New planes, new inflight services and additional frequencies are all part of Norwegian’s plan to grow in London, seeking to siphon off the premium customers from British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and others. But the carrier faces an uphill battle. Can it succeed?
Seats & Cabin
Airbus launches A321LR test flight program
The next generation of transatlantic aircraft took flight for the first time this morning. Airbus’ A321LR will soon be plying the skies between Europe and North America, filling a gap for single-aisle long(ish)-haul service.
Can a new recline reshape long-haul economy travel?
Does the type of seat recline make much of a difference for long-haul, economy class travel? The Quadra from Optimares is a unique seat option that just might change the passenger experience.
A trickle of details for United’s Premium Plus product
A few more details about United Airlines’ new Premium Plus product are now available. Alas, not nearly as much as one would hope given the opportunities the company had this week. Oh, well.
JetBlue’s A320 retrofit finally underway
More than two years after initially announced the JetBlue A320 retrofit program is finally underway. The first aircraft is now in the shop and will exit with at least one previously undisclosed surprise on board.
Premium Plus: United’s Premium Economy to launch in 2018
United Airlines is finally set to launch a premium economy offering. The product will be branded Premium Plus and start to fly later in 2018.
Boeing, Adient shake up the aircraft seats market
Boeing wants a bigger piece of the overall profits from the planes it sells. Getting into the seating business is the latest move on that front. A new joint venture with Adient brings the seating market in house, likely ruffling a few feathers along the way.
Delta brings points payment to its upsell market
Post-purchase upselling to drive ancillary revenue is big business for Delta Air Lines and poised to grow. Adding frequent flyer points to the mix is part of that plan, with significant potential upside for passengers and the carrier.
Korean’s new CS300 delivers CSeries PaxEx firsts
Korean Air Lines took home an early Christmas present today, with its first CSeries delivery from Bombardier. The carrier is the third to fly the CS300 and introduces a few new features on board to improve the passenger experience.
Basic Economy goes global on Delta
Market “segmentation” revenue is growing faster than ever at Delta and the carrier plans to maintain that pace. Basic Economy on a global scale is the next step on that path.
Put another way: Get ready to pay more for less everywhere you fly.