Boeing’s 737-MAX has been grounded for the better part of a year with no end in sight. But with clearance out of their control, is the aircraft manufacturer helpless against mounting losses? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for...
U.S. Tightens The Screws On Cuban Tourism
The United States is targeting tourism in Cuba with new sanctions on leased aircraft from the USA. Citing its repression of its own people and support for the “illegitimate” Maduro regime in Venezuela, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and...
Counterpoint: United Changes Better For Flyers
United Airlines announced some unpopular changes to their frequent flyer program, Mileage Plus. While most met the changes with criticism and contempt, it may actually be better for flyers. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit...
Europe’s Fastest Growing Airline…I’ve Never Heard Of it
I like to stay up-to-date on airlines from all over the world, but admit Europe’s fastest growing airline took me by surprise. In fact, I had never even heard of it. I’m talking about Pobeda, a low-cost subsidiary of...
JetBlue’s Win-Win Marriage Of Convenience With Norwegian
I’m not saying that JetBlue wants Norwegian to collapse…but let’s just say that the new marriage of convenience raises some questions. A friend of mine, around 30 at the time, once was asked who he was looking for in...
Serial Stowaway Marilyn Hartman Strikes Again!
Serial stowaway and folk hero Marilyn Hartman is losing her touch. She didn’t even make it past the TSA checkpoint in her latest caper. I’m just going out on limb, but I think Hartman was emboldened by the recent...
Walmart Boss Is New CEO Of Air New Zealand
What’s the difference between a discount retail chain and Air New Zealand? Not much, apparently, if Air New Zealand’s CEO is any indication. I say that jokingly, but only half-jokingly, for reasons I will explain below. But indeed, Air...
Protest Targets Turkish Airlines At SFO
As Turkish tanks rolls deeper into northern Syrian, some Bay Area residents have used Turkish Airlines as a proxy for the Turkish government. Nearly 100 people showed up to the Turkish Airlines ticket counter at San Francisco International Airport...
American Airlines Management Shuffle, The Emperor Has No Clothes
American Airlines announced a handful of senior leadership changes this week ahead of quarterly earnings reports at the end of the month. But few left or even changed departments, does Emperor Parker have new clothes? If you are considering booking...
United Battles Alaska At LAX With New Route
United Airlines is challenging Alaska Airlines in Los Angeles with new nonstop service to Anchorage, Alaska. Next summer, United Airlines will offer daily nonstop service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Anchorage (ANC). The service will be operated by a...
SWISS Expands “Flugzug” Service
With the demise of Adria leaving a gap in its domestic network, SWISS is expanding it Flugzug rail service to Lugano. In German, Flugzug is literally flight train, though SWISS translates it as Airtrain. When SWISS abandoned Basel (BSL), it...
United MileagePlus Announces 2020 Qualification Requirements
United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program is shaking up the way they track and award status in 2020 and it’s not all good news for loyalists. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support...
Boeing Loses Large 787 Order
Aeroflot Russian Airlines has formally canceled its Boeing 787 order, further casting the future of Boeing’s Dreamliner program into uncertainty. Boeing ramped up production of the Dreamliner earlier this year from 12 to 14 aircraft per month at two...
Was It Something I Said? Icelandair Abandons San Francisco
The day after I published my review of Icelandair Premium Saga (business) class from Reykjavik to San Francisco, Icelandair announced it was dropping the route. Was my review that bad? I’m joking, of course, though it was not one...
Why Does Ethiopian Airlines Want To Invest In South African Airways?
Ethiopian Airlines is open to the idea of investing in South African Airways. In fact, it sees it as part of a broader strategy to save aviation in Africa. Not only has South African Airways (SAA) not reported profit...
Norwegian Hands Iberia An Unsolicited Gift
Norwegian just gave Iberia the best gift it could have asked for: it is abandoning the majority of its routes from Madrid. Profit has been elusive for Norwegian, which is seeking to shed unprofitable routes and navigate an aircraft...
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker’s Days Appear Numbered
I wrote earlier this year that I didn’t think American Airlines CEO, Doug Parker, would survive the summer. Now into October, it looks like that prediction may be true, depending on one’s definition of summer. If you are considering booking...
United Airlines Restores Key Philadelphia Route
After a suspension throughout much of 2019, United has reversed course and is restoring service between Philadelphia and Washington Dulles. Back in January, United cut this longstanding route, telling me: Service between Washington Dulles and Philadelphia was primarily operated...
Lufthansa Group Beefs Up Service To Ljubljana
In the wake of Adria Airways’ collapse, the Lufthansa Group is stepping in to fill the void. Starting this month, we will see new service from three members of the Lufthansa Group to four former Adria destinations. These include:...
Adria Airways Is Dead, Long Live Adria Airways 2.0?
Adria Airways filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations yesterday. Slovenia, which refused to give Adria a lifeline, is now floating the idea of a new national airline to take its place. The trouble really began three years ago when...
