So, that plane floating in the Hudson near the Intrepid, it’s U.S. Airways flight 1549. Nobody is really sure why the plane is floating in the Hudson, but CBS speculates that “a bird strike may have caused the plane to go down, meaning a bird may have entered the engine, causing a malfunction.” The flight carrying 148 passengers and 5 crew members was destined for Charlotte, North Carolina. Everyone is reported to have survived, and a photo uploaded to Twitter shows people evacuating the A320 onto the plane’s wings and inflatable rafts. The AP reports that New York City firefighters are on the way to pluck the passengers out of the river.
U.S. Airways
US Airways Doesn't Know Why They're Charging You $25, Doesn't Care
By 1.12.09
Reader Alex says that U.S. Airways charged him a $25 fee that they can’t explain — and are unwilling to remove. If he doesn’t like the mystery fee, he says, he was told to do a chargeback.
What Next? US Airways Gets Rid Of Clothes Hangers?
By 1.7.09
Justin Wolfers, from the Freakonomics blog, has noticed something troubling on US Airways. The clothes hangers are gone from First Class.
US Airways Says $15 First Checked Bag Fee Is A Huge Success
By 12.2.08
US Airways CEO Doug “OK To Drive” Parker says that US Airways new $15 fee for the first checked bag is a huge success. It’s caused a 20% drop in checked luggage — which has improved baggage handling performance — all while adding revenue during a tough time for airlines.
US Airways Loses Your 83-Year-Old Mother
By 11.19.08
It’s bad enough when they lose your luggage, but what do you do when the airline loses your 83-year-old mother? File a claim? Poor Vera Kuemmel had to answer this very question as she waited in vain at the baggage claim of the Tampa airport.
US Airways To Charge $7 For Pillows And Blankets
By 11.4.08
US Airways is planning on copying JetBlue and start charging $7 for pillows and blankets. This is how we’re going to save the airline industry, with fees for not being cold? No wonder they’re in a tail-spin. [NYT] (Photo: Presidente)
US Airways Saving Money Because Nobody Is Buying Their Drinks?
By 9.19.08
US Airways says that their decision to start charging for water, coffee and soft drinks is working — because no one is buying them.
U.S. Airways: Abandoning Passengers "Is Not A Compensation Issue"
By 8.31.08
“In order to ensure that all carriers remain focused on safety, aviation regulations do not require airlines to pay compensation for consequential expenses because of delayed or canceled flights.”
Top 3 Most and Least "Fee Crazy" Airlines
By 8.27.08
Airline fees are a controversial topic these days, so we look a look at the fees that airlines were charging and picked the top 3 most and least “fee crazy” airlines. Avoiding fees is hard, so why not try to avoid the airlines that charge them instead?
U.S. Airways Boots 274 Stranded Passengers From Caribbean Airport, Refuses To Pay For Hotels
By 8.16.08
Armed guards ordered 274 stranded passengers out of the Punta Cana airport with no place to go after bad weather forced U.S. Airways to cancel its flight from the Dominican Republic to Philadelphia. Several passengers ended up sleeping in a bus after the airline responded to Tropical Storm Fay by asking passengers to pick up their luggage and get lost.
4 New Airline Fees And How To Get Around Them
By 8.6.08
Travel expert to the stars Christopher Elliott has a new column that explains 4 new or grotesquely inflated airline fees and some ways to get around them…
Poll: Is It Immoral For US Airways To Charge For Drinking Water?
By 8.5.08
Between the TSA ban on liquids and US Airways $2 fee for bottled water, if you want a drink, you’re probably going to pay for it. It may be annoying, but is it also wrong?
Attention World: A US Airways Plane Is Just A "Flying Vending Machine"
By 8.4.08
When US Airways announced that they would no longer be offering complimentary beverages in coach, we wondered how long it would take before other airlines ditched the free stuff. So far, none have, and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), has denounced the move, calling US Airways planes “flying vending machines.”
The Ultimate "Rule 240" List
By 7.28.08
Some airlines still call it “Rule 240” and others a “contract of carriage” but no matter what the name, it still means the same thing: power to the traveler. But which airlines still use it and how much does it protect a traveler?
Oil! Airlines Issue Open Letter Asking You To Help Them Lobby Congress
By 7.10.08
In a letter signed by 12 CEOs, the US air travel industry has called upon you, their customers, to help them lobby congress. What’s the problem that they need help solving? Oil speculation. Read the letter inside.
US Airways Dumps In-Flight Movies, Not Enough Passengers Buying $5 Headsets
By 7.9.08
Too many passengers were bringing their own headsets, so US Airways has discontinued in-flight movies. US Airways had been hoping to switch from their heavy 500lb movie system to lightweight fiber optic personal systems, but that plan has also been axed. New US Airways planes will be delivered with no entertainment system.
How to Avoid Airline Baggage Fees
By 6.24.08
The bad news is that because of high fuel costs, United Airlines and US Airways will be following American Airlines in charging a $15 first-bag fee. The even worse news is that most of the remaining airlines will probably follow suit with the exception Southwest who locked in their fuel prices several years ago. Since the airlines are attempting to cash in on baggage fees, SmartMoney offers some tips on how to avoid them. The tips, inside…
U.S. Airways Refunds $2200 Tickets For Recently Unemployed Man
By 6.23.08
Travel expert Christopher Elliott says US Airways refunded a couple $2200 on a pair of nonrefundable tickets to Ireland after the wife wrote to the COO and explained their situation. They tried Expedia first and were refused, and although they had travel insurance it wouldn’t cover unemployment. The wife, Jennifer Bush, says the US Airways rep who responded to their plea “told me that they all felt for my situation and decided to refund the amount of the airfare.”
