Lengthy airline delays are twice as common now as in 1990 and will get worse as the economy recovers, according to a Brookings Institution report released Thursday.

Stocks edged up Thursday, with a brighter outlook from Procter & Gamble and a better-than-expected jobless claims report, countering a dim forecast from Monsanto.

The carriers offered fewer flights this summer than last, and they slashed prices to fill even that reduced supply of seats, according to August traffic reports released over the past week.

Stocks edged up Thursday, with a brighter outlook from Procter & Gamble and a better-than-expected jobless claims report, countering a dim forecast from Monsanto.

Airline passengers got to their destination on time a little more often in July. The Transportation Department said on Tuesday that 77.6 percent of airline flights arrived on time, up from 75.7 percent during the same month last year.

An industry trade group for U.S. Airlines forecast Monday that travel over the typically busy Labor Day holiday period will fall 3.5 percent this year compared with the same period in 2008.

Airline passengers will see fewer nonstop flights, less convenient travel options and possibly higher ticket prices and fees in the coming months as major carriers make big capacity cuts this fall season for the second year in a row.

The Dow topped 9,000 for the first time since January as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and cheered earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

US Airways says it will provide in-flight Internet service beginning early next year in a deal with provider Aircell.

The Dow topped 9,000 for the first time since January as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and cheered earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

Stocks rallied Thursday as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and focused on encouraging earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

Futures indicated a slightly higher open for Wall Street Thursday ahead of another vast amount of earnings reports.

The airline industry is in the midst of one of its most wrenching summers ever. And the fall and winter may be even worse - unless people start to fly again.

Airline traffic fell again in June, providing another sign that most carriers are likely to report large financial losses for the second quarter.

As if charging $15 to check a bag weren't enough, two airlines are asking for $5 more beginning this summer if you pay at the check-in counter — a fee on top of a fee.