Continental Express

Continental Airlines Inc. plans to sell part of its ExpressJet Holdings Inc. commuter carrier unit to the public, a move that analysts said would help Continental take advantage of a fast-growing business. The fifth-largest U.S. airline hasn't decided the size of the stake to be sold, an issue the company's board will discuss this week, Air Line Pilots Assn. spokesman Jim Moody said.

Federal fines totaling $175,000 were levied Tuesday against the three airlines that stranded dozens of passengers for nearly six hours on a tarmac in Rochester, Minn., last summer. The fines are the first that airlines have received for lengthy tarmac delays. Continental Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines were given a total civil penalty of $100,000 by the U.S. Department of Transportation for their roles in keeping passengers on board Continental Express Flight 2816 on Aug. 8. Also, the department assessed a civil penalty of $75,000 against Mesaba Airlines, which provided ground handling for the flight.

Labor rallies boosted the spirits of striking Eastern Airlines workers Saturday while the struggling carrier continued to attract travelers "like gangbusters" to its bargain Northeast shuttle. Aircraft were again reported flying near capacity on the second day of $12 fares on the Northeast shuttle linking New York with Washington and Boston, once Eastern's most profitable service. The pre-strike fare was $99. "The shuttle's going like gangbusters," said Eastern spokesman Robin Matell.

Continental Airlines Inc. plans to sell part of its ExpressJet Holdings Inc. commuter carrier unit to the public, a move that analysts said would help Continental take advantage of a fast-growing business. The fifth-largest U.S. airline hasn't decided the size of the stake to be sold, an issue the company's board will discuss this week, Air Line Pilots Assn. spokesman Jim Moody said.

The announcements this week that three of the country's largest airlines are again increasing baggage fees came as bad news for airline passengers, who must already pay for such extras as blankets, pillows and snacks. But the higher fees are good news to Zeke Adkins, co-founder of Luggage Forward, a Boston business that ships luggage door-to-door for travelers who want to avoid the hassles of checking bags at the airport. "Every time the airlines increase their fees, it translates into increased bookings for us," he said.

They are the kinds of tales that tease out the fortune seeker in all of us. There's the one about the $40,000 Stickley music stand cloaked in neglect and nabbed for $500, and the $1,100 Steuben Arts and Crafts bowl with a $3 price tag. But antiquing here in Northern Virginia's fox-hunting country is like the sport itself. It's mostly about the thrill of the chase and the spectacular ride through gorgeous countryside. It turns out that the gold-mine find is as elusive as the crafty little fox.

Federal fines totaling $175,000 were levied Tuesday against the three airlines that stranded dozens of passengers for nearly six hours on a tarmac in Rochester, Minn., last summer. The fines are the first that airlines have received for lengthy tarmac delays. Continental Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines were given a total civil penalty of $100,000 by the U.S. Department of Transportation for their roles in keeping passengers on board Continental Express Flight 2816 on Aug. 8. Also, the department assessed a civil penalty of $75,000 against Mesaba Airlines, which provided ground handling for the flight.

Don Martin, president of Continental Express-Rocky Mountain Airways, will leave the company on March 10. Before his assignment at Continental Express-RMA in Denver, Martin was a senior executive at Eastern Airlines. No replacement has been named.

A Continental Express flight from Houston to Jackson landed at a private airfield seven miles from the commercial airport where it was due. The plane, carrying 33 passengers, landed Thursday night at Hawkins Field rather than Jackson International Airport in nearby Rankin County, airline spokeswoman Peggy Mahoney said. She said the crew was grounded today while officials tried to determine what went wrong.

Labor rallies boosted the spirits of striking Eastern Airlines workers Saturday while the struggling carrier continued to attract travelers "like gangbusters" to its bargain Northeast shuttle. Aircraft were again reported flying near capacity on the second day of $12 fares on the Northeast shuttle linking New York with Washington and Boston, once Eastern's most profitable service. The pre-strike fare was $99. "The shuttle's going like gangbusters," said Eastern spokesman Robin Matell.

Los Angeles International Airport officials have seen two low-level close calls this month. On July 2, controllers canceled takeoff clearance for a Spirit Airlines jet after an Aeromexico Boeing 737 came too close to a runway the jet was preparing to use. On July 4, controllers told the pilot of a SkyWest turboprop to abort his landing because a Continental Express regional jet had gotten too close to the intended runway.