Southwest Airlines

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Carry On! Fewer Checked Bags Cut Lost Luggage

Airlines lost 1.3M fewer bags last year as new fees convinced passengers to carry on

(Newser) - Through their relentless fees, airlines have managed to put the task of transporting often-lost luggage in much safer hands. Last year—as passengers carried aboard the baggage they previously checked for free—airlines lost 1.3 million fewer bags than in 2007, the Chicago Tribune reports. The 33% improvement was...

Airline Warned of Runway Glitch Before Buffalo Crash

(Newser) - Add this to the mix in the Buffalo plane crash: Southwest Airlines warned its pilots just weeks ago about a landing glitch involving the same runway the Continental flight was destined for, CNN reports. It seems an earthen dam near the runway interferes with signals in a so-called instruments landing,...

After Turbulent Year, Airlines See Smoother 2009

Falling fuel prices and capacity better in line with demand will help profits

(Newser) - The nation’s airlines—which scrambled to retask fleets and ground fuel-guzzling aircraft last year as energy prices rose and passenger miles dropped—are likely to have a smoother flight in 2009, reports the Wall Street Journal. Reduced capacity has allowed them to better match supply and demand, and falling...

Airlines Trim Holiday Flights, Cut Off-Peak Bargains

US Airways will fly 40% fewer flights this Thanksgiving

(Newser) - As airlines struggle to stay competitive, scheduling changes mean that consumers will see fewer planes and higher fares, the Wall Street Journal reports. In the coming Thanksgiving season, US Airways is flying 40% fewer flights than a year ago. Delta and United have both reduced Thanksgiving flights by more than...

Southwest Loses $120M on Bad Oil Bet
 Southwest 
 Loses $120M 
 on Bad Oil Bet 
EARNINGS REPORTS
Oct 16, 2008 7:36 AM CDT

Southwest Loses $120M on Bad Oil Bet

Otherwise, quarter beat expectations

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines posted a $120-million third-quarter loss today, due almost entirely to a one-time $247-million charge on an oil bet gone wrong, the New York Times reports. Southwest aggressively locks in its fuel costs far in advance, which looked brilliant last year, as oil prices skyrocketed. But oil’s steep...

American Airlines Faces $7M Fine for Safety Violations

(Newser) - American Airlines faces FAA fines of more than $7 million for a series of safety and maintenance violations and for deficiencies in its drug and alcohol testing, the Wall Street Journal reports. In proposing one of its biggest fines ever, the FAA accuses American of knowingly flying planes that needed...

Ads Tap Into That 'Mad-as-Hell' Feeling

Companies use consumer rage to sell

(Newser) - Advertisers are feeling our pain. So they're tapping into consumer rage over rising prices by saying "we understand," and using that to sell products and services. Take a Southwest ad that asks what the competitors have been smoking. "Apparently, your rolled-up $20s," it quips. A legion...

Fuel Costs Bump Up Budget Airfares
Fuel Costs Bump Up Budget Airfares
Jun 20, 2008 3:43 AM CDT

Fuel Costs Bump Up Budget Airfares

Discount carriers forced to dump discounts or go bust

(Newser) - Rock-bottom airfares are going the way of the zeppelin as fuel prices continue their climb into the stratosphere, the New York Times reports. Some budget carriers have gone bust. Others have hiked fares and begun to woo more business travelers, blurring the line between big carriers and discount operations. Southwest...

Airlines Become Weight Watchers to Save Fuel

As fuel prices continue to rise, airlines are getting creative in seeking fuel savings

(Newser) - Airlines struggling with soaring fuel expenses are seeking new ways to save, and none is too small, from cutting the amount of water they carry for washrooms to cleaning engines more often to increase their efficiency, reports the New York Times. Some are pulling back on their cruising speed—from...

Air Passenger Charged After Not Ending Call

Businessman wouldn't hang up cell phone during Texas flight

(Newser) - An air passenger was charged yesterday with disorderly conduct after refusing to stop talking on his cell phone on a flight from Austin to Dallas. A spokesman for Joe David Jones' company told the Dallas Morning News the businessman was trying to reach the hospital where his father was being...

Planes Slowing Down to Save on Fuel Costs

Airlines save millions by adding extra minutes to flights

(Newser) - As airlines feel the pain of higher energy prices, planes are slowing down to save fuel, the AP reports. Southwest, for instance, will save $42 million by adding a few minutes to each flight this year, and passengers are unlikely to notice. But it’s no cure-all: Labor costs go...

Southwest Tried to Cover Up Safety Issues: Inspectors

FAA too cozy with airlines, they say

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines tried to cover up maintenance problems, and the FAA almost let them, according to two inspectors who will testify before Congress today that the agency is too cozy with airlines. When the inspectors realized Southwest was flying dozens of jets without required inspections, their superiors did nothing, they...

Southwest Grounds 44 Planes
 Southwest Grounds 44 Planes 
Mar 12, 2008 2:15 PM CDT

Southwest Grounds 44 Planes

Missed inspections for cracks drew fine from FAA—which didn't take immediate action

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines grounded 44 planes today after having admitted to flying aircraft that were past due for inspections for structural cracks, the AP reports. The FAA fined Southwest $10.2 million—the largest ever levied on an airline—but the agency itself is under fire for not grounding the jets...

Southwest Faces Record Fines
Southwest Faces Record Fines
Mar 6, 2008 4:18 AM CST

Southwest Faces Record Fines

Airline found several cracks after skipping required safety checks

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines faces at least $3 million in fines sought by the FAA for failing to inspect 46 older Boeing 737-300 jets for structural flaws identified in a 2004 safety directive, reports the Wall Street Journal. The expected penalty would be the largest imposed on an airline in 20 years....

Fare War Breaks Out at LAX
Fare War Breaks Out at LAX
Mar 3, 2008 11:25 AM CST

Fare War Breaks Out at LAX

Thanks to Virgin America, ticket prices dip as fuel prices soar

(Newser) - Even as fuel prices soar, Los Angeles airline passengers are enjoying an old-fashioned fare war sparked by newcomer Virgin America, the LA Times reports. Sir Richard Branson's brainchild has drawn United, Alaska, Southwest, and even longtime LAX holdout JetBlue into a feud that's seen one-way fares as low as $44....

Airline Sleuths Dig Up Data to Save Lives

Flight record scans reveal hidden risks, prevent crashes

(Newser) - Airlines and air safety investigators have a new way to snoop for clues that can help avoid future accidents, the Washington Post reports. While they once depended on crash remains for evidence, they have now gone digital, pursuing daily probes of thousands of computer records and pilots' reports to dig...

United Woes Pile Up 3 Days After Storm

Carrier blames pilot shortage for cancellations; pilots blame staff cuts

(Newser) - United Airlines cancellations yesterday continued to pile up for a third straight day, as the world's second biggest carrier blamed a Sunday storm that slammed its Chicago hub and a shortage of pilots. But the pilots' union pointed the finger at staffing cuts, saying, "The weather wouldn't have mattered...

Too Skimpy for Plane, Just Right for Playboy

Woman nearly kicked off flight bares all

(Newser) - Kyla Ebbert's outfits just keeping getting skimpier. The 23-year-old California woman who nearly got booted from a Southwest Airlines flight because she wore clothes deemed too revealing has now posed for Playboy in the nude. "They're very tastefully done," she said of the photos. Southwest holds no grudges....

Southwest Unveils Perks for Biz Flyers

Carrier guarantees priority boarding, throws in a cocktail

(Newser) - Southwest unveiled today a raft of new initiatives designed to shore up revenue, including new pricing plans that benefit business travelers. The discount carrier’s new “business select” program will price seats $10-30 higher than regular fares. In exchange, Southwest, which doesn’t assign seats on its flights, will...

Airline Profits Soar on Hellish 3Q
Airline Profits Soar on Hellish 3Q
Oct 19, 2007 6:29 PM CDT

Airline Profits Soar on Hellish 3Q

Consumer groups are furious

(Newser) - The worst summer in a decade for the air traveler turned into the most lucrative for the airline industry. Carriers' profits soared on overbooking that led to cramped conditions and a quarter of all flights arriving late, the LA Times reports. Consumer groups are furious. "They're making money hand...

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