Associated Press
The decisions by Bahrain and United Arab Emirates isn't a game-changer for Qatar but does portend a crack in the anti-Qatar coalition.
1 week ago
Christopher Jasper and Benjamin Katz , Bloomberg
We've heard great things about the performance of Bombardier's jet, a fuel-efficient aircraft that should be able to fly into challenging airports like London City and Aspen, Colorado. But airlines don't need that many planes capable of reaching difficult mountain or city airports, so this is a niche play.
Rod McGuirk, Associated Press
The families and the rest of us, deserve an answer to what happened to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. If a private company can get the job done and the fee isn't exhorbitant then the Malaysia government should get on board.
Brian Sumers, Skift
In the not too distant future, we expect bots will be sophisticated enough to handle almost all customer service inquires sent via text message. But we're not there yet, so it's refreshing Hawaiian Airlines is going with an all-human approach.
Deena Kamel Yousef and Glen Carey, Bloomberg
JetBlue and other carriers in North America could be on Qatar Airways' target list for investment after being spurned by American Airlines. It remains to be seen, though, whether JetBlue would welcome the outspoken Akbar Al Baker.
Christine Jenkins, Bloomberg
Venezuela's economic and political problems are leading to its increased isolation from the rest of the world. Airlines are caught up in the mess and many have no choice but to erase Venezuela from their route maps.
Christopher Jasper, Bloomberg
Cutting ties with its franchise partner is going to hurt Loganair at least in the short term. To succeed at going it alone, the airline needs to build a brand identity that resonates with consumers while keeping costs down.
David Koenig, Associated Press
Strong turbulence may be underreported by U.S. airlines due to loose government regulations, but flyers still aren't likely to be injured by it.
Sean O'Neill, Skift
JetBlue will be one of the first airlines to build unified records of all the interactions that each customer has with it via phone, text, and so forth. We hope other airlines copy the move to improve their service.
Some airlines had defended overbooking as a must-have tool in their revenue management arsenals but the social media backlash forced them to modify their ways.
Grant Martin, Skift
When you add up the PR value for Qatar as well as the good will it engenders among travelers (especially those adding to their oneworld alliance point totals), the snafu was a smart move.
2 weeks ago
Alan Levin, Bloomberg
The National Transportation Safety Board had a solution six years ago that would have mitigated the risks of an aircraft landing on a crowded taxiway but the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration failed to act. No, this does not mean we need to privatize air traffic control.
