U.S.Airlines travel tips

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, March 8. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Surprisingly, since the pandemic, Delta Air Lines hasn’t always been the most profitable U.S. airline. 

During United’s second-quarter earnings call on Thursday, chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella declared that low-margin rivals have “largely run their course.” 

Frontier Airlines is the cheapest carrier in the United States, despite its history of upselling customers for things like bags and seat selection.

There’s nothing more annoying than waiting at the airport for a delayed flight, and that’s more likely to happen with some airlines than others.

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.

Coming home from a recent trip, I had the opportunity to transit through the brand-new Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport, located outside the increasingly popular Mexican Caribbean destination of Tulum in the state of Quintana Roo. 

Spirit Airlines said on Monday that it would delay delivery of new Airbus planes and furlough pilots to save money as it seeks to overcome several setbacks, including a blocked merger, engine problems and a lackluster recovery from the pandemic.

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

Although a federal judge dashed his hopes for a merger with JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines’ chief commercial officer still believes that more airline consolidation will come.

The Department of Transportation is reviewing how the 10 largest U.S. airlines handle, use and collect passengers’ personal information. 

Travelers flying on Alaska Airlines have access to the best Wi-Fi in the skies in the United States, according to a new study.

JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines announced the companies have agreed to terminate their July 2022 merger agreement.

One hurdle has been cleared in Hawaiian Airlines’ attempt to merge with Alaska Airlines.

It’s been a rough few years for Spirit Airlines. 

For frequent flyers the varying amount of legroom on airplanes can be difficult to navigate.  A recent study analyzed the amount of available legroom on varying airlines’ most popular routes, and ranked them in order of most legroom to least legroom. The clear winner was JetBlue while Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines tied in 7th place, according to the study from Upgraded Points.  The full ranking for the airline seat legroom is:

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a much-anticipated merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, but experts say that’s good news for travelers.

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the proposed $3.8 billion merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, the first major U.S. airline merger to be rejected in 20 years. 

Longtime JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes will retire, the airline announced Monday, and will be succeeded by airline president Joanna Geraghty.

Hawaiian Airlines shareholders will vote in February on Alaska Airlines’ proposed $1.9 billion takeover of the carrier.

Delta Air Lines said it plans to hire far fewer pilots in 2024 than in recent years, signaling a potential end to the airline industry’s post-pandemic hiring surge. 

From lost baggage to late refunds, passenger complaints against airlines skyrocketed earlier this year.