United’s newest aircraft type takes flight this week and the CRJ550 interior really is as special as the company has been hyping. Airbus orders and Boeing delays plus some fancy new wifi and upgraded airports on the horizon. Another busy PaxEx week.
business class
Doha aims to complete new airport, copy Changi
More gates. More fancy art. A water feature and garden that look surprisingly familiar. These are just a few of the updates slated for Hamad International Airport in Doha as it seeks to complete its terminal build out.
Sunrise Stretch: PaxEx Update 2019-10-18
The beginnings of Project Sunrise and extra leg room for the Kiwis. Plus more wifi (maybe) coming in China and another loyalty top tier moves further away.
Get these stories and more in this week’s PaxEx Update.
Counting Challenges: PaxEx Update 11 October 2019
How much is too much for the 737 program in a single week? And is there an end in sight for the shifting of loyalty programs away from loyalty? Plus, inflight wifi and a premium play for mid-haul travel.
Get all the details on this week’s top PaxEx stories inside.
A swanky new product for Starlux that doesn’t match the market
Upstart Taiwanese carrier Starlux plans to fly early in 2020 and finally unveiled details on its first aircraft configuration. It is a swanky offering that beats the competition, but at what cost?
British Airways, Airbus helping to develop lighter premium cabin seats
Another UK-based, F1-inspired aircraft seating company?? It isn’t a formal business yet, but this consortium signed on a few big names this week, including British Airways and Airbus, to help develop new premium cabin offerings for airlines.
Shaking things up – PaxEx Update: 2019-09-27
A mega investment shakes up the aviation landscape in the Americas while biometrics continue to grow globally and a new type brings major improvements (and minor cuts) for a growing airline.
SAS selects Thompson for A321LR business class
Lie-flat for long-haul. Even on its new, smaller planes, that’s the plan for SAS. Business class passengers will fly on the Thompson Vantage seat as the A321LR joins the carrier’s fleet starting early next year.
Goodbye GPUs, Hello PlusPoints: United revamps elite upgrade scheme
United Airlines is adjusting the way its top MileagePlus elite members will pay for upgrades. And, at least to start, none of the upgrade costs are increasing.
Cabin-wide Bluetooth audio to fly in 2021
It is a product years in the making, with mentions at multiple prior trade shows. This week, for the first time, Safran confirmed that its Bluetooth headphones pairing solution will fly cabin wide on Lufthansa and ANA starting in 2021(ish).