🎁 'Tis the season to support public service journalism Donate Now

Passengers opting for more airline frills push carrier profits up

Oct 12, 2023
After pandemic lockdowns, many passengers want to feel a little spoiled — and are paying good money for that.
After some tinkering, airlines seem to have figured out what travelers are willing to pay for premium economy seats. 
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Americans are going abroad again, and airfare prices track the trend

Aug 4, 2023
International airfare is up 10% from last year, while domestic airfare is down more than 10%, according to the travel site Hopper.
Visitors view the sights in Venice, Italy. Many American travelers are choosing European destinations over domestic travel routes.
Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images

Could electric planes tempt Americans to fly short distances instead of driving?

Jul 26, 2023
Aviation company Surf Air Mobility is developing an electric engine to power planes during short jaunts. But the market is still untested.
Eviation's "Alice", the world's first all-electric commuter airplane, flew its first test flight last September. Companies are eyeing electric planes  to serve passengers taking short flights.
Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images

Congress grapples with FAA funding as travelers' frustration grows

Jun 30, 2023
Some airlines are pinning some of the blame for recent delays on the Federal Aviation Administration.
FAA funding is voted on every five years.
Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Airlines are in a hiring frenzy as summer travel season nears

May 8, 2023
Pilots, in particular, are in high demand. Airlines don't want to be caught off guard like they were last year.
Airlines are hiring for nearly all positions in order to meet consumers' pent-up demand for travel.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Leisure travel is back. Business travel is not.

Apr 25, 2023
It isn't as lucrative for airlines to fly planes full of leisure travelers. They need higher-spending business travelers to juice profits.
While leisure travel is booming, revenue from business travel is still down more than 25% since the start of the pandemic.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Adieu to the Boeing 747, the first jumbo jet

Feb 1, 2023
The iconic plane, which ushered in the era of long-haul air travel, will no longer be produced as of this week.
Artist Jeff Barlow of Boeing's creative department shows off his sketch of the last Boeing 747 aircraft in a ceremony to mark its delivery, at the Boeing Future of Flight Museum in Everett, Washington.
Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Why all the flight cancellations? Airlines are still in recovery mode

Dec 23, 2022
Capacity is down. The weather's not great, either.
Another wave of flight cancellations and delays for the holidays has travelers on edge.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Frustrated air travelers seek payback from Australian airlines

Nov 30, 2022
Whether or not they can actually get it is another matter.
People arrive to check-in at the Qantas domestic terminal at Sydney Airport on August 25, 2022 in Sydney, Australia.
Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Fall air travel season shaping up as less crowded than summer, but just as fraught

Sep 5, 2022
Experts expect fewer travelers, fewer flights, high prices and high anxiety.
Higher prices may cool demand for flights this fall.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images