Visit our Filed page for categories. To browse by specific topic, see our Inside page. For a list of companies covered on this site, visit our Companies page.
Northwest Airlines, which was bought by Delta Air Lines Inc. in 2008, has agreed to plead guilty and pay a $38 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices on air cargo shipments, the U.S. Justice Department said Friday.
Under the plea agreement, it said Northwest has agreed to cooperate with the department’s ongoing antitrust investigation.
From the Denver Business Journal | United Airlines is now the only major carrier serving the ritzy mountain resort of Aspen, Colo., after Frontier Airlines and Delta Air Lines announced that they will not be flying there this winter.
If you think air fares have been rising, it’s not your imagination.
Figures just released from the government, though a bit dated, show that airline prices in the first three months of this year rose nearly 5 percent from a year earlier. And that doesn’t include baggage fees and other extras.
But average fares are 25 percent lower than they were in 1999 adjusting for inflation, the government says. Get the full story »
The Federal Aviation Administration plans a $230,000 civil penalty against Continental Airlines because it botched a nose wheel replacement on one airplane.
The FAA said Continental failed to install the washer during the replacement of a nose wheel on a Boeing 767 on Aug. 12, 2008. The plane flew 22 flights over 15 days before the problem was discovered, and the washer was installed. The fine amounts to $10,454 for each flight without the washer. Get the full story »
The proposed merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines cleared its first regulatory hurdle on Tuesday, as the European Union said it would approve the deal. But the merger, which would create the largest airline in the world, must still pass muster with U.S. antitrust officials. The mega-deal is expected to face far more rigorous scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice, which isn’t expected to wrap up its probe until later this year.
European officials, in a review of the transaction that began on June 21, quickly determined that it wouldn’t adversely affect competition, given the relatively light overlap between United and Continental on trans-Atlantic routes.
However, the EU continues to separately investigate a proposed joint venture that would allow United, Continental, Air Canada and Germany’s Lufthansa AG to closely coordinate north Atlantic flights, as well as share revenues.
United CEO Glenn Tilton, left, with with Continental Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek after a news conference at The Willis Tower in Chicago, May 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
The new United Airlines is starting to take shape — and there are some surprises.
On Tuesday, Continental Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek announced the senior management team who will lead United after its financial merger with Continental closes in two months.
As promised, the executives reporting to Smisek, who will be United’s post-merger CEO, come from both carriers, and include a cadre of veterans who helped turn Continental around during the mid-1990s. Get the full story »
American Airlines launched a free mobile application Monday to let iPhone and iPod Touch users track flight details, monitor standby lists, track frequent-flier accounts and check in for flights.
American is among a growing number of airlines and travel companies taking advantage of Apple’s developer-friendly architecture to create new bells and whistles to help travelers wile away hours in airports, hunt for bargains or get the biggest bang from their frequent-flier miles. Get the full story »
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin America is again planning to enter the Chicago market. Doing so would enable travelers to connect to Virgin Atlantic, pictured here at its 2007 O'Hare debut. (Charles Cherney/Chicago Tribune)
Virgin America plans to wing its way into Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport next year, part of an aggressive expansion that could triple the low-cost carrier’s size by 2016.
Virgin intends to challenge the duopoly held by American and United Airlines on direct flights from O’Hare to Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International, flights popular with business travelers and, on occasion, movie stars.
San Francisco-based Virgin, founded in 2007, has quickly won a rabid fan base for its mood lighting and edgy customer amenities. All of its aircraft are outfitted with high-speed Internet connections, while its recently upgraded inflight menu includes less traditional items like tapas plates. Get the full story »
Controversial low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is rolling the dice in Chicago, adding new daily flights from O’Hare to gambling havens Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J.
Spirit plans to begin flying to Las Vegas on Nov. 11, 2010, and Atlantic City on March 3, 2011.
The discounter is kicking off the service with a blue-light special: Introductory fares of $9 and $39, each way, for round-trip tickets purchased Thursday or Friday. Get the full story »
U.S. airlines are world-beaters when it comes to finding creative ways to boost passenger fees, onboard food sales and other revenues that aren’t rolled into an air fare, financial data show.
United, American and Delta Air Lines led all global carriers in collecting so-called ancillary revenues during 2009, according to a new study by airline consultancy IdeaWorks and Amadeus, a global clearinghouse for airline transactions.
Chicago-based United led airlines around the world by generating $1.87 billion in ancillary revenues last year, the study found. That’s about double the $963 million in fees pocketed by Australia’s Qantas Airways, the highest ranking overseas carrier in the study. Get the full story »
American Airlines announced it was shaking up its senior management team after reporting a second-quarter loss at a time when competitors like United and Delta Airlines posted their largest profits in years.
Texas-based American, which with United dominates Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, is promoting chief financial officer Tim Horton to the role of president. Get the full story »
Severe turbulence on a United Airlines flight from Washington to Los Angeles led to a number of injuries and forced an emergency landing, officials said Wednesday. The Denver Post reported 21 passengers and four crew members were injured including a girl who hit the ceiling but that the injuries were mostly minor. Get the full story »
American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia Tuesday received final approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to form a joint venture to closely coordinate schedules and share revenues on flights between North America and Europe.
The European Union approved the partnership on July 14.
American and British Airways, founding partners in the oneworld alliance, had sought for 14 years to gain antitrust immunity for a partnership that would enable them to jointly market and divvy up revenues on trans-Atlantic flights. British Airways is merging with Iberia, a recent addition to the proposed venture. Get the full story »
United Airlines and Continental Airlines said Tuesday they hammered out transition agreements with their pilots’ unions, a critical step towards reaching a broader labor accord with pilots.
Talks between the merging airlines and pilots were halted late last month due to a dispute between Chicago-based United and its pilots over lay-off protections, sources told the Tribune.
At the time, the four sides were close to hammering out “Transition and Process” agreements that provide a framework for operations until the merging carriers gain a single FAA operating certificate, a process targeted to be completed during 2012. Get the full story »
Boeing Co has won U.S. antitrust approval to buy defense manufacturer Argon ST Inc , the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday.
Boeing said in early June that it would buy Argon for about $775 million to beef up its capabilities in sensors, communications technologies and information management. Get the full story »
