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.
Main Content
ATPCO moves to ease ticketing changes for airlines worldwide
Automating millions of airline ticket changes is no easy task. Retroactively adjusting the fare rules was nearly impossible. But ATPCO stepped up to deliver a new Emergency Flexibility option to airlines and distribution channels, massively easing the change burden for the industry.
China blinks, US to back down on flight ban
Looks like flights between the US and China won’t be stopping mid-month after all. Chinese regulators backed down after the US took a hard line in the negotiations.
PaxEx Premium News
Viasat expands with Aeromexico, sees massive potential in LEO subsidies
Viasat reported its annual results Tuesday afternoon with record revenue. The company also announced a couple surprises, with a new wide-body airline customer for its inflight connectivity solution and a change of plans for its future satellite constellation.
From 2Ku to 2Ka: Gogo ready for a spectrum shift
What keeps airlines from shifting from one inflight connectivity solution to another? Contracts are certainly part of it, but so is the significant cost to update and replace hardware on the planes. Gogo has a plan that could ease such pain while keeping airlines active on its services.
Past the bottom: Gogo sees demand returning and a potential to sell
January and February 2020 showed great promise for Gogo. New aircraft installations continued, particularly of the company’s 2Ku offering for commercial aircraft. And then the bottom fell out.
But the company sees a rebound on the horizon, and also possible a merger.
IFEC
Satcom Direct, Avcon sign exclusive, fleet-wide connectivity deal
Keeping a diverse fleet of business jets connected around the globe is not an easy task. To support its efforts Austrian aircraft management and charter operator Avcon Jet selected Satcom Direct (SD) to fill that role. SD now supplies all connectivity tools for the company, including voice and data services, flight deck communications and cybersecurity solutions.
Viasat expands with Aeromexico, sees massive potential in LEO subsidies
Viasat reported its annual results Tuesday afternoon with record revenue. The company also announced a couple surprises, with a new wide-body airline customer for its inflight connectivity solution and a change of plans for its future satellite constellation.
Air Canada launches all-premium service on key routes
Air Canada is bringing premium seats on two key business markets, reducing passenger density on board as it slowly increases service levels.
From 2Ku to 2Ka: Gogo ready for a spectrum shift
What keeps airlines from shifting from one inflight connectivity solution to another? Contracts are certainly part of it, but so is the significant cost to update and replace hardware on the planes. Gogo has a plan that could ease such pain while keeping airlines active on its services.
Virgin Orbit selects Panasonic Avionics for inflight connectivity
What does it take to launch rockets into space from an airborne 747? Among other things, a reliable, high-speed internet connection is key to successful missions. And for Virgin Orbit that means adding a satellite connection to Cosmic Girl, the aircraft serving as the base for the LauncherOne system. The company selected Panasonic Avionics to provide the services for its operation.
Airlines, Airplanes & Airports
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.
China blinks, US to back down on flight ban
Looks like flights between the US and China won’t be stopping mid-month after all. Chinese regulators backed down after the US took a hard line in the negotiations.
US retaliates against China, blocking all flights
Nonstop service between the US and China will terminate later this month, ending 24 years of direct links between the countries. The move comes as the two governments escalate rhetoric on many fronts, covering trade, human rights and more.
The CRJ is dead; long live the CRJ, err MRJ, err SpaceJet. Or something like that.
Today was supposed to be a celebration for Mitsubishi Heavy Industry (MHI), the dawning of a new era for its SpaceJet regional jet program. Instead the company is drastically cutting operations and development efforts as the market contracts. But it still must move forward in some ways.
Frontier, Mobile bicker over flights to Orlando
At first glance the fight between Mobile, Alabama and Frontier Airlines makes little sense. Why should a city fight so hard for a single flight and route running empty a couple days per week?
Seating & Cabin
Safran’s Interspace retrofits aim to deliver more isolation on board
Privacy and isolation on board are, perhaps, more valuable than ever. With that in mind Safran Seats partnered with Universal Movement to develop concepts that can retrofit to existing economy class and premium cabin structures, delivering a new style of passenger accommodation on board under an exclusive partnership.
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.
Loyalty
LATAM seeks US bankruptcy protection, plans to continue operations
South America’s LATAM Airlines Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in the US courts on Tuesday morning, seeking to restructure debt while continuing regular operations. Or, at least, operations as close to regular as possible given the current global aviation environment.
JetBlue offers free TrueBlue Mosaic status, plus a year extension
JetBlue waited longer than most to announce plans for its TrueBlue loyalty program in the wake of the coronavirus groundings. But it appears the carrier used that time wisely. With its announcement today JetBlue draws on similar actions from many other carriers but pulls them together in a package that might deliver outsized value to its members.
Avianca declares bankruptcy, seeks protection in restructuring
Colombia’s Avianca became the latest and largest carrier to seek financial protections as the coronavirus pandemic stretches on, grounding airlines and flummoxing their balance sheets
PaxEx Update
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.
The Weekly Wrap: Fighting for Middle Ground
This week’s episode is all about the middle seat. Should it be blocked? How would airlines approach that task? And one briefly tried to charge passengers for that luxury, though quickly backed down when politicians got angry.
The Weekly Wrap: FlightPlan, personal screening and more!
What topics made the cut for The Weekly Wrap this week? Maryann Simson and I recap the incredible Flight Plan event organized earlier in the week by Inmarsat and APEX, health testing at the airport and more!