• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 522: Helo Hold

• February 20, 2025
• Tagged as: 777X, Airbus, Alaska Airlines, Avis, Contour Air, crash, DCA, Delta Air Lines, EAS, elite status, Emirates, Essential Air Service, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Hawaiian Airlines, hydrogen, Iberia, Qatar Airways, regulators, Riyadh Air, Southwest Airlines, Toronto, Trip Report, United Airlines, Washington DC, YYZ

Another rough week for aviation in many ways. And plenty of concerns about what lays ahead.

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 519: Rankings and Rantings

• January 30, 2025
• Tagged as: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, earnings call, Qatar Airways, routes, Saudia, Trip Report, TSA, United Airlines

We’re back in the USA and ready for some news and rants this week. Some of them are even reasonable.

• Podcast

DLD 516: Back at it

• January 9, 2025
• Tagged as: A350, Alaska Airlines, awards, Azerbaijan Air, British Airways, crash, DCA, elite status, Emirates, Executive Club, frequent flier, frequent flyer, JejuAir, jetblue, loyalty, revenue-based, rewards, slots, United Airlines

A new year brings new topics to the fore, including new routes, new IFE, new status rules, and more.

• Podcast

DLD 514: Hub Plays: Alaska’s Long, Southwest’s Short

• December 19, 2024
• Tagged as: AAdvantage, Air Canada, AirTags, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, credit card, credit cards, drones, elite status, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, first class, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, hubs, IFC, IFEC, in-flight connectivity, in-flight internet, inflight connectivity, inflight wifi, jetblue, PDX, premium cabin, Premium Economy, Qatar Airways, routes, SEA, Seattle, Southwest Airlines, Spain, United Airlines

Two very interesting and very different sets of route announcements caught our attention this week. Plus premium seats and lots more.

• Podcast

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.

• Podcast

DLD 510: Riddled with trouble

• November 21, 2024
• Tagged as: A321XLR, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Bermudair, engines, first class, Iberia, premium cabin, Rolls Royce, slots, Spirit Airlines

Wayward bullets are bad. Ditto for rodents on planes and a handful of now infamous travelers.

• Podcast

DLD 508: Worth a switch

• November 7, 2024
• Tagged as: Alaska Airlines, elite status, special guest, United Airlines

As Elite Status rules continue to shift, is there really any greener grass out there? With United’s latest changes announced we brought in Ed to get a fresh take.

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 506: P(l)aying premium

• October 24, 2024
• Tagged as: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Avianca, bankruptcy, Boston, business class, Cathay Pacific, China, DCA, first class, Hainan Airlines, hyatt, Korean Airlines, MileagePlan, Norse Atlantic, Play, premium cabin, routes, Russia, SkyTeam, slots, Spirit Airlines, train

Lots of chatter this week about premium products, and which airlines are having success with them or not.

• Podcast

DLD 505: Cream of the Crap or Cream of the Crop?

• October 17, 2024
• Tagged as: AI, Airbus, Alaska Airlines, artificial intelligence, Boeing, Brazil, Breeze Airways, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, Houston, IAH, routes, SAFs, United Airlines, WAF24, World Aviation Festival, ZipAir

An interesting CEO panel discussion at a trade show?!? It finally happened last week. Plus new routes and lots more.

• Podcast

DLD 499: Ramble on

• September 5, 2024
• Tagged as: A321neo, A321XLR, A350, Air China, Air India, Alaska Airlines, Bilt Rewards, Boom Supersonic, C919, China Eastern, China Southern, Delta Air Lines, Department of Transportation, DOT, elite status, Frontier, Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, Ireland, ITA Airlines, Japan, jetblue, JFK Airport, KLM, Lufthansa Group, Malaysia Airlines, merger, Mint, New York City, Norse Atlantic, pilot shortage, Rapid Rewards, regulators, Russia, SAS, SkyTeam, Southwest Airlines, Star Alliance, TAP Air Portugal, TATL, Transatlantic, United Airlines, Vistara, XB-1

Another week, with plenty of random thoughts from the guys…