Deals signed, routes slashed, and splitting services in a couple different and interesting ways have us talking this week.
DLD 569: Ebb and Flow
- January 15, 2026
- Tagged as: 787, A350-1000, Addis Ababa, Aer Lingus, Aer Lingus UK, Air Premia, Alaska Airlines, Avelo, Canada, Cathay Pacific, Dublin, Dulles, Etihad, Greenland, IAD, ITA Airlines, Korea, LUX, MAN, Manchester, Saudi Arabia, slots, Sydney, UAE, Vietjet
More passengers on some planes, fewer passengers in some airports. And some interesting route cuts, both confirmed and rumored.
DLD 565: A Power Play
- December 18, 2025
- Tagged as: 747-8i, Aer Lingus, AUS, Austin, Beond, Boom Supersonic, CSA Czech Air, Hawaiian Airlines, ITA Airlines, Italy, jetblue, lawsuit, Lufthansa, merger, New Zealand, Oneworld, Pegasus, PIT, Pittsburgh, Qantas, routes, Ryanair, SmartWings, Southwest Airlines
There are lots of ways to flex power in this industry. Two moderately incoherent ones cropped up this week.
DLD 560a: Melting Down
- November 13, 2025
- Tagged as: A330, A330-200, A330-300, Aer Lingus, Air Asia, Air Asia X, Air Traffic Control, AirAsia, ATC, Bahrain, Boeing, British Airways, business class, crash, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, Delta Flight Products, Department of Transportation, DOT, FAA, FedEd, Federal Aviation Administration, fees, first class, GulfAir, IAG, Iberia, IFC, IFEC, in-flight connectivity, in-flight internet, inflight connectivity, inflight wifi, Level, lie-flat beds, Lufthansa, MD-11, Premium Economy, Premium Select, seating, seats, Sixt, Starlink, Trip Report, UPS
The US ATC situation is bad and getting worse. Plus another Starlink deal, Bahrain as a hub, and credit cards could cost you more.
DLD 534: In the Studio
- May 15, 2025
- Tagged as: Aer Lingus, Air Traffic Control, Airbus, American Airlines, ATC, Boeing, British Airways, business class, Contour Air, Delta Air Lines, EWR, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, IAG, Iberia, International Airline Group, jetblue, joint venture, Juneyao, Korean Airlines, Level, livery, Newark, Polaris, Polaris Studio, premium cabin, Qantas, Real ID, routes, Spirit Airlines, Stansted, United Airlines, WestJet
There’s lots to unpack this week, including a new premium seat, a new paint job, and new route plans galore.
DLD 512: Branching out
- December 5, 2024
- Tagged as: A350, A350 XWB, A350-900, A380, Aer Lingus, Alaska Airlines, Asiana, Atlanta, British Airways, Bus, charter, Delta Air Lines, DFA, Eastern Airlines, EasyJet, elite status, Emirates, Etihad, ETOPS, Europe, Eva, first class, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Frontier, Heathrow, Korea, Korean Air, LHR, merger, Norse Atlantic, Orly, Paris, premium cabin, regulators, slots, Spirit Airlines, T'way, United Kingdom, Virgin Atlantic, visas
It was Thanksgiving week in the US, so we shifted our gaze to Europe and the Middle East, with plenty of news being made.
DLD 504: Reading the fine print
- October 10, 2024
- Tagged as: A321XLR, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air China, Australia, bankruptcy, Boeing, Cathay Pacific, Chase, China, co-brand, cobrand, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, FAA, Japan, Lebanon, lounge, lounges, Qatar Airways, regulators, Spirit Airlines, strike, United Airlines
Details matter, and a few of this week’s topics dig in to that fine print.
DLD 489: Well and truly screwed
- June 28, 2024
- Tagged as: A220, Aer Lingus, AirBaltic, Alaska Airlines, Amazon, American Airlines, ancillary fees, Archer, Basic Economy, Boeing, Boom Supersonic, cargo, codeshare, Department of Transportation, DOT, engines, eVTOL, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, Global Airlines, GTF, Iberia, jetblue, JSX, Mexico, OKC, Oklahoma City, Pratt & Whitney, regulators, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country, union, Volaris, WestJet
The US DOT seems keen to rewrite the rules – or at least how they’re enforced – in a way that’s liable to significantly impact the US market.
DLD 482: Plane problems
- May 9, 2024
- Tagged as: 777 Partners, 777X, A220, A321XLR, A350, A380, Aer Lingus, Bermudair, Boeing, Bonza, Breeze Airways, Emirates, Frontera, Frontier, Global Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, regulators, Southern Airways, Spirit Airlines, union, United Airlines, WestJet
Who will be the first to fly the A321XLR? And when will the 777X ever fly? At least now we have some A350 confirmed flight times and an A380 on the move…
DLD 457: Awkward in Austin
- November 9, 2023
- Tagged as: A220, A321, Aer Lingus, Africa, Alaska Airlines, Allegient Air, American Airlines, AMS, Amsterdam, AraJet, Asiana, AUS, Austin, Delta Air Lines, Department of Transportation, DOT, earnings call, greenwashing, Halifax, Haneda, HND, Icelandair, KLM, MIA, Miami, PIT, Pittsburgh, podcast, routes, SAFs, Schiphol, Siam Reap, slots, Titan Air, YHZ
Is there at least maybe, hopefully a good reason for American Airlines slashing its mini-hub in Austin?
