May 14, 2010

Ash Cloud Clears, Sparing Europe During Holiday Rush

Volcanic ash that’s disrupted air travel in Europe for almost a month is clearing as the eruption in Iceland loses power and winds change course, keeping airports open at the start of one the region’s busiest travel periods. Read more

BA strike update: Your rights over travel disruption

Members plan to walk out for four separate five-day strikes. The first will begin on 18 May, ending on 22 May, with further strikes planned for 24-28 May and on 30 May to 3 June - taking in the UK bank holiday. Read more

Pilots threaten strike against Spirit Airlines

Pilots for Spirit Airlines say they will strike on June 12 if they don't get a new contract with the discount carrier. The declaration Wednesday came after the pilots' union turned down binding arbitration to settle the dispute, setting in motion a 30-day countdown to the moment when pilots could legally strike under federal law. Read more

Delta jumps into shuttle war to compete with American, United for LaGuardia passengers at O'Hare

A battle on one of the busiest and most lucrative domestic airline routes -- 0'Hare to New York's LaGuardia airport -- is about to heat up. Starting June 14, Delta Air Lines, the world's largest carrier, will shift all its New York-Chicago service from Midway Airport to O'Hare and introduce a branded Delta Shuttle to LaGuardia with 11 daily flights in each direction. Read more

Airlines expect stronger summer travel season

U.S. airlines expect to fly 2.2 million passengers per day globally this summer, slightly more than last year, an industry trade group said on Wednesday. The Air Transport Association said carriers expect to fly about 202 million passengers between June 1 and August 1 with international travel expected to strongly outpace domestic flying. Read more

Frontier Airlines to let small pets in the cabin for a fee

Frontier Airlines says it will let customers carry small pets on board, but it will cost more than some of the fares that Frontier charges its two-legged passengers. The airline said Wednesday it would let passengers bring along their small dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters or small birds for $75 each way. Read more

Which hotel fees annoy you most? Readers sound off on parking, wi-fi and other fees
Travelers wrote in venting about everything from parking fees to cabana fees to a fee for a room safe that they'd never even used. If you don't see your No. 1 pick for most annoying hotel fee on the list below, tell us about it in a comment.

Why It Costs Twice as Much to Fly Half as Far
The economics behind transportation are generally pretty straightforward — unless you're talking about air travel, of course, in which case it often costs passengers twice as much to fly half as far. The Avenger digs into the fuzzy math.

Consultancy Assesses Frequent-Flier Programs' Value
Not all airline frequent-flier programs are created equal, a survey from consultancy IdeaWorks and travel-software firm ezRez says. In February and March, the companies made 6,160 booking queries at airlines' frequent-flier websites. They entered 10 long-haul routes and 10 cities less than 2,500 miles apart to diversify their findings.

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