Justin Bachman, Bloomberg
United Airlines has been at a disadvantage at competitive hubs because it has fewer regional jets with first class and extra-legroom seats than American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. This new product will erase that gap. But putting 50 seats on 70-seat airplane is a big gamble.
4 weeks ago
Brian Sumers, Skift
This priority boarding craze is getting out of hand. Almost no one wants to get on an airplane 45 minutes before it departs. People go nuts over boarding early because they have overhead bin anxiety. Can we just start charging for bin space? It's a precious resource for which demand outstrips supply.
1 month ago
Brian Sumers, Skift
American Airlines has made a lot of excuses for its performance this year. It blames so many of its problems on a labor dispute and the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max. But perhaps there's something more here?
2 months ago
Brian Sumers, Skift
The majority of U.S. travelers don't have to worry about how they'll upgrade on United Airlines. But United's most loyal customers, who contribute more than their share of revenue, care deeply about the process. United can't make things too difficult for them, or they will defect.
2 months ago
Justin Bachman, Bloomberg
At two annual conferences, executives from Boeing and Airbus love to talk about the aircraft of the future. They drop buzz phrases like "internet of things." And yet, as travelers know, the aircraft cabin changes very little, year after year. Airlines are not big risk takers. They like what has always worked.
2 months ago
Brian Sumers, Skift
Spirit Airlines is taking delivery of new aircraft, so this is an easy time for the airline to add more comfortable seats. The big question is will the airline pay to retrofit older jets to new standards? That's an expensive proposition, but it would show the airline is paying attention to passenger desires.
3 months ago
Brian Sumers, Skift
People think airlines don't listen to customers. But they do, especially when revenue is at stake. American's most lucrative customers fly in first class, and when they're not happy, it's a problem. We're not surprised American is changing course on its short-haul first class product.
3 months ago
Brian Sumers, Skift
At most airlines, the advertising tagline is just for marketing. But Delta seems to take its tagline — "Keep Climbing" — a little more seriously than its competitors.
4 months ago
IBM + Skift
Airline employees, in spite of being the first point of contact for most airline passengers, often don’t have access to the right data at the right time. Empowering them with the appropriate tools is imperative for driving real personalization and loyalty in the future.
4 months ago
Alia Akkam, Skift
For long-haul flights SAS lacks the size and scale to compete with its much larger European competitors. On short-haul routes the airline can't compete with the cost structure of the continent's strongest low-cost-carriers. But there's one place it probably does have an edge: its onboard food.
5 months ago
Brian Sumers, Skift
With their onboard food and drink programs, airlines want to keep passengers happy. But they also want to keep costs reasonable.
7 months ago
Brian Sumers, Skift
This could go one of two ways. Passengers could revolt, taking to social media to complain about Delta's decision to reduce recline on 62 airplanes. Or customers could be pleasantly surprised at how much space they'll have under Delta's new test configuration.
7 months ago
