US Airways Group Inc. said Wednesday that severe winter storms on the East Coast in February cost it $30 million in lost sales as the carrier had to cancel thousands of flights and suspend operations for six days at three major airports.

Jesup & Lamont downgraded the shares to “Hold” from “Buy,” as analyst Helane Becker forecast a larger first-quarter loss – to 53 cents per share from her previous forecast of a loss of 34 cents per share.

The shares fell 21 cents, or 2.7 percent, to close at $7.47.

US Airways canceled 7.1 percent of its flights last month because of the storms.

Continental fliers can buy extra space

Continental Airlines will begin charging coach customers extra if they want a seat with more legroom.

Prices will vary depending on the length of a flight and popularity of the route. A spokeswoman said extra room on a Houston-New York flight might cost $59. International fliers would pay more than that.

Starting March 17, coach customers will be able to pay the charge at check-in to get an exit-row seat with at least 7 inches more legroom than the other rows, Continental said Wednesday.

Top-level members of Continental’s frequent-flier program – those who rack up at least 25,000 miles a year – and their traveling companions will still be able to claim the exit row without extra charge.

Starbucks affirms gun-carrying policy

Coffee chain Starbucks Corp. is sticking to its policy of letting customers carry guns where it’s legal and said it does not want to be put in the middle of a larger gun-control debate.

The company’s statement, issued Wednesday, stems from a recent campaign by some gun owners who have walked into Starbucks and other businesses to test state laws allowing gun owners to carry weapons openly in public places. Gun-control advocates have protested.

The fight began heating up in January in Northern California and has since spread to other states and other companies, bolstered by the pro-gun group OpenCarry.org.

Some of the events were spontaneous, with just one or two gun owners walking into a store. Others were organized parades of dozens of gun owners.

N.C. Slim Jim plant shut in blast’s wake

ConAgra Foods Inc. said Wednesday it will close a Slim Jim production facility in North Carolina that was damaged during a deadly explosion last year, cutting hundreds of jobs in North Carolina while adding capacity in Ohio.

The Omaha, Neb.-based food manufacturer said the Garner site will close in late 2011 and production will switch to a plant in Troy, Ohio. The Ohio site will add 190 employees to its current workforce of nearly 400.

Radisson getting $1.5 billion infusion

Radisson hotels are getting a $1.5 billion luxury rebranding and facelift in the U.S., owner Carlson Hotels Worldwide announced Wednesday, even as the industry struggles with crushing debt and plummeting revenue.

Radisson, forever underperforming in the U.S., will be remade into a more stylish and contemporary brand, with distinctive architecture and flair, President and CEO Hubert Joly announced at a conference in Kissimmee, Fla.