William J. McGee
@wjm-air.bsky.social
Sr. Fellow Aviation/Travel. Formerly Consumer Reports. Journalist. Teacher. FAA-licensed dispatcher. Author: ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS; HALF THE CHILD. Fighting for blue skies--literally. Stickler for using "literally" correctly. Opinions: Mine.
United CEO Scott Kirby still says a UA-American merger (capturing an unprecedented 40% marketshare) "'would be good for customers,' rather than raising prices...anticipating the first question antitrust regulators would pose." www.semafor.com/article/09/1...
The logic behind Scott Kirby’s long-odds bet on a United Airlines deal
The gambler-turned-CEO is making the case for consolidation while trying to build a brand that passengers love.
semafor.com
The cost of airfares is up 20%. The cost of hotels is up 9%. The cost of gasoline is up. Happy Labor Day. newsroom.acg.aaa.com/aaa-labor-da...
AAA: Labor Day Travelers Face Higher Costs and Heavier Traffic
Key takeaways:Flights to top domestic destinations cost nearly 20% more than last yearTraffic is expected to peak on Thursday and Friday, and drivers may pay more at the pump during the holiday weeken...
newsroom.acg.aaa.com
What an extraordinary admission about DOT Secretary Sean Duffy in The Hill: "He said he wanted to serve the president in any way. He ended up in Transportation because that was all that's left." thehill.com/homenews/adm...
Fox News host says Trump made her husband Transportation secretary ‘because that was all that’s left’
Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy on Tuesday said President Trump tapped her husband, Sean Duffy, to be Transportation secretary “because that was all that’s left.” The two were i…
thehill.com
Who could have predicted that Carl Icahn getting involved in the airline industry again might not have worked out? www.reuters.com/business/act...
Activist investor Carl Icahn gives up JetBlue board seats after sharply cutting stake
Activist investor Carl Icahn has given up his board representation at JetBlue Airways after sharply reducing a stake in the airline that he once called an attractive investment opportunity.
reuters.com
In the wake of Sean Duffy's ethically challenged Great American Road Trip, Joe Brancatelli of JoeSentMe.com dubs him the Worst.DOTSecretary.Ever.
Good to see @afacwa.org fighting back against potentially violating employees' privacy as confidential information from defunct Spirit's database is sold off in a garage sale to Google. www.wsj.com/pro/bankrupt...
Spirit Flight Attendants Fight Google’s Data Bid for AI
The flight attendants want assurance that their confidential information will be removed from the sale of the defunct airline’s digital records.
wsj.com
Last night I was honored to be at the premiere of FREEFALL, the new Boeing documentary by Rory Kennedy. She spoke beautifully about the work during a panel discussion. On this National Aviation Day...see it on Netflix; it's riveting.
Close call... www.flightradar24.com/blog/aviatio...
Two flights, one call sign: ATC resolves dangerous situation in Phoenix | Flightradar24 Blog
A pair of American Airlines flights near Phoenix were both using the same call sign, resulting in confusion amongst the flight crews and ATC.
flightradar24.com
When airlines go bankrupt, employees may not be paid earned wages (I wasn't) & passengers may be stranded. But thankfully Google can swoop in and buy defunct data to improve its AI capabilities. #AmericanPriorities news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and...
Google Aims to Boost AI With Purchase of Spirit Airlines Data
Google LLC won a bankruptcy auction for a trove of deindentified business data, software code, and operations records from collapsed low-cost carrier Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc., saying it plans to ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
In some countries, fuel surcharges are removed when the price of fuel drops. That's not always the case everywhere. finance.biggo.com/news/0d8be96...
ANA Slashes Fuel Surcharges, Europe/US Routes Drop to ¥55,000 — BigGo Finance
All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced on the 12th that it will lower fuel surcharges on international flights for tickets issued between September and…
finance.biggo.com
Airlines charging for overhead bin space is already happening in the Pacific Rim. What are the betting odds on this spreading to the United States? www.frommers.com/tips/airfare...
It's Happening! Airline to Start Charging for Use of Overhead Bins
The carrier will sell bin space as a paid upgrade starting in 2027. How will the new fee affect passengers?
frommers.com
Eager to see how the nation's 8 largest airlines respond to this letter from @FrankPallone requesting more info on their surveillance pricing policies. democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/media/press-...
Pallone Presses U.S. Airlines for Answers on Surveillance Pricing |
Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) requested details from the eight major U.S. airline companies as part of the Committee’s ongoing inquiry into corporate surveilla...
democrats-energycommerce.house.gov
FAA is "being 'nudged' to embrace 'more risk.'" That should scare the hell out of us. Because the alarm is being rung by an ex-FAA Acting Administrator. In America we tend to ignore aviation safety whistleblowers. Then later we say--How could this happen?? www.flyingmag.com/rocheleau-de...
Departing FAA Leader Says Agency Is Being ‘Nudged’ to Embrace Risk
Speaking at a drone industry event, the FAA deputy administrator says the agency is being asked to “lean into” new technologies.
flyingmag.com
Thanks to Forbes & @elliottdotorg.bsky.social for referencing the white paper @ashleynowicki.bsky.social & I recently wrote on private jets for AELP. www.forbes.com/sites/christ...
Private Jets Are More Popular Than Ever. Here’s What To Know Before You Book One.
Flying private offers unmatched convenience, but consumers carry the burden of checking safety records and securing all-inclusive quotes. Here’s what you need to know.
forbes.com
"'Secretary Duffy has clearly shown himself to be on the side of airlines, particularly big airlines, and not passengers...' McGee told The Lever. 'He himself is a former lobbyist… and at times it appears he's continuing that work.'" www.levernews.com/airlines-are...
How Font Sizes Could Increase Your Travel Costs
Advertisers trick consumers into paying more by changing the font size of fees. Major airlines want in on the action.
levernews.com
With all the problems facing the airline industry, it's likely not many were thinking of supply chain shortages: "Boeing advised airlines to replace windows only when necessary rather than for other reasons, such as aesthetics..." www.reuters.com/business/aer...
Planemakers and repair shops take steps to conserve aircraft windows in tight market
Planemakers, airlines and repair shops are conserving aircraft windows after an incident at a key California factory worsened shortages of a part needed for both new aircraft and routine maintenance...
reuters.com
"That would be astronomical." An analysis of enplanement costs at Washington/Dulles jumping from approx. $10.00 to $90.64. (!!) www.axios.com/local/washin...
The hidden cost of Trump's Dulles overhaul
The $90 fee raising eyebrows over Dulles' future
axios.com
From the Wall Street Journal. Airline consolidation can come through mergers and airline consolidation can come through bankruptcies.
Recently @ashleynowicki.bsky.social & I wrote a paper (link below) noting Trump's 100% tax cut for billionaires buying private jets. Now Trump brags about a friend "buying a very expensive private plane" tax free "that he didn't need." Every working person in America should watch this.
FactPost@factpostnews.bsky.social · 2mo agoTrump: The One Big Beautiful Bill tax cuts helped my friend buy a private jet
Trump: I have sold more Boeing planes than anybody in history. You know what I got for that? Nothing (Trump owns over $10 million in Boeing stock)
As an FAA-licensed dispatcher & former airline ops manager who delayed, rescheduled, & canceled flights daily, the opportunities for intentional malfeasance and corruption here are endless among airlines, airports, TSA, ATC, passengers, etc. How absurd. www.wsj.com/business/kal...
Kalshi to Offer Contracts Predicting Flight Cancellations
The contracts will allow users to predict the percentages of flights canceled at an airport within a given timeframe.
wsj.com
Delta's CEO said it loudly in April so it's no surprise now--fares go up if fuel goes up, but fares stay up if fuel goes down. When airline CEOs tell you who they are, believe them. Also worth noting: US airfares were rising BEFORE the war & fuel spikes. www.foxnews.com/travel/airli...
Airline CEO sparks backlash after revealing what’s really driving sky-high ticket prices
Airlines face backlash over high fares after Delta and United reportedly signaled ticket prices may stay elevated even if fuel costs eventually stabilize.
foxnews.com
More Perfect Union@moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 2mo agoDelta says ticket prices aren’t coming down, despite the cost of jet fuel falling. Delta's revenue was up over $17 billion last quarter, with profits topping $1 billion. The airline has also raised ticket prices 10-20% on most routes this year, and hiked bag fees.
Extended tarmac delays—the most torturous delay in all of aviation—are getting more common, Nicholas Florko reports. He explores why:
Prepare for Airplane Purgatory
The chances of getting stuck for hours in a grounded plane are soaring.
bit.ly
"'Marie Antoinette would feel very comfortable on any of the Big 3 airlines these days,' said William J. McGee, Senior Fellow @econliberties.bsky.social. 'But instead of saying, "Let them eat cake" in the back of the plane, she would say, "Let them eat Biscoffs."'" apnews.com/article/airl...
US airlines are redesigning travel around their highest-paying passengers
America’s biggest airlines are expanding their premium cabins and adding more luxury perks to attract high-paying passengers.
apnews.com
Gee...one of the Big Four oligopoly carriers is cashing in on the shutdown of an ultra low cost carrier. And Wall Street cheers. Who could have seen that coming? www.thestreet.com/investing/st...
Southwest Airlines leaves rivals flat-footed as bankrupt carrier folds
Southwest is grabbing routes, gates, and demand left behind by a budget airline's collapse, and Wall Street thinks rivals still haven't caught up.
thestreet.com
Sure, you've already signed on to all the Substacks you need to read. Only you haven't. Because my pal Andrew Postman's latest--OKAY, WHAT ABOUT THIS?--tackles it all. It's the Substack about...well, everything. The trivial and the critical. Give it a glance. okaywhataboutthis.substack.com
Okay, What About This? | Substack
Ideas and observations maybe worth considering; staring us in the face (or not); possibly absurd...but more absurd than what we've got now? Click to read Okay, What About This? on Substack. Launched 7...
okaywhataboutthis.substack.com
DOT reports that in the first quarter of 2026, average U.S. domestic airfares rose 4.7% over the previous quarter, from $409 to $428. Year-over-year, fares rose 7.7% since Q1 2025. www.bts.gov/newsroom/fir...
bts.gov
This is how we do things in America. A company fails, thousands of employees are out of work, and thousands of passengers are stranded. But 3 senior execs at Spirit Airlines are likely to receive $1.9M in bonuses. Nothing to see here... [PAYWALLED] www.law360.com/bankruptcy-a...
Spirit Gets Initial OK To Pay Exec Bonuses Amid Wind-Down - Law360 Bankruptcy Authority
A New York bankruptcy judge on Wednesday said he was likely to approve Spirit Airlines' request to pay three executives up to roughly $1.9 million in potential bonuses as Spirit works to sell its rema...
law360.com
