Just over a year after admitting publicly that the routes “often don’t earn enough cash to cover the price of fuel” American Airlines is officially surrendering its route authorities from Chicago-O’Hare to Beijing and Shanghai. Both Delta and United figure to gain significantly as a result.
Delta Air Lines
Rising rhetoric: An impending union battle for American Airlines
Who wins in a protracted labor battle? That answer is rarely clear, but passengers nearly always lose in the short term. Calls for the “bloodiest” battle ever in the industry by the American Airlines mechanics union are not going to help alleviate those concerns this summer.
Considering Gogo’s ATG-NG play
The on again, off again progress on an upgraded terrestrial network for inflight connectivity provider Gogo appear to be back in motion. In the company's most recent earnings call CEO Oakleigh Thorne indicated that the company is "particularly excited by some of the plans we’re developing for our next-gen network," though he stopped short of delivering too much in the way of additional details. Hardware supplier ZTE is out, thanks to questions about the long-term viability of growing the network with a Chinese vendor in the mix. But the program is very much alive, despite skepticism sown in Thorne's early days at the helm.
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Virgin Atlantic returns to Mumbai
Nearly five years ago Virgin Atlantic dropped its services to India’s financial center, Mumbai. Just five months from now the airline will bring it back. Starting 27 October 2019 Virgin Atlantic will fly from London to Mumbai on a daily basis.
Delta, United win big in Haneda slot allocation
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines came home the big winners in the most recent allocation of coveted route authorities at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport. The pair combined for nine of the twelve available slots, with American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines picking up the other three. The new flights should begin operation in Summer 2020.
PaxEx Premium: Three key Q1 numbers for Gogo
Inflight connectivity provider Gogo delivered a strong quarter in Q1 2019, topping analyst earnings estimates. The numbers also show a few areas that remain critical for long-term success and are not necessarily moving in the right direction as quickly as could be expected. The company's "growth engine" of global carriers in particular raises questions, some of which the company declined to answer, about where the improvements will really occur.
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Delta moves towards free inflight wifi
Free inflight wifi is set to soar on Delta Air Lines starting next week. The carrier plans a two week trial of the complimentary on approximately 55 flights each day as it studies the cost and value of making the shift.
Delta aims to extend loyalty with "Reclaim my Status" program
Keeping a customer engaged with a loyalty program after a major life event can be challenging. Delta SkyMiles joins the ranks of airlines with a formal program for such, launching the “Reclaim My Status” challenge offer.
Delta returns to Mumbai, launching from JFK in December
Delta Air Lines is bringing back its Mumbai service. The new service, launching in December, was announced with significant political overtones and brings the carrier into a busy market.
MAX cuts stretching into peak Summer 2019 season
Even as Boeing suggests the testing for its updated 737 MAX software is progressing well its airline customers are scrubbing the type from their schedules. Southwest is the latest to make a move, planning to be without the type for months to come.