Hawaiian Adds to Maui, United Adds Hawai’i Frequency
Hawaiian is adding a new nonstop to Maui while United is saying aloha to more Hawaiian service on four routes to the islands.
Hawaiian is launching seasonal non-stop service between Phoenix and Maui which will operate 4x-weekly from May 21 through August 15 and will be the only daytime flight returning from Maui to Phoenix. (American flies only redeyes.)
United is adding more flights on its new services between Newark and Maui along with Chicago/O’Hare and Kona. Those two routes were announced last fall and were supposed to launch as 4x-weekly service on June 3, but United is adding a fifth weekly frequency on both routes, adding Monday. Service on both routes will operate from June 3 until September 5. United is also adding significantly more frequency on its flights from Honolulu and Maui to Denver over the summer.
Lastly, the airline upgraded the aircraft it will operate on its Newark to Maui service, putting its B767 with 46 Polaris Business seats onboard. The airline justified the change by saying that anyone who has to transition from Maui to Jersey should be kept as comfortable as possible.
Travel Industry Pleads for End to Travel Restrictions
Several travel industry trade groups, including Airlines For America (A4A), sent a letter to the Biden administration pushing for an end to international travel restrictions into the United States. This request comes after a year where overseas travel to the U.S. dropped by 81%, creating a loss of $146 billion to the U.S. economy.
The letter asks the federal government to work with the industry on a “risk-based, data-driven roadmap” that leads to dropping international travel restrictions by May 1. The group believes that by developing clear metrics and a timeline, the government can keep “risk-based protections” while encouraging business and leisure travel; therefore increasing rehiring in the industry, creating jobs.
Additionally, the group wants to maintain the practice of a negative test as a prerequisite to travel to the United States while allowing those who can show proof of a completed vaccination to place out of the testing requirement. Alternatively, those who are super rich should also be able to just buy their way out of it. After all, they are very important.
Overseas travel to the U.S. dropped by 81% last year causing a loss of $146 billion to the U.S. economy.
Frontier Seeks $4.5 Billion in IPO
Frontier Airlines submitted paperwork to launch its IPO, aiming for a valuation of $4.52 billion in the process. The airline is going to list 30 million shares between $19 and $21 per share, which would raise $630 million for the ultra low-cost carrier.
Frontier is currently owned by private equity firm Indigo Partners and has Citigroup, Barclays, Deutsche Bank Securities, Morgan Stanley, and Evercore ISI as lead underwriters on the offering.
The airline’s IPO comes on week after a successful opening for Sun Country. That airline raised approximately $218 million on its first day of trading which saw its stock go from an initial price of $24 up beyond $36. It closed today down $1.06 at $34.25.
Frontier will trade under the symbol “ULCC,” proving that when US Airways listed as “LCC,” Frontier that was a pretty cool idea. It settled on ULCC after its idea of trading under a picture of a different animal every day was rejected by regulators.
UK Plans to Extend Overseas Travel Ban
The UK government is in the process of extending its overseas travel ban through the end of June as it desperately tries to curtail the newest strains of the Coronavirus. The government was previously hopeful to end its overseas ban on April 12, but now plans to take the drastic action of extending the ban.
Residents are permitted to travel overseas for approved “essential functions” that including certain business travel, weddings, funerals, and a long, drunken weekend in Spain. The government plans to narrow the definition of essential travel for the balance of the ban and will remove most wedding and funerals from the list.
Travelers will present proof of their reason for travel with border guards to show their travel is considered essential. Those who attempt to fly overseas without a government-approved reason will be turned away and sent home, subject to a fine of up to £5,000, and forced to watch Harry and Megan’s interview with Oprah on a loop for 72 hours.
As part of the crackdown, UK residents will be permitted to leave the country for their own wedding, but not to attend as a guest. The same logic will apply for funerals as well, although someone traveling for their own funeral likely has much less say over their method of transportation.
Star Alliance to Establish Center of Excellence in Singapore
Star Alliance plans to open a new management office in Singapore which it named the Center for Excellence. The other name considered, Center for Mediocrity, was rejected as it would require staff to base themselves in Newark.
The Singapore office will be complementing the alliance’s office in Frankfurt and will focus on progressing the digital customer experience, whatever that means.
Star Alliance selected Singapore based on its access to innovation, global competitiveness, and delicious options at food halls throughout the city.
Airline Potpourri
- Air China will buy 18 aircraft from AFS Investment. The acquisition will consist of five A320-200s and 13 A321-200s.
- Air Serbia is resuming nonstop service to Rome/FCO from its Belgrade hub. The airline will fly the route twice-weekly beginning April 30 with a third weekly frequency added on June 13.
- Air Seychelles will resume flying to Tel Aviv with daily flights through March 27 that become 3x-weekly beginning March 31.
- Blue Air is adding 14 new international routes and one domestic routes from its base in Cluj International Airport (CLJ) in northwest Romania.
- Breeze took delivery of an E190 from Nordic Aviation Capital. The aircraft is the third of 15 that it will deliver to Breeze.
- Emirates is once again banned from flying to Nigeria due to too many positive cases on its flights into the country.
- Gol plans to sell advanced tickets worth about $55 million to Smiles Fidelidade, the company that manages its frequent flyer program.
- IAG agreed to a revolving credit facility worth $1.755 billion over the next three years.
- Interjet will enter administration next week.
- JetSMART is increasing its frequencies into Chile. Its service from Santiago (SCL) to Bogota will increase from twice-weekly to daily, and Santiago to Cali (CLO) increases from twice-weekly to 5x-weekly. It also plans to launch twice-weekly flights on July 7 from Santiago to Medellín (MDE).
Andrew’s Moment of Levity
Why did Humpty Dumpty have a great fall?
To make up for his miserable summer.