• Podcast

DLD 325: Flip-flopping along

• January 28, 2021
• Tagged as: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, Angola, British Airways, Canada, Chengdu, China, COVID-19, elite status, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Ghana, KLM, LCC, LCCs, Norwegian, O'Hare, ORD, podcast, Porter Air, routes, TAAG, TATL, Transatlantic, transcon, United Airlines, WestJet

The air travel industry is seeing policy changes at an incredible pace, often flipflopping between opposing positions with minimal warning. We’re just trying to keep up…

• Podcast

DLD 323: 2,000 year-old leftovers

• December 31, 2020
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, Alaska Airlines, Azores Airlines, Delta Air Lines, dining, lawsuit, middle seat, Montenegro Airlines, podcast, Pompeii, routes

We definitely don’t recommend eating it, but the 2,000 year old street meat discoveries in the ruins of Pompeii are all sorts of awesome.

• Podcast

DLD 322: …And then see what sticks

• December 24, 2020
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, 737MAX, American Airlines, Boeing, Brexit, COVID-19, COVID19, elite status, frequent flier, frequent flyer, India, jetblue, Mosaic, points, routes, Trip Report, Upgrade, upgrades

As has happened several times since the pandemic began airlines are shaking up their route maps with idea so crazy they just might work. So which new destinations will work this time around??

• Podcast

DLD 314: Shut your Pi hole

• October 22, 2020
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, 737MAX, American Airlines, China, Delta Air Lines, earnings, Eastern Airlines, elite status, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Hong Kong, routes, Taiwan, United Airlines

Earnings season is back, with billions burned and little in the way of optimism for the industry. But traffic continues to increase and route networks adjust, with airlines trying to capture whatever bits of the market they can.

• Podcast

DLD 312: In search of inaugurals

• October 8, 2020
• Tagged as: AirAsia Japan, American Airlines, award, awards, frequent flier, frequent flyer, inaugural, podcast, reward, rewards, routes, Thai Airways, Trip Report, United Airlines

Booking inaugural routes is almost as fun as flying them, right?? Plus A321Ts parked, AirAsia Japan dying and United’s November growth plans.

• Podcast

DLD 311: Farewell to the 580s

• October 1, 2020
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, 737MAX, airbnb, business class, co-brand, cobrand, Convair 580, COVID-19, COVID19, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, elite status, Emirates, Europe, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, Korean Airlines, New Zealand, PC-24, Pilatus, podcast, premium cabin, routes, singapore airlines, transcon, United Airlines

No, that’s not a typo. We’re mourning the loss of the Convair 580s from commercial service, now slated for next year, among many other things in this week’s episode.

• Podcast

DLD 309: Let’s get Cranky!

• September 17, 2020
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, 737MAX, charter, EASA, emissions, jetblue, KLM, Oneworld, podcast, routes, Skytrax

The infamous Cranky Flier joins us this week to talk route planning, biz travel’s collapse, and some fun with airport ratings.

• Podcast

DLD 308: Put a title here

• September 10, 2020
• Tagged as: 787, Basic Economy, BER, Berlin, Delta Air Lines, fees, routes, United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Joint ventures are failing but does that mean the underlying businesses are screwed? And some serious long-haul route expansion coming, in theory, in the next 9ish months. Plus BER in trouble and the 787’s tail is a mess.

• Podcast

DLD 306: Breaking out of the simulation

• August 27, 2020
• Tagged as: Air Astana, American Airlines, ANC, Anchorage, Boeing, Breeze, Breeze Airways, cargo, elite status, Faroe Islands, frequent flier, frequent flyer, loyalty, podcast, Qantas, routes, special guest, union, Virgin Atlantic

We’re not flying for real so the new MS Flight Sim might be a useful replacement. Plus, regionals shutting down, destinations dropped and a union squeeze.

• Podcast

DLD 298: Mixed awards, mixed messages

• July 2, 2020
• Tagged as: Air Canada, Air China, award, awards, bankruptcy, cash & points, China, China Eastern, China Southern, jetblue, LIAT, Pakistan, podcast, refunds, reward, rewards, routes, TSA

When an airline says it is concerned about passenger safety and then increases the number of seats sold that can be hard to reconcile. But at least they’re leaving it members of their cabin crew to keep posting anti-mask FUD on social media, right??