Airways

It looks like the new European plan to limit airline emissions will cost U.S. travelers to Europe a few bucks. The plan to impose strict emission limits on planes flying in and out of Europe took effect Jan. 1, and Delta, United, American airlines and US Airways have already added a $3 surcharge for flights between the U.S. and Europe. It is a move that industry analysts see as a way to offset the emission plan's financial impact on the airlines. But that is only part of the fallout from the new emission plan.

The U.S. Transportation Department has fined AirTran Airways $60,000 for violating a federal rule that prohibits advertising fares without clearly disclosing additional fees and taxes. Under federal rules, airlines that advertise airfares in the U.S. can disclose government-imposed taxes and fees separately on the same page or an Internet link so long as it is easy for passengers determine the full price. An investigation by Transportation Department found that AirTran advertised $59 one-way fares last fall on several websites.

The world's first Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner experienced a problem with its landing gear less than two weeks after the new aircraft embarked on its maiden passenger flight for carrier All Nippon Airways. The airline's pilots had to manually deploy the Dreamliner's landing gear after the automated system did not engage, the company said. The incident occurred on a Sunday morning flight when the plane was approaching Okayama Airport in western Japan from Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The aircraft has since resumed operations.

Businesses enjoy the legal status of "corporate personhood. " It gives them a constitutional right to free speech, among other perks normally reserved for human beings. So if corporations are people too, why do they sometimes have to be such schmucks? Sheila Seberg, 72, of Newport Beach found herself asking this question after US Airways treated her with stunning heartlessness when she was forced to cancel a flight because her husband had suffered a major heart attack. Refund the $564.30 round-trip ticket price?

At long last, Boeing Co.'s first 787 Dreamliner is set to be delivered Monday to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways Co., ending the anticipation among aviation enthusiasts who thought this day might never come. A celebration of the first delivery will be held Monday in Everett, Wash. A webcast and live satellite feed will include special activities at the Boeing's plant there with Boeing and All Nippon's employees and executives. The first passenger flight is scheduled for Oct. 26. Once expected by May 2008, delivery has been delayed several times, and passenger-ready planes are now expected on the runway by fall.

If you thought flying business class to London was way out of reach, take a look at this summer sale from British Airways. It lets you fly round trip between Los Angeles and the British capital in the Club World business cabin starting at about $3,000, including taxes and fees. With Club World , you sleep onboard in seats-turned-beds. On the ground, you get  access to airport lounges with free snacks, drinks, WiFi and more. Plus other goodies. While still not cheap, the upgrade to business could be worth it if you value the perks, considering that even coach-class transatlantic tickets can set you back about $2,000 on some summer dates.

From the outset, Boeing Co. has touted its 787 Dreamliner as an innovative passenger jet equipped to usher in a new age in air travel. Now the traveling public is getting a peek inside. All Nippon Airways, Japan's largest carrier, which is set to get the first of these jets late this summer, offered an early glimpse of what the interior of these $200-million planes might look like for international customers. Get ready for wide seats in business class that recline into beds, touch-panel LCD screens that offer movies, videos and gaming, and roomy bathrooms that will include a bidet-toilet.

The federal government socked Continental Airlines Inc. with a big fine Thursday for advertising ticket prices without clearly disclosing hefty fuel surcharges that could almost double the fare. The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a civil penalty of $120,000 against Continental, and announced a $45,000 fine against US Airways Group Inc. for a similar violation. In the case of Continental, federal investigators found the airline's website offered tickets that did not include fuel surcharges.

There's a "strong possibility" that the ash cloud heading toward Europe from the Grimsvotn volcano could disrupt flights in parts of Scotland and Ireland in the next 24 hours, according to the air traffic organization Eurocontrol . Airlines have begun to take steps to cancel flights in anticipation of the cloud emanating from a volcanic eruption last weekend in Iceland. British Airways has canceled flights between London and Scotland until 2 p.m. local time Tuesday, according to its website.