Articles by Brian Sumers

Airline Upgrades Lead to a Purloined Pillow Problem

Airline Upgrades Lead to a Purloined Pillow Problem

Brian Sumers, Skift

Why can't business class passengers have nice things? Here's one problem: When airlines upgrade their amenities, passengers often steal them.

15 hours ago

An Aviation Schmooze Fest Reveals a Passenger’s Wish List for Jet Travel

An Aviation Schmooze Fest Reveals a Passenger’s Wish List for Jet Travel

Brian Sumers, Skift

Yes, there's some innovation on display at the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. But mostly, the three-day show is about networking and building relationships.

5 days ago

Why News of Allegiant Air’s Safety Record Didn’t Surprise Airline Insiders

Why News of Allegiant Air’s Safety Record Didn’t Surprise Airline Insiders

Brian Sumers, Skift

The information presented Sunday on 60 Minutes might be new to most travelers, but not to airline industry insiders. The question now: Is Allegiant getting better? We think the answer is yes.

5 days ago

United Moving Ahead With Making Business Class More Sleep-Friendly

United Moving Ahead With Making Business Class More Sleep-Friendly

Brian Sumers, Skift

United's first quarter earnings call was uneventful. For an airline that has had more than its share of drama over the past four years, that's a good thing.

5 days ago

Southwest’s Engine Type Considered Among Most Reliable Despite Recent Issues

Southwest’s Engine Type Considered Among Most Reliable Despite Recent Issues

Brian Sumers, Skift

The pictures from Southwest Flight 1380 are scary. But flying remains incredibly safe. Investigators will undoubtedly figure out what happened, and when they do, flying will be even safer.

6 days ago

U.S. Airlines May Have to Avoid Russian Airspace as Diplomatic Talks Continue

U.S. Airlines May Have to Avoid Russian Airspace as Diplomatic Talks Continue

Nick Wadhams, Bloomberg

If the two countries can't resolve this issue quickly, it could be costly for U.S. carriers. America's airlines often overfly eastern Russia to get to east Asia. They don't necessarily need to, but other routings take longer and burn more fuel.

6 days ago

Spirit Airlines Considers Smaller Jets With an Eye Toward Expansion

Spirit Airlines Considers Smaller Jets With an Eye Toward Expansion

Mary Schlangenstein, Bloomberg

Under previous management, Spirit Airlines only wanted the largest single-aisle aircraft, as it flew almost exclusively between the biggest U.S. markets. Now Spirit is looking at other route options, and it may want smaller aircraft. That makes sense.

6 days ago

Virgin America as Standalone Brand Disappears Next Week

Virgin America as Standalone Brand Disappears Next Week

Brian Sumers, Skift

After acquiring Virgin America, Alaska Airlines will switch to a single reservations system next week. The company is confident it will avoid some of the problems other airlines have faced after cutovers. We tend to agree. Let's hope it's a non-event.

1 week ago

How Damaging Will a 60 Minutes Report Be to Allegiant Air?

How Damaging Will a 60 Minutes Report Be to Allegiant Air?

Brian Sumers, Skift

The 60 Minutes report on Sunday about Allegiant Air was solid, serious journalism. But it wasn't much of a surprise to industry insiders, who have known about the carrier's issues for awhile. Will executives have to deal with a wider fallout now?

1 week ago

Canadian Bill to Relax Foreign Ownership Laws on Airlines and Railways Hits a Snag

Canadian Bill to Relax Foreign Ownership Laws on Airlines and Railways Hits a Snag

Frederic Tomesco and Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg

The proposed bill establish new airline-passenger rights for customers in Canada, so that's good news for consumers.

1 week ago

Airlines Struggle to Keep Dreamliners Flying Because of Engine Issues

Airlines Struggle to Keep Dreamliners Flying Because of Engine Issues

Christopher Jasper, Benjamin Katz and Alan Levin, Bloomberg

Worldwide, the airline industry is booming. But there's at least one problem. Airlines are struggling with reliability problems with two engines types — one from Pratt & Whitney and the other from Rolls Royce. Airlines are having to remove planes from service, and they hate that. Aircraft only make money when they fly.

1 week ago

Why Southwest Has So Many Flights That Leave Before 6 a.m.

Why Southwest Has So Many Flights That Leave Before 6 a.m.

Brian Sumers, Skift

Southwest added a bunch of flights earlier this year departing before 6 a.m., and passengers didn't seem to like them. But fear not. It's a short-term thing.

2 weeks ago

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