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American Airlines raises checked bag fees

February 21, 2024
If you are flying on American Airlines soon, you may want to pack a little lighter to save a few bucks. The airline has announced it is raising checked bag fees for the first time since 2018. Passengers checking bags at the airport on most flights will now pay $40 for their first checked bag, up from $30. But paying for your first checked bag before you get to the airport will cost $35. Checking a second bag will cost $45, up from $40.

American Airlines said the price bump has to do with fuel prices making the cost of transporting luggage “significantly higher.” Alaska Airlines and JetBlue have also recently increased checked bag prices. According to the Department of Transportation, in the first nine months of 2023, U.S. airlines raked in $5.5 billion in bag fees; American Airlines accounted for $1 billion of that.

Meanwhile for JetBlue, according to a CNBC report, the airline is bumping its luggage prices in an effort to become profitable while keeping airfares lower.

“While we don’t like increasing fees, it’s one step we are taking to get our company back to profitability and cover the increased costs of transporting bags,” JetBlue said. “By adjusting fees for added services that only certain customers use, we can keep base fares low and ensure customer favorites like seatback TVs and high-speed Wi-Fi remain free for everyone.”

American Airlines also announced on Tuesday, Feb. 20, that it is restructuring its frequent flyer miles to drive more traffic to its own website. Rewards for basic economy tickets will only be available to passengers who book through American Airlines. The airline will soon announce a list of third-party travel agencies whose bookings will earn customer rewards.
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JetBlue-Spirit Airlines merger blocked by federal judge

January 17, 2024
A federal judge blocked a merger between JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, Tuesday, Jan. 16. JetBlue planned to acquire Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion. However, U.S. Judge William Young in Boston agreed with the U.S. Justice Department that the deal was anticompetitive and would harm customers.

JetBlue’s lawyers argued against the decision calling it a “misguided” challenge to a merger of the nation’s sixth-and-seventh-largest airlines, which combined would control more than 10 percent of the domestic market dominated by four larger airlines.

The ruling marked a victory for the White House and its efforts to prevent further consolidation of the U.S. airline industry. The decision also puts another recently proposed deal in jeopardy, Alaska Air’s acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.

President Joe Biden called the ruling “a victory for consumers everywhere who want lower prices and more choices.”

The U.S. federal judge who made the ruling found the deal violated U.S. antitrust law and also puts into question Spirit Airline’s future. The ultra-low-cost carrier has struggled to turn a profit in the midst of soaring operating costs and supply chain issues.

Spirit’s shares closed down 47% on Tuesday after the ruling, while JetBlue shares ended up 5% higher.

The airlines can appeal the ruling. In a joint statement, JetBlue and Spirit said they were evaluating “next steps as part of the legal process.”

This isn’t the first time has dealt been dealt a blow on a merger. In May, another Boston judge, Leo Sorokin, sided with the U.S. Justice Department in finding that JetBlue’s U.S. Northeast partnership with American Airlines violated antitrust law.

In response, JetBlue terminated the alliance. American Airlines is still appealing Sorokin’s decision.
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Winter weather delays flights, holiday travel across US

December 26, 2023
Christmas Day created travel chaos for certain travelers. In parts of Nebraska, semis jackknifed, vehicles piled up, and some drivers slid off of the road, Monday, Dec. 25.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) reported responding to at least 100 weather-related incidents.

The NSP urged drivers to only travel if necessary and carry a survival kit in case vehicles get stranded. Authorities also say to stay in the car if waiting for help.

In the upper Midwest, heavy snow, freezing rain and whipping winds are the reason for those words of caution.

Nebraska isn’t the only state feeling the wrath of winter.

Parts of South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming were under blizzard warnings Tuesday, Dec. 26.

Forecasters expect the extreme conditions to get worse in some areas, and they predict up to a foot of snow in south-central South Dakota.

The storm is expected to weaken Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service. However, a “wintry mix” may last until Wednesday across the Plains and upper Midwest.

For travelers looking toward the skies, air travel seems a little more welcoming.

According to Flight Aware, a flight tracking website, just 2,430 flights were delayed and 68 canceled as of Tuesday morning.

Southwest Airlines had the most delays with 663, but just two cancellations.

Flight Aware reported 3,514 total delays and 174 cancellations Monday.

Substantially more flights were delayed or canceled Saturday through Sunday. On Saturday, there were 5,901 delays and 250 cancellations. Sunday, 3,881 flights were delayed and 363 were canceled.

The bulk of delays once again came from Southwest, accounting for 2,690.

A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines blamed most of the delays on fog at Chicago Midway.

This year, airlines have prepared for massive amounts of passengers by hiring thousands of pilots, flight attendants and other workers.

The enhanced hiring efforts are to avoid the delays and cancellations that created a travel nightmare in 2022, most notably, Southwest Airlines stranding more than 2 million people.

Earlier this month, Southwest Airlines reached a $140 million settlement with the federal government for the ordeal.

However, 2023 is proving to be a much better year for airlines. The Department of Transportation is reporting the lowest flight cancellation rat e in five years.

The percentage of flights canceled is at 1.3%, down from 2.3% in 2022, and even lower than pre-pandemic flight cancellations. But the test isn’t over yet, with AAA predicting 115 million people to travel by car or air nationwide by the time New Year’s Day arrives. That number is up 2% from last year.

If traveling by air, experts say travelers should check their flight status before heading to the airport, and check in online to avoid lengthy lines.

For drivers, check the weather, tire pressure and make sure to have a full tank of gas.

Blankets, flashlights and extra winter gear are also suggested, as well as food and water in case of emergencies.
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Southwest Airlines’ $140 million fine includes future travel vouchers

December 18, 2023
Southwest Airlines is facing a $140 million penalty over 2022’s holiday hellscape. The airline’s nationwide meltdown disrupted travel for about two million passengers at the end of December. In all, Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 17,000 flights.

On Monday, Dec. 18, the Department of Transportation announced the record-setting fine, which is roughly 30 times what was previously the department’s largest airline penalty.

“Today’s action sets a new precedent and sends a clear message: if airlines fail their passengers, we will use the full extent of our authority to hold them accountable,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

Part of the $140 million penalty mandates Southwest Airlines set up a $90 million compensation fund. That fund will be used to distribute $75 travel vouchers to future passengers who get to their destination at least three hours late when it is the airline’s fault. The payout is on top of the airline already paying for hotels, food and handling rebooking.

The government said over 2022’s holiday travel, Southwest violated consumer protection laws in three ways:
- Failing to provide adequate customer service assistance
- Failing to provide prompt flight status notifications
- Failing to provide refunds in a prompt and proper manner
Of the $140 million penalty, $35 million is a cash penalty Southwest will pay the government. The rest will go to passengers through the mandated $90 million compensation fund and Rapid Rewards points.

“Southwest is going to be leading the industry, if only because they’ve been ordered to,” Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg said the government is working on a rule that could make direct compensation an industry standard.

The Department of Transportation said Southwest Airlines has already paid more than $600 million in refunds and reimbursements to travelers affected by the notorious holiday meltdown of 2022. Together, the department said this penalty brings Southwest’s total compensation to more than $750 million. Southwest also distributed 25,000 reward points to each passenger affected in 2022.
Beijing court opens hearings for relatives of MH370 passengers

November 28, 2023

A Beijing court held compensation hearings for Chinese relatives of MH370 passengers on Monday, Nov. 27. The flight disappeared in 2014, enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. More than 40 relatives are seeking compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Allianz.

239 people were on board, including 154 Chinese nationals. Everyone on board was declared or presumed dead, and the flight was officially declared an accident by Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation on Jan. 29, 2015.

Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the flight, announced that the court hearings are starting Nov. 27, 2023, and they’re expected to continue into mid-December.

“It has been 10 years that the court finally opened the case, which we think is a relief and a turning point,” Jiang told reporters. “But the deterioration of the living conditions of the families in the past 10 years, and the fact that many of the family members involved have died because of the lack of money to treat their illnesses, that does make us feel very sad.”

https://twitter.com/OliviaSiongCNA/status/1729000747675910620

The court did not disclose case details, but plaintiffs are reportedly seeking up to $11.2 million each.

Malaysian investigators did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft had been deliberately taken off course. Debris believed to be from the MH370 aircraft has washed up along the African coast and on islands in the Indian Ocean in 2015.

Malaysia, China, and Australia concluded a two-year, $135.36 million underwater search in January 2017, yielding no trace of the plane.

The fate of the missing plane and passengers remains unknown after nearly a decade. Similar cases in the United States were dismissed and referred to the Malaysian legal system.
Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot charged with 83 counts of attempted murder

October 24, 2023
Officials have released new information about a scare aboard an Alaska Airlines flight on Sunday, Oct. 22, resulting in an emergency landing. The airline said an off-duty pilot sitting in the jump seat on the plane tried shutting off its engines mid-flight.

According to police and the airline, the suspect, 44-year-old Joseph Emerson, was subdued by the flight crew mid-flight after allegedly attempting to “disrupt the operation of the engines” by pulling the fire extinguishing handles on the engines. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.

“The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident,” an Alaska Airlines statement read. “Engine power was not lost despite the off-duty pilot’s attempt to shut down the engines by engaging the Engine Fire Handle, also known as the fire suppression system.”

Flight 2509, operated by Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, took off from Everett, Washington, and was on its way to San Francisco, where officials said the suspect was scheduled to be on a flight crew of another plane.

According to FlightAware, the plane was in the air for about an hour before landing in Portland at 6:26 p.m. PST on Sunday, Oct. 22.

No passengers or crew members were injured during the incident. The scare garnered the attention of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg who said on “X” that he is grateful for the the way the situation was handled by the flight crew.

I am grateful for the professional flight crew and air traffic controllers who stepped up to guide this plane safely to Portland. FAA supports law enforcement in their response and will be focused on any safety considerations for the future that emerge from investigations. https://t.co/i9IMMfAGY3
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) October 23, 2023

Emerson was arrested by Port of Portland police officers and charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, along with a slew of other charges. Emerson was booked into the Multnomah County jail early Monday morning, Oct. 23.
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2nd Republican primary debate field set: The Morning Rundown, Sept. 26, 2023

September 26, 2023
The second Republican primary debate nears as the field of eligible candidates grows smaller. And some residents in Hawaii are returning home more than a month after the deadly wildfires. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.

7 presidential hopefuls set to take stage for 2^nd GOP primary debate

The field is set for the second GOP presidential primary debate as seven candidates are expected to take the stage, down one from the first debate. The debate is hosted by Fox Business Network and Univision and will take place tomorrow night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson did not reach the polling threshold required to qualify.

Here is who has qualified:
- Doug Burgum, North Dakota governor
- Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor
- Ron DeSantis, Florida governor
- Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor/former UN ambassador
- Mike Pence, former Vice President
- Vivek Ramaswamy, tech entrepreneur
- Tim Scott, South Carolina senator
While former President Donald Trump is still the party’s leading nominee, he will once again skip out on debate night, holding another counterprogramming event. This time he plans on speaking with current and former union workers in Detroit as the United Auto Workers strike nears the two-week mark.

The debate begins at 9 p.m. ET.
President Biden to join autoworkers in Michigan; Ford halts plant construction

President Joe Biden will be in Michigan on Tuesday, Sept. 26 to stand with striking autoworkers. As the UAW begins its second week of a workers’ strike against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, Ford is announcing a pause on construction of a new $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, Michigan until it is confident the factory can be run competitively.

The new facility was first announced in February and is expected to employ an extra 2,500 workers. UAW union president Shawn Fain said Ford’s announced pause on construction is a threat by the company to cut jobs.

Among the issues between the two sides, workers are asking for a 36% raise over four years.

Lahaina residents return home more than one month after wildfires

Some residents in Maui can finally return to their properties in Lahaina after the town was destroyed in the deadly wildfires last month. Authorities opened part of the area on Monday, Sept. 25, nearly seven weeks since Hawaiian residents had to evacuate as the fast-moving flames tore through their communities.

With the unknown reality of the condition of their homes sinking in, Darryl Oliveira the interim administrator for the Maui Emergency Management Agency, said he wanted to make sure residents had space and privacy to reflect.

“I think initially, you know, people are who haven’t been in here since the fire are taken aback by the amount and extent of the destruction. Talking to one property owner, he’s like ‘Darryl, there’s no wood. nothing is here from our home,’” Oliveira said.

At least 97 people died in the wildfires and more than 2,000 homes were destroyed. Officials predict it will take at least a decade to rebuild.

Cuba describes embassy attack as act of terrorism

A man allegedly threw two Molotov cocktails at Cuba’s embassy in Washington, D.C. on Sunday. Both Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla and President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez have denounced the attack as terrorism. U.S. officials have not announced a motive, but did condemn the attack.

Cuba’s president was in attendance at last week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York. Cubans held protests outside the building over his presence in the U.S.

According to a law enforcement source who spoke with CBS News, the two devices thrown at the embassy likely did not explode at all.

8 injured as JetBlue flight experiences ‘sudden severe turbulence’

Seven passengers and one crew member aboard a JetBlue flight had to be taken to the hospital after the plane experienced what the airline called sudden severe turbulence on Monday.

Officials say the flight from Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale suffered turbulence as it neared Florida. After landing safely, the eight people were taken to a hospital to be treated and evaluated.

The severity of their injuries and their conditions have not been released. The National Transportation Safety Board says it has opened an investigation. The airline has taken the plane out of service for inspection.

This incident follows several others this year where passengers were injured during turbulent flights with the latest occurring last month when eleven people on a Delta flight were taken to the hospital.

Creator of nutrition facts label dies at 76

Graphic designer Burkey Belser died on Monday at the age of 76. While you may not be familiar with his name — you see his work every day in your grocery store, pantries, and refrigerators.

Belser was the creator of the nutrition facts label seen on the packaging of nearly every food we purchase. The label was created in 1994 after the passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act.

The Food and Drug Administration reached out to Belser after seeing his other famous work: the black and yellow “Energy Guide Label” found on appliances. Belser was once described by The Washing Post as “the Steve Jobs of information design.”

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Push to limit emissions via carbon removal could cost airlines, travelers

August 11, 2023
In an effort to combat climate change, the U.S. government has launched an initiative aimed at catalyzing the burgeoning carbon removal industry. The Energy Department has recently unveiled a 1.2 billion plan that will attempt to establish a market for removing carbon dioxide already present in the atmosphere, with an initial focus on constructing the first two commercial-scale direct air capture hubs in the nation.

It has been billed by the department as the “world’s largest investment in engineered carbon removal in history.” These two hubs — with one set to be built in Louisiana and the other in Texas — are anticipated to create nearly 5,000 new jobs while simultaneously removing CO2 emissions equivalent to those produced by around 500,000 gas-powered vehicles annually once operational.

“If we deploy this at scale, this technology can help us make serious headway toward our net-zero emissions goals while we are still focused on deploying more clean energy at the same time,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said. “Cutting back on our carbon emissions alone won’t reverse the growing impacts of climate change; we also need to remove the CO2 that we’ve already put in the atmosphere.”

Though the project would be the first to attempt carbon capture at such a large scale, climate scientists view the continued development of carbon removal infrastructure as a pivotal factor in achieving the global warming targets set under the Paris Agreement.

“I believe it is more than likely we will hit 1.5C by the end of the decade. It’s false thinking, that the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] is saying we can manage [to stay below that level] with reducing emissions,” said David King, a former chief scientific adviser within the U.K. government. “The carbon we have put up [in the atmosphere] will have to be removed. It may cost a fortune, but we have to recognise that the alternative is to lose our civilisation.”

The commercial viability of these direct air capture hubs is gaining traction, with experts projecting a potential market value of 1 trillion by the 2030s.

While this government-backed endeavor could result in significant financial gains for commercial carbon capture operations, the same push to limit emissions also has the potential to cost the aviation industry trillions.

As airlines face the prospect of decarbonization, the financial implications loom large, with estimates predicting about 5 trillion of capital investment may be needed. To achieve the industry’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, significant investments must be directed towards sustainable fuel production, a pivot away from the 100 billion gallons of conventional jet kerosene the industry burns annually.

While cleaner biofuels present an environmentally-friendly alternative, they come at a cost — being at least twice as expensive as traditional jet fuel.

“I do not think this is affordable or sustainable, given the size of the industry and its projected growth,” said Volodymyr Bilotkach, associate professor in aviation management at Purdue University and author of The Economics of Airlines.

The transition to cleaner biofuels could result in increased travel fares, fewer available routes and potentially fewer airlines in operation. To mitigate the economic impact, some government relief has been provided through subsidies on biofuels under the Inflation Reduction Act, a move welcomed by airline executives.

However, this federal assistance is not projected to stave off the higher costs of sustainable fuel production from leading to increased charges for travelers. The International Council on Clean Transportation has projected that financing the decarbonization of the aviation industry may necessitate up to a 22% increase in ticket prices by 2050.
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Severe weather leads to canceled flights, United blames FAA: June 28 rundown

June 28, 2023

The CEO of United Airlines called out the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after flights across the country were canceled, and Ford is set to make more job cuts. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Wednesday, June 28, 2023.

United Airlines CEO blames FAA for thousands of flight cancellations

Hundreds of flights have been canceled Wednesday following thousands of cancellations on Tuesday, June 27. In airports across the Northeast, thousands of passengers were waiting for hours to reach their destination. 2,000 flights were canceled and 7,000 flights were delayed on Tuesday as severe storms struck the Northeast.

United Airlines said 150,000 of its customers had been impacted. In a memo to employees, United CEO Scott Kirby slammed the FAA over canceled flights in the Newark region claiming the severe weather is something the FAA has historically been able to manage.

This comes as the FAA faces new scrutiny after a government audit released last week revealed a “critical shortage” of employees in air traffic control facilities. The audit claims the staffing issue poses a risk to flight operations with a busy summer travel season approaching.

Chicago, Detroit ranked worst air quality in world due to wildfire smoke

The National Weather Service warned more smoke from the Canadian wildfires will likely move into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic Wednesday, potentially impacting more flight schedules across the region. Chicago and Detroit ranked as having the worst air quality in the world Tuesday due to the wildfire smoke looming over the city.

More than 80 million Americans from the Midwest to the East Coast were under air quality alerts Wednesday. Canada is seeing its worst fire season on record with hundreds of wildfires burning out of control.

U.S. to house migrant children at former boarding school

The Biden administration plans on housing up to 800 unaccompanied migrant children at a repurposed boarding school in Greensboro, North Carolina. The former American Hebrew Academy will house boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 17 who entered U.S. border custody without their parents or legal guardians. The 800 available beds will make the former boarding school the government’s largest active housing facility for unaccompanied minors.

Another facility in Texas currently has the capacity to house up to 500 additional migrant children. However, the Department of Health and Human Services has tried to reduce the use of the facility following reports of substandard conditions and child depression.

Spacey sex assault trial gets underway

Actor Kevin Spacey’s sexual assault trial began Wednesday. The two-time Oscar winner is charged with sexually assaulting four men between 2001 and 2013 while he was the artistic director of London’s Old Vic theater.

The trial is expected to last four weeks. If convicted, Spacey could face prison time. If he is acquitted, it could lead to a revival of an acting career that’s largely been on ice since the allegations surfaced.

“There are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment i am cleared of these charges,” Spacey said in an interview with a German magazine earlier in June. He added that the media has turned him into a monster.

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett dead after apparent drowning

Former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, who went on to have a seven-year career in the NFL, died Tuesday in an apparent drowning incident at a Florida beach. Mallet’s sudden passing has stunned the NFL community, who offered an outpouring of support for the former New England Patriots backup quarterback. .

Mallet also played for the Houston Texans, where he made his first career touchdown pass to defensive end J.J. Watt. Mallet was most recently the head football coach at White Hall High School in his home state of Arkansas. He was 35 years old.

Ford to cut another 1,000 jobs in EV push

Ford plans to lay off at least 1,000 salaried employees and contract workers in North America. The move is the latest effort to cut company costs in order to better afford their new focus on electric vehicles.

A chunk of the layoffs will be white-collar jobs, including hundreds of engineers in the U.S. and Canada. Ford has made several rounds of global layoffs over the past year, nixing 3,000 jobs in the U.S. in the summer of 2022 and conducting an even larger layoff in Europe earlier in 2023.

Volvo to adopt Tesla’s charge port

Another automaker has announced it will start using Tesla’s charging standard port in its electric cars starting in 2025. Volvo is joining Ford, General Motors, and Rivian in using Tesla’s technology so drivers can use Tesla’s broad charging network across North America.
DOT proposes rules to make airlines compensate stranded passengers

May 8, 2023

The Biden administration is proposing new regulations that would require airlines to compensate customers with amenities such as hotel stays and provide free food in cases where flights are delayed or canceled. The aim is to pressure airlines to improve their customer service, particularly for instances of preventable flight delays.

The move comes following widespread disruptions in the airline industry last summer and chaotic travel during the Christmas season. More than 45,000 flights were canceled between June 1 and Aug. 31, while Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 17,000 flights in December.

This has all spurred the Department of Transportation to recommend these new rules that would, for the first time, require airlines to pay compensation beyond just a ticket refund. An April report from the congressional Government Accountability Office blamed airlines for many of these cancellations.

“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “This rule would, for the first time in U.S. history, propose to require airlines to compensate passengers and cover expenses.”

The White House and the Department of Transportation are expected to release a full list of recommendations soon, which lawmakers in Congress will then weigh in on. Senate Republicans have been resistant to stricter airline regulations in the past, indicating after the Southwest holiday season meltdown that the mass cancellations may not lead to bipartisan legislation from Congress.

“Instead of rushing to regulate prices and how many drink coupons you can get, the Biden Department of Transportation should instead let the flying public vote with their feet,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who is a ranking member on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

The renewed discussion over delay and cancellation compensation proposals is happening as major airlines are struggling to keep not only customers satisfied, but also their own employees content.

Unionized pilots working for American and Southwest have initiated plans for a possible strike if their contract negotiations fall through, while United Airlines pilots plan to picket over their workers’ contracts the week of May 7.

These incidents have put the airline industry under the spotlight and motivated the Department of Transportation to take corrective action, particularly ahead of a this year’s anticipated busy summer travel season.