United Airlines starts letting customers pool frequent flyer miles

Passengers check in for United Airlines flights at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, Dec. 13, 2022. Scott Olson | Getty Images Here’s a friendship test: Would you share your frequent flyer miles with your pals? United Airlines is betting customers will be open to it. The airline on Thursday started allowing members of its … Read more

Empty middle seats, more legroom

A Frontier Airlines plane lands at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020.  Elizabeth Page Brumley | Tribune News Service | Getty Images First class on Frontier? Not quite. But the budget airline on Tuesday launched a new add-on to get more room at the front of its tightly-packed planes … Read more

JetBlue-Spirit Airlines merger called off

A JetBlue Airways plane sits on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on January 31, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines on Monday said they are ending their agreement to merge, weeks after losing a federal antitrust lawsuit that challenged the deal. A federal judge … Read more

Upstart airlines Avelo, Breeze prepare for a profitable year

The inaugural flight of an Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-800 takes off from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa on April 28, 2021. Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images In the nearly four years since the Covid-19 pandemic upended air travel, the largest U.S. airlines have returned to … Read more

Why airlines are raising baggage fees and charging more at the airport

Travelers arrive for flights at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on March 16, 2021. Scott Olson | Getty Images News | Getty Images Airlines are raising their prices to check a bag — again. Just how much you it will cost you, however, depends on when you pay for the service. United Airlines, American Airlines … Read more

Airfare is down, but here’s why that may not last for long

Travelers at LaGuardia Airport in New York on June 30, 2022. Leslie Josephs | CNBC Airfare fell 6.4% in January from a year earlier, the Labor Department said in its monthly consumer price index on Tuesday. It might not last too long. January is typically a slower month for travel as customers take fewer trips … Read more

JetBlue resets with new CEO Joanna Geraghty, airline veterans

A JetBlue Airways plane prepares to depart New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Leslie Josephs/CNBC In the 24 years since JetBlue Airways‘ first flight, the New York-based airline has pushed the envelope for a carrier of its size. Now, with some veteran executive hires and cost-cutting, it’s trying to get back to basics. JetBlue was a pioneer in seat-back … Read more

Failed JetBlue buyout leaves Spirit Airlines with a tough path forward

A JetBlue airliner lands past a Spirit Airlines jet on taxi way at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport on Monday, April 25, 2022. Joe Cavaretta | Sun Sentinel | Getty Images Spirit Airlines is on shaky footing after JetBlue Airways‘ proposed $3.8 billion takeover of the budget carrier was blocked by a federal judge this … Read more

Alaska, Japan airline incidents highlight importance of safety demonstrations

A display showing the ‘fasten your seatbelt’ sign and the ‘no smoking’ sign illuminated on board an aircraft. Jeff Overs | BBC News & Current Affairs | Getty Images You trudge down the aisle to your seat. You double- and triple-check that you’ve arrived at the right row. You heave your luggage into the overhead … Read more