Airline News

European and U.S. airlines years ago underestimated the threat posed by short-haul discount airlines. Since then legacy carriers have treated transatlantic low-cost airlines as serious competitors. But there's reason to believe the low-cost model may not be as appropriate for longer routes. Legacy carriers might be OK this time.

Nothing refocuses airline executives like rising fuel prices. If they continue to creep up, expect airlines to cancel more marginal routes.

Does the average traveler care whether a U.S. airline CEO made $7 million or $13 million last year? It's highly doubtful. Passengers want to fly a well-run, on-time airline with friendly customer service. How much money the CEO makes is probably immaterial to most customers.

You probably can't blame airlines for delivering a poor in-flight Wi-Fi experience. As United's chief digital officer Linda Jojo says, it's likely impossible for any provider to give passengers a consistent ground-like experience. People forget sometimes they're traveling more than 500 miles at hour, at more than 30,000 feet.

This week in aviation, when it comes to online travel agencies, some carriers figure they'll join 'em, not beat 'em. We'll see if the airlines get the direct bookings they seek.

The State Department just closed the books on the last long-running airline-related diplomatic saga in Washington — Open Skies agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Now, apparently, the government is turning its attention to a feud with Russia about so-called overflight rights.

We'd love to see major airlines be more proactive when they owe compensation to customers required by European law. When they make a mistake, they should fess up.

Sun Country wants it both ways. It wants to add fees and reduce legroom for some passengers. But it also wants to keep the brand equity it earned when it was a full-service airline. Can this strategy work?

American Airlines is tapping into secondary European markets with new routes to destinations that are growing increasingly popular with travelers, such as Iceland, Budapest, and Prague.

Ryanair is the great white shark of the airline world. It knows which airlines are bleeding cash and it is in the mood to feast.