Dots, Lines & Destinations » Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dots, Lines & Destinations
The US DOT seems keen to rewrite the rules – or at least how they’re enforced – in a way that’s liable to significantly impact the US market.
Also in this episode:
- Public Charters (i.e. JSX) are about to get screwed
- Volaris and Iberia agreement to expand connectivity between Spain and Mexico
- AA FAs close negotiations without a deal, while AS FAs have a framework for a new TA.
- Aer Lingus strike likely
- WestJet Mechanics returned to bargain, avoiding more flight cxls
- JetBlue brings carry-ons back to Basic Economy
- Global Airlines punts to 2025
- X-66A delays at Boeing
- Boom building built
- Sun Country picks up more Amazon freighters
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Archer “plans” eVTOL network for Bay Area
- WN/OKC
- A220 GTF complaints from airBaltic
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
We finally managed to work a pop culture reference into the show…only took a decade.
Also in this episode:
- JetBlue at ISP
- Frontier’s “competition” play
- Virgin Atlantic, eh!
- Starlux maybe into OW?
- Southwest’s activist investor
- Delta adding PremY on transcon 767s
- Bonza officially gone
- Online passport renewal returns
- Dublin getting a spotter park
- Dutch roll, and 787 fasteners, and WN roller coaster in Hawaii, And titanium issues for Airbus & Boeing, and a 3 month slowdown for 737 prod finally reported to suppliers
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- New b(r)ag tags for Qantas
- EK/B6 codeshare consent order
- United’s “Get me close” plan
- Alaska Airlines loses on Virgin licensing suit
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Mostly by us, but also perhaps from an airline or two…
Also in this episode:
- FAA extending NYC slots waiver through Summer 2025
- American’s FAs open strike command center
- Sir Tim wants 1500-seat planes for Emirates
- Air India/Vistara formally approved
- Fiji Airlines to become a full oneworld member
- AA/DFW is the world’s largest airline hub by departure count, and 2nd largest by destination count
- A travel update from Seth‘s exploration of Europe
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Starlux offering sim time as FF redemption
- Mexicana buys planes, plans routes
- Cathay makes a Belt and Road play
- British Airways goes multi modal
- Seth’s foray into politics
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Something a bit different this week as Stephan and Fozz take a closer look at some airline apps.
For our Patreon subscribers we have some additional discussion on American Airlines and Vasu Raja’s departure from the company.
Enjoy the show!
We’re back in Hamburg for another go at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024, taking a look at what the future will be for commercial aviation.
As always, Jason joins Seth for this episode talking about the myriad new bits that will maybe eventually one day be flying, including:
- The Maya concept seat from Panasonic Avionics and Collins Aerospace
- Accessibility ideas from Collins, Delta Flight Products, and others
- Efforts to squeeze seats a bit, and how manufacturers are responding
- A new approach to the IFE world, including caching of streaming services on board to make sure they work better
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Origami in the cabin
- Nifty ways to make business cabin seat storage more efficient
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Also, check out the rest of Seth’s coverage from the show here.
Maybe taking five flights rather than just two, and adding an extra overnight en route, was a mistake.
Also in this episode:
- An absurd airplane bathroom story
- Follow-up to Fozz’s ORD taxi times
- JetBlue/BA codesharing
- SQ Turbulence
- Spirit putting a pilot base at EWR
- Breeze/PVD growth
- DCA perimeter slots update
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Lounges as the new hot thing for airline ancillary revenue
- Seth’s journey to Europe
- Saudia/flyadeal Airbus order
- CRJ550 @ DL Followup
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Why do executives have so much trouble making tough decisions? Or are they just blind to the challenges?
Also in this episode:
- Qantas shifting capacity from Shanghai to Philippines [while Philippines Airlines is forced to lease Wamos Air A330s]
- New Frontier model
- Automated Singapore immigration is now open to all
- Austrian’s 787s are not quite ready
- DCA slots from the FAA bill
- Swiss completes AeroSHARK rollout (More on AeroSHARK)
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Breeze Adventures
- Boeing’s annual meeting
- United can (maybe?) resume growth, but trimming Australia ops next Winter
- Lisbon might get a new airport in 2034
- A few bits from AvFest Americas
- Fozz loves O’Hare
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Is change good? Is it bad? Should you get a refund? Or fly the new routes? Come join us for these conversations and more…
Also in this episode:
- DOT Rules and Schedule Changes
- Updated Lufthansa Group/ITA proposal for merger remedies
- JetBlue’s new SJU routes and Mint moves (plus some cuts, too)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport’s new terminal: When it will be built and how big it will be
- Delta adds the CRJ550 to its fleet (some Scope Clause details)
- DOJ has until August 5th to decide on AS/HA merger
- Expectations on domestic carriers and the gap between LCCs and full service
- Dorkfest and Braniff Show
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- MHT-GSP on Avelo
- New Zoom airlines (previously dubbed Air Flo)
- AI for airlines: Alaska Airlines Tests AI for Loyalty and Flight Search, United integrating into SHARES
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Picking an airport in Mexico might be a bit more challenging later this year. Plus flying whales and more Tokyo.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 427: Scrounging around * DLD 414: Aviation’s First Class Podcast * DLD 445: Ghosts in the sky
How much money can a one-plane airline lose in just two months? More than just about everyone involved expected.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 444: Very popular in China * DLD 437: The Bourget * DLD 422: Meh
A report from the inaugural flight from the Faroe Islands to New York, plus other bits along the way.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 447: Too much red * DLD 437: The Bourget * DLD 434: Trust buster
Empty flights typically suck, but sometime airlines still fly them and make money doing so.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 444: Very popular in China * DLD 416: Going Retro(fit) * DLD 414: Aviation’s First Class Podcast
Unlikely this episode will be, but is it worse than the odds of a new MAX delivery to China anytime soon??Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 445: Ghosts in the sky * DLD 414: Aviation’s First Class Podcast * DLD 443: No more secure than average
Insert plucky episode summary hereClick the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 441: Picking up lines with Landline * DLD 428: Squeeze play * DLD 440: Premium problems
Dismissing idiocy of the past rather than owning up to mistakes is an interesting choice for an airline startup trying to avoid being seen as a scam. Think it'll work?Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 439: But was it really a melt down?? * DLD 404: Podcast not not found * DLD 437: The Bourget
What does it take to bring motorcoaches into the airline world? We've got David Sunde, CEO of Landline, on the show to talk about getting the buses inside security, growth potential, and lots more.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 434: Trust buster * DLD 422: Meh * DLD 440: Premium problems
Can economy class be considered an upgrade from premium economy? We're talking about airlines, so you know where this is going.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 432: You want fries with that * DLD 400: We suck at travel * DLD 428: Squeeze play
United's operations are mostly back to normal at this point, but it took a while to get there. Fortunately, there were plenty of other things to keep us entertained while watching that mess unfold.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 432: You want fries with that * DLD 437: The Bourget * DLD 440: Premium problems
Like the rest of the country's air travel, this week's episode got hit by rolling delays. But we made it to our final destination eventually.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 434: Trust buster * DLD 432: You want fries with that * DLD 431: Shifting the Dream
Summer in Paris, perhaps a delightful experience. A week at Le Bourget, however, is far less appealing for us. But there's a bit of news worth discussing.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 431: Shifting the Dream * DLD 416: Going Retro(fit) * DLD 432: You want fries with that
What does the future of air travel hold? Odds are it will appear on the show floor at Aircraft Interiors Expo a few years before it flies, and we've got a report from the show. Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 389: Back at AIX * DLD 422: Meh * DLD 385: Worst birthday party ever
New planes, new routes, and new seats all bode well for the future. And some lines being dropped might not be so bad, either.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 434: Trust buster * DLD 427: Scrounging around * DLD 423: Are you aware??
How many million milers is too many? Plus a crazy crash and new transatlantic routes on the horizon.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 409: Sorry we missed you * DLD 407: No first? No problem! * DLD 404: Podcast not not found
Maybe we're supposed to say something in advance when the publishing schedule changes. Oopsie.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 407: No first? No problem! * DLD 401: The end of Summer * DLD 393: From Hanoi with love
The semi-annual IATA seasonal schedule change happened last weekend, and it brings some fun and interesting new routes and slot opportunities to the industry.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 395: Ripe for disruption * DLD 409: Sorry we missed you * DLD 410: Many millions of milers
What happens when you dupe consumers for decades with the confusing names between classes of service then make a change to a tiny part of the fleet? Fun times, indeed.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 404: Podcast not not found * DLD 406: Mega investments * DLD 398: A great American hero? Or zero?
New cabins, new partners, and new fuels are just a few of the major investments airlines announced that we're talking about in this week's episode.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 395: Ripe for disruption * DLD 398: A great American hero? Or zero? * DLD 393: From Hanoi with love
Halfway through a long trip and still suffering from jetlag, but there's news to consider and punditry to ponder, so here we go…Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 395: Ripe for disruption * DLD 400: We suck at travel * DLD 392: Heat wave
It was supposed to be a quick weekend getaway for the crew. That didn’t work out so well. Also in this episode: Virgin Atlantic joins SkyTeam Eurostar’s Brexit capacity cuts Cleveland gets its European nonstop...Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 395: Ripe for disruption * DLD 405: Chunneling some feelings * DLD 398: A great American hero? Or zero?
We considered just having this episode go missing, an homage to the HTTP 404 status code. But there's too much interesting stuff to cover instead.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 396: So much revenue, but what about profit? * DLD 391: Some Independence thinking * DLD 382: Punch out
Catching up on some reader mail, and also on big changes coming in airports served, meals on board, and vaguely boring partnerships.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 401: The end of Summer * DLD 398: A great American hero? Or zero? * DLD 399: Direct to you
Can Russia produce more than 300 commercial aircraft by the end of the decade to backfill the Boeing and Airbus frames that will be inoperable by then? And would you fly on one if they do??Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 398: A great American hero? Or zero? * DLD 392: Heat wave * DLD 356: Celebratory deaths
Summer is ending, but travel continues. And optimism remains strong, at least in some segments of the industry.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 395: Ripe for disruption * DLD 403: White tails, new deals, and new lines * DLD 398: A great American hero? Or zero?
Another airline disappears, but we're still here. You can decide if that's a good trade or not.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 380: Finding faults * DLD 368: Not so far flung * DLD 346: Multiple meltdowns
So much news from American we might have to rebrand the show. But lots of other goodies, too.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 395: Ripe for disruption * DLD 388: A last-minute change * DLD 394: Farnborough Follow-up
Scavenging for spare parts, profitable routes, or just good travel ideas? We've got it all in this week's show.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 395: Ripe for disruption * DLD 393: From Hanoi with love * DLD 383: Gettin’ Flighty with it
Airlines raked in revenue in Q2, but not all of them reported a profit. And that raises a lot of bigger picture questions.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 386: Intel(ligence?) Inside * DLD 387: Regal in Riga * DLD 343: That probably won’t work
More leisure travelers than expected, plus some gardening tips. Oh, and lots of airline news, too.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 382: Punch out * DLD 380: Finding faults * DLD 376: Point.Me to the awards
Despite being one of the slowest major air shows for new order announcements in years, Farnborough 2022 offered plenty of news.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 391: Some Independence thinking * DLD 393: From Hanoi with love * DLD 392: Heat wave
We haven't had much to say about travel to Asia in recent months. That changes this week, as we're joined by Michael Traeger from TravelZork to share some thoughts. A lot of thoughts, really.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 374: Your airline is intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your ticketing plan * DLD 390: Back from Europe * DLD 391: Some Independence thinking
As if airport crowds and luggage SNAFUs aren't enough, summer heat waves are adding to the challenges in travel.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 357: Easy Breezy * DLD 384: Competition great and small * DLD 382: Punch out
Great news: The holiday weekend wasn't a total meltdown, despite warnings from airlines.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 374: Your airline is intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your ticketing plan * DLD 378: Plus-ing it up * DLD 371: Snowed in
Summer travel is definitely here. Good luck with that.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 390: Back from Europe * DLD 345: Teaming, trimming & traveling * DLD 374: Your airline is intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your ticketing plan
Trade shows are back, and so are we. Greetings from Hamburg and the 2022 edition of the Aircraft Interiors Expo.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 381: Masks begone! * DLD 357: Easy Breezy * DLD 373: Cocoon or carpet?
Change happens. But it gets way worse if the airline forgets to tell you.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 377: MAX or Mask or Electric * DLD 386: Intel(ligence?) Inside * DLD 383: Gettin’ Flighty with it
Day two of a trip to Europe always brings along some jet lag challenges. But we're trying our best.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 381: Masks begone! * DLD 386: Intel(ligence?) Inside * DLD 365: TATL Tales
Some terribly dorky jokes get us started this week, but eventually we manage to transition to terribly dorky conversations about airplanes, so that's mostly a win.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 379: Bucket o’ squirrels * DLD 378: Plus-ing it up * DLD 377: MAX or Mask or Electric
Sure, the conversations were great, but our plans for birthday festivities came up short.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 384: Competition great and small * DLD 355: Weather Gone Wild * DLD 360: Not entirely as planned
Mergers generally reduce competition. Upstarts increase it. And somewhere in the middle, we like to talk about all of options.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 378: Plus-ing it up * DLD 371: Snowed in * DLD 382: Punch out
Flight status. Travel history. Connection updates. And lots more. That's the promise from Flighty, and we've got founder Ryan Jones on this week's show to talk about it.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 377: MAX or Mask or Electric * DLD 290: Desert flyover * DLD 379: Bucket o’ squirrels
Hard to believe we're still saying this, but please stop being an asshole on airplanes. Or anywhere else, really. But definitely not on airplanes.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 374: Your airline is intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your ticketing plan * DLD 380: Finding faults * DLD 378: Plus-ing it up
The lack of appeal, perhaps, is the most interesting part. But the CDC mask mandate for travel is gone, thanks to a court ruling in Florida.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 374: Your airline is intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your ticketing plan * DLD 373: Cocoon or carpet? * DLD 365: TATL Tales
Who is to blame? And does it matter when you finally admit that? Plenty of challenges in the industry these days and more flight cancellations are coming.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 382: Punch out * DLD 374: Your airline is intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your ticketing plan * DLD 379: Bucket o’ squirrels
No squirrels were harmed in the making of this episode. And we cannot explain why that is even remotely relevant. But here we are anyways.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 383: Gettin’ Flighty with it * DLD 372: Going global * DLD 357: Easy Breezy
At some point "Plus" has to not be the default naming of whatever new thing a company comes up with, right? Alas, this is not that week.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 377: MAX or Mask or Electric * DLD 384: Competition great and small * DLD 374: Your airline is intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your ticketing plan
Mask rules are changing, maybe too quickly for airlines to keep up. Plus electric news and MAX potential.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 378: Plus-ing it up * DLD 383: Gettin’ Flighty with it * DLD 379: Bucket o’ squirrels
A good award search tool is something of a holy grail in the miles & points space. Point.Me is pretty darn close, if not entirely there.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 374: Your airline is intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your ticketing plan * DLD 375: Lasha Tumbai * DLD 380: Finding faults
A bit of a challenge this week to get past the very real suffering of war and have a conversation about what it means in the context of aviation. But we're trying.Click the icon below to listen. Related Stories* DLD 376: Point.Me to the awards * DLD 374: Your airline is intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your ticketing plan * DLD 358: Yet another meltdown
Should you subscribe to an airline's recurring payment offerings? Probably not. But we're going to talk about it a bit.Click the icon below to listen.
New seats, new routes, and a comeback of quality flooring round out this week's top stories.Click the icon below to listen.
Sure, we're not really traveling long-haul for leisure right now. But some people are. We had long time friend of the show Han on to talk about a couple recent trips.Click the icon below to listen.
With a blizzard bearing down we're reliving prior diversions and other cold weather travel tales, all the way to Antarctica.Click the icon below to listen.
There are far too many idiots on planes today. Plus lasers, order drama, and more!Click the icon below to listen.
A special report from San Bernardino, California where Northern Pacific unveiled its new livery on a freshly painted 757-200.Click the icon below to listen.
We shouldn't be here right now. We should all be there. But we aren't. And we don't even really know where "there" is. A most interesting predicament.Click the icon below to listen.
Slightly bizarre to have the lead topic for an aviation podcast to be a subway story, but we've never really been a normal group. Plus, we've got Jason on to talk about that and many other airplane-related bits.Click the icon below to listen.
A new year, and we're ready to go with fresh hot takes on all the latest aviation news.Click the icon below to listen.
Lots of news in the Transatlantic market this week, with high hopes for Summer 2022. Lawsuits, and new elite status and maskholes, too.Click the icon below to listen.
Thought on airline pyjamas? Yeah, we've got some of those. And lots of other ideas, too…Click the icon below to listen.
Sometimes the best plan when a trip gets complicated is to just walk away. Or at least strongly consider the possibility in the face of ever changing travel restrictions.Click the icon below to listen.
A new variant of concern doesn't have us too concerned. At least not yet. Plus greenwashing, hub bluffs, and pilot retirements.Click the icon below to listen.
What are you thankful as the Thanksgiving holiday arrives once again? Probably not being involved in any of our first few topics is a good start.Click the icon below to listen.
This week’s episode is a little different. It’s just Fozz and Stephan, as Seth is soaking in all the avgeekery he can at the Dubai Airshow and there hasn’t been a ton of news. But, some of the highlights are:Click the icon below to listen.
Europeans (and many others) can once again visit the USA, assuming they're fully vaccinated. And more than a few airlines are very happy about this.Click the icon below to listen.
American's turn for a meltdown, plus slower recoveries, a big Heathrow boost, and planes shifting national registries for some reason.Click the icon below to listen.
The brand new Breeze A220 is top of mind this week, as we have a crew chatting just hours after the unveiling. Plus AAdvantage and Bonvoy news that might matter to you.Click the icon below to listen.
So much noise for a handful of new routes. Is it really worth the hype? Plus an airline blocks customers and a hotel sues its parent brand.Click the icon below to listen.
We faced a couple mechanicals getting this week's episode recorded, but are willing to admit that truth, rather than blaming weather, unlike some airlines.Click the icon below to listen.
We're on location this week, recording at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Boston where industry CEOs and suppliers gathered to absolutely not collude on anything they cannot legally address.Click the icon below to listen.
An irrational amount of discussion about connecting flights takes over this episode. But, in our defense, one of you asked about it.Click the icon below to listen.
We took the show on the road this week, and brought in a couple guests to spice things up. C'mon in!Click the icon below to listen.
What if, instead of changing the contract to match the active policies, we fixed the policies to not suck?? Seems worth at least considering.Click the icon below to listen.
How does just one out of service plane cause so much trouble for a major airline?? But it worked mostly in our favor, so no complaints this time around.Click the icon below to listen.
Kicking off the show with a bad conspiracy theory about hurricanes probably isn't our strongest play, but here we are. It gets better pretty quickly.Click the icon below to listen.
We lost last week's episode, but came back strong this time around with planes big and small crossing oceans and some fun new routes and money for US startups.Click the icon below to listen.
Airline meltdowns happen form time to time, but this past week's performances are surprisingly ugly.Click the icon below to listen.
More airline partnership and a key route trimmed. Plus, cool new trains and airlines and loyalty plays.Click the icon below to listen.
We've got a guest on this week, mixing educational fun with a likely new world record!Click the icon below to listen.
They might all be terrible ideas, but we're still going to talk about them and figure out if any of it makes sense.Click the icon below to listen.
Points for paying rent? That's the underlying premise of the new Bilt Rewards program and, well, it is very different from others that came before.Click the icon below to listen.
Fancy new screens, a questionable route plan, open borders (sortof) and a trio of new/renewed airlines make the news this week. Plus, what happens if you don't pay a DOT fine??Click the icon below to listen.
United Airlines announced a 270 aircraft narrow-body order today. 🤯🤯Click the icon below to listen.
Opening back up is great, but the inconsistencies are hard to handle. So are the lines.Click the icon below to listen.
Back on the road and exploring the world, with some thoughts on just how well that's going overall and why we're not in a huge hurry to do more of it too soon.Click the icon below to listen.
Summer is heating up in more ways than one. Booking rooms in some destinations is dicey and seems unlikely to get better any time soon.Click the icon below to listen.
Many things are happening in the aviation and travel world. We're talking about some of them in this week's show.Click the icon below to listen.
A strike, two lawsuits, one shutdown and another airline launch, plus a production boost. The industry is full of happenings and we're barely scratching the surface.Click the icon below to listen.
A confluence of work, leisure, and just living has a trio of us on the Williamsburg waterfront on a gorgeous May Saturday for our first in-person recording in well over a year.Click the icon below to listen.
Ground issues grounding a plane is harder than you’d think to explain, but very much at the center of the latest 737 MAX drama.
Also in this episode:
- United Airlines confirms it will take some MAX 8s
- Delta Air Lines adds Dubrovnik for this summer, as well as Premium Select retrofits on A330/763s, but isn’t combining the two yet
- Avelo picks New Haven for its first east coast hub
- Bernard Ziegler, who basically invented fly-by-wire for Airbus, died
- So did Helmut Jahn, the architect responsible for the UA terminal in ORD and the new BKK.
- Air Senegal plans flights to JFK/IAD later this year
- Kid went into the baggage system at MSP
- UK green list of places people can’t visit
- EASA tracks space weather, too
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Breeze to hire non-college kid FAs
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Click the icon below to listen.
Maybe we went a little too far off the rails talking about privacy and ad tech and where they intersect. Including on board JetBlue’s newest A220 fleet. But that shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
Also in this episode:
- More refunds in Canada
- An update on Tugs
- Other bits from the JetBlue A220 inaugural
- Sun Country‘s new routes, bypassing MSP in the Upper Midwest
- Bonus points options from MileagePlus
- RealID is delayed. Again. May 2023
- Is it time to start planning summer travels?
- Has the advance booking window really shifted? IATA shared some interesting data.
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- An El Al Bomb Threat
- Vistara to the US?
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Oh, and Seth got at least two references wrong: Picked the wrong pop Justin to make a joke about and Grab became Servy, not Divvy. Oops.
Click the icon below to listen.
Picking routes for a new airline is a major challenge, with significant unknowns. Unless you just take an existing airline and copy its core operating plan. That’s what Connect Airlines appears to have in mind for an October 2021 launch, shadowing the Porter Air transborder model.
Also in this episode:
- JetBlue‘s new A321LR economy class product details are out, including a funky meal service approach
- Avelo has a new route map based in Burbank
- LATAM is dumping its A350s
- Radisson Rewards is “enhancing” the program by splitting it geographically
- Flight load planning software matters a lot, and when “Miss” gets flagged as a child rather than an adult bad things can happen
- Air Canada got a bailout from the government, conditional on delivering cash refunds to customers
- Australia-NZ quarantine-free bubble launches
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- New Airbus visitors center at Finkenwerder
- Kayak launching its own hotel in Miami Beach
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Click the icon below to listen.
We’ve got a special guest on the show this week, talking about a very special topic. There’s a new aviation-themed children’s book out, Aya and Avi’s Airplane Adventure, and we’ve got the author on to talk about his inspiration for pulling it together and a few other things.
The book follows an ambitious young girl named Aya with a dream of being a pilot, and a shy boy who learns to love the magic of flight named Avi, as they take an airplane adventure with Dad and Papa and learn that you can be anyone you want to be.
Also in this episode:
- Alaska Airlines joins Oneworld
- Delta Air Lines is ending its middle seat blocking policy
- The CDC altered its guidance about vaccinated travel
- Air Canada and Transat’s merger is off
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- The MAX 8200 is now certified and should be flying across Europe soon.
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Click the icon below to listen.
Perhaps it was a mistake to let an outsider take the lead on one of our episodes. But what follows in nearly an hour of spectacular conversation about, not surprisingly, travel and pent-up demand and what the return to normal will be like.
This week we’ve got Ed from Miles To Go leading the party and, well, it is interesting.
Some of the topics in this episode:
- Cancun is raising taxes on visitors, trying to cash in on relatively strong tourism demand
- Iceland is open again for US tourists
- Lots of talk about routes, with Ed choosing to focus on Dulles
- Deicing is important
- Rental cars are strange
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Meth is a helluva drug
- Hong Kong is playing favorites for pilots
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Click the icon below to listen.
A mistake fare brought back some excitement we haven’t felt in a long time, even if it eventually cancelled. Plus Iceland to Antarctica and much more!
Also in this episode:
- UA 328 lost an engine and that was all sorts of exciting, plus the flight number matches our episode number, assuming we counted correctly
- US Airport transit funding rules change and it could be a major win, though probably not a LaGuardia
- ATR testing single pilot operations with FedEx
- United adds bus service in Denver
- Icelandair went to Antarctica
- Boeing talking about possible safety issues at Airbus doesn’t look good, even if it might be vaguely accurate, plus EASA said it first
- Lufthansa is ready to ground the A380 permanently
- Air Sinai (which we talked about a year ago) could be going away for good?
- Some follow-up on the Boston-London market and slots
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Frequent flier account data was compromised because of a leak at SITA
- IranAir as some interesting aircraft acquisition processes
- TAP’s mistake fare
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
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Sometimes travel is about new and different adventures. Sometimes it is about repeating the most boring or ridiculous habits. And, when done right, it is often a great blend of both. We close out this week’s episode with some discussion of travel souvenirs that we’re constantly collecting, or at least that we did back when we traveled more. And that we’re looking forward to resuming soon enough.
Also in this episode:
- Potential for Amtrak preclearance in Montreal
- The BA Baby Bus gone, and we’re not all that sad about it
- DeHaviland “pauses” Q400 assembly, and has to move the factory, too
- United Airlines signed on to a deal with eVTOL maker Archer, except it isn’t nearly as big a deal as the headlines might suggest
- American Airlines and JetBlue have their first codeshare routes and expanded markets tied to the Northeast Alliance, even as the partnership continues to draw opposition from competitors. Details here and here.
- United will eventually launch BOS-LHR in “retaliation” for JetBlue’s expansion
- Some listener questions:
- Is it ethical to travel one I’ve finished the vaccine regime? The data says that I’m protected, but not that I can’t infect someone else. Would you feel ok traveling if you had the vaccine, but the vast vast vast majority of people do not?
- I’ve been looking at what countries have what requirements for entry of Americans and I can’t find any policy changes for people that can prove vaccination. Do you guys know a central site that tracks what the entry requirements are at any given time? Seth suggests TIMATIC as a solution.
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Finnair selling their meals in grocery stores
- Do you have a common souvenir you always bring home from a particular place on a trip?
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
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An aviation podcast talking about driving? Sometimes that’s the only viable option, and it is strange. Plus, so are we.
Also in this episode:
- New Dutch airport delayed again
- 777X delayed to late 2023 at the earliest
- Alitalia might really finally die
- Canada closing its borders
- HNA bankruptcy affects about a dozen airlines, 600+ planes and more. Plus $9B+ in embezzlement.
- New Mint suite (including front row Studio)
- Boeing’s next attempt at a new plane
- AA plans MIA-TLV starting this summer
- Dodge Neon as baggage tug
- Allegiant New Routes
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Nunavut bathroom idiocy (and Seth‘s poor geography)
- Rolls Royce summer shutdown
- $AAL riding the squeeze
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
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First the policies change. Then they change again. Keeping up with that back and forth is incredibly challenging. But we’re trying.
Topics in this episode:
- The US announced plans to relax restrictions, and then just hours later that was countered. Now the rules are even more strict, including quarantine requirements.
- KLM Indicated it would halt long-haul flights following proposal of strict testing requirements that would affect crew. Again, a change of policy saw that averted.
- Canada’s airlines face continued challenges, including more service cuts as test and quarantine rules are strengthened.
- Norwegian’s long-haul operation is dead, and with that some changes to the TATL marketplace are already being seen.
- Alaska Airlines will offer a new status tier at 100k miles starting next year, but no one really knows what it will include
- A man lived in O’Hare for 3 months.
- British Airways has a new grocery partner for Avios earn and burn.
- Chengdu has a new mega airport slated to open soon.
- The Ghanaian government really doesn’t want to fly to Gatwick
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Allegiant has some fun in Portland
- United Airlines has less fun in long-haul ops
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
Huge thanks to our newest patrons:* Matthew H. * Arthur L. * Megan J. * Jeff A. * Ben B. * Mike R.
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We start 2021 with an unplanned trip down memory lane to Malta, because happy travel memories are a good thing
Also in this episode:
- Boeing settled with the US Department of Justice, and it seems the price was cheap
- With the new CARES Act extension in play the rules for where airlines have to fly have been revised a bit
- Spirit Airlines was defrauded to the tune of $150k by a group issuing fake pass travel tix
- Marriott is among the companies changing its policies on political contributions in the wake of last week’s insurrection at the US Capitol
- A Sriwijaya 737-500 crashed just after takeoff over the weekend
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- New York City’s new Amtrak terminal
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
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We definitely don’t recommend eating it, but the 2,000 year old street meat discoveries in the ruins of Pompeii are all sorts of awesome.
Also in this episode:
- Montenegro Airlines is dead, but it will likely return soon
- A lawyer involved in representing 737 MAX victims stole payments intended for them
- After years of battles a Delta pilot won their case regarding whistle-blower retaliation, and the now-head of the FAA is implicated
- The EPA finally adopted aircraft emissions standards so Boeing can sell planes internationally but it won’t really help reduce emissions
- Alaska Airlines will continue to block middle seats in its Premium Class cabin, at least most of the time
- Azores Air will fly an intra-Atlantic route from Puerto Delgado to Bermuda and that’s a seriously sexy line
- The book Seth mentioned, Empires of the Sky
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Some thoughts on the increased Alaska Airlines 737 MAX order book
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
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As has happened several times since the pandemic began airlines are shaking up their route maps with idea so crazy they just might work. So which new destinations will work this time around??
Also in this episode:
- JetBlue has some interesting ideas about new markets that can benefit from its presence, particularly Miami and Raleigh-Durham, which just happen to be an American Airlines hub and a Delta focus city.
- American reacted with some new routes of its own from Fort Lauderdale, though it is also cutting TATL markets and otherwise trying to find a path to stability.
- US Congress finally passed another COVID recovery plan that probably isn’t the best use of money, especially with respect to how airlines are being treated.
- A new strain of COVID detected in London saw brisk reaction from much of the world, though the US is keeping its border open.
- Brexit is just around the corner and Ryanair is among the airlines feeling the pain after its plan to skip local ownership rules got busted by the UK CAA.
- The US Senate says Boeing coached its test pilots inappropriately around the recertification flights, which is definitely not good.
- Starlux is planning to fly to the USA in 2022.
- JetBlue makes some changes to Mosaic elite status in 2021.
- A passenger on a United flight died from COVID and the industry is struggling to handle it well.
- Stephan took a trip last week and was not impressed.
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Do you get bonus points for finally deciding to stop traveling now that it is dangerous despite taking many leisure trips throughout the rest of the year??
- All sorts of interesting happenings in India with potential changes of airline ownership.
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
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Where have all the cool planes gone? If you frequently find yourself wondering about that JetTip.net might help with some answers, at least in the US and Canada. And we’ve got founder Nick Benson on this week’s show to talk about that and lots of other fun stuff.
Also in this episode:
- COVID vaccines are flying (and driving) across the USA
- Aeromexico is ready to bring the MAX back into service next week
- There’s a couple A340-200s available at auction starting for just 80,000 euro each
- Millions of frequent flyer miles stolen
- Aeroplan is launching a US credit card with Chase
- A contest to win a free JetTip.net subscription
For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:
- Tracking the presidential campaign fleets
- A ridiculous cargo payload
- More change fees disappearing on Delta and United
And plenty more. Enjoy the show!
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