Articles tagged “iberia”

Singapore’s so-called fast lane arrangement with China offers a glimpse into how employees could soon be traveling, but this type of shortcut won't be easy to replicate across the rest of the world.

He's been hinting at it for a while, but it's still something of a shock to hear that Willie Walsh is finally hanging up his boots. The Air Europa deal — should it come off — looks like his last hurrah.

The funding of French startup Mindsay may be small news. But interviews with its customers Iberia and CWT suggest that a second wave of chatbot technology has stopped frustrating travelers with as many misunderstandings as the earlier tech did. That's a big deal for the sector.

IAG's outspoken CEO Willie Walsh has always been confident about post-Brexit flying rights — unlike some other airline bosses. The problem is the European Union seems to have other ideas.

The European Union's decision to investigate Lufthansa's surcharge represents a potential blow to the airline industry, which is attempting to wrestle back control from intermediaries. Although the transport commission confirmed an investigation, it doesn't appear that any decision is imminent.

For economic reasons, the transatlantic aviation market has been a hotbed of innovation since the first direct flight almost 100 years ago. Building on the foundations set before, the new disrupters believe we are on the verge of a huge change. Will it last?

A surprising number of airlines held out against adding premium economy as long as they could. But now most big airlines have added it or plan to. That's good news for passengers who want a little bit more space at a reasonable price.

Many of the world's airlines know they're not as good as retailers like Amazon in targeting offers for individual passengers. A lot of carriers want to improve, so they can get the right offer in front of the right person at the right time. But it won't be easy, since airlines often have clunky computer systems.

Willie Walsh is not afraid to make decisions that anger employee unions and disappoint some passengers. That may seem like poor strategy, but it's a big part of the reason that International Airlines Group is in better shape than most of Europe's other airlines. Sometimes, an executive must make unpopular decisions to ensure the long-term success of a business.

Over the years British Airways has quietly built up a substantial package holidays business and parent company IAG is reaping the benefits. Whether this can be replicated at other parts of the business, is another matter.