• 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…

• Podcast

DLD 498: You’re Grounded!

• August 29, 2024
• Tagged as: 777X, A330neo, Abu Dhabi, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, Azul, Boeing, codeshare, Department of Justice, DOJ, Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, hotels, Malaysia Airlines, merger, MileagePlan, Mokulele Airlines, regulators, Russia, SmartSky, SpaceX, Starlink, United Airlines, Viasat, Vietnam, Virgin Australia

The 777X is back on the ground, while an IFC vendor goes under and a couple airlines have operational issued. But it isn’t all bad news…

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 497: A hail of a problem

• August 22, 2024
• Tagged as: ADD, Addis Ababa, Air Greenland, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Czech AIrlines, Delta Air Lines, Edelweiss, Ethiopian Airlines, Greenland, Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, HNL, Honolulu, JFK Airport, Korean Air, lounges, merger, SEA, Seattle, Southwest Airlines, WestJet

Airplanes and hail don’t mix, and a storm rendering 10% of an airline’s fleet unflyable is all sorts of bad.

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 487: Unreasonable expectations

• June 13, 2024
• Tagged as: Air India, Air Traffic Control, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China, DFW, E2, Embraer, Emirates, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, Fiji Airlines, JFK Airport, LaGuardia, merger, Mexicana, N90, New York City, Newark, Oneworld, Starlux, strike, union, Vistara

Mostly by us, but also perhaps from an airline or two…

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 474: A shock to the system

• March 14, 2024
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, Air Europa, airbnb, Batik Air, Boeing, China Southern, Department of Justice, DOJ, electric cars, EVs, IAG, LAS, Las Vegas, MCO, merger, NTSB, Orlando, regulators, rental cars, routes, TSA, United Airlines

Hopefully not too shocking, of course. But maybe enough to keep you awake, unlike those pilots…

• Podcast

DLD 471: It still doesn’t make sense

• February 22, 2024
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, 737-200, A380, Air Canada, Air Serbia, Air Traffic Control, Alaska Airlines, Allegient Air, artificial intelligence, Barbados, Canada, Delta Air Lines, ETOPS, Global Airlines, Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, jetblue, Lufthansa, merger, Nolinor, Qantas, regulators, routes, Spirit Airlines, Thai Airways, United Airlines

Revisiting a couple stories from the past few weeks, and they still don’t make much sense. Plus lots of new news, too.

• Podcast

DLD 468: More MAX than you can shake a stick at

• February 1, 2024
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, 737 MAX 10, 737 MAX 7, 737 MAX 8, 737 MAX 9, A321neo, Air Europa, American Airlines, Breeze Airways, Dulles, Haneda, Hawaiian Airlines, IAD, IAG, ITA Airlines, lawsuit, Lufthansa Group, merger, Ryanair, slots, Tulsa, United Airlines

The MAX continues to dominate news cycles, but there’s lots more out there also worth talking about.

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 467: Cold as ice

• January 25, 2024
• Tagged as: 737 MAX 10, 737 MAX 8200, 737-800, A321neo, A350-1000, Air India, Airbus, Akasa, Alaska Airlines, ATL, Atlanta, Australia, Boeing, business class, Delta Air Lines, first class, ife, IFEC, in-flight entertainment, inflight entertainment, jetblue, Kuwait Airlines, LaGuardia, LGA, lounge, lounges, merger, Mint, podcast, premium cabin, routes, SAS, Saudi Arabia, Saudia, Spirit Airlines, Trip Report, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines

Winter weather is giving the industry some troubles, but there’s still plenty of hot news to discuss..

• Podcast

DLD 461: Aloha, Alaska!

• December 7, 2023
• Tagged as: 787, 787-9, A321neo, Air Transat, AirAsia, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, China, Department of Transportation, DOT, E195-E2, Embraer, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, GEO, Georgetown, Gyuana, Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, immigration, India, joint venture, Malaysia, merger, podcast, Porter Air, regional jets, routes, Tulum, United Airlines, wifi

Alaska Airlines is buying Hawaiian Airlines. There are lots of reasons the deal makes sense, but more than a few questions we have about how it will play out.

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 450: Wait, there’s now lounge elite status??

• September 21, 2023
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, 737 MAX 8, 757-200, A350, Allegiant, American Express, Boeing, co-brand, cobrand, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, elite status, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, lounge, lounges, medallion, merger, Mexico, Mexico City, New York City, podcast, premium cabin, Premium Economy, seating, seats, Sky Club, SkyMiles, slots, Spirit Airlines, Swiss, Trip Report, United Airlines, Upgrade, Vietnam Airlines

Delta made waves with its SkyMiles/SkyClub rules changes last week. Plus, new seats, new routes, and an end to revenge.