Plane Angry: Fliers Blast Lying Late Stats

Passengers snap up $10 seats but extras add up fast

(NEWSER) - Budget-conscious flyers have snapped up seats on Skybus Airlines from Columbus, Ohio, to 11 cities, with $10 tickets selling out on each new route hours after they go on sale. The Los Angeles Times tests the Skybus experience, where everything costs extra, from pillows to pretzels. The plane, a new Airbus A319, gets high marks, but cost-cutting applies to leg room, too, with 2 inches less per seat than on other airlines. More»

Low-cost Virgin America is billionaire Branson's domestic US entry

(NEWSER) - Highlighting the difficulties of the US domestic market, inclement weather delayed today's first flight of Virgin America, the airline backed by impish British billionaire Richard Branson. The airline, which aims to provide first-class amenities at budget-friendly fares, operates from its San Francisco hub to Los Angeles and New York's JFK airport, where rain dampened Branson's parade. More»

Several major airlines lay groundwork for in-flight service next year

(NEWSER) - Several major airlines plan to roll out in-flight Internet service next year, USA Today reports. Carriers have been promising in-flight surfing for years, and now American, Lufthansa, Qantas, and Southwest are working with tech companies to deliver the midair surfing. The travel slump following 9/11 delayed the introduction of the service, which may not be widely available until 2009. More»

Airlines ramp up discounts in promotional offers

(NEWSER) - The latest airfare deals aren't online or at travel agencies—they're targeted promotional fares, being emailed and tweeted to customers who sign up to receive them or who enroll in frequent-flier programs. These under-the-radar offers, an inexpensive form of advertising increasingly popular with recession-battered airlines, range from 10% discounts to buy-one-get-one-free ticket deals, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

(NEWSER) - This could set off an interesting price war: JetBlue today began selling a $599 pass for all the flights you can handle between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8, reports Bloomberg. The idea is to try to keep their planes full once the peak summer season winds down. The offer's good for all 56 cities served by the airline, which has seen a 4.6% dropoff in traffic of late. More»