JetBlue Walks Away From Spirit Airlines Deal: Here’s What They Should Do Instead

by Gary Leff

Mar 04 2024

It seems clear that JetBlue is better off without the distraction and cost of a Spirit Airlines acquisition. They should work on a new American Airlines alliance similar to American’s deal with Alaska, which the anti-trust judge outlined would be permissible (and American in its earnings call said they’d consider a new partnership).

They need to get their operation under control, rebuild service to Boston, shift away from long haul international growth where they’re bleeding, and walk away from Southern California. Or else, expect Carl Icahn to dismantle the carrier and sell it for parts.

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The Truth Behind Migrants Flying Out of Southern Border Airports: What You Need to Know

by Gary Leff

Mar 03 2024

Is American Airlines bumping paying passengers so that they can fly migrants out of southern border airports? That’s the claim being made across some sectors of the media. It takes one element of truth – that the number of migrants on planes out of a handful of airports has become substantial – and mixed it with an odd anecdote about a man who may have checked in late for his American Airlines flight and lost his seat.

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The TikTok E-Commerce Revolution Will Bring More Flights Across The Pacific – But To Where?

by Gary Leff

Mar 03 2024

TikTok isn’t just for showing off your Nyquil chicken, teaching people how to get points from Delta when your luggage is delayed or making videos about eating frozen honey. It’s turned into an e-commerce phenomenon.

And that’s creating a challenge for global air cargo as Shein, Temu and ByteDance’s TikTok Shop try to ship products out of China, especially to consumers in the U.S.

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The FAA Will Let New Air Traffic Controllers Skip The Academy, But That Still May Not Help New York

by Gary Leff

Mar 02 2024

The FAA had gone to off-the-street hiring to meet diversity goals but the problem was there weren’t enough training slots, and qualified controllers were being passed over when we need controllers. Whitaker’s approach lets the agency train controllers from a variety of backgrounds without sacrificing onboarding those that have gone through training privately already.

But what if New York TRACON refuses all new controllers to keep their overtime hours up?

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American Airlines Crew to Stage Wall Street Protest Monday During Carrier’s Investor Day

by Gary Leff

Mar 02 2024

American Airlines flight attendants want bigger raises than American is offering and they want retro pay back several years, like pilots (who have far more leverage).

So while the airline is holding its Investor Day on Monday afternoon, flight attendants will be holding a protest on Wall Street. The location is meant to symbolize investors, or something? Plus it’s New York, so maybe there will be media.

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Quit Saying JSX Exploits A Loophole Just Because They Offer Passengers A Better Product

by Gary Leff

Mar 02 2024

A ‘loophole’ is something that is expressly legal until it’s used in a way we dislike – or in this case, something that airline competitors and unions don’t like. The common connotation of loophole is some sort of mistake or drafting accident that’s being exploited.

However what JSX and others do by operating charter flights under FAA part 135, and selling individual seats on those flights under Part 380, is not actually a loophole. The linkage between parts 135 and 380 in regulations is actually intentional.

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