More U.S. airlines give troops relief from checked-bag fees

After a video of soldiers complaining about baggage fees on Delta went viral, American Airlines announced Thursday it will allow military personnel to check an extra two bags with no out-of-pocket expense, and AirTran Airways said it will waive baggage charges for "members of the military who are traveling on active duty orders," CNN reported.

Delta amended its policy -- now allowing servicemembers to check four bags free in coach and five in other classes -- on Wednesday, shortly after Stars and Stripes published a story on the soldiers' video. Previously Delta had allowed only three free bags for troops flying coach.

American's new policy lets troops check five bags free and allows one bag to weigh up to 100 pounds with no penalty, the CNN report said, while AirTran waives excess baggage charges on any bag under 100 pounds and 80 inches in size.

United/Continental also decided Wednesday to waive fees for servicemembers' fourth bags, CNN reported.

Hudson River 'miracle' plane in aviation museum

Two years after a US Airways jet left New York for Charlotte and made a miraculous landing on the Hudson River, it reached its intended destination and future home in a museum.

"My flight has finally come home," said Eileen Shleffar, who was sitting in seat 13D when the plane splashed in the river.

US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia airport when a flock of geese disabled the engines on Jan. 15, 2009. Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III of Danville safely glided to a water landing. All 155 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Thousands of people in several states have lined up along the road to glimpse the 120-foot-long fuselage on its 600-mile journey on a flatbed truck from New Jersey, where it had spent the last two years in a hangar. The wings of the damaged Airbus A320 were removed and shipped earlier to the Carolinas Aviation Museum.

Shleffar and other passengers on the flight posed in front of the plane as it arrived in a cargo area at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport.

"It's emotional," she said about seeing the plane for the first time since the landing. "It's always going to be emotional to us."

Said fellow passenger Michael Leonard: "It's surreal."

Public interest in the jet's journey this week has surprised and touched Sullenberger.

"When I see images of people in their lawn chairs waiting for their airplane to roll by on the freeway overpass with a camera to get a glimpse of it is surprising and wonderful," he said in an interview.

Sullenberger will speak today at a fundraiser for the exhibit. It will be the first time the passengers and crew will be together with the plane since the accident.

"It will feel like a wonderful reunion," he said. "I think we'll feel that connection again."

Sullenberger was recently named an aviation and safety expert for CBS News.

Outage delays flights...New contact for Rep. Weiner...Volcano effects

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — A power outage near one of US Airways' data centers in Phoenix has grounded or delayed numerous flights nationwide. Airline officials say the outage impacted its website and airport computer systems. A US Airways spokeswoman says some systems are coming back online this evening.

WILMINGTON, Del (AP) — Congressman Anthony Weiner has acknowledged he had online contact with a 17-year-old girl in Delaware. But he says the communications were "neither explicit nor indecent." The New York Democrat has been under fire after admitting to sending graphic photos to women online.

WASHINGTON (AP) — At least nine House members and three senators say Rep. Anthony Weiner should give up his seat in Congress after acknowledging sending sexually explicit messages over the Internet. But House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says the decision should be up to Weiner and his constituents.

RININAHUE, Chile (AP) — The effects of a volcano in Chile are wreaking havoc on parts of South America. Steaming rivers filled with hot ash, rocks, and rain are threatening to overflow their banks in southern Chile. And ash clouds are keeping some airports closed across much of the southern part of the continent.

CHATHAM, Mass. (AP) — Federal authorities want to know who has been fatally shooting gray seals on Cape Cod. According to fisheries police, six of the slain seals have been found on beaches over the last six weeks. Gray seals are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, and authorities say they're taking the case very seriously.