Airlines, Airline Fees | featured news

Southwest Airlines, known for open seating and boarding passengers in bunches, announced this week that fliers can buy a priority spot in boarding group "A" for $40 per flight. Southwest will put unsold slots in the A1-15 boarding group up for sale, when available, at the gate beginning 45 minutes before departure. Passengers will then be able to use a credit card to buy an early boarding spot. The airline tested the program in San Diego in December and received positive feedback.

Just four days into the new year, United Airlines launched the first attempted airfare increase of 2013. The move is in line with travel experts' predictions that fliers, in general, will face a tougher atmosphere this year.

Southwest Airlines customers will soon pay a fee for not canceling a ticket before their flight. The airline outlined the new policy Friday at an investors' conference in New York. Right now, Southwest lets passengers who don't use their ticket apply the price toward a new ticket. Southwest says it can reduce no-shows and generate more revenue by adding the cancellation fee on restricted tickets.

If the sting of paying to board early, check a bag or enjoy a few extra inches of legroom has gotten a bit sharper lately, you’re not alone. According to a new report, the world’s airlines will earn an estimated $36.1 billion in ancillary revenues this year.

A $10 priority-boarding fee here, a $25 checked-bag fee there; pretty soon, you’re talking real money. $22.6 billion, in fact. According to the annual Amadeus Review of Ancillary Revenue Results released Monday, that’s how much ancillary revenue 50 airlines around the world reported making in 2011, a 66-percent jump from the $13.5 billion that the 47 airlines that reported such income made in 2009.

Airlines are charging premiums for window and aisle seats, making it harder for groups to fly together, say passenger advocates.

While the nation's airlines continue to blame higher fuel costs for cutting into profits, the industry continues to pocket hefty revenue from fees.

U.S. airlines collected $3.4 billion in bag fees last year. The 24 percent increase from 2009 shows how the airlines are increasingly reliant on charging for once-free services to make money....

Delta Air Lines says it's sorry "for any miscommunication" after U.S. Army soldiers returning from Afghanistan complained that they were charged almost $3,000 in bag fees by the carrier.

United Continental Holdings Inc., the world's biggest airline
company, scrapped its 2011 growth plans on Monday and said it will
cut unprofitable routes because of rising fuel prices.