Airline News

The app is nifty, but they had us at "free."

We're a bit surprised by the color and trim choices, given the airline's palette and design scheme for the rest of the aircraft, but overall it's a great product. This should be a very nice option for passengers who want more than the airline's excellent boutique Economy class, but aren't ready to dish-out the fare for a Business class ticket.

British Airways' move signals more moves to come. Will American make it better for its flyers?

If Samsung can make something like this affordable for airlines to feature as the ultimate escape from the crowded Economy cabin, we're sold.

If you're going to pay more, you expect more. These airlines really get that.

JetBlue's changes are all part of the evolution of JetBlue from a low cost carrier to one that navigates a middle ground between Spirit and Southwest, one the one hand, and American, United and Delta, on the other, all in the name of maximizing profit and pleasing Wall Street.

American and US Airways reacted fairly quickly to the competitive threat from the low cost carriers, but this battle will be ongoing in 2015.

Outfitting aircraft with Wi-Fi is part of the battle. As Routehappy points out, the quality is still lacking with fewer than one percent of flights in the U.S. equipped with Wi-Fi that has the bandwidth to stream video.

These airlines understand that the only way to get ahead of the competition is to provide a unique cabin product and great service. The most successful ones are also very good about consistently delivering an exceptional passenger experience. They'll spoil you.

U.S. airlines, including United, are finally making sustained profits and they are scrambling to reward shareholders. Employees, such as Delta's, who participate in profit-sharing plans will benefit but there is only lip-service being directed at benefiting another important stakeholder -- passengers. Too bad.