You would think that, after the shit storm that rained on Mayor Daley's head once the details of the parking meter privatization came out, he'd give up the privatizing ghost and count down the days until next May. more ›

The acting administrator of the FAA says Chicago needs another airport, or at least a more dramatic expansion of our current two—over and above the massive O'Hare expansion already underway. "Chicago plays too vital a role as an aviation hub not to further upgrade airport capacity, [Robert Sturgell] said, adding that he appreciated the fierce resistance such projects can generate, including from residents worried about noise and air pollution." Appreciated but did not care. [AP]
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United Airlines announced today that it's increasing its fee for a second checked bag to $50. [Crain's] more ›

The Chicago-based United is laying off 1,550 flight attendants as part of its plan to cut 7,000 jobs from its payrolls. Yikes. [Crain's] more ›

Southwest is eliminating 196 flights nationally and 22 flights from Midway, the most of any airport, as a result of high fuel costs. From now on, there will be one fewer flights per day to Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Manchester, Oakland, Omaha, Orlando, Philadelphiam Pittsburgh,Portland, Providence, Raleigh-Durham, Sacramento, San Diego, St. Louis, and Tucson, and two fewer to Baltimore and Nashville. [Crain's] more ›

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Air travel! It just gets funner! Today's latest innovation: Ads printed on your boarding pass. Delta, American, Continental, Northwest, US and United have all signed on with Sojern, an Omaha-based company that puts "destination specific information" on airlines' websites. When you print your boarding pass from home, it now comes with weather info and a slew of targeted ads. more ›

"Between one and three" ticks were found on a United plane originating in Chicago yesterday. Eeeeew. The plane, at that point in Denver and heading to Des Moines, was taken out of rotation to be cleaned, and no bugs were found on any passengers. [CNN]
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An All Nippon Airways Boeing 777 cargo plane bound for Narita International Airport in Japan made a safe emergency landing shortly after takeoff from O'Hare. An FAA spokeswoman said the plane experienced an engine malfunction and that it "may have ingested some birds" as it flew over the Mt. Prospect area. Per regulations for an emergency landing, the plane dumped its fuel over Lake Michigan (the fuel supposedly disintegrating before reaching the water) before returning to O'Hare and landing without further incident around 12:15 p.m. [Trib] more ›

Remember when you found out through a series of zany sitcom plot twists time and again that telling little white lies will backfire on you? Well, an air-traffic control center in Elgin is learning that lesson the hard way; turns out fudging the truth isn’t so funny when you’re in charge of travel safety. more ›

American Airlines is going to "test" in-flight internet access starting tomorrow on some flights from LA to New York, and while the testing phase is free, the airline plans to charge for access down the road, so get ready to pony up between $9.95 to $12.95 if you 1. fly American and 2. can't go a few hours without internet. [AP] more ›

Those 'Sconnies are slick. The powers that be at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport took full advantage of the hullabaloo at Wrigley Field this weekend to promote Skymailme.com, a website dedicated to luring Chicagoans away from O’Hare and over the border when searching for airfare. more ›

To say the month of June has not been kind to United Airlines and its employees would be a gross understatement. Now comes news that United will be laying off approximately 950 pilots. All told, the layoffs will reduce the current pilot roster by twelve percent. These cuts are in addition to the nearly 1,600 other salaried jobs that are being eliminated, many from the Elk Grove center. The culprit, as has been the case with just about everything airline-related recently, remains offsetting the skyrocketing oil prices. more ›

United is raising its prices—unsurprising—and reviving a minimum stay requirement for most domestic flights, starting in October. The airline has already reinstated a Saturday-night stay rule. [AP]
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Non-stories Paging Sandi Jackson! CBS 2 wonders if airlines could start charging people based on their weight. Why would they wonder that? Because "it's an idea floating around in cyberspace." more ›

This one slipped through the cracks yesterday, but Division Street calls our attention to Sandi Jackson's latest crusade: that $15 fee American is charging on checked baggage. It's discriminatory, she says. more ›

We love weird old Chicago stuff: the "frightful effects of dope addiction," a 70s White Sox radio, Marina City charm. more ›

Get ready for tonight's finale of with this sorta spoof, sorta recap. more ›

Midway ranked number-one on customer satisfaction for midsize airports in a new survey from J.D. Power and Associates, who apparently took a break from giving awards to every car ever to compile this data. According to the survey, late-arrival rates were the highest since 1996, customers are less satisfied than ever, and fewer people are checking bags. Perhaps even fewer travelers will be checking bags now that American will be charging $15 to do so. more ›

Virgin America is petitioning the FAA for two gates at O'Hare for a planned eight flights a day, four to San Fransisco and four to LA. The company expects the FAA to make its ruling by June and to start flying into and out of Chicago around November if things go their way. more ›

The TSA is rolling out a new security-line system at Midway. Starting today, passengers will sort themselves into three different lanes to go through the security check, based on their experience and efficiency as travelers (and packers). People who know the ropes, like business travelers, will go in the expert lane; people who are inexperienced travelers or who have kids with them go in the novice lane; and anyone who's not sure or is somewhere in between goes in the casual lane. more ›

"No PSLs [personal seat licenses] . . . No sales tax. No amusement tax. No McCormick Place [restaurant] tax. No taxes of any kind. I know that will disappoint the Sun-Times editorial board. But it's the best I can do." Jim Thompson on his apparently magical plan to have the state buy Wrigley without tax money. [S-T] more ›

Robert Kadera, the Lincolnshire dad who landed his plane on a golf course to get his son to a tennis lesson, was charged today with reckless conduct and endangering the life or health of a child, two misdemeanors, for the March incident. He's scheduled to appear in court May 13, and the FAA's investigation is ongoing. What a putz. [Daily Herald, Trib]
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Natalie, we heard you don't like late Extra, Extras. This one's for you. more ›

Hey, dad, can you give me a ride? Oh, you want to be a brief media sensation? Then yeah, a ride in your plane is cool, too. more ›

In a situation only slightly less disgusting and tragically hilarious than the time Dave Matthews Band's waste landed on that tour boat, mysterious "splotches" over a three block radius in Lisle may be human poop and pee. Police in the western suburb are investigating a substance that landed on and often stained roofs, lawns, streets, cars, etc. The yellow and brown stains were described as "the size of the palm of [a] hand." While there's... more ›