Late last week, when legislators took a vacation from vacation to hammer out a deal that put FAA employees back to work and millions of tax dollars back into federal coffers, a number of you expressed skepticism about predictions that airlines would lower their fares to where they were before the FAA lost its authority to collect taxes. But it looks like all the major airlines have now rolled back their prices over the last two days. [More]
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Will Airlines Roll Back Fare Hikes Now That The FAA Can Collect Taxes Again?
By 8.5.11
Immediately after a standoff in Congress left the FAA without the authority to collect taxes on airfares, almost every major airline moved to jack up their ticket prices. But now that the shutdown has ended — at least temporarily — will the airlines respond by lowering prices to where they were before? [More]
Legislators Take Break From Vacation, Hammer Out Deal To Get FAA Back To Work
By 8.4.11
After nearly two weeks of a partial Federal Aviation Administration shutdown that has left 4,000 employees without pay and kept millions of dollars in taxes from being collected, Democrats and Republicans have come up with some sort of deal that could get the agency back up and working as early as tomorrow. [More]
Senate Unable To End FAA Shutdown; Inspectors Working Without Pay
By 8.3.11
Around 4,000 Federal Aviation Administration staffers remain on unpaid furlough this morning and dozens of airport inspectors have been asked to continue working without pay while their employer loses out on millions of tax dollars it lacks authority to collect, after the Senate was unable to end the stalemate behind the FAA’s partial shutdown. [More]
Delta And US Airways Will Refund "Taxes" Collected During FAA Shutdown
By 8.2.11
Delta was the first airline to start giving out refunds for the extra money they’ve been scalping from passengers while the FAA remains shut down. After the airline made the announcement Monday, US Airways on Tuesday said they would follow suit. [More]
Airlines Not Passing On Savings Of Not Having To Pay FAA Taxes
By 7.26.11
When Congress failed Friday to extend a bill that would have kept the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) running, they handed airlines a $25 million a day gift. Without the extension, the FAA doesn’t have the authority to collect taxes. But rather than pass on the savings, nearly all airlines actually raised fares to about the same amount as the federal taxes. Most consumers won’t notice because prices are the same, even though it’s effectively a price hike. [More]
Delta, Continental, Others Jack Up Fares After Federal Tax Takes Vacation
By 7.25.11
As we reported last week, the inability for Congress to come to terms on a bill that would extend the FAA’s operating authority means that airlines are not currently charging federal taxes on airfares. But if you’re not seeing any difference in the final price of your ticket, that’s because most airlines have increased their fares since Saturday. [More]
Potential FAA Shutdown Could Mean Tax-Free Airfares For Travelers
By 7.22.11
Unless Congress can hammer out their issues over extending the FAA’s operating authority by midnight tonight, 4,000 agency employees will be temporarily out of a job, but travelers will be able to but airline tickets without paying federal taxes. [More]
Air Traffic Controller Suspended For Watching Movie Instead Of Radar
By 4.19.11
The FAA may have enacted changes intended to keep air traffic controllers from falling asleep on the job, but there is still the problem of those conscious controllers who aren’t doing the job they were hired to do — like the one in Ohio who was just exiled from the control tower for watching a movie instead of the radar screen. [More]
Another Day, Another Air Traffic Controller Asleep On The Job
By 4.14.11
The Air Traffic Controller Sleeping Epidemic of 2011 continues. Yet another worker responsible for keeping planes from crashing into one another has fallen asleep on the job, with the FAA investigating yet again. [More]
2nd Air Traffic Controller Could Be Fired For Snoozing On The Job
By 4.7.11
The second air traffic controller in a month could lose his job for catching some z’s up in the tower. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told Congress that the controller was “found intentionally sleeping.” What defines “intentional sleeping?” He had cushions and a blanket, meaning he brought materials to work with him to help him sleep. [More]
Check Out Your Airline's Safety Records Online Before You Fly
By 4.6.11
Are you tired of waiting for those scary headlines to hit detailing safety failures to find out about an airline’s safety records? For those spooked by Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 forced to make an emergency landing when a hole torn open in its fuselage mid-flight, there are a few things you can do to check things out before booking and boarding. [More]
FAA Calls For Mandatory Inspection Of Older Boeing 737s
By 4.5.11
Following this past weekend’s incident in which a Southwest Airlines jet suddenly got a sunroof when a hole opened up in the plane’s fuselage and the subsequent finding of problematic cracking on at least three other Southwest jets, the FAA is set to require inspections of around 175 older Boeing 737s. [More]
FAA Orders O2 Masks Removed From Airplane Bathrooms
By 3.11.11
Airlines are removing the emergency oxygen generators from airplane bathrooms by order of FAA directive, reports KPRC. The concern is that someone could go in there, rip the supply out, and rig it into an explosive device. [More]
Tarmac Regulations May Be Extended To Cover International Flights
By 2.14.11
Less than a year after the Dept. of Transportation introduced controversial regulations limiting the amount of time planes making domestic flights can sit on airport tarmacs, the agency is planning to expand those rules to cover overseas carriers that use American airports. [More]
FAA Missing Info On 119,000 Planes
By 12.10.10
The FAA says its records are in such disarray that its afraid that criminals could buy planes “without the government’s knowledge” or use the registration numbers of other planes. The agency has ordered all aircraft owners to re-register. [More]
Actor Josh Duhamel Kicked Off Flight For Refusing To Turn Off Blackberry
By 12.8.10
Actor Josh Duhamel, who plays Captain William Lennox in the Transformers series, was kicked off a flight last week after he refused to stop texting on his Blackberry while it was taxiing. The Air Wisconsin plane was forced to return to the gate and disgorge the actor. Now he says he’s learned his lesson. [More]
