Transportation
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As it moves closer to a merger, US AirwaysLCC may have many problems, but a lack of operational integrity is no longer among them. In March, the carrier, which sources say is involved in advanced merger negotiations with United, a unit of UAL UAUA, ranked first among the 10 largest carriers in on-time performance, its third No. 1 ranking in four months, as measured by the Transportation Department. The March on-time arrival rate of 79.1% meant the airline was also the best in the first quarter, with an on-time rate of 78.3%. By contrast, in the same month a year earlier, US Airways ranked last, with an on-time rate of 55.5%. The month represented a low point for the carrier, which suffered a schedule meltdown following a botched effort to move to a single reservations system following the 2005 merger with America West. Its impact kept US Airways at the bottom of the DOT's performance measure for most of the year. By the time veteran airline executive Robert Isom signed on as chief operating officer in September, a recovery had begun and employees were "tired of getting beat up every day" in performance rankings, Isom said. "Everybody had a desire to pull it up," he said. "It's not about managing A14," or arrivals within 14 minutes of schedule, which is measured by DOT. "It's about moving the planes out on time, getting out of the gate on time, getting everybody to set up a countdown to departure."
Should these two carriers try again to complete the merger effort that failed earlier this decade, they'll have to cope with substantial route overlap and labor issues.
With Congress about to take up climate-change legislation, some carriers worry that they won't be rewarded as much as other industries for their energy-conservation measures.
The carrier loses $20 million in the first quarter, but revenue rises nearly 17%.
Yahoo! is among the most searched stocks on TheStreet.com. Here's what Cramer had to say about the stock recently.
Catch up on his thinking on the hottest topics of the past week.
Investors will have to deal with a Fed meeting and another flood of earnings and economic data.
Ensco International and Echelon have the potential to move higher in coming days.
See who made what calls.
The addition of video is helping telecom companies compete against cable and satellite companies.
The June West Texas Intermediate contract reflects selling pressure ahead of Tuesday's expiration. But stocks in the sector are generally trading higher.
See who made what calls.
Keep on top of the market and the critical information you need to make more profitable investing decisions.
Sponsored by:

ACCESS REALMONEY

