JetBlue Teams With Irish Airline

'Unintended Consequence' fee intended to chide transportation department

(NEWSER) - Spirit Airlines is angry over a new Department of Transportation rule—and it's making sure customers know it, by slapping a $2 "Department of Transportation Unintended Consequence Fee" on all tickets. The new rule, which went into effect last week, requires airlines to give customers a full refund, without additional fees, if the customer requests one within 24 hours of booking a flight, USA Today explains. More»

If you look like you snooze, you lose in Dublin

(NEWSER) - Irish welfare officials aren't asleep at the switch—and they've got a wake-up call for their clients. Dubliners have been a bit too chill when they turn up to collect their welfare checks, so the agency is banning pajamas in the office. "Pajamas are not regarded as appropriate attire when attending Community Welfare Service at these offices," says a new standards-setting sign posted at the agency, reports the BBC . The increasing use of pajamas as daywear is alarming officials throughout Ireland, who have begun to ban PJs at Irish schools and shops. Even the US is going to the mattresses over the issue—a Louisiana legislator is proposing making wearing jammies in a public a crime. But Slate doesn't get the hate. More»

Find tickets, new flights, even lounges

(NEWSER) - Every air traveler armed with a smartphone should load up on these five apps, says the Travel section of USA Today:

• SkyScanner (Free): This app will hunt down the best price for your ticket. It scans not only all of the airlines' websites but all of the online travel agencies (Expedia, Priceline) as well.
• Next Flight ($2.99): Yeah, it's relatively pricey, but worth the cost when needed. If your flight is canceled or delayed, or you just plain miss it, the app provides a list of all available flights from all carriers over the next two days. If none are there, it searches for hotels and car rentals.
• Priority Pass (Free): This app supplies a list of all the lounges at your airport. You can look through photos and amenities before deciding whether to shell out money for a pass.

Soaring fuel prices have made small planes least profitable for airlines

(NEWSER) - The big airlines may be pampering their first-class passengers more than ever , especially on international routes, but around the United States, small-plane service to small cities is increasingly getting the ax, reports the AP . Over the past two years, the big airlines have cut service entirely to 27 US cities, and more shutdowns are coming. "I don't know if they really care about (passengers) in the small markets," says one frequent flyer based in Pierre, South Dakota, where Delta is set to cancel service in mid-January. More»

Airlines chasing big spenders with luxurious perks

(NEWSER) - It's enough to make a cramped coach passenger cry: US airlines are going after big spenders by making life in first class an ever-more pampered affair. The AP rounds up some of the upgrades: flat-screen TVs, seats that fold into beds, upscale meals served on china, and personal attention that includes phone calls about flight delays and escorts from the airport curb to the front of security lines. (International airlines go even further, with Lufthansa, for instance, providing dedicated immigration officers and chauffeurs.) More»