Airline Eyes Charging for Toilets

(NEWSER) - The budget-airline boss who's thinking about charging passengers to use the bathrooms on his planes wants you to know that he doesn't feel a bit bad about it. If you expect to be coddled, Michael O'Leary tells the New York Times, Ryanair's not for you. O'Leary—famed for his rudeness and his readiness to tack on every possible extra charge to keep ticket prices low—is just about the only airline CEO who has anything to boast about these days: Ryanair expects passenger numbers to jump from 58 million to 68 million this year while rival airlines flounder. More»

Discount carriers forced to dump discounts or go bust

(NEWSER) - Rock-bottom airfares are going the way of the zeppelin as fuel prices continue their climb into the stratosphere, the New York Times reports. Some budget carriers have gone bust. Others have hiked fares and begun to woo more business travelers, blurring the line between big carriers and discount operations. Southwest and JetBlue have ditched their caps on fares, with JetBlue doubling its one-way cross-country fare to as much as $599. More»

Carrier joins American; industry passing oil costs to consumer

(AP) - United Airlines will follow rival American Airlines in charging $15 for a first checked bag. The new fee was announced today, 3 weeks after American set the precedent. United says the fee affects customers who buy tickets beginning tomorrow for domestic flights Aug. 18 or later. More»

Hong Kong airline becomes 4th carrier to go bust this month

(NEWSER) - Thousands of passengers have been stranded in Hong Kong, London, and Vancouver with the collapse of Asian budget airline Oasis, the New York Times reports. In a sign that the industry's woes are spreading rapidly, the Hong Kong-based airline joins three US budget carriers to have gone under this month in the face of soaring fuel prices and economic jitters. More»

Soaring fuel prices mean airline fees, shakeups here to stay

(NEWSER) - The days of discounts and perks on major US airlines have disappeared from the horizon, possibly forever, Marketwatch writes. The stratospheric fuel prices that caused three airlines to shut down last week alone are forcing airlines to boost their bottom lines any way they can. Capacity is being cut back and charges for things like second bags are spreading through the industry. More»