Latest news with #ChicagoMidwayInternationalAirport
Business Mayor
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
It's the last chance for Southwest plane tickets with two free checked bags, as policy ends in days
Passengers check in for Southwest Airlines flights at Chicago Midway International Airport on Feb. 18, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty Images Set your alarm. Southwest Airlines customers have only one day to go before the company starts charging to check bags for the first time in more than half a century. Starting Wednesday, Southwest will end its blanket 'two bags fly free' policy. It was a perk that was sacrosanct among customers and the airlines' longtime executives alike, setting the airline apart from competitors. But baggage fees brought in nearly $7.3 billion for U.S. airlines last year, according to federal data, and Southwest executives who have long vowed to hold onto the policy have been under pressure to raise revenue. The airline hasn't yet said how much it will charge to check bags, but rivals generally charge about $35 or $40 for a first checked bag for domestic flights, though there are some exceptions. Along with starting to charge for checked bags, Southwest has announced major changes to its business model over the past year, like getting rid of open seating. The carrier is also debuting basic-economy tickets like those sold by Delta Air Lines , American Airlines and United Airlines on Wednesday. Here's what travelers should know about the end of free bags on Southwest: What is changing? Southwest will no longer offer two free checked bags with many tickets purchased on or after Wednesday. For tickets purchased before then, a Southwest spokesman said the carrier will honor the terms of those fares, like the two free checked bags. The fees will apply to its no-frills Basic, its Wanna Get Away Plus and its Anytime fares. Southwest announced the policy in March after months of pressure from activist Elliott Investment Management, which took a stake in the airline last year and won five board seats, pushing for major changes at the company like its free checked bags, changeable tickets and open seating. Are there exemptions? Yes. Travelers with top-tier status in Southwest's Rapid Rewards loyalty program will get two free checked bags, as will customers in the highest-level Business Select fares. Customers with a Southwest Airlines co-branded credit card and their travel companions booked together with the same card won't get charged for their first standard checked bag. A-List frequent flyer members, the second-highest tier in the loyalty program, will also get their first bag checked free of charge. New fare type: Basic Southwest on Wednesday will also start selling basic-economy tickets. With the new Basic fare, customers won't be able to make changes to their tickets, they'll be among the last customers to board and their fare credits will expire in six months, compared with 12 months for other ticket classes. In another change, the airline is ending its Wanna Get Away fare, which was the lowest tier ticket before the changes. What about assigned seats? Can Southwest handle it? Southwest executives have told staff that they expect passengers to carry on more luggage (those policies for free carry-ons aren't changing) and have said the airline is installing larger overhead bins on its Boeing fleet, which should help with an influx of carry-on bags. Executives have also said staff will get mobile bag-tag printers at gates and airport lobbies to assist customers. Are people mad? Southwest can hardly post on social media — even about babies and puppies on board — without getting angry comments about the changed baggage policy. But CEO Bob Jordan told CNBC last month that the policy change announcement the company made on March 11 hasn't deterred customers. 'We have seen no book-down on that day or after that day,' he said on 'Squawk on the Street' on April 24. READ SOURCE
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
World War II soldier welcomed home after 81 years
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — On Thursday after 81 years the remains of Private First Class Robert L. Bryant were brought home. 'It's been an exciting day,' said Julie Bryant, Bryant's niece. 'I always remembered my mom telling us about my Uncle Bob. That he had died in the war but we had nobody. We just always had stories because we were not even thought of.' Bryant was killed in action in September 1943 during World War II. 'I do our family tree and genealogy. So, I tried looking up different things about our Uncle Bob,' said Margie Bryant Dillow, Bryant's niece. Pfc. Bryant was reported missing after Operation AVALANCHE, the invasion of Italy near Salerno. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, his remains were first declared unrecoverable in 1949. However, in 1947, remains were recovered but unidentified and were interred at Military Cemetery Nettuno, which is now Sicily-Rome American Cemetery. 'I keep telling everybody it's a miracle,' said Bryant Dillow. Soldier's remains returning to Bloomington after 81 years The community gathered at Calvert and Metzler Memorial Home to welcome the procession. Bryant's remains were flown into the Chicago Midway International Airport. His great-great nephew Adam Dillow, who is in the army himself, was able to escort his remains to grandmother Margie is truly proud of this moment. 'We were there when Adam got off the plane. And he had to stay with Uncle Bob's remains from then on everywhere he went. That, first of all, just seeing him do that got to my heart,' she said. Local law enforcement temporarily closed Veteran's Parkway from Shepard Road in Normal to Washington Street in Bloomington for the procession. But the support went beyond the Bloomington-Normal community. Bryant Dillow said that from Chicago to Bloomington, they saw a multitude of supporters. 'The whole of I-55 was stopped from Chicago to here. Almost every bridge, if not every overpass, there were either fire trucks, ambulances, or other emergency vehicles,' she said. 'People with flags, people in uniform, then they'd salute. There were people on the side of the road. All the way.' Bryant's family is thankful for the overwhelming support. 'We are so grateful for the community. I mean a hero was brought home,' said Julie. 'There's just not words to describe what's going through my heart right now,' said Margie. Veteran's Parkway closing for procession escorting World War II soldier Many intricacies make this homecoming a poetic one. Bryant's family found out his remains were identified 81 years to the date he died. His great-great nephew is in the Army and was able to escort his remains home. Veteran's Parkway was temporarily closed to welcome this soldier back to Bloomington. And Bryant will be buried next to his brother, Harold Dean Bryant, who was a World War II Paratrooper and the father of Margie and Julie. For those who missed the welcome home procession, there is still a chance to join the family in honoring Private First Class Robert Lee Bryant. Repatriation services are on April 12 at 1 pm. The procession will leave Calvert and Metzler at 12:15 p.m. and head to Park Hill Cemetery. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
19-03-2025
- Fox News
Flight passenger's 'bar buddy' called out for seat squatting: 'So awkward'
Whether friend or foe, flyers might be unsure who they can trust when it comes to getting their seat stolen on a plane. One passenger heading from Chicago to New York City took to Reddit to share a "seat stealer" story. In the forum "r/delta," the user said that they went to an Irish bar in the Chicago Midway International Airport for a drink and began chatting with a fellow patron. "Joked around with the guy next to me about his weak-looking old-fashioned, to which he rolled his eyes and agreed with me, also showing his $30 tab for said poor drink. He left for the lounge after getting [a] notification," the person wrote. The user said they and their spouse had been upgraded to first class. "Got on the plane and my bar buddy was in our seat. I showed him my ticket and he moved aside. I said, nooo sorry we have both seats. He mumbled and moved back to the first row of comfort plus," the user wrote in the post. "He wasn't rude, but it was so awkward. I'm like, bro I thought we were friends," the post concluded. Reddit users took to the comments section to discuss the encounter. "You aren't friends. He's a seat stealer. Don't call a seat stealer a friend," commented one blunt user. Another user added, "It astounds me the people who think they can get away with sneaking into an entirely different class of service like that." "I bet this wasn't his first time. People do this because they know they can get away with it or have to sit in their assigned seat at worst," said one Redditor. "Sounds like homeboy was a bit tipsy. Surprised he was able to board," another person wrote. "Small world," a user commented. "Who steals seats, knowing it can just be shown that it's not their seat and they'd be told to move. It's wild," added a user. "I don't understand why these people think the FAs [flight attendants] won't notice someone in a FC seat that isn't supposed to be there," said another. Brandon Blewett, Texas-based author of the book "How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes," told Fox News Digital that he sees more people encountering airplane seat squatters. "Let the flight attendant handle it. Nobody wants to go viral in a reel titled, 'Passenger meltdown at 30,000 feet,'" Blewett advised. He said sitting in someone else's seat can cause disruptions to an entire flight. "[Squatter] encounters often lead to delays that often cascade, leading to missed connections and frustrated passengers throughout the cabin," Blewett added.
CNN
25-02-2025
- CNN
Southwest jet and private plane experience close call at Chicago-Midway
A Southwest Airlines plane and a private jet experienced a close call at Chicago Midway International Airport on Tuesday morning in which the flight crew had to perform a go-around to prevent a potential incident. Southwest Flight 2504 landed safely at the Chicago airport after avoiding the other aircraft on the runway, according to Southwest. 'The crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident,' a Southwest spokesperson said in an email to CNN. 'Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
