JCPenney hires Y&R to help with marketing turnaround.

Fiat weighs listing on New York Stock Exchange and considers IPO after it completes merger with Chrysler.

Amazon develops device to stream video to homes.

Burger King expands delivery service.

Carfax hit with antitrust suit by dealerships.

Dr Pepper Snapple finds RC Cola Ten success a pleasant surprise.

Fisker Automotive takes bludgeoning on Capitol Hill.Continue reading...

Passengers stuck inside the plane trapped in the melting tarmac at Washington’s National Airport last July or who happened to be nearby the gent who stripped naked at the Portland International Airport last April to protest the TSA screening process, you might not think that air travel has gotten better recently. 

But the Wall Street Journal’s annual Middle Seat airline scorecard wrapping up airlines' 2012 performance is now out and it showed some improvements industrywide. The percentage of planes pulling in within 15 minutes of when they were supposed to went up to 79 from 76 the year before. Flights cancelled went down to 1.4% from 2.1% in 2011. Fewer bags were lost. Of course, it helped that fewer planes were flying last year, which eased congestion at the gate.

One airline in particular was likely doing the most celebrating: Delta. It had been the worst-ranked airline in 2010 but took a few measures in the past two years to get back to the top. “Careful study of when and where cancellations are most likely, and adjusting spare aircraft availability to keep flights moving if there is a breakdown helped, as did a rebuilt baggage system at its Atlanta hub to reduce lost luggage,” the Journal reports.Continue reading...

Air France plans to streamline operations and reduce staff.

AOL surprised by teen startup squatter.

Butterfinger launches mock conspiracy-hunting mobile tour.

Dish Network squares off with TV programmers over ad-skipping DVR.

Facebook impresses with photo app, while Mark Zuckerberg makes the cover of People and investors hope for refunds as legal challenges to IPO loom.

Ferrari deaths fuel anti-foreigner sentiment in Singapore.

FIFA tests goal line technology.

Jersey Shore's Snooki embroiled in $100M battle with merchandising firm.Continue reading...

Apple's next iPhone will have a bigger screen, sources tell Reuters.

JPMorgan faces FBI probe as shareholders sue the company and CEO Jamie Dimon over $2B loss.

Time Warner Cable and Viacom settle iPad dispute.

Air Pacific returns to Fiji Airways branding.

Ben Silverman's Electus details programming for YouTube's new food-centric Hungry channel.

Chevron benefits from Japan's shift away from nuclear.

Comcast launches Skype in select U.S. markets.Continue reading...

Abbott Laboratories looks to consumer for growth.

Amazon looks to produce its own TV programming.

BMW reports higher profits and more investments in future.

Best Buy sees departure of global CMO.

Caribou launches sparkling teas.

Chesapeake Energy goes on damage control after CEO apologizes for personal financial arrangements.

GM says profit strained by European losses.Continue reading...

Apple, now worth more than Google and Microsoft combined, is hit with stores protest over Foxconn treatment of workers in China, while fans anticipate new iPad and iPhone models.

Barclays caps bonuses as profit falls.

Beyonce and Jay-Z move to trademark daughter's name.

Bing and Viggle partner for second-screen Grammy effort.

Citibank bill-pay app charged some users twice, bank concedes.

Continental pushes past Southwest in customer loyalty.Continue reading...

Alec Baldwin quits Twitter following American Airlines row.

AstraZeneca slashes U.S. sales force.

BP faces more citations in oil spill.

Boeing hopes for easing of NLRB dispute after machinists ratify contract as it nears deal with Southwest for jet purchase and FedEx signals a big order.

Burger King not a hit with parents, survey says.

CVS/pharmacy debuts mobile shopping platform for smartphone users.

Chick-Fil-A ups commitment to college football.Continue reading...

Everybody is looking for a deal. And Southwest Airlines would like to give them one. The airline has “launched an enhancement” to its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, expanding its roster of partners to allow the plan’s members to get a few extra points by purchasing from particular online retailers.

"Frequent-flier programs like all other loyalty programs are trying to figure out ways to drive more value for consumers," said Sarah Arvin, vice president of client services for Cartera Commerce, to Reuters. "Consumers are much more deal- and reward-conscious and they are trying to get more out of every dollar they spend."

Earlier this year, Southwest — in tandem with airlines including Continental/United — changed their frequent-flier plans so that the customers who were spending more money would get more points. This latest tweak is another way of providing incentive for fliers to stick with one airline rather than just ditching brand loyalty the way most folks are.

"We are trying to enhance the program in as many ways as we can," Jonathan Clarkson, director of Southwest Rapid Rewards, told Reuters. "As long as there is the proliferation of loyalty programs and enhancements to other airline loyalty programs, it's always going to be a challenge to maintain the loyalty of folks."

In another bid to make the brand more engaging, the airline also announced that it's shooting an original (and still untitled) series for TLC that will air next year.