Breeze Airways expects strong demand for premium seating up-sells on its new A220 fleet. The carrier chose to fit 36 “Nicest” first class seats on board, filling the front half of the cabin. It is a massive bet on premium demand and ancillary sales for the company’s new service.
first class
American reopening Flagship lounges, expanding access
As airlines shuttered lounges across the globe at the onset of the pandemic, many promised to reopen when premium demand returned. American Airlines is ready to make good on that commitment, with its first two Flagship Lounges set to welcome guests again beginning next month.
Lufthansa brings back A346s, confirms first class for Munich A350s
The big seats up front matter a lot for Lufthansa. The carrier, citing “growing premium demand, for business as well as leisure travel,” will “temporarily” reactivate five of its A340-600 aircraft for the Summer 2022 season to help fill that need.
United Airlines plans supersonic Boom with new order
United Airlines plans to purchase at least 15 supersonic jets from Boom. If everything goes to plan the jets could be carrying passengers between the US East Coast and Europe by the end of the decade. That’s a big if.
British Airways seeks holiday makers with Heathrow handling treats
British Airways has plenty of premium services capacity at its Heathrow home base and far too few passengers using it. Package holiday travelers this summer will benefit from that excess.
KLM unveils refreshed 737-800 interiors
The first of 14 refreshed KLM 737-800s returned to service this week with a brand new cabin interior. New seats, overhead bins, and other passenger-friendly features greet travelers on board.
Starlux sets its sights on Los Angeles for US debut
Starlux aims to serve the US market from 2022. The carrier formally applied to the US Department of Transportation last Friday for the authority to fly between Taipei and Los Angeles with its A350-900 aircraft.
The Weekly Wrap: GX+ North America and Spirit’s New Loyalty Program
In this edition of The Weekly Wrap we’re chatting with Philip Balaam, president of Inmarsat Aviation, about the company’s tie-up with Hughes to create a new in-flight connectivity solution, GX+ North America. Plus FreeSpirit, OpenIFC, and showers in the sky.
Singapore Airlines pivots to ground offerings
With the vast majority of its fleet grounded and passenger flow slowed to a trickle Singapore Airlines, like so many others, continues to search for new ways to generate revenues. Starting in October the airline will run a trio of ground-based experiences, offering “travelers” the Singapore Airlines experience without ever getting into the sky.
Boeing plans for airbags in some 777X seating structures
Airbags on planes are not new. Seatbelts have had them to protect passengers in case of a crash, but for at least some seats on the 777X Boeing intends to change the setup a bit. Rather than mounting them on the seatbelts the airbags will be mounted on structures in the cabin. The Federal Aviation Administration is now soliciting feedback on this new design as it considers the type certification for the 777-9.