JetBlue faces accusations of excluding online travel agencies to “illegally acquire, enhance, and maintain its monopoly over passenger air travel” in markets where it holds a dominant share. Fareportal, parent of CheapOair, filed the suit this week after the carrier cut off access for Fareportal to sell the carrier’s fares.
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Delta, WestJet scrap JV plans
LaGuardia is more important than the rest of the US-Canadian market for Delta Air Lines and WestJet. This is the message sent by the two carriers late Friday as they withdrew their application for antitrust immunity on their joint venture.
AirAsia pivots away from its airline roots
“We have successfully pivoted from an airline to an all-in-one digital lifestyle company anchored on travel.” This was the key message delivered by AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes as part of the company’s Q2 financial results that showed a 96% drop in quarterly revenue. Airline-related revenue dropped 98% while non-airline revenue, a much smaller portion of the company’s operations, dipped only 55%.
ATPCO moves to ease ticketing changes for airlines worldwide
Automating millions of airline ticket changes is no easy task. Retroactively adjusting the fare rules was nearly impossible. But ATPCO stepped up to deliver a new Emergency Flexibility option to airlines and distribution channels, massively easing the change burden for the industry.
Slivers of normalcy: Air New Zealand lounges reopening
Demand for air travel is up significantly in New Zealand, though still massively below 2019 levels. And now some passengers will have a slightly more comfortable travel experience as the carrier’s airport lounge network begins to reopen.
Fighting for the middle: A pandemic seating shift
Forget the fight over who gets the arm rests; middle seats on planes are now generating real fights over if they should be occupied at all. And airlines are fueling the flames with misleading marketing messaging.
The Weekly Wrap: Cargo conversions and funky seating options
Looking to catch up on passenger experience news in recent days? I’ve got a fun new video series with Maryann Simson from APEX Media and we’re covering all the top headlines.
Gulf Air picks Routehappy Rich Content from ATPCO for digital merchandising
The deals keep rolling in for ATPCO as it secures another customer for its Routehappy Rich Content offering. Bahrain’s Gulf Air signed a five year contract to include the content on the GulfAir.com website as part of the company’s efforts to modernize and enhance its flight shopping display.
AirAsia to begin ticket sales for other airlines
Making good on a promise by CEO Tony Fernandes earlier this year, AirAsia is poised to sell tickets for other airlines on its website. Fernandes confirmed the plans on Monday, with further details to come in a formal announcement next week. The effort is the latest step in the company’s efforts to grow beyond just being an airline into a digital services company that just happens to also operate planes.
Introducing Blue Basic: JetBlue’s new, most limited fare option
JetBlue’s Blue Basic fare is now for real. The basic economy offering limits flexibility, effectively introducing a fare hike. And the overall reshuffling of fare families brings a couple surprising adjustments to the company’s offerings.