Airlines

Baggage fees are still a source of anger, but passengers are more accepting of them, according to a survey on airline satisfaction. In fact, overall satisfaction with air travel has increased to the highest level since 2006, according to the J.D. Power & Associates airline satisfaction study for 2013. Airline satisfaction improved to 695 points on a 1,000-point scale, up 14 points from 2012, according to the study, which measured satisfaction on such factors as cost, in-flight services, boarding and flight crew.

The nation's airline industry continues to rebound from several years of financial calamity, with the top 10  carriers reporting a combined $5.3 billion in profit for 2012. The latest financial data for the industry, released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, show a slight improvement in several categories over 2011. Annual profit for the top 10 airlines rose from a combined total of $4.9 billion in 2011, with a profit margin that increased from 3.2% in 2011 to 3.7% in 2012, the latest data show.

Airline mergers, a deep recession and surging fuel prices have led to sharp cuts in airline service around the country. Hardest hit: medium-size airports. Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, LA/Ontario International Airport and other mid-size airports lost an average of 26.2% of their flights from 2007to 2012, according to a new study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology's International Center for Air Transportation. The cuts are a result of airlines eliminating less-profitable routes and focusing on more popular, high-profit routes, the report said.

Some answers to readers' airline questions: Question: I understand that London's Heathrow Airport has a horrendous arrival fee. Is the same true for Stansted and Gatwick, London's two other airports? Answer: I'm not sure if you're referring to the airport landing fee, which is assessed based on the size of the aircraft and does vary from airport to airport but is paid directly by the airline, or Britain's air passenger duty, which is, essentially, a tax levied on airline tickets and varies depending on the class of service (economy or premium)

Los Angeles airport commissioners took additional steps Tuesday to halt a dramatic decline in passengers at LA/Ontario International Airport, including potential cost reductions for airlines and incentives that might encourage them to add service. Inland Empire officials, who are trying to wrest control of Ontario from Los Angeles, immediately criticized the measures, saying that they were too little and too late to lure flights back to what used to be one of the fastest-growing regional airports in the nation.

Spirit Airlines, the Florida-based no-frills carrier that introduced fees for carry-on bags, has found another way to pass on its costs to its passengers. The airline quietly replaced its toll-free customer help numbers with regular toll-charge number. "Our new numbers are allowing us to keep our costs low, which we in turn continue to pass along to our customers by way of the ultra-low fares they have come to know and love," said airline spokeswoman Misty Pinson. Quiz: Test your knowledge about airport security The Spirit phone numbers all have 801 area codes, which corresponds to an area near Salt Lake City.

As part of its effort to create a new corporate identity, Turkish Airlines has banned red, dark pink and other loud colors of lipstick and nail polish worn by its flight crew. In announcing the new policy, the airline said that “personnel who work in services sector are preferred to be artless and well groomed with a make-up in pastel tones.” The airline has also hired Turkish designer Dilek Hanif to come up with a new crew uniform that “combines elements from the east and west, has the potential to embody the brand image for many years, and fuses traditional Turkish values with the expectations of the modern world.” The airline has yet to decide on a uniform but has published photos of a few ideas under consideration, including high-collar, knee-length dresses with dark stockings and pant suits for women.

Frontier Airlines announced that this summer it will become the third U.S.-based airline to charge passengers a fee to bring carry-on bags into the cabin. Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Air already impose a carry-on fee. But Frontier added a twist. Passengers can avoid the fee ($25 if paid in advance, $100 at the gate) by booking the flight directly through the airline, at FlyFrontier.com. (There is also no charge if the bag fits under the seat.) By directing fliers to book with FlyFrontier.com, the airline avoids the booking fees it pays when passengers buy tickets through travel sites such as Expedia.com or Orbitz.com.

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into why two airplanes clipped each other on a taxiway as they readied for takeoff at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday. The probe, announced Thursday in a Twitter message from the agency, was expected after the planes came in contact, leaving one with a portion of its left wing ripped away. No injuries were reported in the incident. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Scandinavian Airlines plane's left wing clipped the tail of an ExpressJet flight while the craft were on a taxiway at about 7:24 p.m. Wednesday.