Some major announcements from United Airlines have us intrigued this week, plus security and capacity shifts and Austin back in the spotlight.
DLD 563: Busan or Bust
- December 4, 2025
- Tagged as: A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, Airbus, ATR, ATR 42, ATR 42-600, Beond, Busan, EASA, FAA, first class, grounding, jetblue, JSX, Korea, Korean Airlines, New Pacific Airways, premium cabin, regulators, Seoul, special guest, Trip Report, turboprop
A320s grounded globally and another airline goes bust. Plus tales from Korea with two special guests.
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 548: From Addis to ZorkFest
- August 21, 2025
- Tagged as: 737 MAX, A320, A320neo, ADD, Addis Ababa, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air India, Airbus, Antitrust Immunity, ATI, Boeing, Delta Air Lines, Ethiopian Airlines, first class, joint venture, MEX, Mexicana, Mexico, Mexico City, premium cabin, Southwest Airlines, special guest, strike, TQO, Trip Report, Tulum, union
Strikes and travel tales and routes, oh my! With special guest Michael Trager from TravelZork.
DLD 544: The Last Mile
- July 24, 2025
- Tagged as: Abu Dhabi, Aegean Airlines, AI, AirAsia, American Airlines, artificial intelligence, Avelo, Breeze, Breeze Airways, Bus, Condor, Contour Air, Delta Air Lines, DHS, EAS, Emirates, Essential Air Service, Fetcherr, first class, frequent flier, frequent flyer, GulfAir, immigration, JFK Airport, JSX, lounges, loyalty, MIA, Miami, premium cabin, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, visas, WAF25, WizzAir, World Aviation Festival
Can multi-modal transportation ever really take off in the USA? Plus mini-lounges, lots of plane orders, and more Macon.
DLD 533: Oh no you EWRn’t
- May 8, 2025
- Tagged as: 787-9, Air Traffic Control, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Archer, ATC, business class, Condor, DCA, Emirates, Etihad, eVTOL, EWR, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, first class, jetblue, New York City, Newark, Philippines Airlines, premium cabin, Riyadh Air, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines
All eyes are on Newark these days, much like gawking at a crash when driving by. But fear not; there are plenty of messes to behold around the aviation world.
Got power? That’s usually not an issue for airlines and airports, but this week is different.
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.
DLD 513: We Try Harder(ish)
- December 12, 2024
- Tagged as: 737 MAX, 757-200, A321LR, A321XLR, Air Canada, Allegris, American Airlines, ancillary, ancillary fees, Avis, Basic Economy, Boeing, business class, Citi, co-brand, cobrand, credit card, credit cards, Department of Justice, Department of Transportation, DOJ, DOT, first class, Frontier, Icelandair, Lufthansa, premium cabin, privacy, rental cars, routes, Swiss, TAP Air Portugal, Tulum
Is it finally time for some passenger rights in the USA? And why does air travel feel more unbundled than ever, in every class of travel?
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.
