This is going to be a fairly technical post but I’ll do my best to explain it simply. There have been plenty of reader concerns the last few weeks that Cathay Pacific no longer offers business class award space to American AAdvantage or Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members. It turns out there’s just a trick to find and book the space.
New US Airline May Order 60 Planes This Week, Preparing to Compete With the Big Carriers
etBlue just ordered 60 Bombardier C-Series jets, now called the Airbus A220, at fire sale prices.
Now JetBlue’s founder, Dave Neeleman, is about to finalize his own order for 60 Airbus A220s to launch his new US airline that’s tentatively named ‘Moxy’.
United Orders New 787s and Regional Jets
United is taking a goldilocks approach, announcing a small order for new aircraft: 25 Embraer E-175s to be delivered in 2019 and replace the same number of Bombardier CRJ-700s and 4 Boeing 787-9s that will replace widebodies in 2020.
They continue to scour the market for used aircraft so don’t view this as a shift to a fleet renewal strategy.
5000 United Miles Booking Bonus: Book a Trip and Get a Friend to Do So for 5000 Miles
Through August 1 the ETA app is offering 5000 United miles.
ETA says their competitive advantage is quickly helping you figure out the trip that’s right for your schedule and preferences so that booking is done in 5 minutes.
Woman’s Inflight Romance Live Tweeted, Now She’s Bitter and Cabinet Secretary’s Spend Flying Private
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
This Video of a Man Trying to Shove His Luggage into the Overhead Has Been Viewed 9 Million Times
We’ve all seen people that bring on bags which simply don’t fit int he overhead, or where they’re one of the last passengers to board and there’s not enough bin space left to fit a full sized carry on.
This passenger wasn’t going to accept either constraint of physics as he pushed, prodded, and shoved.
What American is Telling Employees About the Government’s Safety Investigation
News came out this past week that an FAA inspector developed a close relationship with an American Airlines manager, and ignored important safety tips.
The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General found problems at the FAA’s safety oversight at American. Their report found concerns raised by the airline’s pilots union going unaddressed for a year and a half, suggesting that “FAA’s oversight office for American Airlines lacked objectivity in its review and did not respond to concerns about unqualified pilots and unsafe conditions during maintenance verification flights.”
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Arrested Onboard Etihad Flight
Perhaps most notable to me is that Pakistan International Airlines flies London Heathrow – Lahore non-stop three times a week, flies London – Karachi (and on to Lahore) and offers connections from various cities in Europe — in addition to flying Abu Dhabi – Lahore.
Yet the former Prime Minister of Pakistan chose not to fly PIA for his return to the country, preferring Etihad’s business class instead. No doubt he’s well aware that PIA is the worst airline in the world. If you’re going to get arrested, you want to be well-rested.
Boeing 737 Lost Cabin Pressure Friday Night, Passengers Bled Out Their Ears
Last night Ryanair flight 7312 from Dublin to Zadar, Croatia diverted to Frankfurt Hahn airport in Germany after it lost cabin pressure.
The Boeing 737-800 had 189 people on board and was flying at 37,000 feet 120 miles southwest of Hahn airport at the time of the incident. Passengers reported hearing a bang. The flight crew deployed passenger oxygen masks and made an emergency descent all the way down to 8000 feet.
American Airlines Changed a Rule to Make Domestic Award Tickets More Available
American has relaxed a rule that is causing more award space to show up. Traditionally a connection on a domestic award ticket had to be under 4 hours, with longer connections ‘breaking the fare’ and causing an itinerary to price as two awards.
Now connections of up to 18 hours are permitted on domestic awards.