Delta Slammed for Transatlantic 'Ghost Flights'

(NEWSER) - Delta has emerged from bankruptcy, riding an aggressive restructuring plan to exit Chapter 11 a year ahead of schedule. The No. 3 domestic airline, which staved off a hostile takeover bid from US Airways this year, used court-enforced protections to secure cuts to wages and pension programs as it shored up high-profit international routes and restructured its fleet. More»

Aims to shave jet fuel costs in unprecedented deal

(NEWSER) - Delta Air Lines is pocketing a Pennsylvania oil refinery in an industry-first move to clip its ever-burgeoning jet fuel costs, which soared to $12 billion last year. The $150 million deal—about the cost of a new jetliner, notes Reuters —is set to satisfy 80% of the airline's US fuel needs, while simultaneously saving it $300 million a year. Delta will also sink $100 million into upgrades at the idled ConocoPhillips plant in Trainer, Pa., so that it can better refine jet fuel. More»

US Airways, Delta in the running

(NEWSER) - Fellow airlines and a private-equity firm are considering buying American Airlines' parent company, which filed for bankruptcy just months ago . Though AMR has struggled in recent years—American hasn't turned a profit since 2007—its decades-old airline holds the No. 3 position among US carriers by traffic. A merger with Delta or US Airways would further shrink the number of major national airlines: There are currently just five, about a third of the number that existed some 20 years ago, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Policy changed after returning troops stung with excess charges

(NEWSER) - Delta, facing a firestorm of bad publicity after hitting soldiers returning from Afghanistan with excess baggage charges , is changing its policy on military baggage. Military personnel traveling on orders will now be able to check four bags free of charge, according to the airline's blog . A YouTube video of a group of soldiers complaining about being charged $200 for a fourth bag received more than 200,000 hits yesterday. More»

He films it all on his phone

(NEWSER) - Ever had to sit on the tarmac waiting for your plane to take off for three hours? Sucks right? Now imagine you’re in Arizona on a hundred-degree day and there’s no air conditioning on the plane. That’s what happened to Tony Morales on Sunday at Sky Harbor Airport, and he retaliated by filming the entire thing on his phone video camera, Fox 10 in Phoenix reports. More»