The add-on order for ten more Delta A330-900neo aircraft is not nearly as significant as a couple of the cabin amenity changes it includes.
Now more exclusive: Delta pares back SkyClub access
The balance between crowded airport lounges and the incremental revenue realized from selling access reached a tipping point for Delta Air Lines. Effective immediately the carrier no longer sells single visit passes. Annual membership costs will also increase in 2019.
UON takes first flight on a Saudia A320
The first UON-equipped aircraft entered commercial service this week. The Saudia A320 HZ-ASB began passenger service with the new inflight connectivity kit installed on 10 November 2019. The aircraft serves Geneva from Saudia’s hubs in Riyadh and Jeddah.
China Southern quits SkyTeam, seeks stronger partnerships
SkyTeam lost its largest mainland China airline this week. China Southern announced it will quit the alliance in 2019. The non-renewal of the membership contract will see the carrier transition out of its alliance relationships in the coming year. This is not a hard stop of relations; rather, the changes are likely to roll out over time. It is also not a surprise.
Alaska Airlines puts Paine Field flights on sale
Want to fly out of Paine Field north of Seattle? The first flights for the new service are now on sale. Alaska Airlines opened reservations this morning for departures starting on 11 February 2019, including an inaugural flight to Las Vegas. Seats are on sale starting at $39 one way, though the inaugural is more expensive.
Honeywell Aerospace signs on as Inmarsat GX Aviation reseller
Honeywell Aerospace is no longer just the manufacturer of the JetWave hardware for Inmarsat’s GX Aviation offering. The company now is a reseller of the service as well. The deal adds another VAR to Inmarsat’s global network and comes on the heels of the deal bringing Panasonic Avionics on board just weeks ago.
digEcor gets embedded in the retrofit market
Previously known for its tablet-based IFE offerings, inflight entertainment provider digEcor announced its first embedded aircraft systems retrofit this week. The company partnered with Jamco Aero Design and Engineering (JADE) to announce a deal for installation of digEcor’s Passenger Services Solution on Boeing 777 aircraft. This is the first step of a much larger journey for digEcor.
PaxEx Premium: Digging in to Global Connectivity Revenues
A pair of earnings reports last week left open questions about just how many aircraft are generating how much inflight connectivity revenue. Both Gogo and Inmarsat clarified those positions, providing better context around their numbers.
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An end to cheap* WiFi for airlines?
Maybe it has never truly been cheap for passengers, but airlines historically took advantage of great deals from suppliers to secure inflight wifi connectivity solutions relatively inexpensively. As those vendors now seek financial stability more than market share a shift is underway. Is the era of cheap wifi over? (And did it ever really exist?!?)
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.