• 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??

• Podcast

DLD 297: Pantsless Professionals

• June 25, 2020
• Tagged as: 747, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cambodia, Changi, COVID-19, COVID19, Department of Transportation, DOT, electric aircraft, Frontier, India, jetblue, Lufthansa Group, MCO, Orlando, routes, SIN, singapore, South African Airways, TSA

As borders start to reopen the requirements for entry to some countries can be onerous. Or completely reasonable. But the inconsistencies make it really challenging for travelers to plan.

• Podcast

DLD 296:Vigilantes on the loose

• June 18, 2020
• Tagged as: Air India, ARJ, ARJ21, ARJ21-700, COMAC, Cuba, Frontier, GoAir, India, LaGuardia, LGA, marriott, MItsubishi, MRJ, routes, SpaceJet

What happens when people take to Twitter seeking justice and then transition that into real-life doxxing? And what about when it is a case of mistaken identity? A couple recent incidents in the travel space remind us that this is stupid and bad in many ways.

• Podcast

DLD 293: Turn around or a turnaround??

• May 28, 2020
• Tagged as: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Air Transat, BER, Berlin, Cape Town, COVID-19, COVID19, CPT, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Hertz, India, JNB, lounge, lounges, Lufthansa, merger, podcast, rental cars, routes, SXF, TATL, Tegel, Transatlantic, TXL

An airport closes, possibly forever. Another was already closed when the plane showed up. And airlines are still planning their financial turnarounds as demand starts to creep higher.

• Podcast

DLD 289: Regional consolidation

• April 30, 2020
• Tagged as: Air Sinai, American Airlines, Boeing, COVID-19, Delta Air Lines, Delta Flight Products, Embraer, Frontier, jetblue, joint venture, podcast, routes, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia

Is it time for airports to join the consolidation game? We talk a lot about airlines and mergers (and bankruptcies these days) but airports might also benefit from joining forces.

• Podcast

DLD 286: Back to the Future!

• April 9, 2020
• Tagged as: Aeroplan, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Altitude, COVID-19, Delta Air Lines, EasyJet, elite status, loyalty, marriott, MileagePlan, mileageplus, podcast, routes, SkyMiles, special guest, United Airlines

What will the future of airline route networks look like? We dig deep into the past with special guest Ned Russell as we look to the future.