Airfare | featured news

As late as this morning, it looked like if you had traveled while the Federal Aviation Administration was shut down, there was a good chance that the government owed you a tax refund.

The government is likely to lose more than $1 billion in airline ticket taxes because lawmakers have left town for a month without resolving ...

Finally, good news from the gridlock in Congress. Or maybe not. The federal government Saturday stopped collecting taxes on airline tickets, so flying suddenly got cheaper, right? Wrong. Many airlines just increased their airfares to match the tax drop.

With three antsy kids in the back, a husband resistant to bathroom breaks, and spotty cellphone coverage along the route, it's easy to think flying would be easier. If it weren't for that pesky TSA, the checked baggage fee, and having to pay for five airplane tickets, flying would be a no-brainer.

Celebrating its 40th birthday, Southwest Airlines started running a promotion that’s sure to turn a lot of heads. Fares start at $40 for one-way trips up to 450 miles, $80 for trips from 451 to 1,250 miles and $120 for trips over 1,251 miles.

Searching for airfares often seems like a game passengers are set up to lose. Prices change from day to day, even minute to minute. Scouring multiple websites for the best deal can be overwhelming. And after you book, there's no guarantee that you got the best price.

With gas, airline and hotel prices soaring, American travelers may not be able to afford much when they reach their destinations.

Last week, I wrote about the relationship between fuel prices and airfare increases, and many of you balked, saying that fuel hedging keeps airlines from paying more for fuel. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

United Continental Holdings Inc., the world's biggest airline
company, scrapped its 2011 growth plans on Monday and said it will
cut unprofitable routes because of rising fuel prices.

Rising fuel prices have forced Southwest Airlines to raise ticket prices, but the Dallas-based carrier is also focusing on efficiency measures to lower its fuel consumption, president and CEO Gary Kelly said Monday.