United Airlines

As the nation copes with increasing numbers of obese Americans, United Airlines has joined the list of air carriers making overweight passengers pay more to fly. As of Wednesday, passengers too large to fit comfortably in a coach seat may be required to buy a second ticket or upgrade to business class, where seats are larger -- if United's flight attendants can't find two open seats for them. The carrier, whose parent company is Chicago-based UAL Corp.

United Airlines will begin charging some passengers $50 to check in a second piece of luggage on domestic round-trip flights, becoming the first big carrier to impose a fee for a service that has long been included in the price of a ticket.

Two United Airlines A320 planes that skidded off runways in recent months had crossed wiring in their main landing gear, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday. Investigators have not concluded what the cause was and are continuing to look into both incidents, NTSB spokesman Peter Knutson said. United Airlines confirmed the finding and said three Airbus A320s in all were found to have the faulty landing-gear wiring, which is believed to have caused wheels to lock.

Four U.S. airlines are being investigated for their suspected failure to comply with federal regulations dealing with aircraft maintenance, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday, although it stressed that the nation's air fleet was safe. The FAA declined to release the names of the four airlines, citing the ongoing investigation and privacy issues, but said fines might be levied.

Skyrocketing fuel costs have plunged U.S. airlines into a sea of red ink -- and travelers can expect higher air fares and fewer flights from which to choose as a result. United Airlines on Tuesday became the latest victim of the industry's woes. The airline's parent company reported a larger-than-expected loss in the first quarter, sending its stock into a tailspin.

Moving quickly after being left at the altar by Continental Airlines, United Airlines stepped up talks with US Airways and was moving toward an agreement Monday on joining forces to create what could be the world's largest carrier. UAL Corp.-owned United and US Airways Group Inc. were in advanced talks and were expected to be able to announce a deal within weeks, two people familiar with the negotiations said.

United Airlines, one of the largest carriers at Los Angeles International Airport, said Wednesday that it would eliminate its low-fare Ted service, ground an additional 70 planes and pare up to 1,100 more jobs in response to soaring fuel costs. The planned cuts are among the latest by airlines as they struggle with fuel prices that have jumped 70% since last year, leaving the industry facing billions of dollars in losses. Last month, American Airlines, the largest U.S.

United Airlines said Thursday that it would begin charging $15 for the first piece of checked luggage, becoming the second major U.S. airline to impose a fee for a service that has long been included in the fare. The luggage charge for coach-class passengers on the nation's second-largest carrier was quickly matched by US Airways, raising the prospect that the other two big carriers, Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines, would follow suit.

Trying to lure more passengers, United Airlines will double its flights at L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport, which has been struggling to attract travelers since air service resumed at the facility a year ago. Officials for Los Angeles World Airports announced Tuesday that United, the only commercial carrier at the airport, would increase daily flights from two to four and replace its current 50-seat regional jets with 30-seat turboprops, adding 20% more capacity.

Passengers cite unfriendly skies It's the staff, stupid. That's the message from more than 19,000 air passengers surveyed by J.D. Power & Associates, a marketing information company in Westlake Village. In the company's 2008 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, released last week, it was people, not price, that sent the industry's scores skidding to their lowest levels in three years, said Linda Hirneise, executive director.