A couple months ago I blogged about Ryanair’s vertical seat concept that Michael O’Leary, CEO of the budget carrier, hoped would boost revenue for the airline. EU regulators vetoed the standing seat design, but a new “saddle seat” recently unleashed...
ANA to Launch Low-Cost Airline
Taking advantage of JAL’s financial woes and a continuing growth in the China market, All Nippon Airways announced plans to launch a low-cost carrier by the second half of next year. What’s driving this demand for more low-cost travel?...
Ryanair’s O’Leary Proposes Eliminating Co-Pilots
Good ol’ Michael O’Leary. As if the standing seats and coin-operated lavatories were not enough, Ryanair’s chief has a new plan to save money: get rid of co-pilots. O’Leary told Bloomberg that having a second pilot in the cockpit...
The End of 50-Seat Regional Jets?
While we have seen a proliferation of regional jet routes on legacy airlines the last few years, have you ever noticed that the jets replacing mainline service are often the larger regional jets such as the CR7 or ERJ-170?...
New 747 Interiors Coming to Delta
Delta Air Lines has announced plans to refresh the interiors of their 16 Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The old Northwest birds have not encountered an interior decorator in years. The cabin refresh is part of Delta’s $1 billion plan to improve their product...
Government Tells Airline to Change Name After Crash
That’s one way to reset your safety record… After a deadly crash that killed 42 and injured 54, the Henan provincial government in eastern central China has told their namesake airline, Henan Airlines, to change its name. The EMB-190 crashed last...
JetBlue Joins Southwest at Newark, Will Offer Daily Boston Flights
In a move aimed to draw some of the limelight away from Southwest, JetBlue has announced plans to serve Boston next year from Newark’s Liberty International Airport. Right now, only Continental flies nonstop between Newark and Boston and commands a...
More Seats and Overhead Space on American Airlines’ 737-800s
American Airlines’ is retrofitting its 76 737-800s in a move that will double the capacity of the overhead bins, bring electrical outlets to more seats, enable WiFi, add drop-down LCD screens, and decrease legroom. Yes, the airline that once...
Department of Justice may Veto ITA-Google Deal
The DOJ is taking a second look at the proposed acquisition of ITA Software by Google, citing antitrust concerns. Earlier this year, Google agreed to buy ITA for $700 million in cash in order to bolster its travel division...
Will United Step in to Fill Void Left by Mexicana?
Mexicana ceased flying (again) on Saturday and it is increasingly likely that the historic Mexican carrier will be joining the likes of PanAm and TWA in that great boneyard in the sky. That gives other air carriers a chance...
Southwest Airlines to Serve Newark with Continental’s Permission
Southwest Airlines will begin service to Newark’s Liberty International Airport next March in a move that was actually encouraged by United/Continental. Southwest already serves La Guardia and Islip/Long Island, but will add service to Continental’s East Coast hub in...
Court Sides with Southwest Airlines, Allows Coupons to Expire
In California, it is against the law for gift certificates to have expiration dates. Furthermore, they cannot even lose value due to inactivity, as is stipulated in the fine print of many gift cards. Enter Southwest Airlines, who recently...
Delta Challenging AA: Planning Heathrow Service from Boston and Miami
In a move showcasing Delta’s emphasis on international expansion, the airline has announced plans to begin twice daily service from Boston to London Heathrow and daily service from Miami to Heathrow. With the recent approval of a joint venture...
Delta Adds Flights to Cancún
Bolstering its already impressive Latin America network, Delta Air Lines is adding service to Cancún from four U.S. cities. Starting in February, you will be able to fly non-stop to CUN on Delta from Columbus, San Antonio, Austin, and...
Bickering Over the Post-Merger Identity of United Airlines
With a Continental merger drawing near, the LA Times featured a great article yesterday on the struggle over the re-branding of United. I won’t quote from it, but it discusses the ongoing debate over the livery of the merged...
No Three Perfect Days in this Airline Magazine
Airline magazines are generally easy reads. Packed with travel-related articles, propaganda promoting the airline, crossword puzzles, and mostly advertisements, even the best mags in the industry hardly leave a lasting impression. I do appreciate United’s Three Perfect Days feature...
Southwest Airlines Considers Investment in 737-800
Southwest Airlines, America’s largest domestic carrier, is thinking big. Their fleet of 737-300, -500, and -700 series aircraft have served them well, but slot restrictions at airports like BOS and LGA have limited their ability to grow in key...
Airlines Raiding Desert Boneyards as Passenger Traffic Increases
Last week I booked a Sunday night redeye from Los Angeles to Chicago on United and was pleasantly surprised to see that the flight would be operated by a 747-400. Like Kevin’s experience last week, the aircraft featured the old...
Star Alliance or Oneworld? LAN and TAM to Merge
LAN and TAM have announced their intention to merge into a new South American mega-airline group, LATAM. If the merger goes forward, the new company would boast 40,000 employees and transport more than 45 million customers a year to 115...
Leaked JetBlue Memo Reveals that Steven Slater May Have Fabricated Story
The AP has obtained an internal JetBlue memo admonishing the actions of Steven Slater and warning FAs not to try anything similar. Most interesting is this: JetBlue Chief Operating Officer Rob Maruster says in the memo that the airline is still...
