JetBlue emerged as the winner in a bidding war with Frontier to acquire Spirit, the nation’s biggest budget airline. But the deal could still face a challenge from federal antitrust regulators.
Union officials have pointed to a 2020-2021 increase in incidents involving unruly passengers as demonstrating the need to give cabin crews more rest between shifts.
The new rule is intended help consumers save money up front and encourage more competition among airlines to offer better fares.
The disclosures would cover any fees for passengers to sit with their children, to change or cancel a flight, and to bring checked or carry-on bags.
Bryan Bedford, CEO of Indianapolis-based Republic, said he was disappointed but not surprised by the FAA’s decision. He said the agency didn’t give the airline’s request the review that it deserved.
Business travelers generally pay higher fares, so the absence of so many of them has an outsized impact on airline revenue and profit.
Starting Thursday, travelers will be able to check the dashboard and see what kinds of guarantees, refunds or compensation the major domestic airlines offer in case of flight delays or cancellations.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been sparring with the airlines since late spring over high numbers of canceled and delayed flights.
American becomes the second U.S. customer for Boom after a similar announcement last year from United Airlines for 15 of the proposed planes, called the Overture.
Before celebrating by splurging on a fancy trip, travelers should be aware that July’s average ticket was still 27.7% higher than in July of last year.
The proposed rule announced Wednesday would require airlines to give refunds if their departure or arrival time changes by three hours or more for a domestic flight or at least six hours for an international one.
The agreement would create the nation’s fifth-largest airline, with a fleet of 458 aircraft.
Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines agreed Wednesday to abandon their merger proposal, opening the way for JetBlue Airways to acquire Spirit after a months-long bidding war for the budget carrier.
Strong demand for travel is giving U.S. airlines a financial boost as the industry battles through reduced flight schedules, higher fuel and labor costs, and concerns about the effects inflation could have on consumer spending, airlines officials said this week.
At issue is a competing bid for Spirit from another budget airline, JetBlue, which is offering about $1 billion more for Spirit.
In the U.S., the rate of cancellations over the last two weeks is up 59% from the same period in 2019, before the pandemic, likely due to a combination of weather, staffing shortages and air-traffic issues.
More than 2,800 flights within, into or out of the United States were delayed as of Saturday afternoon, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Airlines that have stumbled badly over the last two holidays face their biggest test yet of whether they can handle big crowds when July Fourth travelers mob the nation’s airports this weekend.
Pandemic-era problems that hobbled the national air system as it struggled to regain footing last summer have not abated, despite pledges from airline executives of a renewed focus on reliability.
Criticism of the government agency could serve as a pre-emptive defense in case airlines again suffer thousands of canceled and delayed flights over the holiday weekend.
