Dots, Lines & Destinations

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!

With the release of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and the fact that we can't travel for real right now we did the next best thing, getting Jason Rabinowitz on the show to talk about pretending to fly from home and how he pulled it off, even using a Mac rather than an expensive gaming PC.

Also in this episode:

* ExpressJet shutting down faster than expected* Should Anchorage be a TPAC passenger hub* The Faroe Islands continues to deliver innovative and creative tourism marketing wins, even with the borders closed* Qantas not likely returning to the US until there’s a vaccine* American Airlines is dropping 15 destinations in October, many of which it is the only airline serving* Boeing putting the squeeze on IAM in Washington re 787 builds

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* Virgin Atlantic will now grant status credit for reward flight travel* Air Astana is giving its elites a temporary boost

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

The TSA routinely comes up with interesting and innovative ways to be annoying. But charging passengers extra to verify their identity if they lose their ID might be a new low.

Also in this episode:

* The Biden/Harris presidential campaign is bucking tradition and not booking a charter plane for the candidate* Cape Air grounded its Tecnam P2012s due to not mechanical or technical issues that sound a lot like they might be mechanical or technical* United Airlines plans a bunch of new non-hub Florida routes for Christmas* Breeze is running into some opposition in its plan to take over the Compass AOC and get into the air faster* Lufthansa Group's latest potential fleet restructuring could see even more types retired

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including a stolen Spanish Civil Guard helicopter

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

We're talking through the new Aeroplan program a bit in this weeks show because, well, we like that sort of thing.

Also in this episode:

* Chicago is using social media to enforce quarantine rules and Fozz thinks there might be some active resistance at play* The US State Department and CDC rolled back the global travel ban but there are still lots of places to not go or that won't take in US visitors* United Airlines is giving its top elites – Global Services members – domestic lounge access in 2021, just in case they start traveling again* Qatar Airways might be fronting cash for Delta Air Lines to invest in LATAM during its bankruptcy reorganization* Alaska Airlines launched a (now over) BOGO sale that, combined with blocked middle seats, makes buying a whole row easy* Qantas is parking even more planes in Victorville, suggesting that it has no expectation of long-haul services returning anytime soon

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including a discussion on the ethics of travel right now.

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Forget the SkyMall catalog: Did you ever buy anything based on the inflight magazine? They're a huge advertising profit center in good times, and that likely has a lot to do with why United Airlines is mailing copies to some MileagePlus members' homes this month.

Also in this episode:

* Schedule cuts for September rolled in, just as the airlines were bragging about new routes and flights.* IATA's pushed back its estimate for a return to 2019 passenger levels, now saying 2024 is the target.* Finnair owes passengers more than 100 million euros in refunds still, which is a lot.* IAG released is half-year earnings report including formalizing the retirement of many aircraft. The BA A318 baby bus is among those impacted.* ExpressJet is on the ropes, with United choosing to terminate the capacity purchase agreement with its subsidiary rather than CommutAir.* Airbus & Boeing trim their production plans, and suppliers are feeling the pinch, too.* Special guest Ed from Pizza in Motion and Miles To Go hasn't given up on travel, just on hotels and airplanes for now. But the RV life is calling and he's got some solid advice for those considering a similar move.

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* Wanna fly supersonic? Boom Aerospace is likely the best chance most of us have for a commercial supersonic plane to (re)enter service, and there's lots of skepticism in the group. Plus, the company just announced a deal with Rolls-Royce to maybe consider developing some engines, and that's always amusing to get Fozz's take on.

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Some more sincere than others, but, hey, that's pretty much the standard MO around here. On the plus side, this week's show (hopefully) needs no apologies as we're talking through some really interesting topics.

Also in this episode:

* Face covering rules are getting more serious, but it could deliver an adverse impact to disabled travelers* Brussels is reported to be getting a US CBP pre-clearance station, which is an interesting choice* Emirates will provide COVID-related insurance to all passengers, though there are plenty of holes in the coverage* OneWorld upgrade awards are on the horizon, but we're not that excited* GoAir will let passengers buy as many seats as they want on board

For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including:

* Can Delta really get to zero cash burn by EoY?* Will CARES (or HEALS) keep airline employees on the payrolls?

And plenty more. Enjoy the show!