Following news that the Department of Justice opened an investigation into alleged collusion between major airlines to keep ticket prices high, it was only a matter of time before consumers began filing lawsuit against the major U.S. carriers. [More]
southwest airlines
United Airlines Invests In Alternative Fuel Company, Plans To Use Biofuel In Trips This Summer
By 6.30.15
Last year, Southwest Airlines announced it would start using biofuels created from forest remnants to power some flights beginning in 2016. Today, United Airlines raised the stakes in the alternative jet fuel game, announcing plans to fly a plane this summer using fuel generated from farm waste and oils derived from animal fats, while also investing millions of dollars in other alternative fuel processes. [More]
All Major U.S. Airlines Offer Free Cancellations Within 24 Hours, Except One
By 6.29.15
Update: In March 2016, American announced that it was phasing out the hold option and transitioning to the 24-hour cancellation window option.
Even the most prepared traveler occasionally has to change their itinerary for unforeseen circumstances. While dealing with airlines to make a simple change can be both a test of your patience and a drain on your bank account, if you catch the issue soon enough you might save hundreds of dollars in change fees. That’s thanks, in part, to Department of Transportation rules that allow a ticket to be held at the same price for 24 hours before purchase or canceled within 24 hours after purchase — most of the time. [More]
Delta, Southwest Flights Nearly Collide On Chicago Runway, FAA Investigating
By 6.18.15
The Federal Aviation Administration opened an investigation into a near collision between two planes taking off from Chicago’s Midway Airport at the same time earlier this week. [More]
Southwest Airlines Extends Fare Sale Due To Ongoing Website Issues
By 6.4.15
This week, Southwest Airlines had a sale on tickets that was popular. Extremely popular. It was so popular that aspiring passengers couldn’t get through to the company’s website or phone lines, and many wished that the sale could be extended for an extra day to make up for forcing customers to hit “refresh” repeatedly. [More]
Demand For Southwest Airlines Sale Fares Overwhelms Website
By 6.3.15
It’s probably not surprising that when Southwest Airlines announced a summer sale with one-way fares as cheap as $49, travelers were delighted. They were so delighted that they’ve overwhelmed the carrier’s site, making it difficult for customers to book new flights, or to print their boarding passes for travel that’s planned for, um, now. [More]
Delta, Southwest Revamping Boarding Processes To Keep Flights On Time This Summer
By 6.2.15
When heading out for a long-awaited summer vacation, most people don’t want to waste valuable time waiting in an airplane’s aisle while other people jam their bags in the crowded overhead bins, or playing a round of musical chairs so a family can sit together on the upcoming flight. In an effort to ensure travelers don’t miss time sunning themselves on the beach, two airlines are revamping their boarding processes. [More]
Report: Airlines Get A Lot Of Hate On Social Media, Especially The Big Ones
By 6.1.15
As often as we use social media to proclaim our likes and loves, just as often we air grievances to our friends and the world — including complaints about the companies we do business with. When it comes to talking about airlines on social media, a new report says it’s a negative arena, especially when it comes to the largest carriers. [More]
What Are The Best And Worst Airlines For Using Rewards Travel?
By 5.14.15
So you’ve racked up a bunch of frequent flier miles or loyalty points or whatever your preferred airline calls them, but can you actually use those rewards to book free travel when you want? For some U.S.-based carriers, the answer ranges from “almost definitely” to “good luck.” [More]
Southwest Airlines Passenger Says Flight Crew Wouldn’t Let Her Make Emergency Call To Husband Before He Died
By 5.13.15
In what can only be described as a tragic turn of events, a Wisconsin woman says that after she received a troubling text from her husband while on board a Southwest Airlines flight about to take off, she was told she couldn’t call him. When she arrived home, police informed her that her husband had taken his own life. [More]
Southwest Airlines Sued Over Death Of Passenger
By 4.21.15
The widow of a California man who died hours after experiencing a medical emergency onboard a Southwest Airlines flight last year filed a lawsuit against the airline claiming the crew members failed to provide adequate medical attention after the man collapsed in the plane’s lavatory. [More]
Southwest Airlines Passenger Removed From Flight After Allegedly Poking Snoring Guy With A Pen
By 4.17.15
Sometimes the only way to put a stop to snoring, that involuntary yet endlessly annoying to others activity, is for the snorer to wake the heck up. But one Southwest Airlines passenger is accused of crossing the boundary between a polite tap and roaming into the land where rudeness to your fellow traveler — snoring loudly or no — means getting booted off your flight. [More]
Southwest Bucks The Trend, Plans To Actually Widen Seats On New Planes
By 4.14.15
Flying on a Southwest Airlines flight in 2016 might be a bit more comfortable for some customers used to cramped spaces: The airline unveiled a new seating structure for its upcoming planes that gives consumers an extra half-inch of seat width. [More]
Southwest Airlines Surprises Bride-To-Be With Airport Wedding Shower
By 4.2.15
Last November, Southwest Airlines played host to a wedding on a flight from Nashville to Dallas. The company continued its foray into all things matrimonial this week when it surprised one passenger with a wedding shower. [More]
FAA Once Again Fines Southwest Airlines For Maintenance Related Violations
By 4.1.15
For the second time in the last 12 months, Southwest Airlines is facing another fine from the Federal Aviation Administration because of safety issues; this time totaling $328,550. [More]
Southwest Airlines Kicks Passenger Off Flight For “Broad F****ing City” T-Shirt
By 3.24.15
For those unfamiliar with the Comedy Central show Broad City, the two main characters are a pair of unapologetically potty-mouthed friends with a penchant for using colorful language to describe any and all situations. But in showing his fandom with a T-shirt bearing the word “F***ing” between “Broad” and “City,” a Southwest Airlines passenger was reportedly kicked off his flight after refusing to cover up during an unscheduled stopover. [More]
Southwest Says Man Didn’t Show Up For Flight, Cancels Ticket While He’s On The Plane
By 3.9.15
When a passenger doesn’t show up for the first leg of their flight, airlines typically cancel the trip at the cost of the traveler. That seems to have been the case for a Michigan man, who says that when Southwest Airlines canceled his ticket for being a no-show, he was on the very flight the airline accused him of missing [More]
Southwest Gets OK To Continue Flying 128 Planes That Missed Inspections
By 2.25.15
Yesterday afternoon, Southwest Airlines had to cancel dozens of flights after learning that one-fifth of its entire fleet was overdue for a necessary maintenance check. The airline was to have grounded 128 planes pending inspection, but has reached a deal with the Federal Aviation Administration that will allow those jets to continue flying. [More]
