Airline News

Spirit Airlines is taking delivery of new aircraft, so this is an easy time for the airline to add more comfortable seats. The big question is will the airline pay to retrofit older jets to new standards? That's an expensive proposition, but it would show the airline is paying attention to passenger desires.

Want to keep your summer storm delays to a minimum? Try to fly between the largest cities and book flights on the biggest aircraft. It's not a foolproof plan, but it helps. Airlines prioritize certain flights, and it helps to know what they are.

This week in aviation, we took a tech glitch from British Airways and analyzed why the broader industry encounters these so often. Then we have stories on Delta's data breach and its dispute between pilots and management over desirable transatlantic routes.

At your typical U.S. airline, a minor dispute between a labor union and management is not unusual. But Delta has a lot fewer of these skirmishes than its competitors.

Thanks to the wellness movement, both airlines and airports are upping their healthy offerings, and not just for elite travelers. Whether or not the meditation apps and relaxation suites they're increasingly offering is actually making a difference, though, is up for debate.

The loss of Avianca Brasil won't be huge for the Star Alliance, but for some regional travelers throughout Brazil, its demise will certainly make connections inconvenient.

A British Airways hiccup earlier this month was merely the latest tech outage at a number of airlines. Why does the industry suffer from so many glitches? Experts point to some deeper reasons beyond the commonly heard "old tech" explanation.

Sabre had tried the unorthodox legal tactic of pursuing its $360 million acquisition of Farelogix, an airline tech vendor, without waiting for approval from U.S. antitrust watchdogs. But it apparently didn't count on federal attorneys claiming they have text messages between Sabre executives acknowledging the anti-competitive nature of the deal.

People think airlines don't listen to customers. But they do, especially when revenue is at stake. American's most lucrative customers fly in first class, and when they're not happy, it's a problem. We're not surprised American is changing course on its short-haul first class product.

This week in aviation, United cracks down on pilots' alcohol consumption, Cathay sees complications from the Hong Kong protests, and we take a close look at competition in the European short-haul market.