Jetblue

Discount carrier JetBlue Airways Corp. agreed to buy Verizon Communications Inc.'s Airfone business to offer in-flight e-mail and messaging services. The purchase lets JetBlue expand a messaging service it started testing in December, the airline said.

JetBlue Airways Corp., the New York-based discount carrier, will announce details today of its partnership with Ireland's Aer Lingus Group to link the airlines' websites. The accord capped a year of work since JetBlue said Feb. 6 that it would connect its website with that of Dublin-based Aer Lingus, allowing travelers to book flights on both airlines through the Irish carrier's site.

Officials at Los Angeles World Airports have persuaded the budget air carrier JetBlue to begin flying out of Los Angeles International Airport, sources familiar with the company's plans said Monday. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is scheduled to appear today with JetBlue executives to announce plans for 16 additional daily flights at four airports across Southern California. A JetBlue spokesman refused to discuss the plans. But city officials said starting May 21, LAX would see three flights per day to JFK International Airport in New York City and one per day to Logan International Airport in Boston.

Travelers searching for deals on airfares this fall might consider an unusual alternative: bidding for them online. With the slumping economy and high fuel costs grounding passengers, JetBlue Airways Corp. on Monday began auctioning off more than 300 round-trip tickets on EBay, the popular online bidding site. Opening bids for the weekend-only flights this month and in October started at a nickel. Individuals have long auctioned off unused airline tickets on EBay, and airlines have sold tickets on EBay for charity or for unique events such as the first flight of Singapore Airlines' A380 super jumbo jet. But New York-based JetBlue said the auction was the largest of its kind for an airline, and if successful, could portend the use of the auction site as another way for the low-fare carrier to sell seats on less-than-crowded planes.

JetBlue Airways Corp. and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines could face huge U.S. fines after their passengers sat for hours in jets stranded on a snow-covered tarmac near Hartford, Conn., this weekend. The U.S. Transportation Department is investigating the JetBlue reports and "several other possible delays" but couldn't comment immediately on American Airlines. Under rules in place since April 2010, most tarmac delays at U.S. airports are limited to three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights, the agency said.

JetBlue Airways Corp. pilots filed a petition to form an independent union, potentially ending the company's status as the largest U.S. carrier without organized labor groups.

Rising prices, lower quality, less convenience — consumers can put up with a lot. But one thing I've consistently heard from people is that they won't stand for lousy service. And I can understand why. There's just no excuse for businesses treating customers like unwanted dinner guests, tapping their corporate feet until the annoyance goes away. It's a symbiotic relationship. We need businesses to provide the stuff we want. But they need us just as much to buy their stuff.

JetBlue Airways Corp. said Thursday that its third-quarter profit jumped 21% from a year earlier even as the low-fare carrier spent heavily to expand service in California and elsewhere. But the airline also incurred some unusual costs in the quarter, including a sharp rise in credit card fraud, and JetBlue's stock tumbled $3.70 to close at $37.10 on Nasdaq after the earnings were released.

The Northwest in fall is a pretty place to be, and you'll save some green as well on a round trip from Long Beach to Seattle on Alaska and JetBlue for $160, which includes all taxes and fees. It is subject to availability for travel Mondays-Thursdays and on Saturdays between Sept. 25 and Dec. 15. Info: Alaska , (800) 252-7522; JetBlue , (800) 538-2583 Source: Airfarewatchdog

JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and Virgin America are the indie bands of the air travel world. Fresh, resourceful and a bit cheeky, these three airlines -- billed as low-fare alternatives -- buck against convention in the industry. That's especially welcome at a time when flying is often a delay-ridden, jampacked and amenity-stripped chore. But do these indie airlines have the best prices? Not always. In a survey of flights for the upcoming Easter weekend to three destinations -- all of which are served by at least one of these alternative airlines -- mainstream carriers often beat them on ticket prices.