JetBlue’s First Female President and 14 Other Aviation Trends This Week

>>Airlines need more diversity at the senior leadership levels. But new JetBlue President and COO Joanna Geraghty would prefer to be known for more than her gender. That seems like a fair request, no? Let’s see if she can fix the airline’s on-time performance: JetBlue’s First Female President Wants More Diversity and Higher Profits

>>Bob Crandall called it in the late 1970s, saying airline deregulation would be the ruination of U.S. aviation. You can credit the retired American Airlines chairman and CEO with consistency as he argues that airline mergers — and mergers in general — have contributed to capital accumulation at the expense of workers, and the demise of small cities: American Airlines Legend Bob Crandall on How Mergers Led to Increased Inequality

>>JetBlue is doing its best to ensure its cost-cutting approach won’t affect passengers. But on the periphery, the airline’s customers might notice some differences as JetBlue tries to remove $300 million in non-fuel cost by 2020: Can JetBlue Cut Costs and Maintain Margins While Fuel Prices Keep Rising?

>>IAG has big plans for Level and with a new dedicated CEO, we can expect further expansion. The only question is what would happen to the carrier if the airline group added Norwegian to its growing family: British Airways Owner Poaches Flybe Executive to Run Low-Cost Carrier Level

>>It’s been a difficult few months for Ryanair, with many of its problems showing no sign of abating. Still, Ryanair remains in robust financial health. And if fuel prices keep rising and capacity doesn’t fall, we should expect it to come out on top: Ryanair’s Summer of Strife Dents Profits

>>In June of 2020, Air Canada and Aeroplan will officially split. Aeroplan last week announced a new strategy and made the case for members to stick with its program after the milestone parting: Aeroplan Prepares for Life After Air Canada

>>Any luxury industry experiencing an uptick in new, affluent young customers has a right to be bullish about growth, but it is a combination of logistics, customer service and branding that will eventually set the winners apart from the other players: The Growth and Democratization of Flying Private

>>Booking a seat on a private jet is easier than ever, and there are lots of companies out there thinking more and more people will give it a try. But how low does the price have to go to gain any traction? The Changing Market for Private Jets

>>Other than Southwest, Allegiant Air is the most consistently profitable airline in the United States. But given higher fuel prices and some recent negative press, how long will Allegiant’s streak last? We’re betting it continues for awhile: Allegiant Air Remains Solidly Profitable Despite Higher Fuel Prices and Other Challenges

>>U.S. bankruptcy law is more forgiving than in many countries, which is why many airlines have had multiple iterations. Now, eight years after filing for bankruptcy, Mesa Air Group again wants to be traded on public markets. Assuming it goes forward with an IPO, it’ll be interesting to see if investors return: Are Investors Ready to Forgive U.S. Regional Airlines?

>>With Norwegian and others out of the way, Ryanair would have access to more pilots and probably be able to reduce its aircraft costs: Ryanair Plans to Capitalize on Norwegian’s Problems

>>When Delta Air Lines launched Basic Economy, it allowed a free carry-on bag. When American Airlines subsequently launched a similar fare type, it barred free carry-ons, and that has turned out to be a poor decision because American has been losing market share to Delta: American Airlines Cites the Competition in Forcing Basic Economy Changes

>>Spirit Airlines increasingly aims to prove it is possible to be cheap and loved: Spirit Airlines Makes Gains Despite Rising Fuel Prices

>>There’s no doubt U.S. airlines are spooked by higher oil prices. By historical levels, they’re not that bad. But perhaps they’re catching carriers by surprise: Alaska Airlines Made a Costly Loyalty Mistake by Offering Too Many Free Seats

>>You have to give Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly credit. Analysts are constantly prodding him to embrace tried-and-true approaches for generating ancillary revenue. For the most part, he resists. He doesn’t want to mess with the airline’s secret sauce: Southwest CEO Says Assigned Seats Still Don’t Make Sense