Skift Travel News Blog

Air New Zealand has revealed further details around its new Skynest product, which is set to be available on ultra-long haul flights from September 2024, according to the airline.

The unique six-pod configured sleep zone will offer economy and premium economy fliers the chance to lie down and rest during long-haul flights, adding ‘more flexibility to the economy travel experience’.

Each pod is set to include all of the essentials required for a restful sleep, including a pillow, blanket and ear plugs, along with a USB port, ambient lighting and a privacy curtain.

“Our 83-year history is marked by a commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. SkyNest is the latest example, and we’re proud to be leading the way with this world-first cabin feature,” said Air New Zealand’s chief customer and sales officer, Leanne Geraghty.

“We’re delighted that customers are as excited about this new innovation as we are. Our extensive research and design process, which spanned five years and 170,000 hours, has resulted in a product that we’re confident will revolutionize the in-flight experience for Economy passengers,” she continued.

With prices looking to start at around $400 for a 4-hour period, it seems that the luxury of laying down during your flight may no longer be reserved for only First and Business Class fliers.

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JetBlue is set to become the first major U.S. airline to sell non-alcoholic beer during domestic flights thanks to a new partnership with Athletic Brewing Company. 

From May 2023, JetBlue flyers will be able to purchase Athletic Brewing’s non-alcoholic offering ‘Upside Dawn’ at 35,000 feet, aligning with JetBlue’s continued commitment to provide customers with ‘high-quality, delicious food and beverage offerings for diverse palates’.

The non-alcoholic drinks market is booming, with the IWSR reporting that the no/low alcohol product market surpassed a value of $11billion in 2022. Furthermore, a study from NCSolutions showed that one in three Americans are trying to consume less alcohol in 2023, so JetBlue is right on time with this new offering.

“In our continued effort to provide customers with an onboard experience customized to their needs and preferences, JetBlue is proud to be the first major U.S. airline to serve non-alcoholic beer,” said Mariya Stoyanova, director of product development, JetBlue.

“We’re thrilled to partner with industry leader Athletic Brewing to offer our customers the refreshing, balanced taste of a classic craft Golden without the alcohol.”

At the 2023 Skift IDEA Awards, we are looking to highlight the projects that are defining the future of aviation, airlines, and the traveler experience.

If you have an exciting initiative that deserves to be celebrated, head over to the Skift IDEA Awards and start your application today.

flydubai has unveiled the latest evolution in its premium business class offering, ‘The Business suite’, which is set to be introduced on select flights within its network.

The Dubai-based carrier is the launch customer for this brand-new seat, having worked in close collaboration with Safran Seats, a leading manufacturer of aircraft seats and JPA Design, a design company operating in the transportation, interiors, and product design arenas.

Announced at the 2023 Arabian Travel Market, the first aircraft featuring the new Business Suite is expected in November, with flydubai anticipating the new offering being available on up to six aircraft by the first quarter of 2024.

The new suites have been designed exclusively for single-aisle aircraft, and will allow direct aisle access for every passenger, providing guests the option to have a fully-closed suite experience or a more traditional open plan seat. The new pods will also feature discreet stowage solutions, ambient lighting and an increased on-board entertainment package.

“flydubai is committed to exceeding expectations. Our business and product offerings have evolved from the initial no-frills model over the past 14 years to cater to the ever-growing needs of our customers and the markets we operate to,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer at flydubai.

“We have come a long way since the introduction of our first Business Class offering in 2013, which has served us well… we are proud to unveil a new premium product which rivals the Business Class experience offered by many airlines on wide-body aircraft. We will continue to invest in innovation to enhance the customer experience across our growing fleet.”

At the 2023 Skift IDEA Awards, we are looking for the projects defining the future of aviation, airlines, and the traveler experience.

If you have an exciting initiative to share, head over to the Skift IDEA Awards and start your submission today!

Virgin Atlantic is launching a new on-board activity pack and meal selection for its younger traveler’s this summer.

Younger guests departing from UK airports will receive their packs at the departure gate, and will include sunglasses, a sensory poppit toy, a holiday journal and an activity book with a selection of colored pencils, all created in partnership with RowType.

Furthermore, Virgin Atlantic will also be enhancing its catering offering for younger traveler’s.

The new menu will include a range of new healthy snacks, including an organic smoothie, giant cookie, cheese dippers, and fruit bowl. Additionally, chicken goujons, sweetcorn, and potato wedges will be added to the menu.

Paul Mills, head of inflight services at Virgin Atlantic said, “We’re incredibly pleased to announce our new kids’ pack and enhanced meal offering for children traveling with Virgin Atlantic. We love creating unique moments for all our customers onboard Virgin Atlantic, including our younger travelers.”

At the 2023 Skift IDEA Awards, we are looking for the most innovative airline projects defining the future of aviation, airlines, and the traveler experience.

Do you have an innovative technology product that deserves recognition? Head to the Skift IDEA Awards and start your submission today.

Businesses, community activists and trade bodies in the Netherlands have come together to launch campaign ‘Red Schiphol,’ in response to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport’s move to set a cap on the number of flights going in and out of the airport.

In June last year, the Schiphol Airport set a cap on the number of passengers – 70,000 passengers a day, it can handle during the summer travel season due to labor shortages.

In February this year, the government proposed a cap of 440,000 flights a year in an effort to reduce noise pollution and to be environmentally-friendly. The move by one of Europe’s busiest airports means that airlines including KLM, the Dutch subsidiary of Air France-KLM , will have to cancel an unspecified number of flights.

Now, a collaborative effort by Dutch businesses and citizens aims to reverse the decision with the reasoning that limiting the flights to Schiphol will simply divert the traffic to other airports, and do little to reduce aviation emissions. It will also potentially affect the 84,000 jobs that could be jeopardized if Dutch air travel was weakened. 

“Schiphol Airport is a national asset that helps the Netherlands to punch above its weight in terms of global business connectivity,” said George Chichester, Red Schiphol Campaign Manager. “The airport directly employs over 2,000 people and supports many more jobs throughout the wider economy.” 

For context, prior to the pandemic, the aviation industry contributed €22 billion ($23.6 billion) to the country’s GDP and in 2019 Amsterdam was the third-best internationally connected city in Europe.

Chichester added that the increase in ticket prices caused by competition would be hard on the Dutch population, which is already facing higher energy prices and cost of living.

“Rich travelers will be able to shoulder these costs, but ordinary families will have to cut back on travel,” Chichester added.

The organization has launched a signature petition to convince the government to reverse its decision. 

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 13.4 million people over the five-day Memorial Day holiday weekend travel period. That is the highest number since 2019, when TSA screened 14.4 million people over the same period.

But while travel demand came back strong as expected, it was not an easy weekend to fly. U.S. airlines cancelled more than 7,000 flights over the five-day period, according to data from Cowen & Co. and FlightAware. Delta Air Lines, which warned on May 26 that it would “thin” schedules over the holiday weekend, cancelled more than 700 flights.

“We expect a busy summer, and are concerned about the industry’s ability to handle the demand,” Cowen analyst Helane Becker wrote Tuesday. “Delta and JetBlue announced flight cancelations for July and into August as they try to get a handle on staffing. We also expect ticket prices to be high through the summer as demand exceeds supply. The lack of crew members means smaller cities will continue to lose service and pricing should be strong through at least Labor Day.”