An airline trade group is asking the Federal Aviation Administration to delay its planned Sept. 3 auction of slots at the Newark airport.

The government will auction off a prized takeoff and landing slot at Newark Liberty airport next month, as the first step in an experiment to ease nationwide travel delays through changes in New York City airspace.

Airlines must "change the rules" in order to survive high oil prices and the other challenges the industry faces, said Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of US Airways Group.

From job cuts to fewer winter flights, airlines are looking for every way to battle high oil prices.

US Airways says it will start removing in-flight entertainment systems on domestic flights in November to save about $10 million annually in fuel and other costs.

The chief executive officers of a dozen U.S. airlines, beset by record fuel costs that have caused several to cut jobs, reduce capacity and impose higher fees on customers, are now asking for their customers' help to curb the rise of oil prices.

Delta and Northwest pilot negotiators say they have a tentative agreement with Delta management on a joint contract to cover both pilot groups when the companies combine.

For years, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue operated under self-imposed fare caps, promising travelers that no ticket would cost more than $299 one way, the New York Times reported.

The president of US Airways is confident about the carrier's stand-alone prospects and does not foresee a merger in the near term.

The number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines fell in March, the first year-over-year monthly decline since September 2006.

First it was soaring ticket prices and vanishing bargain fares, then new baggage fees. Now air travelers are facing dwindling choices for when they can fly and where.

UAL's United Airlines said Wednesday it would cut 1,400 to 1,600 jobs and retire 100 planes from its mainline fleet as it cuts capacity in the face of soaring fuel prices and a weakening U.S. economy.

High oil prices may hurt profit at Ryanair even though the airline has reported a 20 percent rise in full-year profit, CEO Michael O'Leary told CNBC Europe.

Airlines are cutting U.S. flights, shedding employees, putting off plane orders and even talking about combinations.

Stocks closed higher, led by technology shares, ending the a holiday-shortened week in the positive.