• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 552: Fuming mad!

• September 18, 2025
• Tagged as: Aegean Airlines, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Antitrust Immunity, Avelo, Boeing, Breeze Airways, codeshare, Delta Air Lines, E195-E2, Embraer, India, IndiGo, jetblue, joint venture, Korean Airlines, Lufthansa Group, Mexico, Mexico City, premium cabin, Premium Economy, routes, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines

Unwinding joint operations is not easy, but it must happen thanks to a DOT ruling. Plus fumes in the cabin, a hilariously low fine and some questionable funding in play.

• 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.

• Podcast

DLD 550: Chapter 22 – A New Hope

• September 4, 2025
• Tagged as: 737 MAX 10, 777-9, 777X, 787-10, A320neo, A321neo, A321XLR, A350, Airbus, Alaska Airlines, Allegris, bankruptcy, Boeing, Brussels Airlines, BUR, Burbank, business class, Condor, Edelweiss, Finnair, Florida, jetblue, Korean Air, Lufthansa, premium cabin, Qantas, Saint Martin, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, SXM

Spirit Airlines is back in bankruptcy court, once again planning a restructuring in hopes of finding profitability. Plus more orders, 787 progress, and some aviation idiocy in Florida.

• Podcast

DLD 549: Into the Atmos-phere

• August 28, 2025
• Tagged as: Alaska Airlines, Allegient Air, Atmos, AUS, Austin, bankruptcy, co-brand, cobrand, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, frequent flier, frequent flyer, jetblue, loyalty, MileagePlan, Spirit Airlines, Trip Report, VRBO

It is new. It is shiny. Of course Atmos dominated this week’s show. Fortunately, we also got some other bits in.

• Podcast

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.

• Podcast

DLD 541: Planes, Politics, Partnerships, and PDX

• July 3, 2025
• Tagged as: ATL, Atlanta, Cape Air, Cebu Pacific, elite status, Emirates, flyadeal, flyDubai, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Iberia, Iran, jetblue, PDX, PlusPoints, Porter Air, Portland, Qatar, routes, Spirit Airlines, UAE, United Airlines

Partnerships come and go, as do new routes and competition. Plus, what makes an airport better than others?

• Podcast

DLD 535: Two Billboards Outside New Haven, Connecticut

• May 22, 2025
• Tagged as: 777, Air Traffic Control, ancillary fees, ATC, Avelo, Basic Economy, Chase, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, EWR, Global Airlines, lawsuit, Newark, Seaport Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, Vietjet

Usually we’re talking about lawsuits, not actively involved in them. Plus, seating shifts and ATC and maybe another airline financial collapse.

• Podcast

DLD 534: In the Studio

• May 15, 2025
• Tagged as: Aer Lingus, Air Traffic Control, Airbus, American Airlines, ATC, Boeing, British Airways, business class, Contour Air, Delta Air Lines, EWR, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, IAG, Iberia, International Airline Group, jetblue, joint venture, Juneyao, Korean Airlines, Level, livery, Newark, Polaris, Polaris Studio, premium cabin, Qantas, Real ID, routes, Spirit Airlines, Stansted, United Airlines, WestJet

There’s lots to unpack this week, including a new premium seat, a new paint job, and new route plans galore.

• Podcast

DLD 530: What’s new?

• April 17, 2025
• Tagged as: 777-300ER, AirBaltic, Aircraft Interiors Expo, AIX, AIX25, American Airlines, Avelo, Delta Air Lines, earnings call, Frontier, Icelandair, jetblue, routes, Spirit Airlines, TrueBlue

New seats and new systems unveiled at AIX, and some new leaders needed as two CEOs are out on the same day.

• Podcast

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.