Airline News

These are the aviation trends we were talking about this week.

By the standards of every other major U.S. airline, Southwest doesn't do anything right. Except prove them wrong on profits quarter after quarter after quarter.

And at this juncture, Etihad CEO James Hogan says it's all "good." He's giving airline alliances grief, making strides in honing the passenger experience and obviously enjoying the gig despite the hassles of facing off against the bullying of some of the largest airlines in the world.

Airlines would strongly disagree with all of this. In fairness, airlines have their own cost burdens to tackle. But an extra $4 each way is hardly the worst air travel fee we’ve come across. Especially since their ancillary fees are one giant tax dodge.

An emphasis on understated style allows for smart fares that will make these cabins really attractive to passengers in Northern Europe (and beyond).

Any deal at 10,000 miles is better than no deal at 10,000 miles.

These are the aviation trends we were talking about this week.

What we should really be asking is: if these airlines can compete with suites, why doesn’t everybody else? The fault is in the dark shadows of cabin footprint strategies. That's a story for another day--very soon.

Despite Kelly's rhetoric about being "the low-cost carrier," Southwest has probably transitioned beyond that positioning. Still, the largest U.S. domestic carrier indeed has room to grow in the U.S. and internationally, as well.

Contractors let the airports save a few bucks, but it means they are less safe than they would be if workers had decent pay and benefits.