For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – March 19, 2015 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include the American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL-Free Report), Ryanair Holdings (RYAAY-Free Report), JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU-Free Report), Delta Airlines (DAL-Free Report) and United Continental Holdings (UAL-Free Report).

Today, Zacks is promoting its ”Buy” stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Airline Stock Roundup

It was a week which saw a new member from the airline space making its way into the coveted SP 500 index – American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL-Free Report). The carrier is set to join the much sought-after list from Mar 20 (after market close), replacing Allergan, which has been acquired by Actavis.

European low-cost carrier Ryanair Holdings (RYAAY-Free Report) also grabbed headlines during the week with its board approving plans to connect destinations between the U.S. and Europe at amazingly low fares. However, the transatlantic service is unlikely to commence before another four/five years.

Low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU-Free Report) was also in the news for a bilateral codeshare agreement inked with privately held Silver Airways. JetBlue also announced healthy traffic data for the month of February. Important metrics such as revenue passenger miles (RPMs – a measure of air traffic), available seat miles (measure of capacity) and load factor (% of seats filled by passengers) grew on a year-over-year basis during the month.

On the price front, most airline stocks gained over the past 5 trading days, benefiting from plummeting oil prices. As a result, the NYSE ARCA Airline index climbed 5% over the said period.

(Read the last ‘Airline Stock Roundup’ here: Delta-Led Consortium Complains, Republic Airways Included in SP 600)

Recap of the Most Important Stories Over the Past Week

1. JetBlue Airways inked a codeshare agreement with Florida-based Silver Airways with the aim to improve customer convenience. The current deal extends the Dec 2013 ticketing partnership signed by the two companies (read more: JetBlue, Silver Airways Ink Codeshare Pact; Strengthen Ties).

Furthermore, JetBlue Airways’ Feb 2015 air traffic was up 10% year over year to 2.9 billion. Capacity improved 7.4% to 3.47 billion and load factor increased to 83.5% from 81.6% in Feb 2014 (read more: JetBlue’s February Traffic Rises on Favorable Factors).

2. American Airlines Group, formed following the Dec 2013 merger of AMR (American Airlines’ parent group) and US Airways, is set to join the SP 500 after market close on Mar 20. The carrier has been added to the SP 500 GICS “Industrials” sector or Airlines Sub-Industry index (read more: American Airlines Group to Enter Coveted SP 500).

3. According to media reports, the board of Ryanair has approved the carrier’s plans to connect destinations across the U.S. and Europe. Approval has been gained to operate to and from around 14 European cities and almost an equivalent number of American cities. Ticket prices have been kept unbelievably low with one-way tickets between US and Europe costing approximately $15 (promotional offer) according to a report at investors.com.

The services, however, are not commencing immediately. It will take another four to five years as Ryanair needs to bolster its fleet before entering the lucrative transatlantic market. In the event of Ryanair entering the U.S. market, competition would intensify for domestic carriers that already face the threat of market share reduction from Gulf carriers.

4. According to a report appearing in the Reuters, the dispute between US carriers and their Gulf counterparts took a fresh turn with the U.S. government asking Delta Airlines (DAL-Free Report), United Continental Holdings (UAL-Free Report) and American Airlines Group to furnish more information to support their claim of massive subsidies enjoyed by certain Gulf carriers.

The U.S. carriers, in a complaint to the Obama administration, had alleged that massive government subsidies have allowed Gulf carriers like Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates to expand their fleet and international operations substantially, in turn, eating into their market share. According to the report, the Obama administration has put forward approximately 20 questions to representatives of the U.S. carriers based on their allegations.

Today, Zacks is promoting its ”Buy” stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.

About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks “Profit from the Pros” e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today.

About Zacks                            

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros.  In short, it’s your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.

Get the full Report on AAL – FREE

Get the full Report on RYAAY – FREE

Get the full Report on JBLU – FREE

Get the full Report on DAL – FREE

Get the full Report on UAL – FREE

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

Media Contact                                                           

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The SP 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

The head of one of the world’s largest airlines says the sliding Australian dollar should lead to an influx of US tourists down under.

Delta Airlines president Edward Bastian said the company was heavily promoting Australia as a destination as a result of the fall in the currency.

“I think we will be bringing many many US tourists to Australia because of the fact that the US dollar is so strong,” he told a business lunch in Sydney.

“You are going to see a lot of US travellers coming to spend their currency.”

Mr Bastian said the fall of the Australian dollar, which has dropped from more than 90 US cents to 76 US cents in the past year, had reduced the value of bookings from Australia but that had been offset by increased passenger numbers from North America.

“It certainly has reduced the value of some of our Australian revenues but it’s also improved the popularity from a US travel base to come over, not just to Sydney but all throughout this big country.”

Delta flies between Sydney and Los Angeles as part of a partnership with Virgin Australia.

The partnership has been in place since 2011 and the airlines are currently lobbying the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to allow them to extend the arrangement for another 10 years.

Virgin chief executive John Borghetti said the two airlines had a market share between Australia and the US of 25 per cent, which is less than half that of Qantas.

He said they would struggle to compete on the route without the tie-up.

“Five years ago we were losing a lot of money on America and we were operating nowhere near as competitive schedule as we do today,” he said.

“The only thing that has allowed us to do that is this partnership.”

Politics

Mitt Romney To Square Off Against Evander Holyfield In Boxing Match

Mitt Romney, a presidential candidate in the 2012 race, will face off against boxing legend Evander Holyfield,…

March 8 (Reuters) – The Delta Airlines plane that skidded off a runway at New York LaGuardia airport last week may have had brake problems, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal that cited two unnamed sources familiar with the federal probe.

Based on information from the “black box” and interviews with the pilots of Delta Flight 1086, federal investigators are focusing on the brake systems since other aspects of the touchdown were working as expected, the report said.

The investigation is also looking at the condition of the runway and the impact of snow and ice.

Air traffic safety experts cautioned the investigation is still in its early stages, according to the report.

The Boeing Co MD-88 aircraft was en route from Atlanta on Thursday and slid on the tarmac and crashed through a fence, barely stopping short of Flushing Bay.

Several of the 127 passengers and five crew members suffered minor injuries after the plane skidded off runway 13, it’s nose hanging out over the edge of the bay.

Representatives for Delta and the National Transportation Safety Board could not immediately be reached.

(Reporting by Jennifer Saba in New York)

• Transportation
• Delta Airlines
• Wall Street Journal

NEW YORK, March 5 (UPI) — A Delta Airlines MD-88, landing in a snowstorm at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, skidded on the runway and crashed into an embankment Thursday.

The flight, Delta Airlines 1086, left Atlanta Thursday morning. After landing in New York, it crashed through a fence before striking the embankment on the airport’s Runway 13.

Passengers climbed onto a broken wing to evacuate the plane, then were helped to the ground by rescue crews. There were no reports of injuries to any of the 125 passengers or five crew members, but reports of a fuel leak caused emergency vehicles to surround the plane.

The airport has remained closed since the incident.

Delta said, in a statement, all passengers left the plane safely and were transported to the LaGuardia terminal.

About three inches of snow had fallen in New York by 11:10 a.m., the time of the accident. About 15 minutes earlier, the National Weather Service reported the temperature at the airport was 26 degrees, with visibility of one-quarter mile. The wind, sleet and snow caused slippery paved surfaces.

• U.S. Airways flight filled with smoke at Denver International Airport, plane evacuated
• Plane crash at Norfolk Botanical Garden in Virginia kills three
• NTSB reconsiders Buddy Holly plane crash

A Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to New York skid off the runway at LaGuardia on landing during a snowstorm this morning.  The airplane hit a fence and berm which may have prevented it from going into the waters of Flushing Bay.  No life-threatening injuries were reported among the 125 passengers and five crew members, although 3 passengers were reportedly taken to the hospital.  The airport was closed immediately following the accident but one runway has recently been re-opened.  The NTSB has announced that it is sending investigators to retrieve the black boxes and document the accident.

The NTSB’s initial steps following an accident are to document the so-called perishable evidence – any evidence that could be lost or destroyed if not gathered at the scene.  This would include, in a situation like this, the runway conditions, including any skid marks or ground scars (such as scrapes or gouges which could indicate that the wings or other parts of the aircraft had struck the ground).   The NTSB will also gather any information regarding weather conditions at the airport at the time of landing, as well as reported conditions, including pilot braking reports from previous flights.  Of particular significance, will be wind speed and direction.  While airplanes normally land into the wind, they can also land safely with crosswinds and tail winds.  A tail wind would typically make a landing roll-out longer.  The wind speed and direction are included in the calculations made by pilots to determine landing distance and whether a landing can be made safely given existing conditions, including the condition of the runway (wet, snow-covered or icy, for example) and its length.

The NTSB will secure the cockpit and voice data recorders – the black boxes – and send them to its lab in Washington, DC for analysis.  This will include information such as airspeed on landing and engine performance – in particular, at what point were the thrust reversers deployed.  The thrust reversers change the direction of the engine exhaust to aid in slowing down the airplane.  Data will also include the performance of the anti-skid system.  This system, which is much like the anti-skid system in modern cars, prevents the plane’s wheels from locking up and negatively affecting braking distance.  In addition, the data will indicate how the ground spoiler system worked, which is critical to assisting the aircraft in stopping.  The ground spoilers are panels on top of the wing that pivot up, destroying any lift, and putting the entire weight of the airplane on the wheels, increasing braking efficiency.

The NTSB will also review the cockpit voice recorder and air traffic control tapes, as well as information including the experience and training of the flight crew.  The NTSB will look at any other relevant factors, including the decision to keep the airport open and the decision to use that particular runway.  While it is easy to assume that weather was a factor, there are many things to consider before any conclusion can be reached on why this flight skid off the runway.

SEATTLE — The owners of several dogs returning from the Westminster Dog Show in New York say Delta Airlines lost their animals at JFK Airport, KOMO reported.

The dogs eventually made it home, but not without a lot of confusion and work.

Lindsay Gorder and Paris, her standard poodle, were set to fly back to Seattle following the dog show last week. But Gorder became concerned when she didn’t see Paris being loaded onto the aircraft.

Gorder said flight attendants assured her that she was mistaken – until four other people on board said they were owners of Westminster dogs, and hadn’t seen their animals, either.

“We just wanted to establish that our dogs where still on there, that’s all we wanted to do,” said Lindsay’s husband Greg. “They couldn’t do it, wouldn’t do it.”

The plane sat at the gate for an hour, FlyerTalk reported. Then Delta admitted that they didn’t know where any of the five dogs were.

Owners were given a choice of flying home without their dogs or waiting for a flight the next day. Jenny Dawson, an owner who chose to stay in New York, told KOMO that Delta eventually presented her with an empty crate and informed her that her dog was already onboard a flight headed to Seattle.

“I was livid,” Dawson told the station. “It was like, really, can you not look in there and see there is no dog?”

After four hours, Delta finally delivered most of the dogs to the terminal, while the others were eventually reunited with their owners at their destinations, KOMO said.

A Delta spokesman debated some of the passengers’ story. He told reporters that the dogs were never left completely alone – they just “missed their flight,” so to speak. He added that there was not enough room for all of the animals in the cargo hold, so some might have been shuffled to crafts other than their owners’

Air travel experts said this should serve as a reminder to dog owners that pets are considered luggage and may be moved to other flights for logistical reasons.

Read more at KOMO.

L.A. airport police said they detained a kicking, screaming Delta Airlines passenger on Wednesday, a woman who allegedly assaulted  flight crew members — and then a police officer.

Lisa Piasecki, 32, was arrested Wednesday night after she assaulted crew members during a Delta Flight 17 from Atlanta to Los Angeles, Los Angeles airport police said.

Piasecki was on board when she became “belligerent” toward the airline crew, Los Angeles airport police said. She was intoxicated, they added.

Flight crew members restrained her for about 45 minutes before landing at Los Angeles International Airport, an airline spokesman said.

Airport police and FBI investigators responded about 8:10 p.m. to Terminal 6 and detained Piasecki of Irwin, N.C., who police said was kicking and screaming. During the confrontation, police said she assaulted an officer.

She was taken into custody on suspicion of the battery on a police officer and being drunk in public.

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA

lRelated
L.A. NowGas prices jump after Torrance refinery explosionSee all related

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

• Delta Airlines assure customers they’ll get their bags in 20 minutes
• Only SkyMiles customers are eligible and will get 2,500 mile for late bags 
• The trial deal runs from today until March 21, and could become fixed 

By

Michael Gadd for MailOnline

Published:
12:23 EST, 23 February 2015

|
Updated:
12:24 EST, 23 February 2015

• 
  Sickening racist chant sung by OU fraternity caught on…

• 
  Student tries to stop the filming of racist chant

• 
  Not an APPy cat! Cat reacts badly to human-cat translator…

• 
  Horrific moment woman breaks leg whilst doing leg press

• 
  Babysitter faces charges for hitting and stealing food from…

• 
  Oklahoma football player’s furious reaction to racist frat…

• 
  On board Carowinds’ terrifying new Fury 325 rollercoaster

• 
  Bench-clearing brawl between women’s college basketball…

• 
  Bill Cosby releases bizarre promo video for upcoming show

• 
  University of Oklahoma fraternity suspended for racist video

• 
  Crazy-legged pitcher becomes overnight viral sensation

• 
  This may make you seasick! US Navy ship on stormy seas

• 
  Unwashed bathroom glasses, coffee pots rinsed with mildew…

• 
  Cities on the sea: Spectacular bird’s-eye view images show…

• 
  Don’t get nude in the loo! Thai government to release…

• 
  Sheer rock walls, pitch darkness and twice the height of the…

• 
  Would YOU dare take on the ‘world’s most dangerous path’?…

• 
  The awe-inspiring cave churches of Ethiopia: Carved out of…

• 
  Sharpened steel rods, ink infused with snake venom and body…

• 
  It’s Dubai, but not as you know it: Expat designer creates…

• 
  The rise of the ‘wandering woman’: Infographic reveals the…

• 
  Hard work pays off! Adventurous student captures stunning…

• 
  Setting tongues wagging! Laughing tourists film hungry…

• 
  Extreme athletes light up Russia’s cloudy winter sky with…