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

JetBlue Airways aircraft are pictured at departure gates at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on June 15, 2013. Fred Prouser | Reuters 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 in January … 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

Spirit could slash fares, restructure after failed JetBlue takeover

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

Airlines shave minutes off flight times with faster boarding, new tech

Passengers make their way through the terminal as they travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, on Nov. 22, 2023. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters In air travel, minutes matter. A few moments could be the difference between making and missing a connection for passengers — and could avoid … Read more