The bird was the only casualty in Christmas Eve incident

(Newser) - Days before the air disaster in South Korea, a flight in Alaska also experienced a bird strike, but the effect was not as catastrophic. Alaska Airlines said Horizon Air Flight 2041 from Anchorage to Fairbanks was forced to turn around on Christmas Eve after an eagle hit the plane, NBC...

Frontier CEO: Don't Pay for Carry-On? You're a 'Shoplifter'
Frontier Doubles Down on
Pursuing Carry-On 'Shoplifters'
in case you missed it
Dec 8, 2024 10:30 AM CST

Frontier Doubles Down on Pursuing Carry-On 'Shoplifters'

Comment comes as senators grill airline executives on so-called junk fees

(Newser) - A recent Senate investigation report found Frontier and Spirit Airlines paid $26 million to gate agents between 2022 and 2023 to catch customers who failed to pay luggage fees, per the AP . Spirit says it ended that practice at the end of September, reports Reuters . But Frontier—found to have...

This TV Family Caused Quite a Ruckus on Hong Kong Airline

Cathay Pacific apologizes for airing Tiananmen Square episode of Family Guy over national security

(Newser) - An in-flight showing of Family Guy might irk parents of younger kids due to its often-adult-themed content. But an episode of the Seth MacFarlane show recently offered on Cathay Pacific has prompted an apology from Hong Kong's flagship carrier to more than just parents, after a customer complained about...

Indian Airlines Count 999 Hoax Bomb Threats So Far

It's a new record; just 112 threats were received in all of last year

(Newser) - It's been a record-setting year for hoax bomb threats at India's airports and airlines. More than 500 came in the last two weeks of October, pushing the year's total to 999 as of Nov. 14. That's almost 10 times more threats than the 122 received in...

Delta CEO Says Trump's Return Is a Welcome One

Administration could bring 'breath of fresh air' after government 'overreach,' says Ed Bastian

(Newser) - Delta Air Lines' CEO is optimistic about a second Trump administration, whose approach to regulation could be a "breath of fresh air." Ed Bastian on Wednesday characterized the last four years as being marked by a "level of [government] overreach," CNBC reports. The airline industry has...

Scores of Hamsters Make a Break for It on Flight

Plane was grounded for 4 days at Portuguese airport to recover every single escaped rodent

(Newser) - A flight from Portugal's capital to an island in the Azores ended up grounded for four days after more than 130 hamsters busted out of their holding containers and overtook the plane carrying them to their destination. The Telegraph reports that the TAP Air Portugal jet traveled Wednesday from...

He Made Spirit Airlines Into a 'Dollar Store in the Sky'
He Gave Spirit Airlines
Its 'Bad-Boy Image'
OBITUARY
Nov 13, 2024 9:55 AM CST

He Gave Spirit Airlines Its 'Bad-Boy Image'

Former CEO Ben Baldanza has died at 62 of Lou Gehrig's disease

(Newser) - Ben Baldanza, the former CEO of Spirit Airlines who helped pioneer the concept of no-frills flying, has died. The New York Times reports that the 62-year-old, who had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (aka ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), passed away on Election Day at his home in Arlington, Virginia, according...

What Is a 'Canceled' Flight? Rule Spells It Out for First Time

It's part of new federal protections for air travelers

(Newser) - Most air travelers would seem to know the definition of a "canceled" flight, but as Quartz points out, the term can get a little squishy for airlines when it comes time to issue refunds. To counter that, the Department of Transportation has spelled out for the first time what...

American Airlines Launches Its Longest-Ever Flight

New route from Dallas to Brisbane takes almost 16 hours

(Newser) - The longest nonstop flight in American Airlines' history landed at Brisbane Airport Monday morning after departing from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Saturday night and crossing the International Date Line on the almost 16-hour journey to Australia. The airline says passengers on the record-setting flight received gifts including a koala plushie,...

American Airlines Hit With $50M Fine Over Disabled Fliers

It's a record payout over injuring passengers, damaging wheelchairs

(Newser) - The nation's largest airline has been hit with a $50 million fine for repeatedly violating rules intended to protect passengers with disabilities. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the fine against American Airlines on Wednesday, saying it was 25 times larger than any other fine issued by the Department of...

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