If you're traveling by air to see friends and family this holiday season, the chances of a delay-free trip are about as likely as enjoying the process of clearing airport security -- very slim. Should that be a surprise to you, though? Not really. Just as those traveling by car can expect stop-and-go traffic on backed-up freeways, air travelers will feel the effects of crowded skies as well.
Air travelers bracing themselves for the annual Thanksgiving rush this week may have something else to fret about: passengers who could be bringing a little extra baggage of the viral kind on board.
The failed computer system that caused flight delays across the country has been restored, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday.
Air travel competition is heating up, and we're not talking about corporate profits and losses here. As airlines reduce flights and use smaller planes, passengers sometimes are jostling for storage space for their carry-on items.
Thanksgiving air travelers can expect crowded planes as a result of the most dramatic capacity cuts since World War II, according to the industry's trade group.
Llouellynde Orahood's flight from Los Angeles to Dallas has all the makings of a trip from hell, including weather delays, cancellations and almost-missed flights. What could be worse? Having to pay again for the same tickets. Now, neither the airlines nor her online travel agency is willing to help her recover the money she should have never had to spend. Is there any hope for a refund?
The challenges inherent in getting a 162,000-pound aircraft off the ground and landing it safely are pretty obvious to most observers. But at cruising altitude, above 10,000 feet, pilots face a different critical challenge: staying focused.
The pilots of the commercial jetliner that last week overshot its destination by about 150 miles have said they were using their laptops and lost track of time and location, federal safety officials said Monday.
It's all the rage to criticize the airlines. But we found some smart, practical initiatives that point the way to a better future.
Police met a wayward jet that overshot the runway by 150 miles -- while not responding to control tower communications -- and said the pilots were "cooperative, apologetic and appreciative."
If you're traveling by air to see friends and family this holiday season, the chances of a delay-free trip are about as likely as enjoying the process of clearing airport security -- very slim. Should that be a surprise to you, though? Not really. Just as those traveling by car can expect stop-and-go traffic on backed-up freeways, air travelers will feel the effects of crowded skies as well.
Air travelers bracing themselves for the annual Thanksgiving rush this week may have something else to fret about: passengers who could be bringing a little extra baggage of the viral kind on board.
The failed computer system that caused flight delays across the country has been restored, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday.
Air travel competition is heating up, and we're not talking about corporate profits and losses here. As airlines reduce flights and use smaller planes, passengers sometimes are jostling for storage space for their carry-on items.
Thanksgiving air travelers can expect crowded planes as a result of the most dramatic capacity cuts since World War II, according to the industry's trade group.
Llouellynde Orahood's flight from Los Angeles to Dallas has all the makings of a trip from hell, including weather delays, cancellations and almost-missed flights. What could be worse? Having to pay again for the same tickets. Now, neither the airlines nor her online travel agency is willing to help her recover the money she should have never had to spend. Is there any hope for a refund?
The challenges inherent in getting a 162,000-pound aircraft off the ground and landing it safely are pretty obvious to most observers. But at cruising altitude, above 10,000 feet, pilots face a different critical challenge: staying focused.
The pilots of the commercial jetliner that last week overshot its destination by about 150 miles have said they were using their laptops and lost track of time and location, federal safety officials said Monday.
It's all the rage to criticize the airlines. But we found some smart, practical initiatives that point the way to a better future.
Police met a wayward jet that overshot the runway by 150 miles -- while not responding to control tower communications -- and said the pilots were "cooperative, apologetic and appreciative."
A Northwest Airlines flight from San Diego, California, overshot the Minneapolis, Minnesota, airport by about 150 miles Wednesday evening, and federal investigators are looking into whether the pilots had become distracted, as they claimed, or perhaps fell asleep.
Airline passenger revenue plummeted 19% in September year-to-year, an industry trade group said Tuesday -- but it's not for lack of business.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday proposed fines against two of the nation's largest airlines, saying the airlines flew planes on hundreds of occasions in violation of FAA or airline safety standards.
Airfares are at their lowest levels in years, so airlines are trying to find new ways to make money. And that means extra fees -- more than $1 billion from last year alone, according to the Department of Transportation.
Percy von Lipinski figures he flies about 100,000 miles a year. He knows he's going to see a healthy share of flight delays regardless of where he goes.
If you think flying is a miserable experience now, just wait until 2010.
If you were a TWA first-class passenger traveling from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, California, in October 1970, your menu read more like a feast for the Sun King than a precooked meal heated in a convection oven.
A small part that tells computers on some highly-automated Airbus aircraft how fast the plane is flying became a concern again Wednesday.
A 20-inch machete from Costa Rica. New power drills with the tags still hanging. A pile of brass knuckles and nunchucks. Tubs of golf clubs, baseball bats and 10-pound exercise weights.
On a recent Southwest Airlines flight, a man dropped his pants and exposed himself to the female passenger sitting next to him, then punched her, according to an FBI affidavit. The plane was in midair, and the naked man reportedly grew angrier, screaming uncontrollably and shaking his fist in the air.
An American Airlines flight out of Florida made an emergency landing Thursday night after a written bomb threat was found in a bathroom, officials said.
As you encounter flights that leave you frustrated, hungry and tired this summer vacation season, chances are the person who greets you with a smile when you come on board could be feeling the same way.
Gearing up for further bloodletting, airlines seem to be performing pre-emptive triage.
The check-in area at the airport often looks like semi-organized chaos. You have lines staffed by airline agents, areas populated with automated kiosks, luggage check-in queues, and passengers roaming around with bags and documents in hand.
Happy Labor Day weekend. Or for the 1.5 million of you out there (including me) estimated to be taking a plane somewhere, good luck in the airport.
Welcome aboard," says the CEO of JetBlue Airways. "I'm Dave. It's a first-name-basis airline. My door is open."
US Airways announced a $5 baggage fee increase Wednesday.
Complete this sentence: In the event of a loss of cabin pressure ...
Like just about every other airline passenger this summer, Elizabeth Rodgers wants to avoid any unnecessary fees. So on a recent flight from Los Angeles to Boise, Idaho, she tried to carry all of her luggage on the plane.
It takes a lot of skill, patience and diplomacy to work in a confined space at 35,000 feet.
The bodies of 152 people killed in a fiery plane crash in Iran Wednesday have been returned to their families, an Iranian state broadcaster reported Sunday.
A day after an Iranian passenger plane crashed in flames killing all 168 people on board, aviation officials were Thursday examining the aircraft's damaged flight data recorders to try to determine the cause of the disaster.
An Iranian airliner that crashed Wednesday, killing all 168 passengers and crew, plunged into the ground and disintegrated on impact, according to a security official.
For Jeffrey Winiarz, the only thing worse than a late arrival is an early one.
A few weeks ago, Tony Hoard, a 57-year-old manufacturing worker in Indiana, boarded a flight on Midwest Airlines to Las Vegas, Nevada, with his Australian Shepherd. The flight attendant smiled at the two and said, "Welcome aboard."
We now know that Boeing's super-cool, and super-late, 787 Dreamliner is going to be earthbound a bit longer. The world's largest commercial aircraft maker announced that during "static" testing they noticed stress where the wings are joined to the body of the plane, a factor that hadn't been predicted in computer models.
Verified Identity Pass Inc.'s Clear security system -- the program that expedited airport security line waits for paying customers -- ended operation Monday night because the company couldn't reach a consensus with its senior creditors, according to its Web site.
Tail-diving passenger numbers, the long-delayed debut of a new jet and the ghost of Air France flight 447 haunts this week's Paris Air Show.
Kiss those little bottles of lotion goodbye.
The world's premier air show takes place in Paris next week, with the recent loss of Air France flight 447 over the Atlantic Ocean likely to cast a shadow over the event.
The mysterious disappearance of Flight AF 447 over the Atlantic Ocean has fueled speculation among aviation experts about what caused the state-of-the-art airliner to come down.
Launched in 1995, the Airbus A330-200 is the newest member of the European aircraft manufacturer's twinjet family.
Fumiko Seguchi did everything by the book on her recent flight to Tokyo. She confirmed her departure 24 hours in advance. She secured a seat assignment. And she arrived more than two hours before departure.
Co-pilot Rebecca Shaw traveled all night as a passenger aboard FedEx planes before she got on the commuter plane that nosedived into a house near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 passengers on an icy February evening.
The days of being cut off from the Internet while you're on a plane are quickly disappearing.
The round of baggage fees that came last year may have annoyed the heck out of customers, but according to government figures, they were a billion-dollar lifesaver for cash-strapped airlines.
Though the United States has not issued any travel warnings related to the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, major U.S. airlines are waiving fees for passengers who want to change their tickets to Mexico.
Airline performance improved in 2008 for the first time in five years, according to an annual airline quality report released Monday.
Four small airlines have become the first to participate in the "Secure Flight" program, which transfers responsibility for checking passengers' names against terror watch lists from the airlines to the federal government, the Transportation Security Administration announced Tuesday.
Airlines are failing to adequately compensate passengers for lost and missing bags, according to industry rights group the Air Transport Users Council (AUC).
On his return flight from Madrid to San Juan, Jose Morales is forced to buy a one-way ticket because of an error made by Expedia. Now the agency wants him to contact the airline for a refund. Can it do that? And what of its "promise" to take care of any problems that come up?
Far too many passengers are being stranded on board commercial flights in the United States in delays, an air passengers' rights group said Wednesday.
Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who has been heralded as a hero for successfully landing a crippled US Airways flight in the Hudson River, told U.S. lawmakers Tuesday that the state of the airline industry is in disarray.
The New York metropolitan area's three major airports had the worst U.S. on-time record in January, according to an organization that tracks and compiles data about the airline industry.
For the first time since jet airliners took to the sky, U.S. carriers have gone two years without a single passenger fatality.
United Airlines, one of the leading U.S.-based carriers, said Wednesday it will cut an additional 1,000 jobs to reduce overhead costs.
Two days before US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River, passengers on the same route and same aircraft say they heard a series of loud bangs and the flight crew told them they could have to make an emergency landing, CNN has learned.
Lessons learned from previous successful airliner ditchings helped pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger save 155 lives when he put his US Airways A320 jetliner down in the Hudson River, a fellow pilot told CNN.
AirTran Airways apologized Friday to members of a Muslim family for kicking them off a plane and refusing to rebook them despite requests from FBI agents who had cleared them of wrongdoing.
A passenger jet preparing to take off from the airport skidded off the runway at Chicago, Illinois' O'Hare and another plane was forced to return there after engine problems were reported, officials said.
An accident involving de-icing solution being sprayed on an Alaska Airlines plane in snow-covered Seattle sent seven people to a hospital Wednesday, airport and hospital officials said.
Fewer air travelers are expected for the upcoming holiday season compared to last year, but planes will still be crowded because the airlines are cutting back on flights, according to industry reports.
Air travel over the Thanksgiving holiday started smoothly but finished on a sour note thanks to bad weather, the airline research group FlightStats reported on Wednesday.
Delta Air Lines said it plans to cut overall flight capacity by 6% to 8% next year due to "the global economic recession and weaker demand for air travel." As result, passengers can expect flights to be crowded and fare deals to be scarce.
As the global recession bites, frequent flyers are cashing in more airmiles and loyalty points to subsidize routine travel needs.
Brand new runways are opening at three major airports Thursday, giving the aviation community something to cheer about in a year of dismal economic and travel news.
Corridors of military airspace will be temporarily opened to commercial airliners during the holiday season in an effort to alleviate heavy traffic, President Bush announced Tuesday.
Airline passengers are usually a forgiving lot. When a flight doesn't take off as planned, they understand. When they have to pay extra for a checked bag because of "higher" fuel prices, they oblige.
A drunk passenger tried to hijack a Turkish Airlines flight to Russia on Wednesday before he was brought under control, the head of Turkey's civil aviation authority said.
The carcasses of hundreds of abandoned planes scattered across the arid lands of southwest United States are a stark sign of how much the global airline industry is hurting.
Nine major U.S. airlines are farming out aircraft maintenance at twice the rate of four years ago and now hire outside contractors for more than 70 percent of major work
A Canadian airline's recent decision to remove life vests from all its planes to save weight and fuel has provoked a torrent of angry criticism.
The old adage - Nothing in life is free - is the new reality for frequent fliers.
JetBlue Airways and New York City-area airports experienced some of the worst flight delays in the industry for July, according to a monthly report.
An American Airlines Boeing 757 made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport an hour after taking off because the crew smelled smoke in the cockpit, a fire department official said.
The grip U.S. airlines have on travelers' wallets is about to get tighter as carriers go ahead with plans to trim their domestic schedules due to the high cost of fuel
Air traffic delays began to clear up Tuesday evening after computer problems left travelers across the United States waiting in airports, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
An electronic communication failure Tuesday at a Federal Aviation Administration facility in Georgia that processes flight plans for the eastern half of the U.S. was causing hundreds of flight delays around the country
Most of the major airline stocks took a dive during Thursday afternoon trading, as the price of oil - the industry's greatest obstacle - surged more than $5.
Is your flight about to be canceled?
Jet setters, get ready for more fare hikes and fewer flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it is seeking $7.1 million from American Airlines for continuing to fly airliners after safety problems were reported and for drug-testing violations
US Airways said Thursday that Merrill Lynch has agreed to buy 19 million of the airline's shares in a new public offering.
Pilots are complaining that their airline bosses, desperate to cut costs, are restricting fuel to a dangerous degree
Pilots are complaining that their airline bosses, desperate to cut costs, are forcing them to fly uncomfortably low on fuel
Money-losing airlines are trying to find creative ways to raise cash. That includes slapping an ad on just about any part of the plane that doesn't move - including the air-sickness bag.
This summer is shaping up to be a delay nightmare for flyers, especially travelers in and out of New York, according to two new reports.
The airlines don't want you to read this.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday it is investigating a near collision of airborne planes at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport
Airline stocks on Wednesday traded higher as oil prices - the industry's greatest burden - plunged.
European plane maker Airbus emerged as the clear winner at the Farnborough International Airshow on Thursday after racking up plane orders dwarfing the deals done by U.S. rival
The first passenger plane equipped with a system to repel shoulder-fired missiles successfully completed its flight, a British defense and aerospace company announced Wednesday.
Thousands of layoffs, hundreds of grounded planes and 21 price increases may not have been enough to save the embattled airline industry from the damaging effects of high fuel prices.
Farnborough marks its 60th anniversary during a year when the aviation industry is being hit hard by high oil prices and faltering economies.
Federal officers charged with keeping terrorists off planes are now searching their own ranks for staff who told CNN that few flights were protected by air marshals.
The world's largest air show opened Monday with several new orders for Boeing Co. and aerospace executives upbeat about the future of the industry despite high fuel prices and the credit crisis
The already roughed-up airline industry nosedived on Friday as companies and their investors got slammed by high oil prices.
An incident involving two airborne passenger jets on Friday has raised questions of a second possible near collision within a week at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Susan Null books two business-class tickets on British Airways using her Alaska Airlines frequent flier miles. But when she checks her reservation, she finds nothing. Alaska Airlines says her booking has "slipped through the cracks." Can they retrieve it in time for her trip?
Hundreds of grounded planes. Thousands of lost jobs. Nearly two dozen price hikes. Record oil prices have battered the airline industry, and Wednesday the airlines called on Congress to act.
| Most Viewed | Most Emailed | Top Searches |
| Most Viewed | Most Emailed | Top Searches |
Video
Photos
