Management.travel - October 8, 2008
U.S. Air Traffic, Capacity Descending
In a weakening travel demand environment, U.S. carrier operations data for September--a traditionally heavier business travel period than summer months--showed some steep year-over-year drops in passenger traffic (measured in revenue passenger miles), total passenger counts and capacity.

Forbes - October 8, 2008
American Airlines flight attendants to picket
FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines flight attendants will protest poor working conditions by picketing at four airports on Friday, according to union officials.

Associated Press - October 8, 2008
American Airlines considers a la carte pricing
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The idea of paying a single, simple fare to fly on an airliner is becoming as quaint as stewardesses in short skirts.

Chicago Tribune - October 8, 2008
United To Lay Off 414 Mechanics
United Airlines said on Wednesday it will lay off 414 mechanics at its San Francisco maintenance base.

Star Tribune - October 7, 2008
Sun Country Files For Bankruptcy
Sun Country Airlines, battling to survive a cash squeeze, filed for bankruptcy protection Monday in a move that separated itself from its majority stockholder, Tom Petters, whose other businesses have been taken over by a court appointee as part of a massive fraud case.

Wall Street Journal - October 7, 2008
Airports Suffer Terminal Illness
At 8:45 a.m. last Friday, the drop-off curb and the halls of Terminal 2 at Ontario International Airport in California were virtually empty. Twenty security screeners stood ready to check only a handful of passengers. "It's been this way since JetBlue left," said one Transportation Security Administration screener.

USA Today - October 7, 2008
Could the Low-Cost Carriers Unite In Alliance?
That's what at least one CEO at a low-cost carrier is suggesting -- or at least something along those lines.

msnbc - October 7, 2008
Heads Up For Holiday Fliers
What the Wall Street mess means for travelers.

Reuters - October 7, 2008
Mexico Peso Falls To All-Time Low Of 12 Per Dlr
MEXICO CITY, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Mexico's peso MEX01 fell to an all-time low of 12.06 to the dollar on Tuesday due to the global crisis.

Economist - October 7, 2008
BA's Traffic Jam
BRITISH AIRWAYS (BA) is feeling the crunch. Passenger traffic in September 2008 was 4.8% less than in September 2007.

Reuters - October 6, 2008
Airlines Brace For Credit-Card Processor Demands
CHICAGO, Oct 6 (Reuters) - U.S. airlines, struggling to find stability in a time of unprecedented economic turbulence, are bracing against possible trauma that could be inflicted by credit-card processors made skittish by the credit crisis.

Reuters - October 6, 2008
Macau Stocks Slide As Slowdown, Travel Curbs Weigh
HONG KONG, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Shares in Macau gambling stocks slid on Monday as investors feared Chinese restrictions on travel may dent the gaming haven's three-year casino boom, boding ill also for global operators such as the Las Vegas Sands (LVS.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

USA Today - September 30, 2008
Fuel Gamble: Southwest's Hedges Give It An Advantage
While most airline customers have had to grapple with fare hikes and new fees, those flying Southwest "have had a smoother trip" thanks largely to the company's efforts to lock in fuel at pre-set prices...

msnbc - September 29, 2008
Four rules travelers should know for 2009
Changes on horizon, and being caught unaware will cost time, frustration...

msnbc - September 29, 2008
Airfares Aren't Taking Off Everywhere
Despite gloomy predictions and reports, some prices drop, rise moderately...

Reuters - September 29, 2008
Mexican Government To Invest MXN5 Billion In New Pacific Resort
MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- The Mexican government plans to invest 5 billion pesos ($454.4 million) in the development of a new major tourism resort in the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa, President Felipe Calderon said Monday.

Reuters - September 29, 2008
Thomas Cook Up On Arcandor Relief; Keeps Condor
LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Shares in Europe's second-biggest travel firm, Thomas Cook (TCG.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), were the biggest FTSE-100 .FTSE riser on Monday after its 53 percent shareholder Arcandor (AROG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said it would not need to sell any of its stake in the group.

Reuters - September 29, 2008
TUI Travel Confident Of Meeting Fy Expectations
LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - TUI Travel (TT.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Europe's biggest travel firm, said on Monday it is confident of meeting its expectations...

USA Today - September 26, 2008
Flier Outrage Forces Airlines To Back Down On Some -- But Not All -- Changes
Continental is reinstating its practice of awarding a minimum 500 miles per flight, but only for elite-level members of its OnePass frequent flier program...

USA Today - September 25, 2008
Delta, Northwest Shareholders Ok Merger Combo Plan
NEW YORK — Delta Air Lines shareholders gave the go-ahead Thursday to the company's purchase of Northwest Airlines by approving the issuance of new stock as part of the transaction.

Reuters - September 25, 2008
Lufthansa CEO Sees Merger Talk Readiness
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHAG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Chief Executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber said there is great willingness to discuss mergers in the airline industry as carriers seek to cut costs, a magazine reported.

msnbc - September 23, 2008
Preview of a Passengers’ Bill of Rights
A passengers' bill of rights recently passed in Canada gives travelers entitlement to a meal after a four-hour delay, a voucher for a hotel after an eight-hour delay and the right to get off a plane after waiting more than 90 minutes.

Reuters - September 23, 2008
Airlines Tougher On Company Travel
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cash-strapped airlines are more aggressively cutting corporate discounts or pulling contracts entirely if businesses fall short of their air travel commitments, business travel executives said on Tuesday.

The Economist - September 23, 2008
Air Canada Drops Its Second-Bag Fee
IN A first for a major North American airline, Air Canada has dropped the C$25 ($24) fee it was levying on passengers checking in a second piece of luggage.

Reuters - September 23, 2008
Car-Rental Firms On Overdrive To Stave Off Crisis
BANGALORE (Reuters) - As falling travel rates and rising fuel prices wallop the U.S. car-rental industry...

The Economist - September 18, 2008
JetBlue's eBay Success
JETBLUE'S recent use of eBay to sell tickets by online auction was a success, says this week’s Economist.

USA Today - September 18, 2008
Five Ways Airline Capacity Cuts Will Affect You
You've probably read about the legacy and low-fare airlines making big "capacity cuts" throughout this year, but you may not know how those cuts will affect you.

The Economist - September 16, 2008
United's $50 Second-Bag Charge
UNITED AIRLINES is to charge economy-class passengers on domestic American flights (plus services to Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands) $50 to check in a second item of baggage.

USA Today - September 12, 2008
Alaska Airlines to Cut 1,000 jobs
Alaska Airlines says it will cut up to 1,000 jobs and reduce flight departures by 15% as record oil prices and a slowing economy take their toll.

Other agencies/airlines that have just tanked:

Seguro (UK) Travel agent
Futura (Spanish) Air line
Alitalia (Italy) National Air line
Ryanair (UK) Discount Air line

USA Today - September 12, 2008
Thousands of Travelers Stranded As Uk Tour Operator Xl Collapses
LONDON — Thousands of British travelers were stranded Friday when the country's third-largest tour operator collapsed under pressure from high fuel prices and a sagging economy.

USA Today - September 11, 2008
Continental: Charging for a First Checked Bag To Net $100M
HOUSTON (AP) — Continental Airlines said it continues to expect that it will carry fewer customers in the U.S. but collect more from them, including more than $100 million a year in fees and savings by charging travelers to check luggage.

USA Today - September 12, 2008
Fewer Flights Could Mean Longer Connection Times
Worried about catching your connecting flight this fall? Airline passengers who connect at four hub airports will gain at least some extra time this fall, at a time when jet fuel prices have resulted in reduced flight schedules.

USA Today - August 30, 2008
As Summer Ends, Fliers Brace For Airline Changes
ATLANTA (AP) — 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.

USA Today - August 29, 2008
Canadian Airline Removes Life Vests To Save Weight, Fuel
TORONTO — An official with Air Canada's regional carrier Jazz says the airline is removing life vests from all its planes to save weight and fuel.

Globe and Mail - August 28, 2008
Zoom Airlines Shuts Down
Zoom Airlines said Thursday that it has halted flights and grounded its planes, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and tempers flaring at airports.

BBC News - August 28, 2008
Zoom Airlines Suspend All Flights
Transatlantic budget carrier Zoom Airlines has suspended all flights and is applying to go into administration.

Associated Press - August 26, 2008
Southwest to Trim 190 Flights This Winter
DALLAS - Southwest Airlines Co., which had resisted the kinds of capacity cuts being made by other carriers, will eliminate nearly 200 flights early next year as it struggles with high fuel costs and a weakening economy.

msnbc - August 26, 2008
Airline Shrinkage To Make Seats Scarce This Fall
As airlines reduce flights and park planes in an attempt to stem losses, passengers this fall could be in line for more inconveniences, fewer options and less service.

YahooNews - August 26, 2008
FAA Says Communication Breakdown Delaying Flights
ATLANTA - 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.

cnbc - August 26, 2008
Union Rejects Boeing's Wage Increase Offer As "Insulting"
Boeing Co. offered its largest workers' union wage increases and other incentives for a new labor contract, but the union called the proposals "insulting" and stepped up its threat to go on strike in early September.

msnbc - August 21, 2008
Cost of flying jumped 7.5 percent in July
NEW YORK - The average cost to fly one mile in the U.S. on a commercial airliner rose 7.5 percent in July compared to the same month last year.

msnbc - August 21, 2008
NWA Flight Attendants To Wear Delta Uniforms
ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc. wants its flight attendants' uniforms, designed by Richard Tyler, to be worn by Northwest Airlines Corp. flight attendants in spring 2009.

Times Online - August 21, 2008
Spanair Pilots Threatened Strike An Hour Before Crash
Pilots at Spanair had threatened to go on strike only an hour before yesterday’s crash.

Bloomberg - August 19, 2008
Mexico's Asur Gains on Bets It Will Bid for Airport
Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB, Mexico's second-largest non-state airport operator, rose the most in a month after antitrust authorities signaled it may be allowed to bid to run a new airport.

Bloomberg - August 18, 2008
Riviera Maya May Be Separate Market
Mexican antitrust chief Eduardo Perez Motta said the beach area known as Riviera Maya is probably a different market from Cancun, a designation that may allow Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB to bid on a planned airport there.

British Airways - August 14, 2008
American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia Sign Joint Business Agreement
FORT WORTH, LONDON and MADRID, August 14, 2008. American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia have signed a joint business agreement on flights between North America and Europe and plan to expand their global cooperation.

Aviation News - August 14, 2008
Moody's: Airport Sector Outlook Revised To Negative
Moody's Investors Service Thursday revised to negative its outlook for the U.S. airport industry, based on the financial instability of the U.S. airlines brought on by a slowing national economy and historically unprecedented fuel price increases.

USA Today - August 14, 2008
Private Planes on TSA's Radar
WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration is planning a massive expansion of aviation security that for the first time will regulate thousands of private planes now flying with no security rules.

Rockford Register Star - August 13, 2008
Rockford flights to Cancun Will Double this Winter
ROCKFORD — Flights from Rockford to Cancun, Mexico, will double this winter.

Globe and Mail Update - August 11, 2008
Ryanair Plan Flies In The Face Of Airline Wisdom
One analyst called Ryanair's plan to reduce fares by an average of 5 per cent even as it predicted a €60-million ($96-million) loss for the year "an unmitigated disaster."

Independent Television News - August 11, 2008
Ryanair Flights Cancelled
Ryanair is cancelling customer flights made through third-party 'screen-scraping'.

Morningstar - August 8, 2008
Mexico Airport Operator OMA July Passenger Traffic Down 4.4%
MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte SAB (OMAB), or OMA, said Friday that passenger traffic at its 13 airports fell 4.4% in July from the year-ago month as airlines continued to cut back on routes and flights.

Aviation Today - August 6, 2008
ASUR Announces Total Passenger Traffic for July 2008 Up 4.6% Year Over Year
MEXICO CITY, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: ASR; BMV: ASUR) (ASUR), today announced that total passenger traffic for July 2008 increased by 4.6% when compared to July 2007.

guardian.co.uk - August 6, 2008
Airline Industry Axes 60m Seats
The global airline industry will fly 60m fewer seats in the run-up to Christmas - equivalent to a 7% cut in flights - as the oil spike and economic downturn force carriers to axe services.

Yahoo News - August 4, 2008
JetBlue Charging $7 For Pillow, Blanket Kit
NEW YORK - JetBlue Airways Corp. said Monday it is now charging customers for pillows and blankets.

The Christian Science Monitor - August 1, 2008
High Gas Prices Boost Bus Travel
After decades of decline, bus travel is on the rise again. But is it right for you?

msnbc - August 1, 2008
Travelers’ Laptops May Be Detained At Border
Washington Post - Under DHS policy, no suspicion of wrongdoing needed to search devices.

The Hearld - August 1, 2008
BA Chief Warns Fares Will Rise As Profits Slump 88%
British Airways warned today that air fares would have to rise after it announced an 88% plunge in pre-tax profits for the first quarter of the financial year.

PUBLIC Media SA - August 1, 2008
TAP Sufferes 136 million Euro Loss
In the first half of 2008, the carrier state suffered losses of 136 million, despite the growth in operating income by 20 percent, to 977 million euros, and the record in terms of number of passengers

USA Today - July 31, 2008
JetBlue Ending Three Dulles Routes, Applies For Cancun Rights
JetBlue will end nonstop service between Washington Dulles and Las Vegas, San Diego and Burbank, Calif., as of Sept. 3. The routes are being dropped as part of JetBlue's long-haul flying reduction that the carrier announced in its earnings report last week.

CTV GlobeMedia - July 31, 2008
WestJet Ratchets Up Rivalry
WestJet Airlines Ltd. will be launching an aggressive campaign tomorrow to promote its ticket values as superior to rival Air Canada's despite fares that are often the same on major routes, intensifying the fight for consumers amid weakening travel demand.

CNNMoney.com - July 30, 2008
WestJet Airlines Sees Travel Demand Tied To Oil Price
Demand for air travel is starting to fall even in the midst of the traditionally busy summer season, officials at WestJet Airlines Ltd. (WJA.T) said Wednesday.

MarketWatch - July 29, 2008
They May Look Retro, But Turboprops Have A Future
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- A couple of years ago, Horizon Airlines decided that fueling jets to fly its passengers short distances was getting outrageously expensive, so they began switching to a fleet of propeller-driven, Bombardier Q400 turboprop planes.

guardian.co.uk - July 28, 2008
British Airways And Iberia To Merge
British Airways and Spain's Iberia are holding talks on a possible merger, the two airlines have said.

guardian.co.uk - July 28, 2008
Ryanair profits plunge 85%
Shares in airlines slumped today as budget carrier Ryanair reported an 85% fall in first-quarter net profit and warned it could plunge into the red for the full year.

AFP - July 28, 2008
U.S. Unveils Online Travel Permit To Enter Force In January
BRUSSELS - People who do not need a visa to fly to the United States will have to answer questions about their health and past crimes under a new electronic system unveiled in Brussels Monday.

It will be needed by people from: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

New Zealand Herald - July 24, 2008
Oil Price Falls And Airline Stocks Take Off
Airline stocks rebounded around the world yesterday after the price of oil fell to a six-week low.

BusinessWeek - July 22, 2008
Hope Amid the Airlines' Red Ink
Continued hemorraghing of red ink today from airlines. Three big ones, United, US Airways and JetBlue, all swung to losses in the second quarter because of high fuel costs.

Canada Press - July 22, 2008
Qantas Boss Predicts Global Airline Industry Consolidation
Higher fuel prices and an agreement on loosening U.S. foreign ownership regulations could lead to a consolidation of the global airline industry into just a few companies, the chief executive of Qantas Airways said Tuesday.

PHOENIX (AP) - July 22, 2008
As Fuel Prices Stay High And Pound Earnings, Airlines' Extra Fees Are Likely Here To Stay
New travel fees mean hundreds of millions of dollars a year for beleaguered airlines, and executives say they need them more than ever as fuel costs continue to suck profits out of the industry.

Aviation.ca - Jul 21, 2008
Sunwing Adds Cancun and Riviera Maya from Sault Ste. Marie
“We pride ourselves on introducing affordable flights and travel options to smaller communities in Canada,” says Daryl McWilliams, the company’s ...

News Journal Online - Jul 21, 2008
Airline Shuts Down, Ends Daytona-To-Bahamas Flights
Another airline has suspended scheduled commercial flights out of Daytona Beach International Airport.

USA Today - Jul 21, 2008
Frontier's Indy-Cancun faces cancellation
From USA TODAY's Airport Check-in column: "Frontier Airlines, which provided Indianapolis International's only year-round non-stop flight to Mexico, will shut down the service on May 31. The Indianapolis-Cancun route was canceled because of rising fuel costs and Frontier's plans to...

Expect Holiday Travel To Get Expensive
This year, with fewer seats available, and many fewer flights each day to some popular leisure destinations, waiting for that fare sale is a gamble. In smaller markets, where the flying cuts are deeper, a big fare sale is less likely.

Want a really, really cheap flight to Mexico? Are you willing to drive to Austin to catch the plane?

If so, check out the new service from Viva Aerobus, a no-frills, low-fare Mexican carrier that begins service from Austin to Monterrey and Cancun on May 1. Some introductory fares will be priced as low as $9.99 each way, which would mean a total of about $55 with fees and taxes.

Austin is the first U.S. city served by the airline, which began service in Mexico in November. Viva Aerobus is competing with other Mexican budget airlines like Aerolitoral and Volaris. But Viva executives have said their target market is people who don't usually fly.

Kiss In-Flight Movies Goodbye
US Airways says it will take out in-flight entertainment systems on domestic flights to save about $10 million annually in fuel and other costs.

Airline Financial Losses in 2008 May Exceed Forecast, IATA Says
The International Air Transport Association may increase its forecast of losses for the airline industry this year amid higher oil prices and weakening demand.

Higher Fares, Fewer Flights; Airlines In The Red
Higher fares, fewer flights and additional fees for most travelers are expected to be the result of a bloody earnings period for airline carriers that started Wednesday when two of the largest -- American and Delta -- each posted losses of more than $1 billion.

Bankruptcies Loom For Airlines - Report
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.