The Business of Passenger Experience
His Excellency Akbar Al Baker will, presumably, no longer be referred to as “Chief.” He is out as Qatar Airways Group CEO as of 5 November 2023 after 27 years at the helm, and it comes with almost no notice.
But, perhaps, there were signs over the past few weeks this was on the horizon.
United Airlines and Aer Lingus will halt their codeshare operations at the end of this week, but their frequent flier partnership remains intact.
Air Canada took another step forward on its inflight entertainment and connectivity journey over the weekend, as the first A321 with updated systems on board returned to service. The fully retrofit interior offers a bevy of improved passenger experience touchpoints, and more customer-friendly pricing as well.
Trans-Exec Private Jets will install Starlink for in-flight internet. The SpaceX satellite-based service will be installed on the company’s fleet of Gulfstream aircraft.
Delta Air Lines is adding live television to the 767-400 fleet. The carrier will offer 18 channels of content on board, integrated into the in-seat screens.
United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have something of a smoldering battle ongoing over the ostensibly less valuable night-time operations at Haneda.
As promised by CEO Ed Bastian, Delta is adjusting the SkyMiles and SkyClub changes it announced just four weeks ago. The revised rules lower the spend requirements and boost long-term loyalty value, among other updates.
Porter Airlines will extend its partnership with Viasat for inflight internet. The next 20 Embraer E195-E2 jets will fly with the Viasat hardware on board, joining the initial 30 which also have the satellite wifi service installed.
The Gogo 5G network is set to take flight north of the border. The company announced that AirSprint Private Aviation will fit its business jet fleet with the updated systems, including options to add satellite connectivity on some aircraft.
Viasat expects to deliver improved inflight connectivity to its business aviation customers from early 2024. This “expanded range of service options,” announced at NBAA 2023 in Las Vegas, will be available across a range of antenna terminal hardware
