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…
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United builds 787 routes
While a lot has been going wrong for United recently, on the positive side is the steady roll out of their 787 Dreamliners and their future planned destinations which have been steadily announced. The airline now has 22 of the 55 Dreamliners they have ordered. The Dreamliner’s ten destinations from San Francisco International are now: Auckland -July 2016 (787-8 increasing to a daily 787-9 from October) Chengdu -Commenced Houston Osaka -Commenced Shanghai Sydney -March, 2016 Taipei Tel Aviv – March 2016 (787-9) Tokyo Haneda Xi’an The airline is deploying the 787 on its longest flights which means they have a massive fuel…
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…
Reducing Lost Luggage Problems
I have had a few bags lost in my travels. There are some things one can do to minimise them. Don’t check in luggage -I do all I can to reduce my total luggage to one carry-on and a small extra bag Choose an airline that has a better record with bags than the others. Do not put anything important in your checked luggage. This includes medicines, ID documents, cash, credit cards, laptops, ipad or jewellry Put your name, email and phone number on a piece of A4 or A3 paper inside your bag and…
Finnair’s A350 First Commercial Flight
This week’s airline porn is Finnair‘s first every A350 visit to Amsterdam Schiphol: Oneworld airline Finnair have ordered 19 of the A350 to fly their long haul routes along with A330s. They will replace their current A340 fleet. Qatar was the A350 launch customer has ordered a whopping 80 of the type. A further 31 other airlines ordered the type. Airbus has sold 598 of the type. Finnair’s A350 has 297 seats in three classes: Business-class: 46 flat bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with a 78 to 81″ pitch and 21″ width. Every passenger will have direct aisle…
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…
Where to credit air miles
Booked your ticket and airline and trying to work out which Frequent Flyer program will get the most miles. It can be useful if you are planning a one off trip or thinking through your mileage earn for the next 12 months. Where to credit is a handy way to find out that your First Class ticket will get you 130% of miles with one airline and 300% with another. Or my Malaysia airways discount economy ticket will get me 25% of the miles with Malaysia and 0% with any other carrier. It is very simple…
Petition demands air passenger protections
Sick of it all? Crammed seats, delays, fees and poor customer responses to problems? FlyersRights who claim to be the Largest Non-Profit Airline Consumer Organization, have launched a petition calling for the US government to draft public law to require: passenger protection from tarmac delays of three hours plus minimum seat pitch standards airline acceptance of FAA-certified child seats transparency of unbundled fees contingency plans for long delays including food stocks response to complaints within seven days and resolution within ten Airlines For America responded saying “We…believe that government should not regulate airline seat sizes, but instead…
Virgin presents the most boring movie ever!
Would you watch a 5 hour boring movie for 2500 frequent flyer points? Virgin America has created “BLAH AIRLINES FLIGHT 101”, a boring, beige and dull five hour and forty-five minute flight set in real time on a flight from Newark to San Francisco. The passengers aboard seem pretty creepy, the pilots bored and tired and the flight attendants over perked. The film’s trailer can be viewed here: Already almost one million people have already watched the film on YouTube since the film was uploaded in October, 2014! (Did they skip parts of it -like…
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