Plane Trips Grow Longer

Sorry, says FAA: don't expect airlines to cut on crowded routes

(NEWSER) - With fuel prices soaring into the skies, fewer airplanes will be following suit, but don't think that translates to less time on the tarmac. Airlines' cutbacks will ground planes, but mostly on less-traveled routes to smaller cities, the New York Times reports. The congestion at LAX and JFK isn't likely to improve, despite new FAA regulations. More»

Major airports see traffic fall 9%

(NEWSER) - With fewer travelers taking to the skies, airline delays have dropped significantly compared to recent years, USA Today reports. Delays topping two hours fell by more than a quarter this year from 2008 and 2007 levels, while traffic at big hubs has dropped 9% compared to last year. Traffic at airports hardest hit by airline restructuring, like Pittsburgh and St. Louis, has sunk some two-thirds. More»

There are some things passengers can do to take control of their airport fates

(NEWSER) - With customer complaints up 60% and operational performance at an all-time low, it's not a good time for the airline industry—or its passengers. CNN offers these tips to fractious fliers:

1. Research, research, research: Check out airline performance at FlightStats.com or FlightAware.com before buying your ticket, book a flight during an airport’s least congested times (midday or late night).

More than 26% of all domestic flights were late or canceled

(NEWSER) - It's now official: 2007 was an awful year for airline delays—the worst since the record delays of 2000. More than 26% of domestic flights were delayed or canceled, due to huge demand and a growing swarm of small planes gobbling up runway space, reports the AP. The airline with the best record was Hawaii's Aloha Airlines, with a 93% on-time arrival rate. More»

Online agencies accuse search firm of abusing its power

(NEWSER) - Online travel agents like Expedia and Orbitz complain that Google's new flight search tool is unfairly squeezing them out of business. Searches like "NY to LA" now produce a Google chart of airfares, with links directly to airlines, that appear above the results for middlemen. The travel sites accuse Google of abusing its power in an effort to grab itself a big piece of the $110 billion online travel market, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»