With CARES Act Payroll Support Program funding set to expire at the end of September 2020 many airline employees are facing the very real risk of layoffs or furlough. But JetBlue pilots secured a major win this week.
Main Content
Tap to pee: PXCom launches digital lavatory queuing option
A number of companies have teased the idea of virtual queue management for lavatory access to reduce passenger movement on board. Now PXCom delivers.
This plane can taxi, take off and land all on its own
Most conversations about autonomous aircraft focus on smaller planes. But Airbus decided to go large when it comes to taxi, take off, and landing automation. Very large. The aircraft manufacturer announced this week the successful conclusion of its Autonomous Taxi, Take-Off and Landing (ATTOL) project using the A350-1000 XWB aircraft.
PaxEx Premium News
Global Eagle faces additional financial challenges
With the deadline for filing its quarterly financials come and gone Global Eagle faces a number of challenges. Global Eagle now anticipates filing its earnings no later than 6 July 2020. And the contents of that filing are not expected to paint a pretty picture.
British Airways continues to diversify its inflight connectivity portfolio
British Airways’ newest long-haul planes will not be fitted with the Gogo 2Ku solution. Instead, the company will diversify its vendor portfolio, though passengers shouldn’t notice the difference.
Gogo’s Business Aviation sector shows strong rebound
Business Aviation is making a strong comeback, with Gogo’s BizAv unit topping 3,000 daily flights last week, a significant milestone and nearly 90% of the numbers from early this year.
IFEC
Tap to pee: PXCom launches digital lavatory queuing option
A number of companies have teased the idea of virtual queue management for lavatory access to reduce passenger movement on board. Now PXCom delivers.
SmartSky counters Gogo’s patent dispute
When Gogo filed for a review of a key SmartSky patent in April the upstart inflight connectivity company vowed to defend its intellectual property portfolio. At its core, SmartSky’s position is that Gogo chose to redefine the term “Software Defined Radio.” SkartSky also posits that much of the petition is redundant to evidence previously considered in the initial application review.
Global Eagle faces additional financial challenges
With the deadline for filing its quarterly financials come and gone Global Eagle faces a number of challenges. Global Eagle now anticipates filing its earnings no later than 6 July 2020. And the contents of that filing are not expected to paint a pretty picture.
Qantas lounges reopen in Australia, inflight wifi service resumes
Qantas will reopen eleven of its airport lounges to kick off the month of July as travel and venue restrictions ease across Australia. The lounges shuttered on 23 March owing to government restrictions. The reopened lounges will welcome fewer passengers owing to new capacity limitations, and operate slightly differently than they did earlier this year.
Nokia, EE team up for new air-to-ground connectivity network
Nokia found a new opportunity to deploy its air-to-ground inflight connectivity hardware. The company behind the ground station antennae for Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network secured a deal with EE, part of the British Telecom group, to deploy a nationwide, dedicated, airborne communications network for Great Britain’s emergency services.
Airlines, Airplanes & Airports
JetBlue pilots secure no furlough deal through April 2021
With CARES Act Payroll Support Program funding set to expire at the end of September 2020 many airline employees are facing the very real risk of layoffs or furlough. But JetBlue pilots secured a major win this week.
This plane can taxi, take off and land all on its own
Most conversations about autonomous aircraft focus on smaller planes. But Airbus decided to go large when it comes to taxi, take off, and landing automation. Very large. The aircraft manufacturer announced this week the successful conclusion of its Autonomous Taxi, Take-Off and Landing (ATTOL) project using the A350-1000 XWB aircraft.
COMAC delivers for three new ARJ21 operators
China’s COMAC added a trio of new airline operators for its ARJ21-700 aircraft over the weekend. China Eastern, China Southern, and Air China each took delivery of their first aircraft during a joint ceremony. And, still, COMAC’s grand ambitions to challenge Western manufacturers remains years away.
Air Canada fights back on refund demands, disputes DOT authority
Facing dozens of customer complaints to the US Department of Transportation, Air Canada is fighting back. While the carrier has only filed one response publicly so far the contents suggest that passengers may well come up short in their efforts to get their money back. Not only does the airline intend to not provide refunds to passengers on flights it canceled, but it now also suggests that the DOT should not and can not regulate such policies.
LIAT looks to liquidate; can CARICOM respond?
Caribbean airline LIAT is on the brink of liquidation, according to Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne. Flights are suspended through at least 15 July 2020 and that could be enough to kill the carrier.
Seating & Cabin
Finnair brings back Helsinki lounge, inflight catering
Finnair is the latest carrier to reinstate some additional services for travelers. The carrier will reopen a lounge in Helsinki and expand catering on board most flights, though still with limitations and an eye towards the current operating environment.
Air Canada brings back inflight meals, lounges, middle seat passengers
Travelers on Air Canada flights will soon have a few more of the creature comforts they’re used to when traveling. But they’ll also be sharing them with more creatures. The carrier joins a growing list of airlines halting the process of blocking middle seats.
Curing Catering Concerns: The Weekly Wrap–19 June 2020
Can small changes to the catering process make the current inflight environment a bit safer and bring back some of the comforts passengers have previously enjoyed? We’re also talking about routes returning and new ideas to protect passengers in the cabin on this edition of the Weekly Wrap.
Loyalty
JetBlue adds Cash & Points redemptions for TrueBlue
JetBlue customers can now choose a new option to pay for flights. The company’s TrueBlue loyalty program introduced a Cash & Points offering today, allowing members to redeem points for a partial value of the fare.
Air Canada launches half-priced Aeroplan rewards in North America
Air Canada is ready to start pulling more passengers out of their homes and back to the skies. The carrier announced a half-price sale for its Aeroplan loyalty program members today to help drive those bookings. The sale is a cap stone to a strong earnings promotion effort the company ran in recent weeks.
United plans $5 billion loan against MileagePlus
United Airlines will secure an additional $5 billion in funding by taking a loan against the MileagePlus loyalty program. The company announced the plans Monday morning as part of an update to its liquidity position. With the loan, and other CARES Act funds, the company anticipates approximately $17 billion in liquidity by September 2020.
PaxEx Update
Curing Catering Concerns: The Weekly Wrap–19 June 2020
Can small changes to the catering process make the current inflight environment a bit safer and bring back some of the comforts passengers have previously enjoyed? We’re also talking about routes returning and new ideas to protect passengers in the cabin on this edition of the Weekly Wrap.
Going digital with APEX Experience: The Weekly Wrap-12 June 2020
This week we’re going behind the scenes with the APEX Media team to talk about the latest issue of the APEX Experience Magazine, the first all-digital edition in history. Plus Delta’s new plans for inflight connectivity, more connecting options and a way to zap diseases on board with UV-C light.
Inflight magazines are not dead yet: The Weekly Wrap–5 June 2020
Rumors of the death of inflight magazines are, perhaps, greatly exaggerated. That’s just one of the topics we dive in to on this episode of the Weekly Wrap, covering the top PaxEx news you need to know.
Health passports in our future: The Weekly Wrap
Will travelers need health passports to cross borders soon? And will they be tied to biometric scans? There are serious concerns about just how viable those checks could be for a quick return to air travel. Check out our conversation about that and more on this episode of The Weekly Wrap.
Optimism on the horizon: The Weekly Wrap 15 May 2020
Is it time to start getting excited about a travel rebound? It appears the market finally hit rock bottom so everything that happens is good news, though maybe not too much of it too quickly.