United Airlines has extended the cancellation of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft until at least September 3rd. This time customers may feel the pain. Unlike on American and Southwest, United has successfully reduced the impact of the 737 MAX groundings...
Delta, JetBlue Offer Travel Waivers For Dominican Republic
After a number of highly-publicized deaths of U.S. tourists, Delta and JetBlue are offering official travel waivers for passengers traveling to the Dominican Republic in the months ahead. Meanwhile, American and United are offering “re-accomodation” on a case-by-case basis....
United Airlines Suspends All India Service Until September 1st
United Airlines is extending the suspension of both of its India routes until at least September 1st. First it was the Pakistani airspace closure. Then it was saber-rattling over Iran. Then the Federal Aviation Administration banned flying in Iranian...
Air France May Retire A380 Even Earlier
Air France may not bother to upgrade its outdated premium cabins seats on the A380. The exorbitant price tag is difficult to justify. But that creates a serious problem for the carrier’s five-year plan and may lead to an...
Trump Proudly Displays New Air Force One Model In Oval Office
U.S. President Donald Trump proudly showcased a model of the next-generation Air Force One in the Oval Office and offered further explanation on his choice of new livery. Last week, President Trump showed renderings of the new livery to...
Lufthansa Cabin Crews Consider New Strike
Cabin crew unions at Eurowings, a low-cost subdivision of Lufthansa, will soon vote on whether to strike this summer. A vote to strike could spread to Lufthansa mainline cabin crews. Talks broke down this week after Lufthansa approached the...
United Airlines Suspends Service To Mumbai, Citing Iran Tensions
United Airlines has suspended its daily flight between Mumbai and Newark, citing “current events” in Iran. Here’s how United describes its decision to its employees: Given current events in Iran, we have conducted a thorough safety and security review...
Five TSA Officers Injured In Phoenix By “Brazen” Teenager
A teenager is in custody after attempting to rush past a security checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. By the time he was subdued, he had injured five agents. At 9:45 AM Tuesday morning, 19-year-old Tyrese Garner tried to...
Warning: Qantas To Announce “Overhaul” Of Frequent Flyer Program
Qantas will unveil “the biggest overhaul to the airline’s loyalty program in its 32 year history” tomorrow. Be very afraid. A frequent flyer program that already lacks value will likely become even less valuable. Forgive my cynicism, but when...
Attack Of The Italian Ants On United Airlines!
United Airlines was forced to “deep clean” a 767-300 after it was overrun with oversized ants on a flight from Venice. Charlotte Burns, an New York-based editor, live tweeted the entire incident in hilarious fashion: She saw a couple...
Foreign Carriers Can Now Operate Domestic Flights In Brazil
Foreign carriers can now operate domestic flights in Brazil thanks to a new law signed by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. But don’t count on free checked baggage. I wrote about the proposed law last month, noting that it would...
Thai Airways Blames Declining Revenue On US – Chinese Trade Tensions
Thai Airways is blaming lower-than-expected revenue on a drop in Chinese tourism, further exacerbated by Chinese trade tensions with the United States. The argument goes like this: In the first quarter, the number of Chinese tourists in Thailand has...
Two Meal Service Updates On United Airlines
United has suspended its “mandatory” express dining service on some late-night flights to Europe and is still testing out free meals in economy class on select Hawaiian flights. In April, United began testing obligatory express dining service on select...
Southwest Airlines Passenger Is “Cyberflashed” Onboard
A Southwest Airlines passenger was “cyberflashed” onboard using Apple’s AirDrop technology. But flight attendants handled the issue well. AirDrop is the name given by Apple to technology that allows for the quick transfer of files via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi....
737 MAX Ferry Flight Blocked From German Airspace
A 737 MAX 8 ferry flight was denied the right to fly over Germany, forcing an unplanned landing in France for refueling. As mandatory worldwide groundings continue for the troubled 737 MAX 8, Norwegian is attempting to consolidate its...
International Protests Mount Over New Machu Picchu Airport
Last month, I wrote about a proposed new airport near Machu Picchu in Peru. Many readers expressed outrage over its construction. As construction progresses, international protests have increased. Even though the new airport has been planned for decades, it was...
Suicidal Man Held Without Bail After Chasing Estranged Wife Through Airport With Fake Bomb
A knife-wielding suicidal man chased his estranged wife through an airport terminal in Brisbane, Australia with a fake bomb as part of an ongoing bitter custody battle over their children. Gamal Elsaied Elboushi is in a heap of trouble....
United Airlines Reaches Secret Compromise Over Los Angeles Landmark
More than two years later, United Airlines and the University of Southern California have reached a compromise on naming rights for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The agreement is shrouded in secrecy. In May 2017, USC and United announced...
British Airways Abandons Special 747 Flights
British Airways has scrapped plans to operate a trio of Boeing 747s on domestic routes in commemoration of its 100th birthday. As I wrote about on Monday, 747s suddenly popped into the schedule for the following six flights on...
Uber Copter Will Compete With BLADE For Manhattan – JFK Traffic
Uber will offer helicopter service between Lower Manhattan and New York JFK starting this summer. The ride-sharing service plans to take on BLADE, which currently offers helicopter service between all three New York airports (JFK, LGA, and EWR) and...