Southwest Airlines travel tips

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Saturday it is investigating a near collision between a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 and a Cessna Citation business jet in San Diego, the latest in a series of troubling U.S. aviation incidents.

Airlines have new bragging rights ahead of the busy summer travel season.  For the third year in a row, Southwest Airlines was ranked as the top airline for customer satisfaction for economy or basic economy, according to JD Power's 2024 North America Airline Satisfaction Study published on Wednesday.

Southwest Airlines is introducing new enhancements to its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, offering members greater flexibility and value when it comes to booking flights and hotels. 

Southwest Airlines has rolled out a tempting new deal for its Rapid Rewards loyalty program members, offering an up-to-50 percent discount on the purchase of points through its latest rewards sale.

American Airlines said Friday it would reduce some of its international routes during the second half of the year and early into 2025 because of ongoing Boeing 787 Dreamliner delays. 

Southwest Airlines is pulling out of four airports as it deals with Boeing delays.

Southwest flight attendants ratified a new four-year contract that will offer them a 22.3% raise, the Transport Workers Union announced Wednesday. 

Plenty of metrics can be used to rank the best airlines, from safety measures to customer satisfaction ratings and how their fleet and crew does at getting passengers to their destinations on time. But which airlines are the most comfortable for passengers? According to a new study from WalletHub, there’s a tie between two U.S. airlines: Both Delta and JetBlue earned the honors for being the most comfortable airlines.

When you’re looking for flights, you’re probably most loyal to the airline that you have status with or that has a hub in your city—most often, they’re one in the same. Or, you’re looking for the best flight deals, which should be a little bit easier to come by this spring as flight costs are down 7% year-over-year. But safety, comfort, and other factors are also top of mind when it comes to booking flights, and a new study from WalletHub, a personal finance company, took those considerations and other metrics into consideration to determine the best U.S. airlines of 2024.

Flight attendants at Allegiant Airlines have agreed to a “game-changer” new labor deal. The breakthrough will see 1,700 crew members receive immediate wage increases. 

Around a dozen United Airlines flight attendants picketed outside LaGuardia Airport on Thursday, demanding better pay and working conditions. 

Boarding a plane can be a frustrating travel experience. The lines are long, and it’s almost always slowed down by passengers storing their carry-ons in the overhead bins. 

Yet another Boeing aircraft has encountered mechanical issues while flying passengers, this time on a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver to Houston in the morning of April 7. 

Leading up to April 8, cities in the eclipse’s path of totality prepare for an influx of tourists. But, even with some extra traffic for airports and airlines, operations likely won’t look too different.

The acquisition of SAFFiRE comes shortly after Southwest announced an investment in LanzaJet, a SAF technology provider and producer with a patented ethanol-to-SAF technology and the world’s first ethanol-to-SAF commercial plant.

United Airlines appointed Estee Lauder executive Michelle Freyre to its board of directors Monday, making her the second woman to join the carrier’s board this year. 

United Airlines is offering pilots unpaid time off in May due to delivery delays with Boeing aircraft, the airline confirmed Monday. 

Southwest Airlines has acquired a startup that makes renewable ethanol, which can be used to make jet fuel. 

Has Southwest Airlines lost its way? One of its biggest long-time advocates seems to think so.

Southwest Airlines announced the return of its Companion Pass promotion. 

As part of its Nonstop to Net Zero effort, Southwest Airlines is signing on to a project that's been dubbed the Hawaii Seaglider Initiative.A new mode of transportation designed to combine the speed of an aircraft with the “relatively lower cost of a boat to reduce the time and cost” of transporting travelers, seagliders are all-electric, zero-emission vessels. They operate exclusively over water and can move at up to 180 miles-per-hour, which dramatically reduces travel time. Seagliders function by floating on their hull before transitioning to “wave-tolerant underwater hydrofoils” and then take flight at ultra-low altitudes about 30- to 60-feet above the surface of the water. The vessels are being designed by Rhode Island based manufacturer REGENT.The Hawaii Seaglider Initiative (HSI) was first announced in January and includes a broad coalition of partners. Some of the high-profile corporate and community partners supporting the effort include AES Hawaiʻi, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaii Building & Constructions Trades Council, Hawaiʻi Lodging and Tourism Association, Japan Airlines, Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, Mokulele Airlines, Molokaʻi Chamber of Commerce, Polynesian Adventure, and United Airlines.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, March 13. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.