Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

The Government’s Case Against The JetBlue-Spirit Airlines Merger Is Absurd

by Gary Leff on March 8, 2023

Mar 08 2023

want to see Spirit Airlines continue as a standalone company. I think that is better for airfares and for diversity in business models. I also don’t think buying Spirit is a good idea for JetBlue. They are operationally challenged to begin with and the complexity of a merger and integration won’t make air travel better. JetBlue is massively overpaying.

As a result I’ve maintained that the JetBlue deal to acquire Spirit is bad for customers and bad for shareholders. However bad business decisions are not in themselves, illegal.

American Airlines Set To Pay Pilots Up To $590,000 Per Year

by Gary Leff on March 8, 2023

Mar 08 2023

With tensions rising among pilots at American Airlines, management has put out a message directly to cockpit crew – rather than staying quiet in negotiations with its union – letting them know just how generous an offer they’re making: by the fourth year of the company’s proposed deal, a narrowbody captain would make as much as $475,000 – and a widebody captain up to $590,000 per year.

Virgin Atlantic Guts ANA Awards Up To 42% Without Notice

by Gary Leff on March 7, 2023

Mar 07 2023

I’ve been warning that there was no way this award would last. Virgin Atlantic’s miles are, on the whole, otherwise not very valuable. Awards that are several standard deviations better than average never last. Virgin also has a history of making changes without notice whatsoever.

My Approach To Mask Wearing On Planes

by Gary Leff on March 7, 2023

Mar 07 2023

Throughout the pandemic I was a proponent of the individual choice to mask. I favored airlines imposing their own mask requirements in spring 2020, long before the federal government made existing airline rules a legal requirement. I liked, though, that some airlines handled their exception policies differently, for instance Delta was more flexible with young children and so wasn’t kicking two and three year olds off of planes.

I’ve been a fan of properly wearing a high quality mask. These are no longer necessary as a Covid-19 precaution as such, but remain helpful against airborne spread of viruses generally.

American Airlines Implementing Austerity Plan

by Gary Leff on March 7, 2023

Mar 07 2023

According to the new CFO of American Airlines, they will be making fewer investments over the next decade than was seen before the pandemic. They’ve built up so much debt that interest payments alone will total $2.1 billion this year.

Northern Pacific Airways Files Its First Flight Schedule

by Gary Leff on March 6, 2023

Mar 06 2023

Northern Pacific Airways started out with a strange business plan to fly one-stop between several U.S. cities and Asia via a connecting hub in Anchorage using used Boeing 757s (including retired American Airlines planes).

They pivoted their business plan to fly between the U.S. and Mexico, and then they pivoted saying they wanted to base at Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, operating from there to destinations throughout the Asia Pacific region (huh). Now they’re filed actual flight service.

Fruit Smell Forces Flight To Make Emergency Landing

by Gary Leff on March 6, 2023

Mar 06 2023

A Turkish Airlines Istanbul – Barcelona flight was forced to turn back after sensors went off on the aircraft – determined to have been caused by the smell emitted from durian fruit in the cargo hold.

Video From Inside Smoke-Filled Southwest Airlines Jet That Made Emergency Landing In Cuba

by Gary Leff on March 6, 2023

Mar 06 2023

Southwest Airlines flight 3923 from Havana to Fort Lauderdale experienced a bird strike on climb out from runway six. The Boeing 737 MAX’s right engine “emitted three loud bangs and streaks of flames.” The engine caught fire and the passenger cabin filled with smoke.

American Airlines Baggage Handlers In Dallas Just Shove Luggage Onto The Tarmac

by Gary Leff on March 5, 2023

Mar 05 2023

There’s an old saying that there’s only two kinds of luggage, carry on and lost. The truth is it’s much more complicated than that, as video of American Airlines baggage handlers at Dallas – Fort Worth shoving bags onto the tarmac shows.

United Airlines Claims To Be World’s Largest Airline. Is This True?

by Gary Leff on March 5, 2023

Mar 05 2023

According to schedule data from Cirium Diio Mi, American Airlines is the largest U.S. (and world) airline by flights and seats flown, but United Airlines is the largest in March schedules by seat miles flown. United flies big planes farther.

Airlines

The Government’s Case Against The JetBlue-Spirit Airlines Merger Is Absurd

American Airlines Set To Pay Pilots Up To $590,000 Per Year

Virgin Atlantic Guts ANA Awards Up To 42% Without Notice

My Approach To Mask Wearing On Planes

American Airlines Implementing Austerity Plan

Northern Pacific Airways Files Its First Flight Schedule

Fruit Smell Forces Flight To Make Emergency Landing

Video From Inside Smoke-Filled Southwest Airlines Jet That Made Emergency Landing In Cuba

American Airlines Baggage Handlers In Dallas Just Shove Luggage Onto The Tarmac

United Airlines Claims To Be World’s Largest Airline. Is This True?

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