As Fuel Soars, Airlines Clip Regional Flights

Falling price of oil fails to make up for slump in demand

(NEWSER) - A steep slide in passengers has airline execs reaching for the panic button, reports the Wall Street Journal. Airlines had banked on the drastic drop in oil prices more than making up for falling demand caused by the recession, but the decline—especially in first and business class—has been much steeper than expected, trashing airline revenue plans for the year. More»

Too pricey to keep 'flying tankers' in the air

(NEWSER) - Super-long flights were hailed as the future of aviation only a few years ago, but the soaring price of fuel has grounded those plans, reports the Wall Street Journal. Airlines are delaying or canceling intercontinental routes as the cost of keeping "flying tankers" in the air for over 12 hours stops making economic sense. More»

Airlines plan to ax 10% of flights, 100 cities

(NEWSER) - Travelers will start to feel the full force of airline moves to grapple with rising fuel costs by Labor Day, as 10% of flights will be cut, a dip that will downsize the industry to post-9/11 levels, the New York Times reports. The reductions could push fares up by 40% over the next 4 years, on top of 17% hikes in the cost of tickets already this year. Some 100 smaller cities will also lose service. More»

'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»

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.