Ride-hailing app Lyft intends to launch a new loyalty program in December 2018. Lyft Rewards will deliver benefits like ride upgrades or discounts. Probably. The announcement is spectacularly vague about how the scheme will work and even when customers can expect to participate.
Main Content
Astronics seeks BizAv connectivity boost
Can Astronics deliver a breakout in its AeroSat division? The company is doubling down on the BizAv segment in hopes of delivering a huge sales win for its antenna systems, thanks to a new partnership and marketing push.
Thales scores a pair of China Southern wins at Zhuhai Air Show
This year’s Zhuhai Air Show in China delivered little significant commercial aircraft news. Standing out in the event the partnership between Thales and China Southern offered up a pair of new deals. The two companies have a strong relationship dating back nearly 20 years and this week’s moves further those ties.
PaxEx Premium News
PaxEx Premium: Global Eagle boosts aero revenue, aircraft backlog
Global Eagle posted strong revenue numbers in Q3, with its content and aviation connectivity segments showing particular strength. The company also announced a couple "take away" deals that see it grabbing business from competitors. Those moves come at a cost, however, especially on the connectivity side. The increased revenue from these deals over the long term is welcome but a short term cash crunch could be bad for business.
PaxEx Premium: Inmarsat boosts GX revenue, cuts costs in Q3
Inmarsat reported a jump in inflight connectivity revenue in Q3, continuing the activation and growth of its GX Aviation solution on aircraft around the world. The numbers suggest additional frames are finally generating revenue, a welcome advance for the company after the first such income was generated just last quarter. Inmarsat also disclosed that at least two recently announced customer wins remain as unsigned, lending credibility to claims that the deals are not yet final. The company also outlined additional details on how it expects the Panasonic partnership to grow.
PaxEx Premium: Looking ahead to Global Eagle’s earnings
IFEC
Astronics seeks BizAv connectivity boost
Can Astronics deliver a breakout in its AeroSat division? The company is doubling down on the BizAv segment in hopes of delivering a huge sales win for its antenna systems, thanks to a new partnership and marketing push.
Thales scores a pair of China Southern wins at Zhuhai Air Show
This year’s Zhuhai Air Show in China delivered little significant commercial aircraft news. Standing out in the event the partnership between Thales and China Southern offered up a pair of new deals. The two companies have a strong relationship dating back nearly 20 years and this week’s moves further those ties.
PaxEx Premium: Global Eagle boosts aero revenue, aircraft backlog
Global Eagle posted strong revenue numbers in Q3, with its content and aviation connectivity segments showing particular strength. The company also announced a couple "take away" deals that see it grabbing business from competitors. Those moves come at a cost, however, especially on the connectivity side. The increased revenue from these deals over the long term is welcome but a short term cash crunch could be bad for business.
PaxEx Premium: Inmarsat boosts GX revenue, cuts costs in Q3
Inmarsat reported a jump in inflight connectivity revenue in Q3, continuing the activation and growth of its GX Aviation solution on aircraft around the world. The numbers suggest additional frames are finally generating revenue, a welcome advance for the company after the first such income was generated just last quarter. Inmarsat also disclosed that at least two recently announced customer wins remain as unsigned, lending credibility to claims that the deals are not yet final. The company also outlined additional details on how it expects the Panasonic partnership to grow.
PaxEx Premium: Looking ahead to Global Eagle’s earnings
Airlines, Airplanes & Airports
FlyArystan: Kazakhstan’s newest LCC is formed
Say hello to FlyArystan, the world’s newest low cost carrier. The airline officially came into existence today, with parent company Air Astana announcing its formation and plans. The carrier will start with four A320 aircraft in 2019, with plans to fly 15 frames by 2022. Route details remain unclear but domestic operations in Kazakhstan and shorter international routes are the initial targets.
United Airlines wants more Shanghai, hindering American’s China plans
United Airlines joined Delta Air Lines in seeking additional service to Shanghai. The move puts American Airlines in a bind as that carrier hoped to squat on route authorities that are now in demand by the competition.
Icelandair gobbles up WOW
WOW Air is dead. Long live WOW Air. The Icelandic LCC is set to be purchased by hometown rival Icelandair at what can only be described as a fire sale price.
Ethiopian pushes Togo as a gateway to America
Ethiopian Airlines will soon connect Los Angeles with Lomé, Togo. The shift adds just over two hours to the trip between Los Angeles and Addis but also creates significant additional connecting opportunities for passengers and positions Lomé as the new African gateway to the USA.
Airport Status: Canceled – Pulling the plug in Mexico City
The new Mexico City airport is dead. Fulfilling a campaign promise, incoming President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that construction on the project would be halted once he takes office. The move came after the results of a national referendum on the project showed 70% of voters opposed to the new airport. That only one million people voted (of ~90mm registered) in the theoretically non-binding poll seems to not matter. The president intends to scrap the efforts.
Loyalty
Lyft Rewards Introduced: Some sort of loyalty??
Ride-hailing app Lyft intends to launch a new loyalty program in December 2018. Lyft Rewards will deliver benefits like ride upgrades or discounts. Probably. The announcement is spectacularly vague about how the scheme will work and even when customers can expect to participate.
Is Alitalia’s Milemiglia loyalty scheme next to change?
As Alitalia trudges along, seeking the right mix of investors to keep its airline operations afloat, another portion of the business may prove a more interesting attraction. The Milemiglia loyalty program operates at arm’s length from the core airline business and it could be headed for an abrupt change of course.
Sun Country cuts premium seats, loyalty in quest for higher revenue
Sun Country’s pivot to a ULCC continues unabated. More than a year after the carrier announced plans for a new approach to the market the changes continue. Up next: further cabin reconfiguration and a revamp of the loyalty and co-brand credit card strategy that seem unlikely to make many customers happy.
Press Releases
![[PR] Viasat Ka goes line-fit on Gulfstream G280 Biz Jets](https://paxex.aero/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/viasat-g280-348x180.jpg)
[PR] Viasat Ka goes line-fit on Gulfstream G280 Biz Jets
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, announced today its high-speed, high-capacity Ka-band in-flight connectivity solution has been selected for the Gulfstream G280™ mid-sized business jet airframe. The Viasat in-flight connectivity system will be a line-fit option, offered directly from the Gulfstream factory for all new aircraft. It will also be available as a retrofit for in-service aircraft. The Viasat […]
![[PR] Kuwait Airways breathes life into the A330-800 program with new order](https://paxex.aero/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/A330-800-KUWAIT-AIRWAYS-348x180.jpg)
[PR] Kuwait Airways breathes life into the A330-800 program with new order
Airbus has long expressed confidence that the A330-800neo would garner orders. Eventually. Today that finally happened, with Kuwait Airways selecting the type to help its fleet expansion.
![[PR] Gogo DASH brings BizAv connectivity performance data down to earth](https://paxex.aero/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/gogo-AVANCE-L5.jpg)
[PR] Gogo DASH brings BizAv connectivity performance data down to earth
Services, services, services everywhere! Once the connection (mostly) works and signups of new customers slows the need to better support the existing installs grows. Gogo DASH helps the company continue to build out the services ecosystem that keeps customers loyal to the installed product. The more different touch points that use the installed kit, the harder it is to shift away.
![[PR] Lufthansa Technick performs first 737 MAX connectivity install](https://paxex.aero/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/flydubai-737max.jpg)
[PR] Lufthansa Technick performs first 737 MAX connectivity install
Lufthansa Technik recently performed the first major connectivity modifications on Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Neither LHT nor the airline will confirm the customer involved but PaxEx.Aero research suggests it is the Global Eagle kit on flyDubai’s A6-MAX frame.
![[PR] Ariane 6 secures first commercial customer](https://paxex.aero/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/arianespace.jpg)
[PR] Ariane 6 secures first commercial customer
Eutelsat and Arianespace signed a five launch deal this week, including use of the Ariane 6 rocket now in development. That’s a big rocket and a big deal for the two.