• Podcast

DLD 578: On the Mend

• March 19, 2026
• Tagged as: 777X, A321XLR, A330-900, A330neo, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, American Airlines, bankruptcy, Billy Bishop, Bus, Canada, Cathay Pacific, certification, Delta Air Lines, GOL, Heathrow, IndiGo, Landline, LHR, Manila, Philippines Airlines, slots, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Toronto, YTZ

When will the aviation world really heal from the mess in the Middle East? Plus a CEO is out in India, as are two more airports for Southwest, while bus options expand in Canada.

• Podcast

DLD 575: On Again, Off Again

• February 26, 2026
• Tagged as: 737 MAX 7, Alaska Airlines, Bahrain, Beond, co-brand, cobrand, credit card, credit cards, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Frontier, hyatt, JFK Airport, Porter Air, pre-clearance, PreCheck, preclearance, Qantas, SAN, San Diego, Southwest Airlines, Toronto, TSA, United Airlines, YTZ

Are the policy changes real? Can anyone or anything be trusted anymore? And a 20+ year throwback reference at the end, just for fun.

• Podcast

DLD 572: Will They Ever Shut Up?

• February 5, 2026
• Tagged as: A220, Aer Lingus UK, Air India, Airbus, Bilt Rewards, Bombardier, Breeze Airways, Canada, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, Dubai, elite status, Global Services, Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, ICN, jetblue, routes, SAS, Seoul, Southwest Airlines, special guest, Thailand, Transatlantic, transcon, United Airlines, WizzAir

A longer than normal episode this week, thanks to special guest Ed and lots of wayward story lines.

• Podcast

DLD 566: Slid(er)ing into the Holidays

• December 25, 2025
• Tagged as: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, ANC, Anchorage, bankruptcy, Basic Economy, Brightline, Delta Air Lines, elite status, Emirates, frequent flier, frequent flyer, JSX, Korean Air, PDX, Portland, routes, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Viva, Volaris

Snacks and routes and retirements and mergers and more!

• Podcast

DLD 565: A Power Play

• December 18, 2025
• Tagged as: 747-8i, Aer Lingus, AUS, Austin, Beond, Boom Supersonic, CSA Czech Air, Hawaiian Airlines, ITA Airlines, Italy, jetblue, lawsuit, Lufthansa, merger, New Zealand, Oneworld, Pegasus, PIT, Pittsburgh, Qantas, routes, Ryanair, SmartWings, Southwest Airlines

There are lots of ways to flex power in this industry. Two moderately incoherent ones cropped up this week.

• Podcast

DLD 561: Unexpected Inquiries

• November 20, 2025
• Tagged as: 787-9, A380, Air Astana, Air Lao, Beond, Boom, Boom Supersonic, C919, COMAC, Dreamliner, elite status, Emirates, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Global Entry, Laos, lifetime, LOT, New Pacific Airways, Northern Pacific, Northern Pacific Airways, routes, San Antonio, San Francisco, SAT, SFO, Southwest Airlines, supersonic, Virgin Atlantic

Sometimes the best questions come from unexpected quarters. Plus, lifetime status of a different sort, some ultra premium silliness, and A380s flying even longer.

• Podcast

DLD 559: Messy at the Border

• November 6, 2025
• Tagged as: A321XLR, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, bankruptcy, Bonvoy, Condor, Connect Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Department of Transportation, DOT, Eastern Airways, HNL, Honolulu, lawsuit, lounges, Marriott Rewards, MEX, Mexico, Mexico City, Orlando, routes, Southwest Airlines, Tokyo, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, ZipAir

Does Mexico City really need more than one airport? Plus, unexpected lounge operators, Connect again, and some lawsuit hijinks.

• Podcast

DLD 557: Throwbacks and Future Treats

• October 23, 2025
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, 777 Partners, A350, A350 XWB, A350-900, AI, Airbus, amenity kit, American Airlines, artificial intelligence, Boeing, British Airways, business class, elite status, fraud, frequent flier, frequent flyer, IFC, IFEC, in-flight connectivity, in-flight internet, IndiGo, inflight connectivity, inflight wifi, jetblue, livery, loyalty, Mosaic, Southwest Airlines, Starlink, TrueBlue, United Airlines, upgrades, Volantio

We’re taking a look at historical aircraft production numbers and rehashing old stories, while also talking new orders, new Wi-Fi, and new types of inflight incidents.

• Podcast

DLD 553: Too good to be true

• September 25, 2025
• Tagged as: British Airways, business class, Club Europe, dining, GulfAir, immigration, Italy, lounge, lounges, premium cabin, SAN, San Diego, SAS, Southwest Airlines

As an airline trims meals for being too popular with passengers we’re pondering the cyclical nature of inflight products, and if there’s ever a reason to believe things will stabilize.

• Podcast

DLD 551: Shaking things up

• September 11, 2025
• Tagged as: 737 MAX 10, 787-9, AENA, Air France, Alaska Airlines, Austrian Airlines, awards, bankruptcy, Boeing, British Airways, Capital One, credit cards, Department of Transportation, DOT, Dreamliner, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Frontier, GoWild, HOP!, Horizon Air, Iceland, Icelandair, IFC, IFEC, in-flight connectivity, in-flight internet, inflight connectivity, inflight wifi, jetblue, KEF, Kuiper, LATAM, podcast, Qatar Airways, rewards, Ryanair, Singapore Air, Southwest Airlines, Spain, Spirit Airlines, Starlink, Tel Aviv, TLV, United Airlines, WestJet

Routes and partnerships slashed in some areas, while others focus on innovation. Plus Spanish airports fight back against Ryanair and lots more.