United Airlines

FBI agents arrested a man who allegedly tried to extort $1.5 million from United Airlines by threatening to shoot down an airliner bound for Los Angeles. Orvile Spence, 48, was arrested Friday night in the Lennox area as he attempted to pick up the money he demanded, said Charlie Parsons, special agent in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office. About noon Friday, Spence telephoned United Airlines officials in Chicago and threatened to use a Vietnam War-era weapon known as a Law rocket to shoot down a Los Angeles-bound passenger jet, Parsons said.

As travelers gear up for Memorial Day, families flying coach on United Airlines who don't have "elite" flier status may need to pack an extra dose of patience. United has dropped the “families can board first” do-si-do from its boarding process. "We figured it would be better to simplify that process and reduce the number of boarding groups," United spokesman Charles Hobart told CNN. If you and your family are flying first- or business-class, you can board early. United isn't the only airline that doesn't give families priority.

A United Airlines jumbo jet with 393 people aboard hit massive air turbulence over the Pacific Ocean on Sunday night, killing one passenger and injuring dozens of others aboard. Passengers and serving carts were flung to the ceiling as the plane dived almost 1,000 feet when it flew into the turbulence at 33,000 feet. Officials at Narita airport near Tokyo said the incident happened just after passengers had finished eating a meal, two hours after the Boeing 747 left the airport at 9:05 p.m.

Low-cost airlines that cut out many of the extras might not be expected to get high marks for service - just as fast food is unlikely to win culinary awards. But J.D. Power & Associates' 2012 Customer Service Champions did not include long-established carriers such as Delta Air Lines, United Airlines or American Airlines among the 50 companies from various industries that won the distinction this year based on value, service and other measures. Instead, the report listed low-cost carriers Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and San Francisco upstart Virgin America as the only airlines to win the award.

Baggage complaints hit the right note Dave Carroll, the Canadian musician who won worldwide acclaim with his cutting, catchy song about baggage mishandling at United Airlines, last week released the third in his music video trilogy of rants. "United Breaks Guitars: Song 3: United We Stand…" is a bluegrass arrangement that includes moonshine-swilling hillbillies, fake beards, dorky square-dancing, extended mockery of United customer service, and a wicked solo by dobro master Jerry Douglas.

Here's a fare on United that gets you into Baltimore for $258, plus taxes and fees, putting you about 40 miles from downtown Washington. The fare is subject to availability (and it's higher during peak holiday travel) and must be purchased 10 days in advance. It is for travel Tuesdays and Wednesdays and can be purchased through March 7. Info: United Airlines , (800) 864-8331 Source : Airfarewatchdog.com    

Time finally may be on United Airlines' side as the carrier's executives, staunch proponents of consolidation, again explore a merger. The underlying financial dynamics of the airline industry have greatly improved since 2008, when Chicago-based United and other U.S. carriers last engaged in the aviation equivalent of speed-dating, analysts said. And United has made itself a more attractive partner by cutting costs and paying greater attention to details such as its on-time performance.

Question: I recently purchased an international ticket on United and paid for an upgrade to economy-plus seating. I changed my mind about the flight and called to cancel the ticket, which I could do without a penalty because it was within 24 hours of the purchase. I assumed that the plus-seating would also be refunded. Lo and behold, my credit card statement showed no refund for the economy-plus seat. I was told that the upgraded seating was nonrefundable. When I argued that the ticket was also nonrefundable, I was told that only the ticket could be refunded within 24 hours of purchase.

Ruehl Bulan perches on the left rear exit of a United Airlines jet and flings seat cushions, three at a time, into the chilly October night. He's part of a skeleton crew of mechanics swarming the Airbus A320, which just pulled into Dock 2 at the carrier's cavernous maintenance hangars at San Francisco International Airport. By dawn, they will have stripped the plane down to its metal seat frames. For the first time this decade, Chicago-based United is giving a makeover to every aircraft in its fleet.

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.

Airline overhead bins, increasingly stuffed to capacity, are getting bigger. But the big surprise may be that the airlines offering larger bins are not sticking passengers with new fees for the extra space. At least not yet. Oversized bins can be found on many of American Airlines' new Boeing 737-800s, which were deployed starting in May with a new interior design. The new overhead bins pivot down and out and can hold as many as 48 more bags per flight than standard bins. Starting in April, United Airlines plans to replace the bin doors on 152 planes with new ones that curve out, providing more interior space.

Another airline merger took a key step forward Thursday when the Federal Aviation Administration approved a certificate to allow Southwest Airlines and its subsidiary AirTran Airways to operate as one. The certificate is a crucial development in Southwest Airlines' $1.4-billion purchase of Orlando, Fla.-based AirTran, which was first announced in 2010. Since then, the two low-fare airlines have operated as separate carriers. Southwest officials say it will still take several years to repaint the exterior and remodel the interior cabins of AirTran's fleet of 138 jets before the two airlines can be completely integrated.

Here's a fare on United that gets you into Baltimore for $258, plus taxes and fees, putting you about 40 miles from downtown Washington. The fare is subject to availability (and it's higher during peak holiday travel) and must be purchased 10 days in advance. It is for travel Tuesdays and Wednesdays and can be purchased through March 7. Info: United Airlines , (800) 864-8331 Source : Airfarewatchdog.com    

While the nation's airlines continue to blame higher fuel costs for cutting into profits, the industry continues to pocket hefty revenue from fees. The country's largest airlines collected $1.5 billion in fees from checked luggage and reservation change charges in April, May and June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The fees collected for the second quarter represent a 1% increase from the same period last year and were up 8.5% from the previous three months, according to the bureau.

If your travels take you to Zurich, Switzerland, you'll save money with an $823 round-trip fare, which includes taxes and fees, from LAX on United or Swiss International. You must buy your tickets seven days in advance and stay over at least one Saturday night for a visit that's no longer than three months. The fare is available for travel Sundays-Thursdays between Oct. 30 and March 26, and you must return Mondays-Thursdays by May 15. The fare, as always, is subject to availability.

I saw red when a USAToday survey reported that airline baggage fees had hit a whopping $450. The blogosphere quickly churned with news of airlines charging $400 to $450 fees for oversized bags on overseas flights. Then I took a deep breath and read the story more closely. It says American Airlines charges $450 for bags weighing 71 to 100 pounds on flights from the U.S. to Asia. Which is true, but who's taking 100 pounds of anything to the airport these days? American spokesman Tim Smith tells me in an email that "high-priced ... overweight bags to and from Asia is an anomaly that is beyond rare.

The tragedy is that they'll go on believing they're right and lose their jobs at the same time. I'm talking about the pilots of United Airlines and others who have joined them in sympathy, in their walkout against the company. Unfortunately, although from a different perspective, I know whereof I speak. As a mid-level management employee of 10 years standing, I used to work as the manager of publicity for an airline that longtime employees proclaimed with honor as "The Proud Bird With the Golden Tail."

How do airlines die? Somewhat slowly but surely, in the case of Continental Airlines. The October 2010 merger with United Airlines means Continental planes and flight codes are on their way to the aviation graveyard alongside Pan Am, TWA and other big-time carriers. (Nostalgia buffs take heart: the "Pan Am" TV series is set to start 10 p.m. Sept. 25 on ABC.) United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson explains what happens next. First planes get rebranded as United (which has been ongoing)

In the remote, rolling hills near this tiny southwestern Pennsylvania borough, signs of the thunderous jolts that shook the town on Sept. 11, 2001, and then rippled across the world have mostly faded. The 40-foot-deep crater created by the chaotic, 500-mph descent of United Airlines Flight 93 has long been covered. Nearby, wildflowers blanket the 60-plus acres that serve as a burial ground for 40 crew members and passengers. A serene walkway overlooks the seasonal blooms and leads to a granite wall inscribed with the names of all who were aboard Flight 93. It took 10 years, but the National Park Service's Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek Township will be unveiled Saturday during events that are expected to draw 10,000 people, including President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.