British Airways apologizes for scary midair crash message

In the middle of an otherwise-peaceful British Airways flight from London to Hong Kong on Tuesday, a terrifying announcement blasted over the speakers. The automated message warned the 275 passengers to brace themselves, because the plane was about to crash into the sea. “We all thought we were going to die,” one passenger said. Flight [...]

Airline fees test travelers’ limits

After a United flight hit severe turbulence over Kansas on July 20, injuring dozens of people on board, Jay Leno joked that flight attendants administered first aid only to passengers who paid a $7.50 “triage fee.” It was a bit of morbid humor reflecting the view that airline fees are out of control. Even the [...]

Troubled Mexicana airline suspends ticket sales

Troubled Mexicana de Aviacion, Mexico’s largest air carrier, indefinitely suspended ticket sales Wednesday but said it would continue operating flights for travelers who already bought them. The decision did not affect the company’s Click and Link airlines, which fly routes only inside Mexico. Mexicana flies to more than 65 domestic and international destinations, saying it [...]

Airline fees make it hard to shop for best deal

Finding the best deal on a flight has become a lot more difficult, thanks to hefty baggage and service fees that consumers often don’t know about until they show up at the airline counter, congressional investigators say. Those fees are not part of the ticket price, meaning they can easily go unseen until it’s too [...]

Airfares not yet back at pre-crisis levels

Average airline fares have risen significantly but have not yet reached levels seen before the global downturn, despite more travelers and greater volumes of freight, industry body IATA said on Wednesday. In its latest financial snapshot, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Wednesday that fares still remained 10-15 percent below their pre-recession peak. [...]

Atlanta airport delays have most ripple effects

A study says more delays at major airports across the country were attributed to problems at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport than at any other. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said the report by the Government Accountability Office shows that problems in Atlanta affect air traffic all over the country. Hartsfield-Jackson is the world’s busiest airport. Hartsfield-Jackson ranked [...]

Southwest Airlines launches Boston-Philadelphia flights

Southwest Airlines is expanding at Logan International Airport. The Texas-based carrier has just launched service to Philadelphia that will put it in direct competition with US Airways, which has long had a hub in the city. With five daily nonstop flights, Philadelphia becomes the fifth city Southwest will serve from Boston. In less than a [...]