Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for May 2023.

The #1 Thing That Kills New Airlines Is Where To Send Planes During The Off-Season

by Gary Leff

May 08 2023

Some airlines are silly ideas from the start. A local business leader decides the best opportunity for a new airline happens to be flying from their city. But even where there are good ideas for an airline – an underserved market, a new product, a lower fare that stimulates demand – many such markets aren’t good all year round. And upstarts have a more difficult time since it’s harder to diversify their flying across more routes and established bases of customers.

The challenge any new airline faces, starting up to serve a highly seasonal set of routes, is what do you do during the off-season?

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President Biden Announcing That Airlines Will Have To Pay Out Cash When They Delay Or Cancel Flights

by Gary Leff

May 08 2023

According to a White House official, President Biden and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg plan to introduce new airline regulations along the lines of Europe’s EU261 compensation rules that require payment to passengers for flight cancellations that are within the carrier’s control as well as in the event of significant delays.

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Is Four Seasons The Most Mid Luxury Hotel Chain?

by Gary Leff

May 07 2023

A Four Seasons near Walt Disney World is going to be a sanctuary away from Disney, just as the Four Seasons in Vegas is a sanctuary from Vegas. And compared to other Disney properties it’s going to stand out. The Grand Floridian, even, is in desperate need of refurbishment and will get it. So what are your luxury options? As a result modest luxury is going to seem more special.

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SAD: Airline Unions Band Together, Ask Government To Ban Better Air Travel

by Gary Leff

May 07 2023

Several air travel unions are going to the government, trying to get new air carriers banned, because they are… legal and competitive. They even cite offering a better, more compelling product to passengers as a problem. Regional carrier SkyWest created a subsidiary to run public charter flights under FAA Part 135 rules. This lets then fly planes with no more than 30 seats which have a captain that meets the 1500 hour rule but allows a co-pilot with fewer hours. The plan involved taking CRJ-200 50-seat regional jets and taking out seats. That’s actually great for passengers. And SkyWest planned to do this on poor-performing routes, where there weren’t that many passengers to begin with, like subsidized Essential Air Service routes. That keeps air service to small cities which are rapidly seeing flights dry up…

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Bleeding Frontier Airlines Passenger Lands In Wrong Country By Mistake

by Gary Leff

May 06 2023

A regular Frontier Airlines commuter between Philadelphia and Jacksonville, Florida where she keeps a second home, arrived at the correct gate – but then went to the restroom since the gate agent confirmed she had time.

When she returned “she found the flight almost fully boarded and the jetway door about to close” so everyone was in a rush. Frontier was apparently more interested in policing the size of her carry-on bag than in making sure her boarding pass was for the correct flight. Her flight had had a gate change.

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