Continental

Airlines are tossing consumers aside and grabbing the benefit of lower federal taxes on travel tickets. By Saturday night, nearly all the major U.S. airlines had raised fares to offset taxes that expired the night before.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index's annual report on airlines showed Southwest still on top of the rankings, and far ahead of No. 2 Continental. Southwest even improved its score, a rare bright spot in an industry that came in last overall in customer satisfaction among those the ACSI rates.

Of all the industries that have achieved record profits recently, none have posted more remarkable results than the airline industry. For the first time in a decade, the industry is on a glide path to profitability -- but it's getting there by squeezing its customers.

The International Air Transport Association expects airline profit to plunge 40% this year as fewer passengers travel during the recession and as fuel prices rise. But that doesn't mean you'll necessarily be able to score a good deal: Airfares are likely to keep climbing.

Considering how often airline industry executives complain about how hard it is to run a profitable carrier, one might expect their efforts could go unrewarded -- at least monetarily. Not so at the new United Continental Holdings, where big post-merger raises are coming for top management.

Continental Airlines (CAL) and UAL Corp (UAUA), owner of United, closed their merger deal Friday, creating the world's largest air carrier, called United Airlines. The new holding company, United Continental Holdings, will begin trading today on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "UAL,"...

Don't believe the fairy tales United and Continental are spinning about their proposed merger being beneficial to travelers and carriers alike: Beyond the deal to bring Southwest to Newark Airport that they cut placate the antitrust watchdogs, this merger is all bad news.

The Justice Department said it has no further antitrust concerns about a merger between United Airlines and Continental Airlines, clearing a major hurdle for the union.

It's every business traveler's dream never to fly coach again. Nicholas Kralev's On the Fly seminar promises to make that dream a reality. In four short hours, he says he'll teach attendees how to maximize the power of their frequent flyer miles to fly in luxury on a coach-class budget.

The next time you're flying Continental Airlines, remember someone may cough up serious money for that barf bag in the seat pocket in front of you -- especially after the company merges with United Airlines later this year. Demand for dinnerware, timetables, postcards, model airplanes and other...