American Airlines

American said it is again seeking U.S. Department of Transportation approval for antitrust immunity on a new joint venture with Qantas that would allow the two airlines to jointly market, schedule and operate flights between the United States, Australia and New Zealand.  A previous application for antitrust immunity for the two airlines was blocked in November of 2016. Airline officials say the new joint venture proposal would increase competition while also bringing other consumer benefits such as expanded fare classes and more codesharing.

Hawaiian Airlines

Because of delays in the shipment of new Airbus A321neo aircraft, Hawaiian Airlines has canceled or deferred a number of flights between California and Hawaii. Some of the affected flights include seasonal service from Honolulu to San Francisco and from Kona to Oakland. Service from Lihu’e to Oakland is being deferred from April to Mid-June.  Hawaiian Airlines is directly contacting travelers holding reservations on the affected flights. However, all passengers should reconfirm their itineraries as other flights are experiencing significant schedule changes. For example, some flights to Hawaii’s other islands will now have a connection in Honolulu instead of being nonstop.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest has introduced a new, higher fee to obtain a prime boarding position on select high-demand flights. When Southwest first introduced the last minute upgraded boarding option it set the fee at $40. Later it offered a cheaper $30 option on some flights, but now it also has added the more expensive $50 option in the mix for other popular flights.