Bill wrote to us from the airport. He was frustrated. He was there, suitcase packed and ready to flee Philly earlier than scheduled. The airline had plenty of flights and plenty of seats, but they wouldn’t give him one of them without charging a $75 change fee. Why? Because they said so. [More]
U.S. Airways
Man Gets 15 Months In Jail For Plane Hoax, Has To Write 38 Apology Letters To Passengers
By 4.22.13
Just in case you ever need a really good reason not to call in a fake bomb threat to an airplane, look no farther than the incident last year where armed agents swarmed a tarmac at Philadelphia International Airport, arrested one guy on the U.S. Airways flight and freaked out a whole bunch of travelers: Turns out the call was made by another man, jealous of a Facebook photo of his girlfriend that the other man had posted. He’s in big trouble now. [More]
American Airlines Formally Files To Exit Bankruptcy So It Can Finally Marry US Airways
By 4.16.13
You know that feeling like you just can’t wait to get married, so that you can finally become the world’s largest airline, but there’s this whole bankruptcy thing in your way? Probably that’s not something you’ve been worrying about, but it has been on the mind of American Airlines’ parent company, AMR Corp. It filed formal plans to exit bankruptcy, bringing it one step closer to walking down the aisle with US Airways. [More]
Judge Tells Outgoing American Airlines CEO He’s Not Getting $20 Million Payout
By 4.12.13
A couple weeks back, the federal bankruptcy judge overseeing American Airlines’ attempts to get back to profitability approved the carrier’s merger with US Airways but held off on giving approval to a proposed $19.9 million payout to American CEO Tim Horton, who will be out of a job if the merger goes through. Last night, the judge finally got around to ruling on that matter, and it was probably a sad evening in the Horton house. [More]
Virgin America Soars Above The Rest In Annual Airline Survey While United Sinks To The Bottom
By 4.8.13
Every day, airlines shuttle passengers from here to there, through friendly (and not so friendly) skies, ferrying bags and losing luggage and touching down at airports all around the country. Some of those airlines are consistently a cut above the rest, while others just can’t seem to do anything right. According to this year’s Airline Quality Rating Survey, Virgin America is the cream of the crop while United Airlines is a long, long way from the top. [More]
Bankruptcy Court Signs Off On US Airways/American Merger, But Not On $20 Million Payout To Outgoing CEO
By 3.28.13
Yet another hurdle in the race to the altar for American Airlines and US Airways has been cleared, with the bankruptcy court giving its blessing on the matter, but reserving judgment on a proposed $19.9 million payout to outgoing CEO Tom Horton. [More]
Just Because You’re Wearing Epaulets & An Air France T-Shirt Doesn’t Mean You’re A Real Pilot
By 3.22.13
Ugh, this guy is gonna ruin wearing Air France T-shirts and black leather jackets with epaulets for everybody: Pilots on a U.S. Airways flight were pretty sure a French man wearing the aforementioned ensemble wasn’t a pilot when he plunked down in a cockpit seat. Good catch, everyone. [More]
Consumer Advocates To Senators: American Airlines & US Airways Merger Would Hurt Fliers
By 3.19.13
Today American Airlines and its betrothed, US Airways had to defend their proposed merger in front of a Senate hearing and several consumer advocates. Citing higher fares, reduced service to smaller communities in the U.S. and a loss of competition among carriers, opponents of the impending nuptials testified at a Judiciary Committee hearing that such a joint venture would hurt consumers. [More]
American Airlines Trustee Looks At $20 Million Payout To Outgoing CEO, Says There’s Some Explaining To Do
By 3.18.13
Though so much of the news about American Airlines has been about its impending nuptials to more financially stable suitor US Airways, let’s not forget that the airline is still clawing its way out of bankruptcy protection. Which is why the trustee put in charge of this process thinks someone should have to explain why outgoing the American CEO is being rewarded to the tune of $19.9 million. [More]
American Airlines & U.S. Airways Announce They’re Finally Getting Hitched
By 2.14.13
After spending years as just friends, American Airlines and U.S. Airways are taking their relationship to the next level with the official announcement today (Valentine’s Day, no less) that they’re merging. The heads of both say it’s been a long time coming but that now they’re ready to take the plunge and become the world’s No. 1 airline. [More]
US Airways Charges $75 To Change My Ticket To Incorrect Flight, Won’t Talk To Me About It
By 2.13.13
Consumerist reader Ryan would really like to talk to someone at US Airways about a mix-up at the ticket counter that cost him $75 and delayed his travel time by a few hours, but getting an airline rep on the phone has been a trial. [More]
It Sounds Like American Airlines & U.S. Airways Are Totally Heading Toward The Altar
By 2.7.13
According to a flurry of media reports in the Dallas area, it sounds like American Airlines and US Airways are finishing up a few last-minute details while deciding whether or not they want to stop flirtin and just ahead and tie the knot with a merger. If the union does go through, the combined entity would be the biggest airline in the skies. It’s all very romantic, really (except when someone else’s wedding is involved). [More]
US Airways Already Asked American To Get Married Back In April
By 1.15.13
While we’ve all been waiting, handkerchiefs at the ready, for the scene in which US Airways gets down on bended knee and asks poor, down-on-its-luck American Airlines for its hand in marriage, comes a report that the whole scene apparently went down — unsuccessfully — back in April 2012. [More]
List Of Companies With Worst Customer Service Scores Is Full Of Familiar Names
By 1.8.13 — Updated: 3.19.13
Bank of America, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Delta, Charter, American Airlines — these are just a few of the all-too-familiar companies sitting comfortably in the back of the pack in terms of customer service for 2012. [More]
Spirit Airlines Flight Bumps Up Against Parked US Airways Plane On Its Way To The Gate
By 1.2.13
Can you still call it a fender-bender if there are no fenders involved, and instead it’s two giant skybirds (you might know them as airplanes) having a run-in in the runway?** Or is it just a quick clip? In any case, no one was hurt and since the Spirit Airlines flight had just landed when it ran into a parked US Airways plane, passengers likely didn’t have to suffer a huge delay. [More]
‘Passenger Of Size’ Policies For The Largest Domestic Airlines
By 11.8.12 — Updated: 11.17.12
For passengers who don’t easily fit into the narrow seats on most commercial jets, it helps to know in advance what each carrier’s policies. [More]
Whether This Nor’Easter Will Be Awful Or Not, Airlines Are Canceling Flights Because Of It
By 11.7.12
It’s heading for the East Coast, but whether or not the predicted nor’easter will pummel residents or simply blow by, airlines aren’t taking any chances. United and Delta have already canceled 650 flights total in preparation for the weather blitz, and it’s likely not going to end there, as many people already devastated by Sandy brace for Mother Nature’s newest challenge. [More]
Relief In Sight For Sandy’s Stranded Passengers As JFK & Newark Reopen For Some Flights
By 10.31.12
Call her a hurricane or call her a superstorm, but weather phenomenon Sandy is responsible for either stranding a lot of passengers away from home or keeping them from their destinations elsewhere. There’s some relief in sight after three days of flight cancellations, as two New York-area airports, John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty, have reopened for some flights. [More]
