Travelers have long desired low-cost flights connecting Europe and the U.S. One emerging European carrier is making this
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Ryanair
Simple Secret to America’s Most Loved Companies
There’s nothing complicated about the results of a new study: Consumers prefer brands featuring products, services, pricing, and other policies that they can actually understand.
How to Make Airline Tickets Less … Awful
A consumer group is calling for more reasonable airline ticket policies, including eliminating standby fees and allowing passengers to transfer unused tickets to other travelers — neither of which would cost airlines a dime. But don’t hold your breath waiting for airlines to suddenly start caring about being fair and reasonable.
Cheap Flights to Europe Take Off: Flights Under $500 Round Trip, Fees Included
Travelers who recall the ’90s heyday of sub-$300 round trips to Europe (taxes included) haven’t been happy in recent years, when a $1,000 flight began looking like a decent price. Their moods may improve now that one of Europe’s largest low-cost carriers is expanding in a big way, with new routes and inexpensive prices that could upend …
Air Travel by the Pound and Other Odd Airline Pricing Schemes
After tiny upstart carrier Samoa Air announced it would start charging passengers based on how much they weigh, travelers reacted by calling the pricing model wacky, impractical, even discriminatory. But it’s only one of several weird, possibly unwelcomed ways that flights might be priced down the line.
American Airlines: Forget About Fees, These Are ‘Enhancements’
Struggling American Airlines, which has been forced to enter bankruptcy protection and recently suffered high-profile black eyes such as seats coming loose on planes in mid-flight, is hoping that customers will like the idea of paying more fees upfront—so that they won’t have to pay these fees down the line.
New Low for Flying? Standing-Room-Only Flights Possible
The term jet-setter is still applied to travelers heading to chic, exciting places. But by now, after years of enduring countless fees, painfully long airport waits and humiliation by way of clothing removal and body scans, travelers should know that the era when flying equated to glamour is long gone.
As Airline Fees Top $36 Billion, Is Relief in Sight for Fee-Weary Travelers?
A new study estimates that airlines around the globe will charge $36.1 billion in fees for things like checked luggage, seat reservations, and in-flight meals this year. That’s an all-time high, and an 11% increase over the 2011 total.
Coming Soon? Airline Tickets That Cost Extra After You Purchase Them
It’s become common for airlines to add fuel surcharges onto flight prices. Passengers pay these mandatory charges when they book tickets, which is sometimes months before they fly. During the time between purchase and travel, …
Airline Introduces Perk Passengers Actually Want — And It’s Free
JetBlue is responding to the popular sentiment of passengers by introducing free Internet service on aircraft starting in early 2013
That’s Some Quirky Marketing Strategy: CEO Calls His Customers ‘Idiots’
Michael O’Leary, the CEO of the fee-happy European airline Ryanair, isn’t scared of a little controversy. In fact, he seems to actively welcome it, periodically making outrageous statements (“The best thing you can do with environmentalists is shoot them”) and announcing possible new money-makers for the airline such as in-flight porn …
Uh-Oh! Fee-Crazed Airlines Are the Most Profitable
Apparently, plenty of travelers aren’t turned off by airlines that charge extra for everything from paying for flights with a credit card to $3 bottles of water on board the plane. Lately, the most profitable carriers in the U.S. …