Virgin America expands to Florida

Two-year-old airline Virgin America touched down Wednesday in Florida, marking one of its most ambitious expansion moves yet with a lavish welcoming ceremony that included Virgin Group Ltd. founder and billionaire Richard Branson.
Virgin took a cautious first step into Florida — just two daily nonstop flights apiece between Fort Lauderdale and both Los Angeles and [...]

Another credit card fee is about to fly

Another fee is coming in the new year for airline and hotel customers — this time from your credit card company.
The message: Pay your bill on time or forfeit the miles or points you thought you earned for making purchases on your card during that month.
To get the rewards back, it’s going to cost you.
American [...]

Delta, SkyTeam offer $1 billion to Japan Airlines

Delta Air Lines and its alliance partners said Wednesday they are making a billion dollar offer to lure loss-making Japan Airlines from its affiliation with American Airlines.
Delta is “by far the strongest partner for Japan Airlines,” company president Edward Bastian told reporters in Tokyo, escalating the tug-of-war for a minority stake in Japan’s flagship carrier.
The [...]

AirTran Airways to put ads on seatback tray tables

It soon will be harder to avoid advertising if you fly on one major carrier.
AirTran Airways is installing ads on the bottom of seat-back tray tables on all its planes.
Passengers have to keep the tray tables in their upright, locked position, during the beginning and end of their flights. That means an unimpeded view of [...]

Airlines boost peak-day surcharges

It could cost you even more to travel next spring and summer.
US Airways said Tuesday it will add a 5 percent surcharge to all U.S. flights on or after May 8.
Spokeswoman Valerie Wunder says the surcharge will protect the airline in case fuel prices rise or other costs increase.
Separately, Delta, Northwest and United have bumped [...]

British Airways confirms board talks on Iberia merger deal

British Airways PLC and Spanish airline Iberia SA confirmed they are holding separate board meetings Thursday about a long-awaited merger, responding to feverish speculation that has sent the companies’ shares soaring.
British Airways, the third largest airline in Europe, said the meetings would consider a “potential transaction” and that no deal has yet been reached. It [...]

Airlines boost on-time arrivals in September

The nation’s airlines are offering fewer flights, but at least they’re more likely to arrive on time now.
The government said Monday that 86.2 percent of flights operated in September arrived on time. That marked an improvement over August and over September 2008.
The best on-time records were posted by Hawaiian, Alaska Airlines and Southwest.
The worst at [...]