JetBlue’s New Competition and 3 Other Aviation Trends This Week

>>JetBlue’s president and its CEO say they’re not worried about competing with JetBlue’s founder, David Neeleman, who may be starting a new U.S. airline as soon as 2020. Behind the scenes, we bet it’s not their favorite idea. But we do believe they’re not surprised Neeleman wants back in. Ever since Neeleman was pushed out of JetBlue, insiders expected he would return someday: JetBlue Girds for New Competition as Its Founder Prepares to Start a New U.S. Airline

>>U.S. airlines can reach some Western European airports profitably with narrow-body aircraft. But even the best narrow-body planes have some range issues. If it wants to fly to Europe, JetBlue will need to decide whether it can do so with the A321LR, or whether it should wait for a longer-range aircraft: JetBlue Eyes Europe and Airbus’ New Jet With Longer Range

>>Lufthansa Group’s Airlinecheckins.com may not be the most amazing innovation ever, but considering it only took about 30,000 euros to build, the return on investment has been impressive. The platform allows customers to check in for flights on more than 200 airlines. And as the facilitator, Lufthansa gets a lot of data about passenger preferences: Video: Why Lufthansa Group Helps Customers From Other Airlines Check In for Flights

>>The so-called soft product is often the first to get the knife as airlines undergo turnarounds. Thanks to patient, long-term investors and the desire to be customer-centric, Cathay is investing in its lounges and end-to-end experiences even in the middle of a business turnaround: Cathay Pacific’s Long View on Investing Outside of Its Jets