Good airline fees? Some are worth the money

It’s no secret the airline industry wants you to pay extra for everything. And I really mean everything. A fee to pay? Allegiant Air and Spirit Airlines already charge a “convenience” fee to use your credit card. A water fee? It’s hard to find a discount carrier that doesn’t make you pay for soft drinks, [...]

Leave an item on an airplane? Here’s what to do

Let’s face it. We’ve all done it. In part because travel can be so disorienting, it’s easy to disembark a plane without all of our “personal belongings” as the flight attendants refer to them in their deplaning announcements (are there “impersonal belongings”? how about we just call them our belongings). Judging from anecdotal evidence, most [...]

Japan Airlines bankruptcy filing expected Tuesday

Japan Airlines is expected to file for bankruptcy protection Tuesday, ending months-long speculation about its fate and launching a massive overhaul to shed the fat and inefficiency that hobbled Asia’s biggest airline. With debts of 1.5 trillion yen ($16.5 billion) as of November, the carrier will go down in Japanese corporate history as one of [...]

Delta Air Lines hiking fees for checked bags

Attention air travelers: That tug at your wallet is about to happen again, courtesy of the world’s biggest airline. Delta Air Lines Inc. is raising its fees to check your first bag on a domestic flight by $8 and the second bag by $7. That will mean $23 for the first bag and $32 for [...]

Delta Air Lines raises fees for checked bags

Checking in luggage on Delta Air Lines is about to cost passengers even more, starting Tuesday. Passengers paying online for checked bags will be charged $23 for the first bag and $32 for the second — an $8 and $7 increase from current rates, respectively. Those checking in bags at the airport will shell out [...]

Been away from the airport? A lot has changed

Haven’t flown since last Christmas? Be prepared. Things have changed. Airlines continued to adjust to the tough economy. There are even fewer planes in service, and that can make rebooking after a cancellation tougher. Higher bag fees and new charges can make flying more expensive. And swine flu worries mean you might get a wary [...]

Airlines seek to boost market for biofuels

Fifteen airlines and air cargo carriers from the United States and three other countries said Tuesday they have signed memorandums that could lead to the purchase of hundreds of millions of gallons (liters) of fuel made from either coal or camelina, a weed that is a cousin to canola. The Air Transport Association said airlines [...]