airline industry news stories on Newser

'Too Fat to Fly' Woman Sues Southwest

Rob Quinn — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:21:11 CDT

A woman who says a Southwest gate agent told her she was "too fat to fly" and needed to buy a second seat is suing the airline—not for money, but for an industry standard to be established for fliers who have to pay for an extra fare, reports ABC...

Delta Buys Own Oil Refinery

Polly Davis Doig — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:36:16 CDT

Delta Air Lines is pocketing a Pennsylvania oil refinery in an industry-first move to clip its ever-burgeoning jet fuel costs, which soared to $12 billion last year. The $150 million deal—about the cost of a new jetliner, notes Reuters —is set to satisfy 80% of the airline's US fuel...

American Air Sues Worker Behind Parody Videos

Rob Quinn — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:21:58 CDT

American Airlines is suing a former flight attendant who has mocked the airline's management in a series of YouTube videos. Gailen David, who was fired a few weeks ago, revealed the flight plans of several airline execs and claimed that the airline had bumped frequent flyers from first class to...

Expect Pricey Flights All Decade: FAA

Matt Cantor — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:56:17 CST

Expect airfares to stay high for the rest of the decade: Prices won't drop until there's more competition for airlines, which won't happen for a while, an FAA report says. Passengers' miles flown will almost double over the next two decades, from 815 billion last year to 1.57 trillion...

Virgin Atlantic's New Hire: 'Whispering Coach'

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:22:11 CST

Add this to the list of things elite Virgin Atlantic passengers will soon enjoy: ear comfort. The British airline has retained the services of a "whispering coach" whose job is to make sure that those who book a seat in its forthcoming Upper Class Dream Suite aren't submitted to the...

Bankrupt Air Australia Strands Thousands

Matt Cantor — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:20:05 CST

An Australian airline has gone bankrupt—leaving some 4,000 passengers stranded in spots like Indonesia and Hawaii. "It currently appears that there are no funds available to meet operational expenses so flights will be suspended immediately," Air Australia and its new administrators said today, according to CNN . "It also...

China Refusing to Pay EU Airspace Carbon Tax

Mark Russell — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:19:44 CST

China is prohibiting all of its airlines from paying the EU's new carbon tax, a standoff that is likely destined for a World Trade Organization unfair trade practice suit, reports the BBC . The long-planned European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme came into effect the first of the year, and it charges...

Angry Over Regulation, Spirit Institutes Snarky Fee

Kevin Spak — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:10:58 CST

Spirit Airlines is angry over a new Department of Transportation rule—and it's making sure customers know it, by slapping a $2 "Department of Transportation Unintended Consequence Fee" on all tickets. The new rule, which went into effect last week, requires airlines to give customers a full refund, without additional...

American Airlines to Cut 13K Jobs

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:30:03 CST

The parent of American Airlines wants to eliminate about 13,000 jobs—15% of its workforce—as the third-biggest US airline remakes itself under bankruptcy protection. The company aims to cut labor costs by 20%, and will soon begin negotiations with its three major unions. AMR Corp. CEO Thomas W....