I have previously written about the Star Alliance and Skyteam Frequent Flyer programs. Time to draw my attention to One World. The OneWorld alliance has three status tiers named after gemstones. The OneWorld alliance has three status tiers named after gemstones. Emerald Sapphire Ruby Thanks to Qantas for this handy list of the benefits linked to each status. My favourites are priority check in and lounge access. I do not check luggage in so that feature is one that I rarely use. Like the other airline groupings, it is really the top tiers that are the holy…
Airline News (Friday)
Category Archives for Airline News (Friday).
Laughing through the new British Airways Safety Video -for a good cause
Just watched the new British Airways safety video which will be rolled out onto their aircraft on September 1st, 2017. This safety video was produced in collaboration with Comic Relief, who are a major charity based in the UK, with a vision of a just world, free from poverty. Ten British celebrities are depicted auditioning for a coveted part in the new BA safety video in front of comedian Asim Chaudhry character Chabuddy G. There are eight sketches advertising the safety features and procedures on the aircraft. It starts with Chiwetel Ejiofor, who was nominated for…
Best Airlines in the World (my reactions and comments)
Who is the best airline you have flown? Chances are, it is not US carrier! Each year at the Paris Air Show, Skytrax releases their rankings of airlines including world’s best airlines, best cabin crew, most improved etc. Of this year’s Top 100 airlines, I have flown exactly half of them. How Reliable is Skytrax? Skytrax claims its World Airline Awards to be “the global benchmarks of airline excellence” with almost 20 million travellers from 105 countries voting on 320 airlines between August 2016 and May 2017. Yet each year I question some of their statistics. This…
All about SkyTeam- Comparing airlines and Elite Earning
Of the seven airline alliances, Skyteam is the one I have had the least to do with. You will usually find me on a OneWorld plane before a SkyTeam flight! Of my 1200+ flights, almost half have been on a One World carrier, a fifth with a Star Alliance airline and fewer than ten percent have been via a Skyteam partner. This is caused by three things: Australia and New Zealand have never had a Skyteam member, I have had elite status with Qantas /One World and Star Alliance carriers for over a decade My concern/perception that…
All about Star Alliance on their 20th Anniversary
Chances are you have seen The Star Alliance symbol on aeroplanes, airline check-in counters, airport lounges or Boarding Passes. Started by just five airlines 20 years old this week, it is the biggest of the six major airline groupings across the world. – The Six Major Airline Alliances These groupings of airlines share sales office, ground support and lounges, code share flights and jointly market their products. The benefit for us, is that the Alliance allows customers to get similar reciprocal benefits across the airline members. By size the alliances are: Star Alliance has 27 member…
Europe’s LCC Wizz is 14 -plans to keep on Wizzing!
I have been fascinated with Wizzair for over a decade. They have been aiming for dominance of European skies from their Hungarian base. Celebrating their 14th birthday this month, they now operate 80 aircraft from 19 bases in ten countries across Central and Eastern Europe flying to a massive 140 cities in 50 countries. They have now flown 100 million people. For most of its history, Wizzair reportedly lost money. So much so that in 2009, they were voted by Bookmaker Paddy Power as the next airline likely to go bust. Interesting that both airlines Wizz were…
Altialia – The Eternal Airline?
They call Rome, the eternal city. The airline that flies there must be the same. Every time we think Alitalia is about to go, it has been reprieved. In 2013 I thought they were finally doomed but they kept on flying. It has come at a high cost and with a huge amount of support. Over the last decade, Alitalia as received seven billion euros worth of support. In 2008 the Italian government and a group of Italian companies rescued the carrier. Then in 2014, Etihad bought a 49% stake and attempted to work with the company…
All About New Low Cost Carrier “Level”, the new IAG airline
A new airline is always interesting. When it is backed up and owned by IAG, International Airlines Group which also owns Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, this is even more interesting. IAG announced last year they would be starting a Long Haul Low Cost Carrier. This week, the name was revealed. It will be called “LEVEL” and will start flying in June this year. LEVEL (I am not sure about the name personally) will join other low-cost carriers like AirAsiaX, Jetstar, Norwegian and Scoot by offering long haul flights. Most Low-Cost Carriers are…
Like a Mirror: Airline survey gives telling data about US Air Travellers.
Last Tuesday, some great stats came out about the state air travel in the USA. For example, the number of Americans flying last year hit a new record with forty-nine percent of the population taking at least one air trip. That does mean 51 percent of the US population did not fly in 2016. Eleven percent of Americans have never flown, down from the year before. I find it astounding that one in ten Americans have never been inside a plane for an air journey. Eighty-nine percent of people took less than five air trips last…
Aeroflot tops Most Powerful Airline Brands
I have never flown Aeroflot (or its Russian rival S7 for that matter). Concerns about safety and service have always put me off and I have never flown to Russia. This week, Brand Finance announced that Aeroflot is the most powerful airline brand in the world with a AAA Brand rating. Brand Finance believe that dominance in the Russian domestic market (the collapse of competitor Transaero in 2015 would have been a fillip for Aeroflot. Combined with a new marketing investment, a renewed fleet and Russia’s growing status as a global hub have all contributed to…
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