By Dots, Lines & Destinations
Exploring the world with points, miles and a bit of crazy.
New planes, new routes, and new seats all bode well for the future. And some lines being dropped might not be so bad, either. Also in this episode: * Lufthansa Group finalizes deal for ITA * First ITA A330neo delivered * Ethiopian to upgrade...
JetBlue and American Airlines have a lot of work to do if they're going to keep the NEA alive. A judge ruled it illegal last Friday, setting up all sorts of challenges for the carriers. Also in this episode: * Qantas boosting...
Two nice implementations of indigenous themes and art from airlines announced this week, and the impact for passengers is pretty good, too. Also in this episode: * US DOT Customer Rights Rules might happen * Ryanair MAX 10 order * Philippine Air A350-1000 order *...
Can fries be reasonably served as a side on board? And, quite frankly, why not tater tots instead?? Also in this episode: * United is bringing fries on board as the side dish for the cheeseburger * FAA/MAX * GO FIRST insolvency in India *...
In which Seth gets sidetracked on a train journey across Europe, drawn to Siena thanks to an online aviation connection. Special thanks to João for hosting and joining in the conversation. Also in this episode: * Is Embraer's E2 really the...
A special Dreamliner is on the move. And we're not really sitting still, either. Also in this episode: * JetBlue firms its Amsterdam ops * Atlantic Airways Faroe to SWF * Alaska Airlines and Starlux are partners now * Mexican Government plane sold to Tajikistan *...
It is all fun and games until a rules change hits home. Then the rage rises to the surface. Also in this episode: * American dropping SEA-LHR for the winter, launching LAX-AKL * Airbus delivery delays drift into 2024 * Dulles could have new...
What matters most on long-haul flying? And why isn't it a good night's sleep?? Also in this episode: * How much should a turkey sandwich cost? * AA drops award charts * EI A330 troubles * 737 MAX tail problems * Fort Lauderdale flooding (and a...
Trying to squeeze more planes into a terminal is rarely an easy task. When the terminal is brand new and someone screwed up the design work it is even worse. Also in this episode: * BA and Avios * Credit Card denials? * Sea-Tac...
Fares are up, and revenues are strong in many markets. But that doesn't mean everyone is doing great, financially or otherwise. Also in this episode: * Red Way launches in Lincoln * Really Cool Airlines in Thailand * Lufthansa still talking about buying ITA *...
Spring is here! The Northern IATA season started last weekend, and even if the weather isn't entirely cooperating, the new routes are alive. Also in this episode: * St John’s Airport Fire * Travel insurance * Qatari FIR goes live * FAA safety messaging * DOT...
Surcharges for air conditioning? How Canadian, we've been informed. Also in this episode: * Flair leasing mess * Canada Jetlines as a proxy for Qatar Airways * Riyadh Air launches in Saudi Arabia * US airlines lobbying for limits on Russian overflights * Spirit/JetBlue gets its...
Stephan and Fozz are together in Portland this week, talking about a few topics near and dear to the PNW, including: - PDX Construction - The Alaska Airlines fleet, and particularly first class cabins on the MAX and –900s -...
Hydrogen is flying, at least on one engine. And that's way better for emissions awareness than some of the other stuff we've seen lately. Also in this episode: * New Lufthansa Allegris premium cabins (Swiss doing similar, too) * Lufthansa Group adding A350-1000...
Top news this week is the new Qantas First Class and Business Class seats, set to fly in 2025 when Project Sunrise takes flight. And we've got John Walton back with us to dig deep into the details. Alas, we're...
A few "whoopsies" at terminals this week left many a traveler affected. Also in this episode: * United Airlines flight loses altitude on takeoff at Maui * JFK T1 Outage * Lufthansa cancels all flights on Friday * Alaska loses lawsuit with Virgin * JetBlue Trying...
We're joined this week by special guest Ed Pizza of Miles to Go and Pizza In Motion to talk about changing allegiances and the rest of the latest news. Also in this episode: * Ed picks the Widget? * JetBlue teasing new routes,...
Competing university mascots at an inaugural flight? Sure, why not. It is Delaware, after all. Also in this episode: * Express lounges as a growth vertical * DL SkyClub New Access Rules * DL/AX award discount * Bali might get US service * 747 Final delivery *...
New wing designs, and new engines hanging from them, could change the way we fly. Or at least make it more efficient. Also in this episode: * CommuteAir pwned* DCA is a connecting airport now* Croatia Airlines takes the A220* Lufthansa Group...
A rough week in aviation for safety incidents. But we're also trying to find some positive news… Also in this episode: * Yeti Airlines crash in Nepal* FAA Outage* Airbus bows out of Boeing safety panel* US State Department has done a...
Refreshing cabins is a nice touch, but why does it take so long?? Also, how long will it take Southwest to pay out all the comp it owes. Also in this episode: * Southwest's mess will cost $725-825 million, so far* Delta...
Diversions galore, and a meltdown, too. It was a rough end for many in 2022, but 2023 is starting strong. Also in this episode: * Boeing gets its MAX exemption* Russia buying 10 77Ws* More on United and Mesa* US travel meltdown...
Nothing but the best for our listeners as we wrap up the 2022 season. Also in this episode: * Delta dumping all 50-seaters by Summer 2023* AA dumps Mesa as a regional operator* Boom finally has an engine partner-ish.* AAdvantage program changes*...
Just a couple hundred (more) new planes coming to United through the end of the decade. Nothing to get excited about here. Also in this episode: * Swiss A350s in 2025* Etihad A380s coming back* Air Canada and Emirates frequent flyer redemption...
Singapore Airlines is out spending cash like it is 2019 again, so that seems to be good news for other airlines. Also in this episode: * Air India/Vistara merger* SQ/TG expanded partnership* SkyClub Lounge Access changes* Delta has new Pilot contract to...
Long flights, jet lag, and do pilots need to sleep on a trip, too? Also in this episode: * World Cup shuttles DOH-DWC* FlyAtlantic launching in 2024* LATAM adds Sao Paulo - Los Angeles* AA pilots handing out cards for disrupted flights...
How many million milers is too many? Plus a crazy crash and new transatlantic routes on the horizon. Also in this episode: * Crash in Lima* 70 new MMers/day at Delta* Alaska Airlines new lounge access rules* British Airways to CVG* JetBlue...
Maybe we're supposed to say something in advance when the publishing schedule changes. Oopsie. Also in this episode: * A boxcutter incident* LHR security shitshow* United now gives status credit for reward flights* Star Alliance/HSBC Credit Card is now live* Basketball uniforms...
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. Also in this episode: * Is the market primed for an all-biz comeback* Iberia ran out of business...
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. Also in this episode: * KE631 crash in Cebu* Hawaiian Airlines will...
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. Also in this episode: * Lufthansa’s Allegris cabin concept, including a swanky F suite* Delta/Joby exclusive partnership*...
Halfway through a long trip and still suffering from jetlag, but there's news to consider and punditry to ponder, so here we go… Also in this episode: * WestJet consolidates 787s to Calgary* Pilots speaking up about the MAX cert issues, both...
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 back* C919 gets certified* WestJet MAX...
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. Also in this episode: * American's new Flagship Suite* Southwest Airlines' Status Push* REGENT took flight* Xiamen...
Catching up on some reader mail, and also on big changes coming in airports served, meals on board, and vaguely boring partnerships. Also in this episode: * Tailwind’s DC switcheroo* United/Emirates deal is just as boring as we expected, but at least...
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?? Also in this episode: * Italian...
Summer is ending, but travel continues. And optimism remains strong, at least in some segments of the industry. Also in this episode: * Three tragic crashes over the weekend:* Biz jet failed to land in Germany as expected; eventually ran out of...
Another airline disappears, but we're still here. You can decide if that's a good trade or not. Also in this episode: * aha! Is gone* Regional pilots pay scale insanity* Qantas to add AKL-JFK in June 2023* JetBlue A321LR delays mean no...
So much news from American Airlines this week we might have to rebrand the show. But lots of other goodies, too. Also in this episode: * The future of American’s A321T interiors?* American (theoretically) buys into the Boom hype* American is also...
Scavenging for spare parts, profitable routes, or just good travel ideas? We've got it all in this week's show. Also in this episode: * Europe: * Schiphol is set to pay out a massive amount of money in pax comp * Customer...
Airlines raked in revenue in Q2, but not all of them reported a profit. And that raises a lot of bigger picture questions. Also in this episode: * This week in Europe’s aero mess * British Airways won’t sell short-haul seats...
More leisure travelers than expected, plus some gardening tips. Oh, and lots of airline news, too. Also in this episode: * The Spirit merger drama is over. And just beginning.* AA300 NTSB report* 787s return finally approved (timing unclear for actual restart...
Despite being one of the slowest major air shows for new order announcements in years, Farnborough 2022 offered plenty of news. Also in this episode: * Far too much time spent talking about LaGuardia* Railroad tracks expanding in the heat, and runways...
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. Also in this episode: * Lots of talk...
As if airport crowds and luggage SNAFUs aren't enough, summer heat waves are adding to the challenges in travel. Also in this episode: * Uncertainty over the MAX 10 certification* HKG’s 3rd runway is now open* Akasa Air certified in India* Connect...
Great news: The holiday weekend wasn't a total meltdown, despite warnings from airlines. Also in this episode: * Air New Zealand confirms new Business Premier/Luxe and SkyNest* Deutsche Bahn confirmed as Star Alliance partner* DL $10k VDB, also offered change fee waiver...
Summer travel is definitely here. Good luck with that. Also in this episode: * Seth's Polaris experience on a TATL trip* Delta/AmEx 747 card* WestJet goes back west* A321XLR first flight* Heathrow Slots* Norse UK's planned US routes from Gatwick* Lufthansa A380s coming...
Trade shows are back, and so are we. Greetings from Hamburg and the 2022 edition of the Aircraft Interiors Expo. Special thanks to Jason for joining and sharing thoughts. Also, sorry about the lower quality audio the first 8ish minutes. It...
Change happens. But it gets way worse if the airline forgets to tell you. Also in this episode: * Krisflyer devaluation coming from Singapore Airlines* Norse Atlantic adds Berlin routes* United adds SFO-Brisbane* Russia's spare parts problem (and new plane order)* Testing...
Day two of a trip to Europe always brings along some jet lag challenges. But we're trying our best. Also in this episode: * Buy 2 years of Thai *G for $10k + $10k travel credits* KLM/AMS meltdown* Ryanair Afrikaans language test* Brexit...