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Delta's West Coast growth defies Wall Street and Justice Department -- It isn't just Seattle where Delta is adding domestic service to feed international flights, particularly trans-Pacific flights. It's the entire West Coast. A new report compiled by OAG Aviation said that Delta continues to build West Coast capacity this summer, and has increased seat capacity by 35% in Seattle, 27% in Portland, 20% in Los Angeles and 7% in San Francisco between July 2014 and July 2015. Ted Reed/The Street
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Delta Air Lines pilots reject tentative contract - union -- Delta Air Lines Inc pilots have rejected a tentative contract agreement, casting in doubt both the labor deal and the airline's plans to order extra planes from the Boeing Co. Nearly 7,000, or 65 percent, of voting pilots rejected the contract, according to Delta's Master Executive Council, part of the Air Line Pilots Association. Some 97 percent of eligible pilots voted. The contract's rejection was a mixed blessing for the airline, whose shares rose nearly 5 percent. Jeffrey Dastin/Reuters
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Alaska Air Group makes a push from Seattle and LA in 2015 as it pushes toward 10% capacity growth -- Alaska Air Group is adding a solid mix of regional, transcontinental and international routes in 2015, which is one driver in its projected 10% capacity growth. Other elements of its ASM expansion include frequency additions in core markets and aircraft upgauge. The company is adding eight new flights from its largest hub and headquarters in Seattle and five from its base in Los Angeles, with varying degrees of competition. CAPA
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American Airlines cuts 2015 capacity plans a bit -- American Airlines told investors Friday that it expects to grow its capacity about 1 percent in 2015, down from the 2 percent growth it previously had planned. "Full year domestic capacity is expected to be up approximately 1 percent to 2 percent year-over-year, while international capacity is expected to be up approximately 1 percent vs. 2014," American said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Capacity is measured in available seat miles flown. Terry Maxon/Dallas Morning News
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American Airlines to begin perilous computer integration -- American Airlines next weekend will begin draining US Airways reservations from its computer system, the start of a perilous process of combining to a single reservation system after the 2013 merger of the airlines. Chicago-based United Airlines is still experiencing glitches with its computer systems, following its 2010 merger with Continental Airlines. Earlier this week, United grounded its flights worldwide for nearly two hours because of a problem with a router, it said. Gregory Karp/Chicago Tribune
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American Airlines sets Oct. 17 as date for the end of US Airways brand -- Aviation buffs might want to make their reservations now for US Airways Flight 434 or Flight 496 on the evening of Oct. 16. Those two flights will be the last departures under the US Airways brand as American Airlines Group prepares to put all reservations for travel on Oct. 17 and after under its American brand. We suppose you should pick Flight 434 from San Francisco to Philadelphia if you want to be on the very last US Airways flight. Terry Maxon/Dallas Morning News
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Facing pricing investigation, American Airlines CEO says there was "no illegal behavior" -- In response to news that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating possible collusion by the nation's major airlines to keep airfares high, American Airlines Chief Executive Doug Parker issued a letter to his employees assuring them that the airline had done no wrong. "On behalf of your entire leadership team, let me be crystal clear: There has been no illegal behavior on the part of American Airlines," he wrote. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times
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Chris Hsieh flies high as American Airlines executive chef at LAX -- When you're a 37-year-old L.A. native who has been working in the hospitality industry since high school, your r�sum� may look a little something like Chris Hsieh's. He's the new executive chef for American Airlines at Los Angeles International Airport, and he's serving Nutella Monte Cristo sandwiches, avocado Caprese salads and "health nut" spinach salads to travelers in the American Airlines Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge. Jenn Harris/Los Angeles Times
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Airline ancillary revenue leaps +21% in 2014, reports IdeaWorks -- Airline ancillary revenues climbed by +21% year-on-year in 2014 to hit US$38.1 billion. That's according to aviation industry consultant IdeaWorks Company, which studied income from 63 airlines generated by retail, commission-based services such as hotel or car rental bookings and revenue from co-branded credit cards, loyalty programmes and other activities. Ancillary revenue per passenger among the 63 airlines under review was US$17.49, which is +8.5% more than the 2013 result. Dermot Davitt/The Moodie Report
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United Airlines' "tech failure" was really a people failure -- Wednesday, United Airlines experienced yet another computer breakdown; this time world-wide. I was caught right in the middle of it as I was attempting to travel from my home in Los Angeles to Orlando. Today the company asked for feedback on my "airport experience" and here's what I told them: My airport experience was 3 hours of utter chaos, starting at 6 AM when I got to the terminal at LAX. No United personnel knew anything, or said anything to the people who just kept coming in waves, or offered any answers. Ken Gruberman/Huffington Post Related: Airlines face risk of worse disruptions from computer glitches
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Florida "hacker" wins 1,000,000 airline miles -- Jordan Wiens is boasting that he earned 1,000,000 airline miles without ever leaving the ground. Wiens, a Melbourne computer security analyst, says United Airlines awarded him the seven-figure bounty for locating a bug in its website. United issued an unusual call to ethical hackers a few months ago. The carrier said the so-called "bug bounty" is a first for the airline industry. WTVT-TV Tampa
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SkyWest Airlines faces $1.23M in FAA fines -- The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed $1.23 million in fines against SkyWest Airlines. The Utah-based airline, which partners with the world's largest network carriers including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways and American Airlines, is accused of operating aircraft that violated federal aviation regulations. The first $320,000 civil penalty proposed comes after the airline allegedly failed to inspect certain main landing gear components on four jets at the required intervals. Lydia Wheeler/The Hill
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Southwest Airlines to hire 650 customer service employees at three call centers --Southwest Airlines said Friday it is hiring 650 customer service representatives at its call centers in San Antonio, Phoenix and Albuquerque. This follows its May 1 announcement that it was looking to hire 500 ramp employees. "A passion for helping people is a key to success in Southwest's customer service representative role," said Julie Weber, Southwest's vice president of people. Terry Maxon/Dallas Morning News
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The airline cartel that isn't -- For years major airline deals were blocked by Rep. Jim Oberstar, the late House honcho on aviation, and the airline industry's powerful unions. Then Mr. Oberstar lost sway and labor changed its attitude after airline managements began soliciting support for consolidation with upfront job guarantees. That's how we got the Delta-Northwest merger in 2008, followed by the United-Continental merger in 2010. A culmination came in 2012 when US Airways CEO Doug Parker campaigned for a tie-up with American Airlines, then in bankruptcy, by approaching American's unions before he approached the airline's board. Holman W. Jenkins, Jr./Wall Street Journal
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Standoff over Bob Hope Airport may be coming to an end -- After a five-month standoff over how to govern Bob Hope Airport while replacing its historic terminal, Burbank and the airport governing board will meet this week in an effort to finally come to terms. The Burbank City Council and the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority will present their respective views at 6 p.m. Wednesday during a joint meeting at the Buena Vista Library in Burbank. Dana Barholomew/Los Angeles Daily News Chad Garland/Los Angeles Times
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Burbank Airport considering adding Los Angeles to Its name -- Not everyone's distancing themselves from Los Angeles. With the help of researchers at Anyone Collective, a firm that specializes in brand marketing and creative strategy, officials at the Burbank Bob Hope Airport have announced a potential new name for their airport: the Los Angeles Burbank Airport. Naturally, Burbank residents, businesspeople, City Council members, Mayor Bob Frutos and, of course, the Hope family are a little peeved. Thomas Harlander/Los Angeles Magazine
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Young campers attend 'mock job fair' at Burbank Bob Hope Airport -- The reflective metallic "proximity gear" that Bob Hope Airport firefighters wear to protect them from the heat of aircraft makes them look like "a big baked potato," Capt. Chad Peterson told a group of teens and preteens Thursday at the airfield's fire station. But, he noted, it protects them from temperatures three times as hot as a household oven. Chad Garland/Burbank Leader
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Street artist Shepard Fairey arrested at LAX -- Shepard Fairey, the street artist best known for the iconic "Hope" poster used in Barack Obama's first campaign for president, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said. Fairey, 45, was passing through customs on July 6 when screeners noticed an outstanding warrant for his arrest that was issued in Detroit, Los Angeles Airport Police spokesman Officer Rob Pedregon said. Matt Hamilton/Los Angeles Times
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Gov. Hogan names CEO for BWI Airport, fires veteran chief -- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has fired the chief executive of Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport and replaced him with the director of Cleveland's airport. Hogan announced Friday that Ricky D. Smith had been named airport CEO and head of the Maryland Aviation Administration. Smith led Cleveland's Hopkins International Airport since 2006. He was previously operations chief at BWI. A spokeswoman for Hogan says the governor believes Smith has the vision and expertise to build on BWI's growth. The CEO position pays $294,304. AP
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Oregon airport allows marijuana on in-state flights -- Want to fly with your marijuana? If you're flying within the state of Oregon, you're in luck. The Portland, Oregon, airport will now allow you to fly with it in-state, provided you are carrying the legal amount, according to CNN affiliate KPTV. As of July 1, people in Oregon can possess and use marijuana if they are 21 or older. They can have up to 8 ounces in their homes and grow up to four plants out of public view. Oregon residents also can carry up to an ounce outside their homes, although it's illegal to smoke it in public. Katia Hetter/CNN
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Ultra Low-cost airline expansion is in full flow in Atlanta. Who will be the winners and losers? -- Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson international Airport has become a hotbed of ULCC activity in 2015 as both Frontier Airlines and Spirit have made a push from the airport. With their entry, roughly six of Atlanta's top 10 markets have received an injection of ULCC competition, challenging the airport's largest airline Delta and second largest Southwest. Atlanta seems like a reasonable target for ULCCs given its domination by Delta, which controls the vast majority of the airport's ASMs and seats. CAPA
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D/FW Airport to be among first users of FBI criminal history tracking effort -- The FBI has a warning for people who work in positions of public trust and violate the law: What happens in Vegas will no longer stay in Vegas - or anywhere else. A new criminal history monitoring program known as Rap Back will continuously check enrolled employees for arrests, court convictions and other improper activities using scanned fingerprints. Other things that can trigger an alert are arrest warrants, immigration violations and inclusion on a sex offender database. Kevin Krause/Dallas Morning News
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New airline seat arrangement looks to increase passenger capacity -- After years of financial struggles, the nation's airlines are now collecting hefty profits thanks in part to industrywide efforts to squeeze more seats into the economy section of most planes. But if you thought airlines were finished trying to shoehorn more seats into each plane, think again. One of the world's largest airline seat makers, Zodiac Seats France, has applied for a patent to reconfigure the seats on airplanes so that every other passenger in a row is facing toward the back of the plane. Hugo Martin/Los Angeles Times
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Trade pact's allies, foes unsure which side Mayor Eric Garcetti is on -- Some of President Obama's steadiest allies in the fight over a sweeping Pacific Rim trade pact have been America's mayors, who say the freer flow of goods through their cities' docks and airports would fuel needed job growth. All but absent from the debate, however, has been the leader of the U.S. city many argue stands to benefit most from the White House's proposed Trans Pacific Partnership: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Peter Jamison/Los Angeles Times
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Editorial: Times to issue report cards on L.A. leaders -- As part of a new series, The Times will begin issuing report cards next week to the top policymakers in City Hall. Rather than waiting until election season to endorse candidates, we will issue mid-term letter grades and job performance reviews to Controller Ron Galperin, City Atty. Mike Feuer, City Council President Herb Wesson and, finally, Mayor Eric Garcetti. In the second phase of the project, we will publish report cards on selected county and state officials as well. Los Angeles Times Editorial Board
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As L.A. moves toward more homeless sweeps, long-term solution elusive -- In May, the city launched a cleanup that took six days and cost $66,000 by the time it ended in late June, records show. But while the encampments along the concrete riverbed were cleared, none of the displaced people were given housing, advocates say. They simply scattered into the nearby streets of Lincoln Heights and Highland Park, or took to the hills of Elysian Park. Gale Holland/Los Angeles Times
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Billboard foes fear a betrayal by L.A. Councilman Huizar -- When Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar ran for reelection this year, he positioned himself as someone who would stand up to the powerful billboard industry, which has sued the city repeatedly for the right to install more signs. Huizar easily won his race. But two weeks ago, a council committee that he heads sent proposals to the Planning Commission that, if approved, would run contrary to stances he took as a candidate. David Zahniser/Los Angeles Times
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American Airlines 747 Piano Bar (1970)
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