The joke goes that Italian airlines will be profitable…when hell freezes over. Why is it that airlines seem to struggle in Italy? In an article entitled, Good Luck To Any Airline That Tries To Make A Profit Flying U.S.-Italy, Ted Reed suggests it is due to Mideast subsides. I’ve called out Mr. Reed before for being a […]
A Middle East Subsidy American Airlines Loves
For all its condemnation of alleged Middle East subsidies, American Airlines certainly loves them…when it is the beneficiary of them. Last week, I wrote about AA’s new service between Dallas and Tel Aviv, set to commence in September of 2020. The new service will operate three times weekly and utilize a Boeing 787-9, opening up […]
Airline Labor Unions Assail Trump For “Cozying Up” To Qatar Airways
Labor unions across the airline industry are outraged at President Donald Trump for siding with Qatar Airways and Air Italy in a recent White House meeting. There’s nothing that brings all sides together like a red herring over American jobs. In a poorly written article in Forbes by Ted Reed, full of bias, conclusory statements, […]
A Costly Family Vacation For Delta CEO
I’m not going to impugn the motives of Delta CEO Ed Bastian. But there is simply no denying how incredibly costly his recent family vacation turned out to be. Bastian took some some heat (and not just from me) for refusing to modify his travel plans to meet with President Trump and other airline CEOs […]
Trump’s Anger Over Delta CEO Torpedoes Protectionist Cause
It’s amazing really to think that one man’s absence may have lurched a White House meeting from one outcome to another. But we live in the age of Donald Trump. That’s not mean as a compliment or an insult, merely an observation. Josh Lederman of NBC News really did a superb job of digging into […]
First Impressions: Air Italy A330 Business Class
The service and comfort on Air Italy exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed an excellent flight from Milan to San Francisco. Really, the highlight of this flight was the service from Paolo and Maurizio. Maurizio worked my side of the aisle and was one of the most professional, courteous, caring flight attendants I have ever encountered. He […]
Shuttle Diplomacy By Qatar Airways Impresses Trump, Roils US Airline CEOs
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker can smile today. He won the battle at the White House. President Donald Trump sided with him…and perhaps for reasons having less to do with the issue itself than over ego. A successful warrior must know his adversary. A successful lawyer must know his audience. Al Baker clearly demonstrated […]
Did Delta CEO Chicken Out Of White House Meeting?
A group of CEOs from major airlines in the USA…and one outside the USA, met with President Donald Trump in the White House yesterday to discuss objections over Gulf Carriers and Air Italy. But one vocal opponent was visibly missing. Present at the meeting were: Oscar Munoz – United Airlines CEO Doug Parker – American […]
Doug Parker Explains Why AA Hates Air Italy
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker sat down with Business Insider to discuss why Air Italy is viewed as such a threat. First, let me say that I am so tired of rehashing this issue over and over. But as misinformation continues to be spread about Air Italy and Qatar Airways, I see no choice but […]
U.S. Airlines Pandering To President Trump In Gratuitous New Ad
U.S. airlines are hoping to bypass Congress, regulators and other high-level administration officials and take their Gulf Carrier subsidy argument directly to President Donald Trump. Let’s start with the video. Take 30-seconds to watch this: The video starts with President Trump promising, “We will stand up to trade cheating anywhere and everywhere it threatens the […]
Air Italy Suspends Three Transatlantic Routes, Adds Four Fun New Routes
U.S. legacy carriers should be very afraid of Air Italy. The Italian airline is doing so well it has announced it will halt service to two U.S. cities and one Canadian city this winter. Were you saying something about subsidies? Air Italy is the only carrier to serve Los Angeles and San Francisco non-stop from […]
JetBlue Defends Qatar Airways, Warns of Retaliation
Fearing retaliation, JetBlue is asking the U.S. government to lay off its scrutiny of Qatar Airways and Air Italy. JetBlue is worried that it will be caught in the crosshairs of an ongoing dispute between U.S. legacy carriers and Gulf carriers like Qatar Airways. As the U.S. government vows to “investigate” the link between Qatar […]
Qatar Airways Blasts U.S. Lawmakers For Air Italy Criticism
Qatar Airways is hitting back at U.S. lawmakers for the steady rain of criticisms over its investment in Air Italy. In a press release, Qatar forcefully and convincing lays out its case for why the fearing mongering from U.S. politicians is totally out of line. > Read More: U.S. Secretary Of State Looking “Very Closely” At […]
U.S. Secretary Of State Looking “Very Closely” At Qatar-Air Italy Deal
Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, was grilled by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week. Many topics were raised, but the one that raised my eyebrows was Air Italy. A group of U.S. Senators—a motley bipartisan crew—are “very concerned” about the risk Air Italy poses to U.S. jobs. Never mind that Air Italy […]
10 Airlines I Hope To Review In Business Class
As much as I love reviewing first class products, I think business class reviews tend to be more helpful to more readers. Here’s a list of 10 airlines I hope to review this year in business class, but I’m open to suggestion. Earlier this month I wrote a piece entitled, 10 Flights I Look Forward […]
Delta’s Nationalist Ambitions Hurt American Airlines
Delta Air Lines has been the most vocal US Carrier in regards to the “Middle East 3” expansion in the North American market. While Delta claims to defend jobs for American citizens, its double-edged sword cuts both ME3 and their lobbying partner, American Airlines. For Delta, it’s win-win. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for […]
Dense, Dimwitted Logic From A Deliberately Deceptive Delta CEO
Air Italy’s USA expansion has caused a stir amongst U.S. legacy carriers. But Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s op-ed response is riddled with deception and outright mistruth. Feel free to start by reading Ed Bastian’s op-ed without my commentary. I’m going to jump right into his op-ed and provide a line-by-line deconstruction and analysis. In doing […]
As Air Italy Looks To California, Congress Looks To Block
A posse of U.S. Senators has Air Italy in its crosshairs, dampening news that the Italian carrier plans to add service to two California cities next yaer. Air Italy Announces Service to LAX and SFO Yesterday, Air Italy announced new nonstop service between Milan and both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Starting next spring, the […]
United Airlines Add Service To Naples + Prague + Amsterdam
United Airlines will add year-around service between San Francisco and Amsterdam as well summer seasonal service between New York/Newark and both Prague and Naples, Italy. United teased us on Twitter yesterday with a hint at these routes using anagrams, but the news is now official. San Francisco to Amsterdam United will begin year-around service between […]
United Airlines’ Plan to Bankrupt Alitalia?
United Airlines will serve Rome year-around from its Newark hub. Might this be a plan to hasten Alitalia’s demise? Currently, United offers seasonal service to Rome from the following hubs: Chicago (ORD) Newark (EWR) Washington Dulles (IAD) While ORD and IAD will remain seasonal, Newark will shift to year-around service, with service between three times per week […]
