New cabins on the horizon for economy and business class, short-haul and long; might travel get more comfortable rather than less? Plus some good news for travelers looking to get online in the sky or earn free travel with their points.
Newark
Frontier makes a major play at Newark
Goodbye, Southwest. HELLO, Frontier! Newark gets a big boost as the LCC aims to fill in the gap left by Southwest’s departure in November. And some interesting scheduling choices to go with that plan.
United bets big on premium leisure with 2020 transatlantic expansion
When you fly a plane with 30-50% fewer seats than the competition the business case must be incredibly strong. For United Airlines the new 763 High J layout is proving a valuable tool in its transatlantic market expansion, including new routes announced today for 2020.
A Hong Kong Surprise: PaxEx Update (16 August 2019)
A surprise twist in the Hong Kong protests as Cathay CEO Rupert Hogg resigns. Plus RFID for bags, VR for passengers and new aircraft types launching service soon. A busy week with plenty to uncover in this edition of PaxEx Update!
Southwest announces expanded Hawaii service
Southwest is resuming its Hawaii expansion. The carrier will add three more Pacific crossings daily and more than double its inter-island flights beginning in mid-January 2020.
Hawaii, Cozumel get the LUV; Newark doesn’t
The 737 MAX grounding will push Southwest Airlines out of Newark. The carrier needs its aircraft in more profitable markets as it shrinks its operations this year.
La Compagnie launches transatlantic A321neo service
Upgraded seats, inflight entertainment and free, high-speed internet service officially took flight today for all-business class airline La Compagnie. The French airline’s first A321neo aircraft now operates scheduled flights between Paris and Newark.
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.
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.
United Airlines plans seasonal Cape Town service
United Airlines will once again be a six continent carrier. For four months during the northern Winter the company plans to serve Cape Town, South Africa from its hub in Newark.