The Business of Passenger Experience
When senior airline executives are willing to trash their vendors in public that's usually bad news for everyone involved. Welcome to the inflight connectivity world, where airlines are almost as unhappy as the passengers struggling to stay online in the sky. Alas, only part of that frustration is grounded in reality.
Singapore Airlines is reclaiming the role as operator of the world’s longest flight. The carrier confirmed today that it will serve Newark nonstop from its Changi Airport hub using the Airbus A350-900ULR starting in October 2018. That’s nearly 19 hours on board, a trip that requires certain accommodations to keep passengers sane.
Fares are going up across the Pond. All three major alliance JVs now offer some sort of Basic Economy for transatlantic travel. The Star Alliance A++ group launched its version this week, with sales starting 5 June 2018. No checked bag, no changes and no upgrades are the main limits, though there is more nuance in the details.
Tired of waiting for the United Polaris Lounge to open at LAX? Or maybe you just demand the ultimate in privacy during the airport experience. For those willing to pay the price United now has an ultra-premium option available. And it is a hefty price to pay.
United is moving around its east coast operations, shifting more connections to Dulles and away from Newark. Can the NYC-area hub hold up under the new schedule load? And will travelers really flock to the “better” connection opportunities on CRJ-200s??
Spirit Airlines will add inflight wifi as it seeks to improve the onboard passenger experience. The carrier's full fleet will carry Thales FlytLIVE hardware by the end of Summer 2019.
A decade of bribery and illicit payments came to an abrupt end a couple years ago. Now Panasonic Avionics is looking to move on. The company settled its case with the US Department of Justice and SEC, paying massive fines but avoiding further issues.
It was a busy week for United Airlines where the biggest news may have been lost in the shuffle. It isn’t as sexy as lie-flat seating but the new Aspire economy class seats now flying deliver some real improvements for passengers. And one significant drawback, too.
How to grow in a highly competitive west coast market while limiting risk, staying small, and maintaining the better than average inflight product a company is known for? JetBlue tapped into the JetSuiteX offering to add west coast routes starting in May.
Surprised that changes are coming to United Airlines’ Polaris service? Apparently the cuts are coming because of customer preference, so there’s that.
