Air New Zealand, my fourth favourite airline* are offering special fares this next two weeks to destinations in Australia, NZ, the UK and USA. For Aussie passengers, there are deals to four US destinations: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu and their new Houston hub. Sydney to Houston is $A958 in Economy plus add a bag for $1 or $A2,631 in their wonderful Premium Economy. Melbourne to Houston is $A941 in Economy plus add a bag for $1 or $A2,614 in Premium. One way fares are actually higher than round trip! You fly via Auckland. For US customers, the sale…
Airline News (Friday)
Category Archives for Airline News (Friday).
Virgin America’s New Logo…um wait a sec…
Virgin America revealed their new logo today. Yes it does look like what you think it looks like… Interestingly it bear’s some resemblance to Aibnb’s logo which caused a stir when it was launched: It is an April 1st Prank but many people thought it was serious.Virgin have described this new logo as “A labor of love” and say “Fundamentally, this is a human-centered brand – one that hits you where it hurts.” They further say: ” They further say: “The combination of sharp angles and sleek, sexy, supple curves are meant to surprise and delight…
Spicejet’s Non -Airborne Happy Holi Celebrations
I love Festivals and cultural events around the world. Today is Purim in the Jewish calendar, Maundy Thursday in the Christian one and for Hindus, it is Holi. Holi is known as the festival of colours or the festival of love and believed to signify the victory of good over evil. Those who celebrate do so by throwing brightly coloured, perfumed powders, and coloured waters at everyone! The Festival has given birth to The Colour Run which is billed as “the Happiest 5k on the Planet”,with 300+ events in 50+ countries. Last year, Spicejet organised a…
The airlines that vanished in 2015
Over 50 carriers failed in 2015. Many of them, frankly won’t be missed. I have flown none of them (and in some cases it seems no one else flew them either!). There were some very long standing airlines that went under and a couple that lasted just a short time including one that had planes in the air for under month. Man dream of being a Richard Branson but for every successful startup there are hundreds of shuttered dreams. To survive, I believe an airline needs to have seven things: A demonstrated diversified real market. “build it…
Qantas returns to San Francisco
There are few experiences worse than getting off a 14 hour flight and encountering LAX customs and immigration. Walking through miles of grey corridors one encounters a huge understaffed space. The custom agents have been rarely welcoming. San Francisco, by contrast is a joy. One agent asked me why I flew through SFO and I told him “because you guys are a delight“. Much nicer airport, friendlier staff and easier to connect. (Plus I prefer the Bay area to its rival down the coast!) This is why I am so excited to see SFO is back on the…
Tiny Intersky insolvent
Austrian airline Intersky ceased flying immediately this week. The cessation was caused by the company that owned four of the planes leased by Intersky recalling them over unpaid leasing charges.The company reportedly owes five million Euros mainly to airports in Europe. A potential investor then withdrew their interest in the airline. The airline’s only owned plane flew the carrier’s last service from Zürich, Switzerland to Graz, Austria. The video below shows Intersky Dash 8 taking off from Graz for Zurich two months ago. Intersky, started operations in 2002. They flew charter and scheduled flights from Graz and Salzburg to…
Transaero Terminated
Out of the 90 carriers I have flown, none have been Russian. I had wanted to try private Russian airline Transaero’s legendary Imperial First Class with its gold embroidered seats, cotton sheet sets and special China! Its First Class came 16th in the world’s First Class cabins. Alas not to be for the airline closed their doors on 26 October 2015, days from their 24th Birthday on 5 November. Transaero had aimed to keep flying through to 15 December but its operating certificates were revoked after Russian banks withdrew support. The safety authorities then determined that Transaero’s massive debt posed a hazard…
Will Kiwi Regional Airlines succeed? Risks are high.
Between 1994 and 1996, a small New Zealand airline Kiwi Travel International Airlines established by Ewan Wilson turned Australian-New Zealand air travel on its head. Initially operating from secondary NZ airports Hamilton and Dunedin, the carrier expanded to Christchurch. Offering a “Cola and Peanuts” fare, they introduced fares that significantly undercut Air New Zealand and Qantas, the established trans-Tasman carriers. Air New Zealand countered by establishing its own low cost subsidiary Freedom Air in December, 1995 which also operated from secondary airports. Fares plunged so low that passengers were picking up flights for $US120 round trip for the 2200 km (1378 mile) international…
Good Bye US Airways- will they be missed?
Tomorrow, US Airways disappears as a brand. It joins AirTran, Aloha, Continental, Midwest Express, Northwest, TWA as airline brands that have all disappeared since 2001. The largest airlines in the US have contracted to just three large carriers: American, Delta and United. US first flew in 1939 as mail carrier All American Aviation, adding passenger traffic in 1949. In 1953 it became Allegheny Airlines, a name it carried until the deregulation era of 1979 when USAir was adopted. USAir was varied to US Airways in 1997. In 2005, they entered into a “reverse merger” with America West with the America West…
And the best airline is… Ethiopian?
There are few airline success stories from the continent of Africa. The wreckage of national carrier after carrier is strewn across the landscape. For example, Nigeria where I lived, has had a revolving door of carriers. South African Airways, once the strongest African carrier is bleeding cash as it limps along with an ageing fleet. Kenya Airlines announced a massive deficit and is facing an uncertain future. I have been following closely 70 year old Ethiopian Airlines. I noted their joining of the Star Alliance in 2011 and their status as one the 787 launch customers in 2013. The airline has…
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