Dealerships in Florida close as Hurricane Helene bears down
Dealerships in Tallahassee and along the Gulf Coast closed earlier than usual Sept. 26 ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival.
Toyota deflects attack by anti-DEI activist over LGBTQ programs
Toyota Motor Corp. distanced itself from some of its LGBTQ initiatives and said it doesn’t have a quota system to boost diversity among its suppliers
Daily 5 report for Sept. 26: This Jeep story reinforces why auto shows are suffering
What better way to make a new-vehicle splash than to do the unveiling on the 46th floor of a Tokyo high-rise with a breathtaking view of the nation’s capital?
Dealerships urge state and federal officials to relax emissions regulations in open letter
The flattening of EV sales growth has left vehicles piling up on their lots, the dealerships wrote.
Southwest Airlines spells out changes designed to boost profit and fend off a hedge fund
By DAVID KOENIG
DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines executives on Thursday unveiled their vision for Southwest 2.0, an airline that for the first time will give passengers assigned seats, charge them extra for more legroom and offer red-eye flights but bags still will fly free.
The airline announced that it plans to end the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and start flights with assigned seats during the first half of 2026 as it responds to shifting consumer tastes and tries to reverse a three-year slump in profits.
CEO Robert Jordan and other Southwest executives outlined the future refresh during an investor meeting in Dallas where they tried to convince shareholders that they can increase revenue by winning over younger and more affluent customers.
The moves away from Southwest’s simple business model and quirky traditions come as airline management faces pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management. The hedge fund blames management for Southwest’s recent underperformance compared with its closest rivals, and wants to replace Jordan and most of the Southwest board.