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Conflict In Iran Forces Airline To Hike Checked Baggage Fees

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Travelers flying United Airlines will pay more to check their luggage starting Friday as surging fuel costs from the war in Iran ripple through the airline industry.

The carrier announced a $10 increase on first and second checked bags for tickets purchased on or after April 3, affecting routes within the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Latin America, according to CNBC. A first bag now runs $45 if paid in advance and $50 within 24 hours of departure. Second bags climb to $55 prepaid or $60 at the last minute. Third bags jumped $50, bringing the total to $200.

United is the second domestic carrier to raise baggage prices in under a week. JetBlue bumped its fees by as much as $9 on March 30, telling the Associated Press that charging more for optional add-ons helps keep base ticket prices competitive.

The fee increases come as jet fuel prices have nearly doubled since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28. The average gallon of jet fuel across four major U.S. hubs reached $4.88 on Thursday, up from $2.50 before the conflict, according to data from energy intelligence firm Argus Media cited by CNBC. United does not hedge its fuel costs, leaving it fully exposed to volatile spot prices, according to AeroTime.

(Read more from “Conflict In Iran Forces Airline To Hike Checked Baggage Fees” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Emergency Declared: Transatlantic Flight Turns Back After Mid-Air Engine Failure

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A United Airlines flight bound for Germany was forced to return to Washington Dulles International Airport last Friday evening after one of its engines failed shortly after takeoff, triggering a distress call from the cockpit.

United Flight 108, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had just lifted off en route to Munich when, around 10,000 feet in the air, the crew radioed a chilling message to air traffic controllers: “Mayday, mayday, mayday — engine failure, left engine.”

The emergency transmission was captured in live ATC audio and quickly spread across aviation forums. The aircraft had departed Dulles shortly before 6 p.m. for what was expected to be an eight-hour journey across the Atlantic Ocean. But with one of its two engines compromised, the crew opted to abort the long-haul trip and return to its point of origin.

The situation became more complicated due to the aircraft’s full fuel load — standard for international routes — which made an immediate landing unsafe. Pilots requested additional airspace to remain airborne and burn off or jettison fuel before attempting to land.

Roughly 30 minutes later, the flight safely touched down at Dulles. All 219 passengers and 11 crew members exited the aircraft without incident.

A spokesperson for United Airlines confirmed to media outlets that the plane experienced a mechanical malfunction, but declined to provide further details. The airline has not disclosed whether the same aircraft will return to service or undergo extended maintenance.

No injuries were reported, but the incident serves as a reminder of the complexities and risks involved in commercial aviation — and the skill required to manage emergencies in real-time.

Photo credit: Flickr

Major United In-Flight Attack Could Have Been Avoided if Air Marshals Weren’t Babysitting Migrants at Border, Union Says: ‘Worst Fears Coming True’

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Passengers on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston were forced to take down a man trying to stab a flight attendant last year — because there were no air marshals present due to their continued deployments to the southern border, The Post has learned.

During the height of the border crisis, the federal government has been sending 200 air marshals to the border on 21-day deployments, leaving major flights vulnerable to threats, Sonya LaBosco, a retired supervisory federal air marshal who speaks on behalf of the Air Marshal National Council, told The Post.

From her own experience, LaBosco knew the LA to Boston route was one that was always staffed by marshals. She became even more concerned when passengers of a March 2023 Flight 2609 began contacting her, knowing they were left to tackle the threatening passenger on their own. . .

“So our worst fears were coming true every day with the in-flight incidents that were occurring that air marshals would have been on those flights to keep passengers from being injured.”

That day — and any other day — air marshals have been deployed to the border, they’ve been there merely “handing out water, making sandwiches, Uber Eats runs … bringing diapers and stuff into the facilities and unloading trucks,” LaBosco said, adding that it’s “absolutely ridiculous.” (Read more from “Major United In-Flight Attack Could Have Been Avoided if Air Marshals Weren’t Babysitting Migrants at Border, Union Says: ‘Worst Fears Coming True'” HERE)

Report: Airline Giant Requests Boeing to Cease Production of Max 10 Jets the Airline Initially Purchased

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United Airlines Holdings Inc. reportedly made the decision to pause its orders for Boeing Co.’s 737 Max 10 jets Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.

United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, disclosed the airline’s pivot to Boeing’s 737 Max 9s and Airbus SE’s A321 planes during a JPMorgan investor conference. “We’ve asked Boeing to stop building Max 10s, which they’ve done, for us and start building Max 9s,” United Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby said in a statement, Bloomberg reported. “It’s impossible to say when the Max 10 is going to get certified.”

Kirby pointed out the uncertain timeline for the Max 10’s certification as a key factor in United’s decision to alter its fleet acquisition strategy. Despite this shift, Kirby confirmed United’s intent to revert to the Max 10 once it receives the necessary clearance, according to Bloomberg. He also acknowledged discussions about substituting some of United’s substantial order, totaling 277 units of the Max 10 variant, with Airbus A321 aircraft.

“We are in the market for A321s, and if we get a deal where the economics work, we’ll do something,” Kirby said, Bloomberg stated. “If we don’t, we won’t and will wind up with more Max 9s.” (Read more from “Report: Airline Giant Requests Boeing to Cease Production of Max 10 Jets the Airline Initially Purchased” HERE)

United Airlines CEO Is a Cross-Dressing Freak

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Have you noticed? The US aviation industry is crashing, both literally and figuratively. It’s like we’re watching the whole airline sector fall apart at the seams: pilots passing away out of the blue, passengers turning flights into WWE-style brawls, doors and windows blowing off mid-flight, and air traffic controllers resorting to Google for on-the-spot training. And when it seems things couldn’t get stranger, there’s the case of the freaky guy leading United Airlines.

Instead of prioritizing essentials like safety and skills, the CEO at United appears to be more concerned with his false eyelashes and jumbo nylons. Think we are joking? We wish we were, folks. . .

Beyond the CEO’s creepy wardrobe fetish and turning the skies into something resembling a gay “rave,” the real kicker is his obsession with “equity” at the expense of your safety.

The whole airline situation is an absolute mess, leaving many Americans scratching their heads and wondering just how things got this bad. (Read more from “United Airlines CEO Is a Cross-Dressing Freak” HERE)

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Hundreds of Flights Cancelled for Christmas Eve as Omicron Wreaks Travel Chaos

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Hundreds of flights have been canceled between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – with one airline blaming Omicron’s toll on staffing.

United Airlines canceled about 120 flights Friday and another 28 on Saturday, the company said.

“The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” a United Airlines spokesperson told The Post.

The company said they are reaching out to customers affected by the cancellations before they head to the airport.

Delta Air Lines is also facing cancellations on the same two days. (Read more from “Hundreds of Flights Cancelled for Christmas Eve as Omicron Wreaks Travel Chaos” HERE)

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Federal Judge Blocks United Airlines’ Vaccine Mandate

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A federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked United Airlines from putting unvaccinated workers who requested exemptions from the company’s COVID-19 shot mandate on leave.

“The court is not currently ruling on the merits of the parties’ arguments on these points,” U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman wrote in his order. “Rather the court seeks simply to avoid the risk of irreparable harm to the parties and to maintain the status quo while the court holds an evidentiary hearing.”

United originally planned to put any workers who did not comply with the company’s shot order on leave. Even those who requested and were granted religious exceptions from the jab were going to be forced into medical or “indefinite unpaid leave.” Under Pittman’s new order, however, the company is not permitted to take any unvaccinated workers off of the airline’s payroll. The order expires Oct. 26.

United Airlines was one of the first airlines to force the COVID-19 shot on its employees starting in August. Nearly 600 of the company’s workers are at risk to be fired since they have yet to get the jab, in addition to the 2,000 employees who have filed requests for exemption. (Read more from “Federal Judge Blocks United Airlines’ Vaccine Mandate” HERE)

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WATCH: Family Kicked off Flight After Toddler Refuses to Wear Mask

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A viral video shows a family being booted from a United Airlines flight because their 2-year-old daughter refused to keep her face mask on.

Eliz Orban said in an Instagram video posted Friday that she, her husband and their toddler were set to fly from Denver into New Jersey’s Newark International Airport when they were ousted from the plane over the coronavirus precaution.

“We just got kicked off the flight because our 2-year-old would not put on a mask, and we tried,” said a teary Orban in the video.

Orban also posted footage from the flight of her husband trying to loop the mask’s straps over the ears of the squirming tot, who was having none of it.

“Come here, you have to put this on,” Orban’s husband coaxed in vain, as the little girl covered her mouth with her hands. “You have to.”

(Read more from “Family Kicked off Flight After Toddler Refuses to Wear Mask” HERE)

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Dog Dies After Airline Forces It Into Overhead Bin

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On Monday night, a dog died in a plane after a United Airlines flight attendant forced the dog into an overhead bin.

Maggie Gremminger, a passenger on a flight from Houston to New York’s LaGuardia Airport, uploaded a photo of the dog’s owners on Twitter. “I want to help this woman and her daughter. They lost their dog because of an @united flight attendant. My heart is broken,” reads the image caption.

The Points Guy reports that during their flight, an attendant insisted that the woman put her dog, which was held in a TSA-approved pet carrier, in an overhead bin for the rest of the flight . . .

A United spokesperson addressed the incident in a statement to The Points Guy: “This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin. We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.” (Read more from “Dog Dies After Airline Forces It Into Overhead Bin” HERE)

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