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Branson, Alaska Air duke it out over the Virgin brand in U.S. -- Richard Branson has threatened to launch a Virgin-branded competitor after Alaska Air Group revealed a deal to acquire San Francisco-based Virgin America earlier this week. That threat looks unfounded, however. Alaska has exclusive rights to the Virgin brand in the U.S. Branson has made it clear he's not happy about Alaska Air Group's deal to buy Virgin America for $2.6 billion, or $4 billion if you add in debt and other obligations. Branson threatened to partner with a competing airline and launch a Virgin-branded competitor. That, combined with Branson's influence among Virgin America shareholders, could threaten the deal. Emily Parkhurst/San Francisco Business Times
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JetBlue luring fretful Virgin America flyers with free flights -- Understandably, Virgin America loyalists are an unsettled lot, with their perky, tech-forward airline now set to be absorbed by an airline whose personality is represented by a scowling Eskimo. Where might those disenfranchised Virgin flyers turn if, as expected, Alaska Airlines dumbs down and sanitizes the Virgin America experience? There's only one option, really: JetBlue. (Which explains why JetBlue would have been a better merger partner. But that's another blog post.) Tim Winship/Smarter Travel
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Virgin no more: 6 ways to look at Alaska Airlines' big purchase -- Want the happy happy joy joy explanation of Alaska Airlines' decision to buy Virgin America for $2.6 billion? Listen to the relentlessly upbeat investor's call conducted by Alaska Air management on Monday and view its attendant deck of blue-sky projections. Don't have an hour to spare? Just assume everything is awesome as you zip through the two carriers' cloyingly sweet Flying Better Together website.
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Singapore Air raises Virgin Australia stake amid ownership shuffle -- Singapore Airlines Ltd. raised its stake in Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd. a week after future ownership of the A$1.3 billion ($987 million) airline was put in doubt. The Singapore carrier increased the shareholding to 23.11 percent from 22.91 percent, it said in a statement late Wednesday. The airline said it paid A$3.18 million to settle a series of equity swaps, or 46.7 Australian cents on average for each Virgin Australia share. Angus Whitley/Bloomberg
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United Airlines' contract progress draws labor into hedge fund battle -- A push to sign new labor agreements is helping United to battle hedge fund investors that want a bigger role in management. That battle is playing out against the backdrop of United's 90th birthday, which occurred Wednesday, a day when United's pilots and flight attendants demonstrated at the Boston offices of hedge funds Altimeter Capital and PAR Capital, which hold 7.1% of United's shares. They want to add six new members to United's 15 member board, against United's wishes. Ted Reed/The Street
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Southwest Airlines passenger traffic increased 6.2 percent in March -- Southwest Airlines posted a 6.2 percent increase in passenger traffic in March, but with a nearly equal increase in capacity, the Dallas-based company's load factors inched up just 0.1 percentage points. The March gains continue a strong first quarter for Southwest, which saw overall revenue passenger miles, an industry metric for traffic, increase 9.9 percent during the first three months of 2016. Conor Shine/Dallas Morning News
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Airline food documentary launches $75,000 Kickstarter -- The subpar quality of in-flight meals is one of the world's longest-running jokes - seriously, what is the deal with airline food? - but one frequent flier wants to take a serious look at the food that's served at 35,000 feet. Nik Loukas is what you might call an in-flight meal expert; in 2012, he founded inflightfeed.com, a site that offers info and reviews on the food served by a bevy of airlines, with articles like "The Best Chicken Schnitzel at 35,000 Feet???" and "Can Inflight Pizza Be Great?" Whitney Filloon/Eater
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2 planes, 1 connected to Los Angeles Rams, vandalized at Van Nuys Airport -- A plane connected to the Los Angeles Rams was vandalized at Van Nuys Airport, ABC7 has learned. ABC7 learned of another security breach at the airport, the third one in the past several months. A police report stated a person climbed the fence at the airport at 9:20 p.m. on Saturday and caused more than $10,000 in damage to two planes. Officials said one of the planes had vital parts broken off and strewn about the tarmac. The plane has since been grounded. Jory Rand/ABC7
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Mayors dedicate cross-border bridge to Tijuana Airport -- The mayors of San Diego and Tijuana on Thursday officially dedicated the historic cross-border airport bridge, which officials said has already increased air passenger traffic by 40 percent. "This terminal has the potential to connect millions of regional passengers to destinations beyond Mexico," said Laura Diez Barroso de Laviada, chair of airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico and an investor in the bridge. Times of San Diego
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Will Tijuana airport crossing boost SD tourism? -- In the more than three months since making its debut, a new cross border terminal serving Tijuana's international airport is drawing thousands of daily travelers, holding out the promise of boosting tourism to San Diego and throughout Southern California. A group of dignitaries and elected leaders from both sides of the border gathered Thursday morning for a formal inauguration of the Cross Border Xpress, which has been in operation since early December. Lori Weisberg/San Diego Union-Tribune
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U.S. senators reach deal to bolster airport security -- Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate reached a deal on Thursday to boost travel security at airports in the aftermath of the Brussels attacks, according to a source familiar with the matter. Under the deal, the source said, lawmakers agreed to amend a Federal Aviation Administration bill with provisions that would bolster the vetting of airport employees with access to secure areas and authorize the TSA to donate security equipment to foreign airports with direct flights to the United States. Reuters
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Senator Markey wants government informed of aviation cyber attacks -- A U.S. senator on Thursday introduced legislation calling for airlines and aircraft manufacturers to disclose cyber security incidents to federal authorities, saying the aviation system lacks sufficient standards and oversight. The measure, introduced by Democratic Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts, would also require the Federal Aviation Administration and other federal agencies to identify cyber vulnerabilities within the aviation system and establish standards for addressing them. David Morgan/Reuters
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Senate refuses to stop airlines from shrinking seats -- The Senate refused Thursday to come to the aid of airline passengers squeezed by the ever-shrinking size of their seats. An amendment by Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) would have blocked airlines from further reducing the "size, width, padding, and pitch" of seats, passengers' legroom and the width of aisles. "It costs you an arm and a leg just to have room for your arms and legs," Schumer said. AP
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Confessions of an airport thief: Jewelry, phones, iPads swiped from planes -- It begins, she says, the moment passengers get off planes. Cleaning crews, flight-line mechanics, any airline employee with access to a just-arrived commercial airliner race through row after row of seats, searching for what may have been left behind. If you saw her in an airport, you would most likely identify her as one of thousands of passengers passing through on any given day. Scott Zamost & Drew Griffin/CNN
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D/FW Airport leaders defend security strategy after records show "insufficient" police staffing -- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport leaders said Thursday they were confident the airport has enough police officers to protect the public, despite airport staffing documents describing police staffing "insufficient" to deal with threats. The records, obtained through an open records requests, were first reported Wednesday in an NBC 5 Investigation. Speaking after am airport board meeting Thursday, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said he had never seen the staffing plan that details a lack of officers. NBC DFW
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Boeing gets $1.5 billion surprise with new 747 jumbo jet orders -- Boeing Co. landed new four orders valued at $1.5 billion for its 747 jumbo jetliners, giving life to a program starved for sales amid waning demand for four-engine aircraft. The orders were reported on Boeing's website Thursday and the identity of the customer wasn't disclosed. The U.S. planemaker also reported that it delivered fewer jetliners than a year earlier as it navigates transitions for two long-range aircraft: the hump-nosed 747 and the 767. Julie Johnsson/Bloomberg
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Boeing CEO says sales at risk due to U.S. EXIM paralysis -- A delay in appointing U.S. Export-Import Bank board members threatens to cost Boeing Co sales, the company's chief executive said on Thursday, flagging an issue that also affects General Electric and other U.S. companies that depend on the agency's export financing. Boeing is on the verge of losing orders because only two of five seats on the agency's board are filled, not enough to approve deals over $10 million, Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said at EXIM's annual conference in Washington. Alwyn Scott & David Lawder/Reuters
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Air bags: Coming soon to first-class seats? -- The late, brilliant comic George Carlin frequently riffed on air travel, especially some of the processes and procedures that we have to endure after the cabin doors close. "I listen very carefully to the safety lecture, especially the part where they teach us how to use the seatbelts," he joked in one of his flying-related skits. "Here we are, a plane full of grown human beings, and they're actually taking time out to describe the intricate workings of a belt buckle!" Jelisa Castrodale/USA Today
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| Transportation Network Companies |
Uber agrees to settlement of up to $25 million in misleading-advertising suit -- Uber agreed to a $25-million settlement in a lawsuit alleging the ride-hailing company misled and overcharged customers in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey and San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascon filed the consumer protection lawsuit against Uber in 2014, accusing the company of overstating its customer-safety policy in marketing materials and adding unnecessary fees for tolls and airport drop-offs. Tracey Lien/Los Angeles Times
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Judge rejects $12.25-million Lyft lawsuit settlement -- U.S. district judge rejected a $12.25-million lawsuit settlement between Lyft and its drivers Thursday, saying that the amount offered shortchanges drivers who sought to be treated as employees. The drivers, whom Lyft classifies as independent contractors, are seeking reimbursement for work-related expenses such as gas and mileage. In a ruling Thursday, Judge Vince Chhabria said the settlement agreement did "not fall within the range of reasonableness" because the value of the reimbursement claim alone is believed to be more than $126 million. Tracey Lien/Los Angeles Times
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