US Airways Raising Bag Fees

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.

... because of obese person next to him

(NEWSER) - Another dismal travel tale from the world of packed airplanes: A US Airways passenger flying from Anchorage to Philadelphia had to stand for nearly all of the seven-hour flight, reports the consumer advocacy blog Elliott.org . The problem? The airline booked a late-boarding passenger who weighed in the neighborhood of 400 pounds without requiring that he buy a second seat. More»

Feds approve flights, but restrictions remain

(NEWSER) - Americans can now legally hop a plane in Key West and skip over to Cuba: The US government has given the green light to Key West International Airport to run charter flights to the communist state 90 miles away, reports the Huffington Post . Restrictions do remain: Havana-bound flights are limited to a max of 10 passengers—whereas Fort Lauderdale can fly up to 150 passengers—and citizens must still be authorized by the feds before embarking on their Cuban jaunt. More»

At least for an overweight international bag on some airlines

(NEWSER) - How crazy have airline baggage fees gotten? Well, checking an overweight (that's a 71- to 100-pound) bag will now cost you a whopping $400 on most Continental Airlines international flights. And Continental isn’t alone either, according to a survey of major carriers by USA Today ; United Airlines also charges $400 for such a bag on any flights to other continents, and American Airlines charges $450 if that bag is headed to Asia. More»

He also had to forfeit his driver's license and passport

(NEWSER) - A Utah man may have gotten us that much closer to peanuts being banned on planes. Pogos Paul Sefilian is accused of throwing peanuts and pretzels at crew during a flight, and is now prohibited from flying on commercial airlines, reports Connect2Utah . He also allegedly refused to put away an electronic cigarette, opened overhead bins, and physically threatened flight attendants just before landing. He was arrested, had his driver's license and passport taken away, and will now be forced to wear a GPS tracking device. Of the verdict, Sefilian's lawyer says, "I thought it was reasonable." More»