'I will destroy this plane': Court told of the terror on Flight MH128

At first, passengers thought the man in seat 39H was a fearful flyer. He was fidgety and agitated, which is not unusual on an aircraft. But as Malaysia Airlines flight MH128 ascended from Melbourne Airport at 11.26pm on May 31 last year, Manodh Marks got up too, took something from the overhead compartment and said the words no flyer ever wants to hear. "I have a bomb, I am taking it to the pilot," he said as he walked up the aisle towards the front of the plane (www.msn.com) More...

Chicago's O'Hare, Midway airports to offer unlimited free Wi-Fi

CHICAGO (AP) — O'Hare and Midway international airports will now be providing free unlimited Wi-Fi making long layovers a little more bearable. The Chicago Department of Aviation says the airports previously provided free Wi-Fi with a 30 minute limit. Passengers will now have access to unlimited Wi-Fi — plus streaming capabilities — with rolling ads every 45 minutes. Users can also opt for faster speeds by purchasing a one-day or a monthly subscription. The switch to unlimited Wi-Fi is part… (www.usatoday.com) More...

Air New Zealand Dreamliner disruption will stretch into spring

Disruption from Air New Zealand's Dreamliner engine problems will be felt through winter and into spring. In the airline's updated travel alert, aircraft changes are listed through to October 26, with Boeing 787 Dreamliners swapped off the Auckland-Buenos Aires route. They are replaced by older Boeing 777-200s. Flight cancellations listed run until tomorrow. During the past four days there have been eight transtasman flights cancelled. The airline has also listed about 50 flight time… (www.usatoday.com) More...

The secret way to get frequent-flier upgrades to Hawaii

Most travelers don’t know that internationally configured aircraft offer business- and first-class seats that are very different — and a lot more comfortable — than those on domestically configured aircraft. So when savvy domestic travelers look for the latest premium flash fare sales, they also seek routes that are operated with internationally configured aircraft. That translates into a free in-class upgrade simply by knowing the aircraft an airline uses on a particular route. Sometimes,… (www.usatoday.com) More...

American Airlines CEO warns higher fares are coming

DALLAS (AP) — Rising fuel costs are eating into airline profits, dampening expectations for the rest of 2018, and setting the stage for higher fares. Fuel is the airlines' second-biggest expense after labor, so when it rises — at American it was up 40 cents a gallon from a year ago — so does the cost of providing air travel, says American Airlines CEO Doug Parker. "If indeed this is where fuel prices are going to stay, I would expect you would see higher fares to consumers over… (www.usatoday.com) More...

Trip report: Reviewing the Delta One Suite with sliding privacy doors

Editor's note: Delta Air Lines has one of the top new business-class products of any North American airline. The company's new “Delta One” product on its Airbus A350s features suite-like seats with sliding privacy doors. Soon, the carrier will begin rolling out the new high-end seat to its Boeing 777s, too. For a sense of what these posh new seats are like, USA TODAY contributor Matt Nelson offers this trip review of the Delta One product on the airline's Detroit-Beijing route.… (www.usatoday.com) More...

Jetstar and Air New Zealand cancels Auckland to Wellington Christmas Day flight

Jetstar and Air New Zealand have cancelled Christmas Day flights, disrupting passengers' plans. Jetstar Flight JQ261 was scheduled to leave Auckland for Wellington at 3.10 this afternoon. The flight has now been cancelled, according to Auckland Airport's online arrivals and departures board. This follows flight delays and a cancellation on Christmas Eve. ON YA JETSTAR KEEP IT UP AUSTRALIA'S WORST DOMESTIC NZ carrier (www.nzherald.co.nz) More...