Connectivity installations slow slightly over the summer, allowing an opportunity to take a big picture look at the industry and where the various players sit in terms of connected aircraft and future commitments. Compared to a year ago some players have shifted positions, even as the total committed count increases. The latter is definitely good news for all involved while the former is better for some than others.
PaxEx
American Airlines extends Viasat deal to A321neo fleet
American Airlines will take the Viasat Ka-band inflight connectivity solution on its A321neo fleet when deliveries begin in 2019. The 100-aircraft deal was secured in recent weeks and announced by Viasat as part of its quarterly earnings release Thursday afternoon.
Parker shoots down AAdvantage spin-off idea. Again.
The push for US airlines to better monetize their loyalty programs continues to grow. But don't expect it to happen any time soon. Airline executives continue to push back – strongly – against such suggestions from Wall Street analysts. The most recent such conversation, during American Airlines' Q2 2018 earnings call CEO Doug Parker was aggressive in explaining why his airline will not be considering such. The co-brand relationship with the credit card is simply too strong.
UON gets real, adds coverage with Eutelsat
The UON inflight connectivity service from Saudi Arabia’s Taqnia Space will offer service from Europe to Asia thanks to a new deal with Eutelsat to add Ku-band capacity. The deal brings Ku-band widebeam coverage spanning Europe, the Middle East and South Asia plus an additional HTS transponder with coverage flexibility. The company is scaling up strong, but will it be enough to succeed in a crowded market?
Too many award seats? Alaska Airlines says whoopsie!
Does a merger integration still count as wildly successful if it hurts revenues to the tune of 1.5% for 9ish months? Alaska Airlines’ PSS integration came off incredibly smoothly on the operations side, but the carrier missed on the loyalty side. And lots of frequent flyers got a ton of award seats as a result.
JetBlue takes the A220, refreshing its smaller aircraft fleet.
JetBlue signed on as the very first customer for the newly renamed Airbus A220-300, formerly known as the CSeries CS300. The firm order for 60 frames, plus options for another 60, was announced just hours after Airbus hosted an event in Toulouse formally unveiling the new branding.
Delta’s CRJ900 order brings Atmosphère, improved passenger experience to the skies
A new cabin layout is coming to Delta’s newest CRJ900s starting later this year. Some 20 new planes will feature Bombardier’s Atmosphère third generation interior, with larger bins and a much bigger lav. Sure, it is still more regional jets, but it could be a lot worse.
Hawaiian, JAL go all-in on joint venture application
Can a joint venture truly deliver passenger benefits in the form of better connections and reduced fares? The proposal from JAL and Hawaiian Airlines might be the best chance we’ve seen yet to deliver on such promises.
WestJet Plus goes legit with Recaro CL4710
Euro-biz is going away on some WestJet planes. The carrier is upgrading its WestJet Plus offering to feature the Recaro CL4710 in a proper 2-2 cabin layout. This further moves the company away from its LCC roots and into a role as a global premium operator.
[PR] Air Canada brings 2Ku online for intercontinental flights
Air Canada’s long-haul travelers get a new option for inflight connectivity and it is a good one. The carrier’s 19-strong fleet 777-300ER aircraft now serve up internet with the Gogo 2Ku service on board.