Airlines invest to prevent overbooked flights

Following the ugly case of David Dao, the Kentucky doctor who was dragged from an overbooked United Airlines flight, the U.S. airline industry vowed to fix the problem of oversold planes.

Now some airlines seem to be backing up their promises with money.

The parent company of British Airways and the venture arms for JetBlue and Qantas recently offered $2.6 million in financing to an Atlanta-based startup that has created software designed to end the drama and frustration that comes from overbooked flights.

Volantio has created software that contacts passengers via a mobile device days prior to their flight to ask whether they would be willing to accept offers of upgrades, vouchers and frequent-flyer points to give up their seat in the case of overbooking. If the airlines need to unseat a passenger, the software automatically contacts those passengers willing to give up their seats and re-books them on a later flight.

Volantio’s software is already in use by Qantas, Iberia, Alaska Airlines, Volaris and several other carriers.

Can’t pay the IRS? You do have options

NEW YORK >> With a little more than five weeks until this year’s tax filing deadline of April 17, many small-business owners are tussling with the question, How am I going to pay my taxes? When owners haven’t set aside enough money to cover their taxes, they do have options, including using savings, borrowing money or working out a payment plan with the IRS. But not filing a return because you can’t pay isn’t one of them. The IRS levies hefty penalties when a tax return is filed after the deadline.

Apple buys digital distributor Texture

SAN FRANCISCO >> Apple has bought digital magazine distributor Texture to extend its subscription services beyond music and online storage. The deal announced Monday puts Apple in control of a service that is often described as a Netflix of magazines. Texture offers readers access to articles in more than 200 magazines for $10 per month, much like Netflix sells unlimited access to its video programming. Apple didn’t disclose the price it is paying for Texture.

ON THE MOVE

Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has announced that Cherish Yang-Nguyen is a new independent agent at the company’s Leeward office. Prior to that, Yang-Nguyen worked at The Customers First Bank in Minnesota as a bank manager.

Central Pacific Bank announced that Tara Fujita has been appointed to vice president and enterprise project manager. Fujita has 20 years’ experience in the operations and project management industry, including as vice president and operations excellence manager for American Savings Bank.

Xerox Hawaii announced that Tiffany Rabacal-Harper has been appointed the company’s technical solutions specialist. She has more than 15 years of sales and business development experience, including having served as a business development manager for American Express at its Honolulu office. Prior to that, Rabacal-Harper was a document solutions executive with Xerox Hawaii.