Brian Sumers

U.S. airline strikes are extremely rare because of government regulations designed to prevent them. For that reason, there's no guarantee Frontier's pilots will receive the permission they seek. But remember the last major U.S. pilot strike? It was in 2010, at Spirit Airlines, when it was controlled by Indigo Partners. The same private equity firm now owns Frontier.

Ryanair might have lost a step last year when a pilot scheduling problem forced it to cancel thousands of flights. But the airline seems to have its swagger back.

Look for airline ticket prices to increase if fuel prices don't fall soon. Passengers may not like it, but what other business doesn't try to recoup increased production costs from consumers?

On the one hand, airlines are improving the flying experience — at least for business class — so much that passengers want to take a piece home with them. On the other, blanket theft is bad for the bottom line. We're pretty sure carriers don't have this problem in coach.

What? You thought investment analysts would grill Allegiant Air executives on safety lapses detailed last week on U.S. television news? Clearly you don't know analysts well. Allegiant is solidly profitable, and given its unique model, it should stay that way. That's important to investors.

For a small, all-coach, low-cost startup based in New York, a Long Beach, California, focus city made sense. But times change, and Long Beach hasn't worked out as well as expected. It's no surprise JetBlue is ready to shrink there.

Why can't business class passengers have nice things? Here's one problem: When airlines upgrade their amenities, passengers often steal them.

Yes, there's some innovation on display at the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. But mostly, the three-day show is about networking and building relationships.

The information presented Sunday on 60 Minutes might be new to most travelers, but not to airline industry insiders. The question now: Is Allegiant getting better? We think the answer is yes.

United's first quarter earnings call was uneventful. For an airline that has had more than its share of drama over the past four years, that's a good thing.