JetBlue Announces Transatlantic Economy Experience
When JetBlue begins flying across this pond this summer, it will do so on its brand-new A321LR aircraft which — it was announced today — will feature a reimagined economy class experience.
Economy class on JetBlue’s transatlantic service will feature a different kind of plan for in-flight dining along with complimentary wine, beer, and liquor. By partnering with NYC-based restaurant group Dig — a company that apparently focuses on “vegetable forward options” — the airline will offer dining based on its Mint experience, with the free booze designed to distract those who don’t enjoy the food.
Economy passengers will have the option of choosing one of three main courses and choosing two of three sides with two hot and one chilled option. What JetBlue doesn’t guarantee is that the hot option will be designed to be served hot and the chilled option designed to be served chilled – it’s a roll of the dice. Ordering will take place on seatback screens provided passengers can pull themselves away from yet another episode of Big Bang Theory on the IFE.
JetBlue will operate the aircraft with 114 seats in the back with a width of 18.4 inches. There will be four rows of Even More Space which come with an additional six inches of legroom. Economy passengers will receive free, unlimited WiFi throughout the flight and free entertainment on their new 10.1-inch, 1080p HD seatback screens including live TV. We assume that thre will also be plentiful blue chips for all who want them.
United Sets Diversity Goal at Flight School
United Airlines, the only major U.S. airline to own a flight school, is embarking on a vision to train 5,000 new pilots by 2030. All pilots who complete the program are guaranteed a job with the airline – whether they want it or not.
With its push to add pilots underway, the airline announced its plan to have at least half of the pilots that enter the program to be women or people of color. United is joined by JP Morgan Chase in creating a scholarship program to create opportunities for students who are interested in attending United’s flight school.
The program is not for everyone – those interested will need to be willing to commit to several years of training. United’s program prepares its pilots for real-world scenarios, not just getting time in the simulator. The airline spends several months working with its trainees to perfect their delay and cancellation announcements over the PA. Flight students are also taught how to haphazardly throw luggage from the cargo hold onto the taxiway if the ground staff needs assistance. Lastly, pilots are run through all the alternate airports, airfields, and airstrips in and around Newark should they choose to make an emergency landing elsewhere to avoid having to visit Newark.
Tasman Travel Bubble to Open April 19
The bubble between Australia and New Zealand providing quarantine-free travel is finally slated to begin April 19 after months of speculation. The idea of a travel bubble between the two nations has been discussed since last summer, but it is finally coming to fruition as both countries deem the risk of the virus being carried by travelers to be low enough.
Currently, Air New Zealand’s only service between the two nations is 4x-weekly flights from its Auckland hub and Sydney, a route that will jump to 23x-weekly frequencies beginning April 19. Nonstop service between Auckland and Perth plus Wellington and Christchurch to Sydney will also resume April 19 with Queenstown to Sydney relaunching one day later on April 20. Overall, NZ will resume service between eight Australian airports and four in New Zealand once the bubble is active.
Qantas plans a similar ramp up to New Zealand beginning April 19 with Virgin Australia taking a crap what do we do now wait and see approach. VA won’t begin flying to New Zealand until September, and even then with just a handful of weekly flights to Queenstown.
The travel bubble is expected to remain in effect as long as there isn’t a spike of COVID cases in either country or until New Zealanders remember how much they prefer their home country and get out of Australia as fast as they can.
Air France Receives Lots of Cash
Air France has secured a capitalization deal with the French government worth up to €4 billion in exchange for the airline giving up a handful of slots at Paris/Orly. The cash will be divvied out as a €1 billion cash infusion followed by a loan from the French government to the airline for up to €3 billion.
The European Commission requires that the airline give up slots at Orly as part of the deal in an effort to preserve competition in markets where aid is given. Air France has agreed to give up 18 slots which is a reasonable trade for €4 billion. But for someone to actually claim the slots from AF, there has to be a local airline which is willing to create a base at the airport – or further develop one that already exists. Assuming that doesn’t happen, Air France won’t actually have to give up the slots – the cherry on top of the €4 billion sundae it has already received.
In addition to the cash coming from the French government, the Dutch government is in discussions with the airline and the European Commission about making its own cash infusion.
Allegiant Announces New Base in Austin
In an ongoing effort to Keep Austin Weird Low-Cost, Allegiant announced plans to expand its presence in the city, spending $75 million to establish a new base at AUS.
The $75 million is an impressive outlay for the company which normally offers cheap fares from random, medium-sized cities to even more random, medium-sized cities. Allegiant’s Austin base will open November 18 – just in time for the Hanukkah rush – and will create at least 89 high-wage jobs and will be the home of three A320 aircraft.
Allegiant first began operating in Austin in October 2013 and had its first on-time flight several years later. It currently offers service on 14 nonstop routes from Austin including Bozeman, MT (begins May 27), and Bentonville, AR (begins July 2).
Airline Potpourri
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines along with its two competitors have grounded all domestic flights through April 12.
- Boliviana de Aviación is planning to reduce its fleet by at least four aircraft.
- Cayman Airways took delivery of a new B737 MAX 8 on Monday.
- Delta is dropping two routes from San Jose, CA (SJC) – Detroit and New York/JFK. That leaves just five hubs that will see Delta service from SJC going forward – Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City, and Seattle.
- Ethiopian plans to covert two of its B767 aircraft into freighters.
- IndiGo has launched seven new domestic routes.
- JAL is retiring its B777 aircraft with Pratt & Whitney engines. It will wait until those that are currently in the air have landed before beginning their retirement.
- Kenya Airways is temporarily stopping all flights to the United Kingdom.
- Onur Air furloughed its entire staff.
- Plus Ultra, a long-haul airline based in Madrid that mostly operates to Latin America is having a rough day as the US federal government is investigating two of its shareholders for money laundering. Government officials became skeptical when flying on the airline and seeing that a small package of peanuts cost $100 and it was cash only with no bills below $20 accepted.
Andrew’s Moment of Levity
My roommate and I had a huge argument over who would do the laundry. Eventually I folded.