Topic: Passenger Transportation

The Last Stand

Airlines now let you pay to jump the standby line. Here's what you need to know to get home sooner.READ»

Attention, Airlines: Air India Saves Millions With Simple Fuel Efficiency Techniques

Biofuel-powered airplane flights have been getting lots of press recently, but powering planes with algae, jatropha, and camelina isn't the only way to save on traditional jet fuel. Air India, the country's national airline, has ...READ»

Profitable Player Runner-up: Virgin Atlantic

Virgin isn't afraid to spend big on customer amenities, and the business is flying high.READ»

Brand-As-Verb, Entry No. 2

I had lunch today with a former editor who was talking about a recent trip he'd made to the West Coast. "So I 'JetBlued' out to California....," he said nonchalantly, with little notice of the verb he'd just created. Like "Googled," ...READ»

American Airlines' Gay-Friendly Skies

George Carrancho, 43, manages American Airlines' Rainbow Team, the first dedicated LGBT sales staff and Web site to target the $65 billion American gay and lesbian travel industry.READ»

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Racism in Social Networks

Are social networks inherently racist? This is an uncomfortable question, yet it's important to ask.READ»

Airlines Join Together to Use Synthetic Diesel Fuel at LAX

Sustainability efforts in the airline industry are usually focused on airplanes or terminals, but Rentech Inc. has honed in on another aspect of the industry: ground-service transportation. The fuel company has brought together ...READ»

When the Red-Eye Becomes the Green-Eye

Last week, UK-based low-cost airline easyJet announced it had designed an aircraft that would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent. They call it the "ecoJet" and claim the design could become reality by 2015. Sounds great, ...READ»

Grounded: David Neeleman, JetBlue's erstwhile CEO

When I heard last week that David Neeleman was stepping down as head of JetBlue, I admit I was surprised - despite how worn down he seemed when I interviewed him recently. So he nearly tossed me out of his office after talking for an ...READ»

Effective Internal Marketing Strategies for All Businesses

Southwest Airlines is not just an airline, it is “THE low-fare airline.” For Southwest, its motto gives internal direction and guidance. It serves as a practical tool for employees and executives to make decisions that are in-line with the brand. Rallying your team around a single mission builds a cohesive brand identity that will differentiate you from your peers. It’s not just reciting “we are the low-fare airline,” that will make you “THE low-fare airline,” however. It has to be the…READ»

American Airlines Web Site: The Product of a Self-Defeating Design Process

Designer Dustin Curtis was so disgusted with the American Airlines Web site that he redesigned it, and posted the results as an open letter to the company. Guess what? One of AA's designers responded with a long ...READ»

Good Business for the Airlines

Why do people hate the airlines? OK…their track record for on-time service is spotty. And they often have trouble with luggage. Yet, many of the factors that influence performance are outside of their control (i.e. the ...READ»

Work/Life: Is À La Carte Cruising in Your Future?

The next time you are toot-tooted aboard a cruise ship, come prepared with more than just your swimsuit: The à la carte revenue model that has swept the airline industry may be coming to a cruise line near you. Perhaps a ...READ»

Work/Life: ...But Boss, I Saved $15 at the Bunny Ranch!

The unpopularity of American Airlines' $15 first-checked-bag fee is stimulating the creative impulse in marketers who want to tap into travelers' desire to get some relief from the airlines' expanding list of fees. While ...READ»

Delta's Web Strategy Takes Flight

Delta is flying high on the Web -- thanks to a bunch of smart dotcom partnerships. Here's how one big company is making the Web connection.READ»

Chat Room - Time Zero's Big Idea

Mark Teflian has always worked at high velocity. In 1975, during summer break after his freshman year in college, he was hired by United Airlines to do some part-time contract work. He never went back to school. Instead, he became a ...READ»

How Sustainable Is Southwest's "Green Plane"?

Southwest Airlines announced recently that it is launching a prototype "green plane," a Boeing 737 tweaked to include environmentally responsible materials and cut down on fuel use. It's a nice idea, but is it an honest effort or ...READ»

Jet Blues

JetBlue today announced that its third-quarter earnings fell 71 percent because of hurricanes and fuel and ticket prices. It seems that the startup airline is already facing the problems of the bigs as it tries to join their ranks. ...READ»

Heir-Line Apparent

In June, Scott Kirsner examined Delta Airlines' upstart carrier Song's startup strategy. Almost a year prior, Song's head was asked to develop a low-cost airline that could compete with JetBlue and Southwest. Now, Song officials are ...READ»

Technology: When Is a Cola Not a Cola?

This month, Northwest Airlines' identity is merging with that of Delta Air Lines, starting with abandonment of the old Northwest uniforms. FoxBusiness.com reports that baggage counters, gates, and luggage claim areas are all being ...READ»

Three Reasons Why I Will Still Fly JetBlue

Even before JetBlue left planefuls of customers stranded on the runway for hours, earlier this month, I had a bad JB experience that broke my heart. My flight left late for fueling reasons that are still beyond my comprehension, but ...READ»

USAir Asks Fliers: ‘Can we Get a Hallelujah?’

USAirways switched over to a new computer reservation system last week, combining its system with America West’s on a new platform. It was a bumpy transition, at least if you were a passenger. USAir's president called it “largely ...READ»

Ryanair Allows E-Cigs, But Americans Can Smoke on Flights, Too

Irish bargain airline Ryanair announced yesterday they would begin selling smokeless electronic cigarettes on their flights. The gimmick may bring in a few extra nicotine-happy customers in Europe, but Ryanair doesn't fly to the ...READ»

End of the Airline Giants?

Last month, Melissa mentioned Delta and United's management woes. Just recently, Delta's pilots have offered to take a 23 percent pay cut, resolving a deadlocked talk with the management. But company leaders say the cut is not ...READ»

Song's Startup Flight Plan

How does an established corporate giant (in this case, Delta Air Lines) respond to disastrous economic circumstances and the rise of a new breed of competitors that operate by different rules? By creating a whole new operation (in this case, Song) that runs by those rules, and then trying to fly beyond the competition. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the ambitious flight plan and bumpy launch of an internal startup.READ»