Delta admits strike threat cost millions
Delta admits strike threat cost millions — Delta Air Lines Inc. asked a bankruptcy judge Tuesday to approve its agreement with pilots for about $280 million in annual contract concessions and acknowledged for the first time that the threat of a pilots strike had cost the carrier millions of dollars per week. (AP)
Airlines try smarter boarding — Several major airlines are working to develop more efficient ways to board an aircraft, using computer simulations to come up with mathematically proven — if counterintuitive — boarding models with names like the “rotating zone system” and the “reverse pyramid.” (Wired News)
Cruise and schmooze — Companies have traditionally favored hotels and resorts when they wanted to reward top-performing sales representatives, giving them vacations in sunny places like Arizona, Florida and Hawaii. But for the last decade, the cruise industry has been campaigning hard for some of that business. (The New York Times)
A helping hand-held for flight attendants — By mid-June, according to American Airlines, its more than 2,200 daily domestic and international flights will be equipped with wireless hand-held devices to enable flight attendants to process major credit and debit cards. (The New York Times)
ExpressJet profit rises on demand — ExpressJet Holdings Inc., which provides regional jet service for Continental Airlines, on Wednesday said quarterly profit edged higher as it flew more flights amid a resurgence in air travel. The feeder airline said first-quarter profit rose to $23.8 million, or 40 cents a share, from $23.3 million, or 39 cents a share, a year earlier. (Reuters)
Hawaiian Airlines loses $12.3 million in first quarter — Hawaiian Holdings Inc., the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, reported a net loss of $12.3 million for the first three months of this year. The local airline’s operating revenue increased 11 percent to $210 million in the quarter primarily due to increase in load factor and tighter operational budget. (Pacific Business News)
United likely to raise fares, cut jobs in wake of loss — United Airlines on Monday warned of higher airfares and more layoffs as it issued its first financial results since exiting Chapter 11 — a $306 million quarterly loss excluding bankruptcy items. (USA Today)
Disabled brothers asked to pay to board South African flight — Bradley and Warwick Muller, who both have cerebral palsy, were shocked when they discovered that they would have to pay to board their Nationwide flight to Cape Town last month. (Port Elizabeth Herald)
Carrie Charney, Christopher Elliott, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.