A Friend of Jaunted just MMSed us this photo from the Continental check-in kiosks at LAX. We count six bags weighing down this poor soul. If you figure two are carry-on luggage, this sucker would have to spend $240 in checked baggage fees to get all his stuff on the plane.

While Continental is thinking big, United has recanted on its promise to raise its charge on passengers' second checked suitcases. (The cost will continue to be $25 instead of $50.) Meanwhile in Singapore, the government is making sure people know that fees are part of the game: Any extras now have to be disclosed in travel advertising.

Related Stories:
· Continental's Baggage Fees [Official Site]
· At Least One Country Getting Tough on Fees [Gadling]
· United Discounting Bag Fees Paid Online [Official Site]
· Delta Adding Bag Fee on December 5 [Boston Globe]
· Worth Re-Linking to: Rick Seaney's Impressive Airline Fee Chart [FareCompare]]]> pbb 2008-11-10T17:00:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/5/152442/523

A 45-year-old woman flying from Puerto Rico to Chicago on United Saturday was duct taped to her seat by the crew after she allegedly slapped a flight attendant on the butt, threw a wet cloth across the cabin, poked and prodded her fellow seatmates and stumbled over another passenger before pulling her hair.

Eventually, the pilot decided to divert to Charlotte to toss Maria Esther Castillo from the flight. Once on the ground, she racked up a charge of resisting arrest to go with her count of interfering with a flight crew after, apparently, resisting arrest.

She's headed to a detention hearing in federal court tomorrow at 10 am, during which we'll hopefully learn more about what exactly was on that "wet cloth." We're so hoping it was just water.

Related Stories:
· Passenger Jailed in Flight Disturbance [Charlotte Observer]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of what's probably behind all this: prettywar-stl]]]> pbb 2008-11-05T15:25:43-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/15/8464/0906

More carriers are joining the ranks of Air Canada, WestJet and Bangkok Airways, cutting fuel surcharges as the price of oil continues to decline. American, Delta, United and Virgin Atlantic have all trimmed their extra fees in the past few days.

Richard Branson's carrier is lowering the round-trip surcharge by an average of $40 depending on destination, but most tickets will still include a three-figure fee for fuel. A spokesman explains why:

Oil remains our largest cost and now represents about 35 percent of our cost base. Just five years ago it was nearer [to] 10 percent.

American and United both reduced some surcharges on flights to Europe by about 15 percent, but as with Virgin's cuts, the lower fee only applies on certain economy-class tickets.

Delta meanwhile has cut its charge on round trips to Asia by an average of $74 to $305.

Related Stories:
· Virgin Atlantic Cuts Fuel Surcharges [The Telegraph]
· US Airlines Reduce Fuel Fees [Canadian Press]
· Bangkok Airways Cut Fuel Surcharges [Jaunted]

[Photo: striatic]]]> pbb 2008-10-15T08:50:45-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/3/83538/91336

Turns out United doesn't have the heart to charge passengers for food on transatlantic flights. The carrier, which was planning to start asking for $9 a sandwich next month on a limited number of flights, recanted on its plan in an "open letter" sent to customers:

Thank you for your direct, candid feedback on the test we had planned to launch in the fourth quarter for food choices on some of our flights. We heard you and have decided not to move forward with the test of offering customers buy-on-board options in United Economy on certain trans-Atlantic flights. We will continue to offer complimentary hot meals on those flights.

So score one for the pro-consumer crowd--and the aviation blogs that made a racket when United first announced the new charges. Now we can look forward to more free pasta like this!

Related Stories:
· United Airlines Loses Food Fight [Elliott]
· United to Start Charging for Food on Some International Flights [Jaunted]

[Photo: OndraSoukup]]]> pbb 2008-09-03T08:45:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/27/121033/266

Aircell CEO Jack Blumenstein recently told Information Week that his company has signed up a fourth airline for in-flight WiFi service, but he wouldn't disclose *which* carrier will soon offer Gogo.

But looking around the industry, it isn't hard to make an educated guess: American, Delta (and by extension Northwest) and Virgin America have already signed on for Aircell. Southwest and Alaska Airlines are both using Row 44 for wireless. JetBlue, Frontier and Continental are on the LiveTV tip.

So that pretty much leaves United and US Airways as the only big players in need of a WiFi provider. But US Airways certainly isn't looking to add electronics to its fleet, light as internet antennas may be. We're looking your way United!

Related Stories:
· Aircell Signs Up Fourth Airline for WiFi Service [IW]
· Who's Doing What for In-Flight Internet? [TravelTechTalk]
· In-Flight WiFi coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-08-27T12:11:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/20/111847/918

United will start charging for meals on flights leaving Dulles International for Europe starting October 1. If there is any good news in that announcement, it's that a $39 meal doesn't seem to be on the menu.

United is also doing away with its free snacks on domestic flights, which we're not really too sad about. (Do people actually like those airline pretzels?) Instead, "Buy on Board" offerings will be expanded, and prices will go up from $5 and $7 to $6 and $9, depending on the particular snack pack.

The carrier will still provide free meals on flights to Asia. But might we suggest a website update? As of now, United still lists complimentary meal service as an international amenity.

Related Stories:
· United Will Charge for International Meals [Columbus Dispatch]
· United Eliminates Free Meals on Transatlantic Flights [UTB]
· United May Start Charging for Food on International Flights [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-08-20T11:20:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/12/14204/5753

We knew there were some people who didn't like United CEO Glenn Tilton, but a new website from the airline's pilots' union is verging into anti-Mesa territory. Glenn Tilton Must Go enumerates the boss' operational, strategic, financial and employee relations failures and hopes to force his resignation.

In particular, the pilots' group notes that United is next-to-last in on-time arrivals among major airlines, losing plenty of bags along the way. On the business side, stock in United's parent company has lost 73 percent of its value since UAL exited bankruptcy in 2006.

Still, union chairman Captain Steve Wallach says it ain't personal:

This is not a personal attack on Glenn Tilton. These dismal numbers speak for themselves. They are a reflection of his inability to lead, his incompetence as a manager and his failure in virtually every category that can be measured.

Have your own horror story that you attribute to Tilton? Vent here.

Related Stories:
· Glenn Tilton Must Go [Official Site, via]
· United coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-08-12T14:30:09-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/