As Revenue Declines, Southwest Mulls New Airline Fees

A Portuguese airline will be soon be making its way to North America with new routes to three major cities next year.

With weather disruptions and constant delays upending the conversation about air travel this summer, it’s actually not all bad news. Many carriers are working to improve what they offer as they invest in new aircraft, lounges and amenities, a welcome change following the pandemic years.

Back to school is just around the corner and Spirit Airlines is making that transition a bit easier by helping students, parents, and teachers alike plan for their first school year vacation with a $40 flight sale.

Southwest Airlines will significantly reduce midweek flying capacity next year, becoming the latest airline to do so.

The world’s fastest growing sport is becoming a year-round hobby for many. Pickleball, the tennis ping pong hybrid sweeping the nation, has made its impact on New York City this year, with outdoor courts across the boroughs, including in popular landmarks including Union Square and Central Park.

Vegas has come a long way, baby. No longer a Mecca for gambling and other less licit activities, the city has become synonymous with family fun, world-class dining, and big-name entertainment.

Tickets go on sale today from a brand-new airline.

Basic economy fares may be sweeping through the industry, but one airline says it’s staying out.

There’s no shortage of new airlines servicing North America right now: Norwegian, WOW, Primera, XL Airways, Level, Flair, and Joon have recently sprung up or expanded. But none of these new carriers is based in the U.S.

I just returned from a holiday-weekend stay at the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas. Predictably, there was nickel-and-diming aplenty, beginning with the hotel’s nasty, indefensible resort fee of $29 a night, for rooms that featured neither a mini-fridge (better to drive guests to eat at one of the hotel’s 13 restaurants) nor a coffee maker (better to drive guests to caffeinate at one of the hotel’s three Starbucks).

If New York has its way, the popular accommodations-sharing company Airbnb will be toast.

I worked for the airline industry for close to 20 years, in the 80’s and 90’s, and during that time I can recall only one instance of a fellow airline employee breaking the law. That was American CEO Bob Crandall’s ill-fated attempt, in 1982, to persuade his counterpart at Braniff to collude on price hikes. No doubt other airline workers were breaking other laws during that period, but their transgressions never rose to the level of media interest or coverage. The airline business felt like a pretty law-abiding place.