The whale tail statue that caught a runaway train in Rotterdam is ridiculous and incredible, almost to the point of disbelief.

Also in this episode:

* United Airlines updated its mobile app for good reasons, but also with some side effects* Southwest Airlines announced routes for O'Hare and Colorado Springs, mostly to its hubs* SAA won't die, with another round of government funding on the horizon* The JAL 777s are on the way out, as are ANA's. And Delta's are gone, too. Is there a future for these planes as cargo haulers or with another airline?* BER finally opened. For real. With planes and passengers and everything.* The Airbus factory in Mobile has tours on November 14th * A slimmed down Rouge returns to service, but everything didn't go perfectly* KLM's government funded rescue package is at risk

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* A UK airline scored financial support from the government, a virtually unheard of accomplishment

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Yes, you should subscribe to this show in your favorite podcast app. But probably not to the "deal" the Miles and More program just launched for bonus points earning while flying. Like most such schemes, it rarely will prove valuable to consumers.

Also in this episode:

* Singapore Airlines is coming back to NYC nonstop. And this time really to New York City.* Cathay Dragon is dead, long live Cathay Pacific* Spirit Airlines is relaunching its FreeSpirit frequent flyer program* Delta Air Lines and WestJet received tentative approval from the US DOT for their proposed JV/ATI, with a few strings attached* American Airlines doesn't want to carry certain motorized wheelchairs any more, which sucks for the passengers and might not be legal* An awesome Delta A220-300 photo

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* What are United's planes really worth, and why is it okay that some are scrap-worthy?

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

It is earnings season again, and this time around we're talking through the billions and billions of dollars burned by Delta and United to start.

Also in this episode:

* Fleet changes cost money, but are the values being allocated fair?* New routes from United into the Caribbean and Central America* American Airlines is giving up on 2021 already, at least with respect to elite status in the loyalty program* Is the 737 MAX really ready to fly again?* Eastern Airlines has its eye on Bolivia and Argentina* Some fun with Euro notes

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* Drama in the South China Sea, as the disputed Pratas Islands take center stage

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

We're about more than just airplanes, especially these days. But don't worry too much; air travel still dominates the conversation this week.

Among the topics in this episode:

* Southwest Airlines adds new service across town from its Midway and Hobby hubs, joining MIA as it further pushes into legacy hub operations* Alitalia might have finally died(ish), but not really* The Vatican invested in Hertz and barely escaped without losses* Alaska Airlines firms its plans to join Oneworld on 31 March 2021* IATA says you're more likely to be struck by lightning than to catch COVID on a plane

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* Alaska Airlines' conversion from stored credit to points: Was it worth it?

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Inaugurals are always fun, right? So why not go book a few, just in case they actually operate!

Also in this episode:

* Did Thai Airways really make more money selling food than flying? Like a lot more??* United Airlines trying to expand service into LatAm again in November, plus nonstop SFO-PVG* American Airlines parking many A321T frames* AirAsia Japan is dead…again* Seth is on the road this week and has some thoughts

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* More details on a few inaugural routes that are pricing nicely for both award and revenue bookings

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

No, that's not a typo. We're mourning the loss of the Convair 580s from commercial service, now slated for next year, among many other things in this week's episode.

Among the topics in this episode:

* An update on United's Polaris plans* CNBC is reporting that United might go back to JFK next year* The FAA administrator plans to fly the 737 MAX before it returns to service* Lots of COVID testing partners for airlines* Europe's top court will allow cities and countries to regulate AirBnB's operations* Emirates will give out elite status with a credit card* The Convair 580 is finally disappearing from commercial service next year* Singapore Airlines decided to not operate tourism flights to nowhere

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* The Pilatus PC-24 had a bug where the on-board ethernet switch could crash and trigger an emergency descent, among other things* Korean Airlines might divest the Wilshire Grand to finance operations

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

What's it like flying the friendly skies right now? Fozz was on a United flight last week and has some thoughts on the overall experience.

Also in this episode:

* Air Canada 10x points for co-branded cards pls a 15% discount for buying tix now* Roberto Colon is playing baseball in Central Jersey rec leagues* Volocopter selling reservations for test flights 3 years from now* Air India lost money on 93% of routes in 2019* Sometimes blowing up an airplane is easier and cheaper than generating visual special effects for a movie* Pakistan is getting a boost from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic* BA's newest 77Ws have doors on their first class seats/suites* Is COVID transmission happening on planes? Probably more than is reported but less than this report suggests* AC SuperElites get a free drink and snack, but not real meal, in Y* UA 787s all getting Polaris* Lufthansa confirms A380 (8)/A346 (10) into long term storage

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* Rossiya Buying BA's old 747s, except not really* Pittsburgh gets Cathay Pacific Cargo flights for the next few months

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

(Header image via PIT Airport)

If you can get a a topical expert to chat that's always a good thing. Even better if they're a little cranky. And so we reached out to Brett Snyder of Cranky Flier for some insight on the news of the day. And we got more than we bargained for.

Among the topics in this episode:

* Turns out the Biden/Harris campaign has planes after all; it was suggested a couple weeks ago there wouldn't be one* JetBlue’s new routes, including some VERY interesting west coast plays that have Brett in arms* Corporate travel (or the lack thereof) headed out of summer* EASA completed MAX test flights* Skytrax Covid awards for airports; buy your stars now!* Oneworld commits to carbon-neutral flights by 2050 * US dropping inbound screening but that’s ok because it never was really done right* First flight of Flying V plane from KLM and TU Delft (from a couple weeks ago)

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

We've got another live episode for you this week which means the video is probably better than the audio version. If for no other reason than to see a real Ted (RAR!) shirt in action. But if you just want to listen, we can do that, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0xtrUK2Zws

Also in this episode:

* United announced a bunch of new routes, some of which are more of a stretch than others* Basic Economy is selling really well, which might be bad news for airlines* Joint ventures are a mess, with the Delta Air Lines/Virgin Australia deal the most recently affected, but does it matter* Berlin's Brandenburg airports is slated to open next month, but at least one lawsuit hopes to adversely affect those plans* The 787s continue to face troubles, with several now grounded

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* An analysis of what it takes to be a successful airline in this era* Debate over the role of Unions in the future of airlines' financial performance* A bunch of Q&A from the guests during a special 30-minute extra broadcast we ran

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Everyone else is getting rid of change fees this week so we figured we should add some in to our operations. Details will be forthcoming once we figure out how to implement that.

Also, we're planning another live episode next Wednesday night at 8:30p EDT, broadcast on YouTube. Hope you can join us for that fun.

Also in this episode:

* But seriously, United, Alaska, American and Delta all dropped change fees "permanently" this week on some of their fares. The times, they are a changin'.* United has new technology to help it decide when to cancel lightly loaded flights. We believe it is called "math" or something like that.* Would you spend a few months on a bus touring Asia and Europe? Delhi to London via SE Asia, Central Asia and more is on the map, assuming you can spare the time.* Is the Celera 500L going to revolutionize private aviation? We got pretty excited until Seth swooped in with a buzz kill.* A "jetpack" flying was spotted adjacent to an arriving aircraft at LAX this week. But probably not really a guy in a jetpack.* How much are frequent flyer programs really worth? Spirit Airlines wants to securitize its Free Spirit program and we debate if the valuation is high or low.* A handful of recent 787s built have a manufacturing flaw that has them grounded now while Boeing tries to figure out how to fix things.

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* Thai Airways is a mess of corruption, graft and other idiocy

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!