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Marc Friedman


Private jet operator NetJets to lay off close to 500 pilots

Posted on 11/10/09 at 6:50pm
Columbus, Ohio-based NetJets, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced late last week that it plans to lay off 495 out of 3,000 pilots currently employed by the company. NetJets is the pioneer of fractional-ownership of small business jets which allows for partial ownership of an aircraft that is shared with other companies. The final number of laid off pilots may be slightly lower, according to Chairman and CEO David Sokol, after upcoming negotiations with the plot's union.
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Republic Holdings Inc. announces expansion of Midwest Airlines in Milwaukee

Posted on 11/10/09 at 5:14pm
The new owners of Milwaukee-based Midwest Airlines, Republic Holdings Inc., today announced that the shrinking airline will soon begin growing again with new service to Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina and San Francisco. Service to both destinations will start up in April of 2010. The new non-stops from General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee will be the first of what is expected to many new markets for the airline that shares ownership with Denver-based Frontier Airlines and several other regional carriers. Republic is headquartered in Indianapolis.
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United Airlines reduces Mileage Plus award ticket mileage by 5k for winter travel; book by October 19

Posted on 10/15/09 at 4:34pm
United Airlines is pulling out the stops to impress its frequent fliers. On Monday the airline announced a one week promotion where it'll take 5,000 fewer miles to book a domestic award ticket. Mileage Plus participants can buy a domestic ticket for as little as 20,000 miles round-trip, but the booking must be made no later than next Monday, October 19.
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FAA proposes multi-million dollar fines for US Airways & United Airlines due to safety violations

Posted on 10/15/09 at 4:04pm
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed huge fines against both US Airways and United Airlines for alleged safety violations involving thousands of flights. The carriers are two of the largest in the U.S., and both stand accused of being out of compliance with airworthiness directives (ADs) issued by the government agency.
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AirTran Holdings improves cash position with amended credit agreements

Posted on 10/01/09 at 10:01am
Seeking to improve its cash position, AirTran Holdings, parent of AirTran Airways has made changes to its credit agreements that will provide the airline with more than $400 million of unrestricted cash and short-term investments. At the end of June the low-cost carrier reported $389.4 million in unrestricted cash and investments.
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British Airways, seeking new revenue sources, to begin charging for advance seat assignments

Posted on 10/01/09 at 9:42am
British Airways, one of the world's largest airlines has jumped on the bandwagon by charging passengers who want specific seats on its flights. Effective October 7, travelers who want to sit together, or individuals who desire a window or aisle seat will have to pay approximately $15 for a coach seat within Europe and up to $90 for a business class seat on a long-haul flight.
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Airlines take in nearly $4 billion in additional fees

Posted on 09/29/09 at 1:51pm
Despite the fact that far fewer people are traveling, the nation's airlines are raking it in when it comes to collecting additional fees for checked baggage, re-booking flights, seat assignments, carrying pets and so on. Department of Transportation (DOT) figures show airlines collected $3.8 billion in fees during the first six months of the year, up more than 50% from the $2.3 billion in fees charged in 2008.
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European carrier 'Wizz' to add seatback advertising to its aircraft

Posted on 09/28/09 at 1:35pm
It was bound to happen eventually, and European low-cost airline 'Wizz' will apparently be the first carrier to place advertisements on seatbacks on all of it aircraft. The carrier has contracted with Atlanta-based OnBoard Media Group to place ads for UK company 'O2' with a campaign promoting their Your Country SIM card program.  A SIM card is a portable memory chip considered to be the heart of your cell phone.
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US Airways and American offer share sales to raise cash

Posted on 09/24/09 at 8:14am
  With the recent increase in airline stock prices, both US Airways and American Airlines has seized the opportunity by offering share sales in an effort to raise cash for general corporate usage. US Airways plans to sell 26.3 million shares publicly with a total value of apporximately $138 million. American Airlines shares are going for $8.25 each as the carrier hopes to sell 48.5 million shares, netting it $400 million.
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Lenders hesitant to provide more loans without major overhaul at Japan Airlines

Posted on 09/22/09 at 10:59am
While no one disagrees that Japan Airlines should not be allowed to fail, there is increasing pressure on the Japanese government to get more involved in a drastic overhaul of the money-losing carrier. The Nikkei business daily reported that the lenders want the airline to separate profitable from non-profitable operations and are reluctant to provide more loans until action is taken. Seiji Maehara, Japan's new transport minister said last week that the federal government plans to support JAL as it strives to obtain funding as part of a drastic cost-cutting plan.
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