We don’t know when Berlin Brandenburg Airport will finally open, but it’s now slated for 2019…only nine years late. Even when it finally does, Berlin voters have expressed a preference to keep Tegel Airport open. The original plan was...
Turkish Airlines Orders 40 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners
So much for the A380 or 747-8. Turkish Airlines will order 40 787-9s from Boeing, a deal valued at $11 billion on paper. Tourism in Turkey has been hit hard by terrorism in the last two years, but the country...
Prime Minister: Canada Will NOT Buy Boeing Jets
Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau has declared that Canada will not do business with Boeing, threatening to look elsewhere to supply Canada’s next generation of fighter jets. Speaking at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May,...
Caution: You May Soon Need Your Passport for Domestic Travel
I’ve noticed the warnings when going through security, but never really paid close attention to them. But be aware: residents in a handful of states may need a U.S. passport to travel domestically starting next January. To put it...
How to Check In Hands-Free for Your Next United Airlines Flight
You can now check-in for your United Airlines domestic flights without even lifting a finger or tapping a key. Just ask Alexa… I bought an Amazon Echo when it first came out…and have never opened it. I liked it...
Breaking: Shooting at Miami International Airport
Miami-Dade Police shot a knife-wielding man who managed to breach a security checkpoint and make it all the way to the tarmac before being apprehended. Terminal J remains closed. I received an text from one of my employees a...
Unruly Passenger Fined $97,000 for Disrupting Flight
File this under: about time. So often we hear stories about drunken or otherwise disruptive passengers forcing a flight delay or diversion only never to hear about whether the passenger is held accountable for his actions. A federal judge...
Conservative U.S. State Wants to Create its Own Airline
The State of Wyoming, in the western USA, finds itself between a rock and hard place. Without perpetual generous subsidies, it cannot sustain commercial air service to smaller airports. But a lack of air access to international hubs hurts...
The Airport Lounge with a Swimming Pool
Airport lounges have become more innovate over the years in response to growing public concern over health. For example, the Finnair lounge in Helsinki has a sauna, the Thai lounge in Bangkok has a world-class spa, and Etihad’s first...
Retro Concept: Boarding Pass No Longer Required at PIT to Clear Security
Starting next week you will not need a boarding pass to access the secure gate areas at Pittsburgh International Airport. I think that is a great thing. When I was young, flying was a big deal in my house....
Airline Call Center Agents Mobilize to Keep Jobs in the USA
I spent 90 minutes on the phone with United’s overseas call center in the Philippines yesterday…to make an award ticket change that should have taken two minutes. It underscores the importance of airline call center agents joining forces in...
Air Berlin Bailed Out by German Government
Air Berlin filed for bankruptcy protection today after Etihad Airways pulled the plug on future funding. The German government quickly stepped in to provide a bridge loan so that Air Berlin can continue operations as it searches for a...
United Returns to Historic Airport it Abandoned Decades Ago
78 years ago United Airlines launched commercial service from Paine Field (PAE) just north of Seattle. After decades without commercial flights, a new terminal is opening and United will resume commercial service to two hubs. Paine Field was a...
The Dao Effect? Airlines are Bumping Fewer Passengers
Airlines are bumping passengers at the lowest rate on record according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The agency, which first began tracking involuntary denied boarding rates in 1995, reported that U.S. carriers denied boarding...
FAA Grounds Air India 777 Due to Missing Seat Belt Tags!
An Air India 777 booked to capacity was delayed for more than eight hours in Chicago after a surprise safety inspection by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) discovered something sinister…missing seat belt tags! Apparently the flight was preparing to...
Would You Turn In Your Seatmate to the Cops?
A lady was sitting on a Southwest flight from Seattle to San Jose, CA and started looking over the shoulder of the man in front of her. What she saw on his cell phone dismayed her so much she...
Amazing: Pilot Lands Plane “Blind” After Hail Destroys Windshield and Nose
A pilot is being heralded as a hero after landing a badly-damaged Airbus A320 in Istanbul. Imagine this. A plane takes off in Istanbul just as a hailstorm begins. The aircraft climbs to about 4,000 feet and then is...
Delta, Air France, Iberia, and Avianca Suspend Service to Venezuela
Amid growing civil unrest and social fissures so deep it may take a revolution to restore order, four more airlines are suspending service to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. On Sunday, a sham election will take place in which President Nicolás...
Virgin Atlantic to Join Air France-KLM + Delta Joint Venture
Delta currently has a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic and a separate joint venture with Air France-KLM (and Alitalia). Today, the carriers announced the two JVs would merge into one. China Eastern and Delta also get a seat at...
