Airlines

A program that lets preapproved air travelers zip through faster security lines will be expanded this year to 35 of the nation's largest airports, Transportation Security Administration officials announced Wednesday. The pilot program, dubbed PreCheck, lets travelers who get TSA clearance avoid what have become the most annoying steps of post-9/11 screening: removing shoes, belt and coats. PreCheck has been tested for several months with frequent travelers who fly with several major airlines at seven airports, including Los Angeles International.

When it comes time to trade in your frequent-flier reward points for seats on an airplane, low-cost airlines do the best job of getting you in the air. That was the conclusion of a study released last week by IdeaWorks, a Wisconsin consultant to the airline industry. In March, IdeaWorks submitted nearly 7,000 booking requests through the frequent-flier websites of 23 airlines. Seats were requested for the airline's most popular routes in June through October. The study had a 93.5% success rate of finding available seats on low-cost airlines around the world, including U.S. carriers such as Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways and JetBlue Airways.

The Bush Administration says it might prohibit airline passengers from taking aboard portable computers, tape players, hair dryers and other electronic devices as a stopgap measure against terrorist bombings. The ban, covering items carried by hand or in luggage, would prevent such items from being used to smuggle plastic explosives aboard planes until sophisticated bomb-detection devices can be installed at high-risk airports around the world. Both Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner and his deputy secretary, Elaine Chao, raised the possibility of a total ban on electronic devices in forums this week.

Two Southwest Airlines flights with ties to Orange County and Phoenix were stopped Tuesday night after threats were made to the planes. The first incident began about 7:30 p.m. after Flight 1184 arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix from John Wayne Airport, an FBI spokesman told The Times. The plane was taken to an isolated area of the airport after authorities received an unspecified threat, said Special Agent Manuel Johnson of the FBI's Phoenix division.

Looking for a good deal on an air fare? Try an air fare "factory outlet"--a discounter or consolidator. Airlines often sell large blocks of tickets at bargain prices to discounters (also called consolidators), which pass those savings on to passengers. The savings are more apparent on international tickets, but if you need to travel at a day's notice, the savings can also be big on a domestic flight. Of course, such deals come with restrictions.

Ricky Yngsdal flies at least twice a month, but lately he has been spending more time in airports than on planes because of the soaring pace of flight delays, cancellations and missed connections. So how does he cope? "I eat and shop at the airport," said the Glendale resident and shipping manager for General Mills Inc. Other passengers are getting manicures, pedicures, massages, haircuts and even "revitalizing" aromatherapy, a way of relaxing by breathing in botanical oil scents.

Finally, good news from the gridlock in Congress. Or maybe not. The federal government Saturday stopped collecting taxes on airline tickets, so flying suddenly got cheaper, right? Wrong. Many airlines just increased their airfares to match the tax drop. At stake can be about $30 on a $300 ticket, the Associated Press says. What happened is that squabbling lawmakers failed to extend laws that authorize the government to collect the airline ticket tax and other aviation-related taxes.

* AMR Corp.'s American Airlines said it's dropping two daily international nonstop flights, between Los Angeles and Paris and between Chicago and Rome, citing "changing economic conditions." American plans to end the service routes Nov. 1.

Build-a-Bear Workshop was introducing a line of stuffed animals called smallfrys and wanted to reach moms through Facebook. One video used in the online promotion showed a woman pulling up to a fast-food window. Her young daughter requests "a smallfry. " When her mom suggests a fruit cup or celery sticks, the daughter says, "Mom, order me a curly-haired bunny in a purple sequined bathing suit. " The 45-second smallfrys spot came not from a traditional advertising agency but from Poptent Inc., a "crowdsourced" video production studio that has built a global community of 50,000 writers, directors, cinematographers and animators to create commercials for Build-a-Bear, American Airlines, Dell, Intel, Jaguar, General Mills and others.

Luzon and the 7,100 other Philippine islands may have extra allure with this round-trip offer from LAX to Manila for $858, including all taxes and fees, on China Airlines. It is subject to availability for departures Mondays-Thursdays between Aug. 20 and Nov. 29. There is no minimum stay, but the maximum stay is two months. The ticket must be purchased by May 20. Info: China Airlines , (800) 227-5118 Source: Airfarewatchdog

There are frequent fliers, and then there are people like Steven Rothstein and Jacques Vroom. Both men bought tickets that gave them unlimited first-class travel for life on American Airlines. It was almost like owning a fleet of private jets. Passes in hand, Rothstein and Vroom flew for business. They flew for pleasure. They flew just because they liked being on planes. They bypassed long lines, booked backup itineraries in case the weather turned, and never worried about cancellation fees.

Spirit Airlines , the first carrier to impose fees for carry-on bags, starting in November will charge as much as $100 per bag for passengers who bring luggage to stow in the overhead bin.  It currently costs $45 if you show up at the gate with a carry-on bag. That figure will rise to $100 on Nov. 6, according to baggage fees listed on the airline's website.  Spirit has a dizzying menu of bag fees that are tied to the...

Members of American Airlines' AAdvantage frequent-flier program can now book awards travel on British Airways and Hawaiian using American's website. American's frequent fliers can redeem their points for one-way, round-trip and multi-city award travel on American, Alaska , Hawaiian and British (including a combination of the carriers).  Most award reservations can be held for five days (unless flights are scheduled within a shorter period of time). On partner airlines, only MileSAAver awards (which require fewer miles)

American Airlines has spent the week trying to persuade a bankruptcy judge to allow it to chuck all its labor contracts and put the squeeze on thousands of union employees. If things go as expected - that is, a victory for management and not for rank-and-file workers - it will be the latest blow to organized labor and yet another indication that, in the workplace of the future, most of us will be fending for ourselves. "Workers in the United States are facing a number of difficulties," said Daniel J.B. Mitchell, a professor emeritus of public policy at UCLA.

Boeing Co.'s profit soared 58% in its first quarter as it built more efficient planes for airlines struggling with high fuel costs. The Chicago company earned $923 million, or $1.22 a share, compared with $586 million, or 78 cents, during the same period a year earlier. Its revenue boomed 30% to $19.4 billion. Boeing said it delivered 137 commercial planes during the quarter, and it has orders to build more than 4,000 others valued at a record $308 billion. The aircraft maker said it has more than 300 orders for its new fuel-efficient 737 Max jetliner.

After sitting out a recent series of airline mergers, Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways Group Inc. wants to hook up with American Airlines. But American's parent company, AMR Corp., which is mired in Bankruptcy Court, said it's not interested - at least for now. American, ranked as the nation's fourth-largest airline, operates 617 planes, with an additional 281 jets operated by its regional carrier, American Eagle. US Airways ranks as the country's fifth-largest airline and operates about 340 jets.