Skift Take
This week in aviation, after 48 years, Southwest Airlines is considering adding a different aircraft type. Meanwhile, JetBlue is focusing more on its Caribbean and Latin American flights as the company prepares to leave Mexico City.
Airline News Weekly Roundup
Throughout the week we post dozens of original stories, connecting the dots across the travel industry, and every weekend we sum it all up. This weekend roundup examines aviation.
For all of our weekend roundups, go here.
Southwest Will Look at Buying Jets Other Than Boeing 737s After 48-Year Run: Southwest Airlines always is hesitant to mess with its secret sauce. But it’s a gigantic airline, and it might benefit from operating more than one aircraft type.
JetBlue Airways Pulls Back to Regroup on Latin America and Caribbean Strategy: It isn’t easy being in the airline business, but airlines have one advantage over a traditional company. Their assets are mobile. If a carrier like JetBlue discovers softness in one region, it can move its airplanes elsewhere.
Time for Airlines to Get Tough (Real Tough) on Boeing: The text messages between Boeing test pilots that came out recently may not be a smoking gun, but they don’t look good. How will airlines respond? Let’s hope with some backbone.
Norwegian Air Just Might Have Found a Way to Save Itself: Well, well, well, who was expecting that? Not only did Norwegian beat stock market expectations on profitability, it announced details for its long-awaited joint venture and teased plans about a bold new direction.
Former Thomas Cook CEOs Take Low Road Blaming Each Other for Past Mistakes: It was the appearance everyone was waiting for. The two former Thomas Cook CEOs had very, very different ideas about how to run a travel company. The problem is that the business is no longer around, meaning they are both somewhat tarnished by failure.
Boeing Claims It’s Close to Returning 737 Max to Service: Boeing said Wednesday it expects regulators in some countries soon will approve its fixes to the 737 Max program. We’ve heard this before. But indications seem to suggest Boeing is close this time.
Finnair Sees No Impact From Flight Shame Movement: Flight shaming as a concept is now well established, and airlines are certainly under much more pressure to showcase their green credentials. The impact on passenger numbers, however, is so far limited.
American Airlines Gets Ready to Bounce Back in 2020: American Airlines has had a rough year. But on its third-quarter earnings call, top executives made a compelling argument that they’ve turned things around. Are they right? Or was it just spin?
Will Delta’s Subscription-Based Loyalty Perks Catch On? For those who are willing to pay for access, Delta’s SkyMiles Select program is a good alternative to flying the requisite miles to earn elite status. But it also sets an interesting precedent for paying for overhead bin space.
Amadeus and Sabre Sign Up for New Approach to Flight Selling: New deals mean that offline and online travel agencies will more quickly and commonly see richly descriptive details about what any given airfare includes, such as facts about legroom and photos of premium class seats. But don’t hold your breath in anticipation. Travel sellers have to wait another five years before next-gen selling will become the norm for agents.
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Tags: aviation, Travel Trends, trends roundups
Photo credit: A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas. The company might deviate from its all-737 strategy. Stephen M. Keller / Southwest Airlines