United Airlines is trying a new approach to checked-bag fees.

Customers who pay a $249 annual fee will be able to check two bags any time they fly for no additional charge. The subscription also will cover checked bags for up to eight companions traveling under the same confirmation number.

United started an industry trend last year of charging $25 for a second checked bag to offset weaker sales during the downturn. U.S. carriers collected nearly $670 million in baggage fees during the second quarter, the Department of Transportation reported.

The Chicago-based airline noted in a news release that the deal, called Premier Baggage, is also available as a gift.

Southwest Airlines, the low-fare carrier that has avoided extra fees implemented by rivals, will charge passengers $10 to reserve an early boarding spot.

The airline doesn't have assigned seating, so paying extra to get a better seat might appeal to some passengers.

Still, the company has shunned extra charges for checked bags and other services that other carriers are using to boost revenue during the recession. It's even touted that strategy in some of its advertising.

Southwest, the second-largest airline at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, also is planning to cut two daily flights at RDU in November. 

Travel to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia from Raleigh-Durham International airport could be easier by the end of the year.

Lufthansa has signed a ticketing agreement with JetBlue that allows the German airline to sell tickets to JetBlue's customers as if they were their own. JetBlue customers out of RDU will connect via JFK in New York or Logan in Boston to fly to one Lufthansa's 180 international destinations.

Lufthansa is promising a "seamless flight experience."

The deal must be approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation. If it is, customers could start buying tickets later this month or early in October.

RDU is one of 12 cities that will offer the connecting service.

American Airlines, the busiest carrier at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, plans to cut 921 flight attendant jobs as the recession hurts traffic and revenue.

The cuts will take affect Oct. 1.

The airline announced that 228 employees will be furloughed and 244 more were put on leave for two months. Another 449 took voluntary options such as leave.

American said previously that it planned to cut 1,200 flight attendant jobs after the summer travel season but was able to reduce the number by adjusting staffing requirements. The airline announced in June that it planned to cut 1,600 jobs, after trimming 6,840 positions last year.

Another day, another airline is adding more fees.

US Airways announced today that it is bumping up its fees for first and second checked bags by $5 each, and is tacking on an additional fee for a second checked bag on trans-Atlantic flights. The move matches its competitors, which are struggling with declining traffic during the recession.

It's Me or the Dog (9pm, Animal Planet) - It's "Super Nanny" for dogs, complete with a sassy British dog trainer who shows up to point out that unruly children, I mean dogs, are always the fault of the owner. Tonight she helps a young woman whose social life is hindered by her crazy lab mixes. 

Acceptance (9pm, Lifetime) - An original Lifetime movie with Joan Cuzack as the soon-to-be-divorced mother of a daughter who is trying to get into college while struggling with her parents' breakup.

Samantha Brown: Passport to Great Weekends (10pm, Travel) - Samantha Brown is roughing it this weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains, exploring underground caverns and hiking at night. Most of her time is spent in Tennessee, but she does go white-water rafting and kayaking in the Nantahala River near Bryson City, NC. 

If you have a month to kill and an itch to fly, check out JetBlue's new deal.

The discount airline is offering a $599 "all-you-can-fly" pass where passengers can book an unlimited number of flights to any of its 56 destinations between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8. The potential stops include, of course, Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

JetBlue's new approach to lure recession-weary travelers has some catches. Customers must book the pass by Aug. 21. Taxes aren't included and a $100 change or cancellation fee applies.

No shows also get hit with a $100 fee and their pass is suspended until it's paid.

But hey, if you have an extra $600+ and some serious vacation time saved up, JetBlue's serves cities across the U.S., as well as in Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. And it has been a quiet hurricane season so far.

Visit JetBlue's Web site for more details.

Average airlines fares at Raleigh-Durham International Airport dropped in the first quarter, giving local travelers a welcome price break.

The average domestic fare at RDU was $271 during the first three months of the year, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported last week.

That was down 10 percent from the same quarter last year. And it was well below the national average of $315. The national average dropped 6 percent from last year.

A collection of photographs of people and places in the Great Smoky Mountains during the early 1900s.