April 12, 2021

TSA Now Allows Full-Size Sunscreen In Carry-On

In a move that fair-skinned members of the traveling public are sure to applaud, the TSA now allows full-sized sunscreen to be brought through checkpoints in carry-on baggage. Travelers must declare the full-sized sunscreen to the TSA agents at the checkpoint, who will theoretically then subject the sunscreen to a more thorough examination, before allowing the traveler and his or her sunscreen to pass through.

The change came about because the TSA reclassified sunscreen on to its medically approved list of liquids and gels that can be brought through checkpoints. Dermatologists everywhere rejoiced.

It was down to either sunscreen or bourbon to be the next addition to the list, and sunscreen ultimately won out when TSA determined that 4 oz of sunscreen could never be used to bring an airplane down, but bourbon or water? That’s obviously a major risk.


Hawaiian Drops Mileage Expiration

Hawaiian Airlines announced on Monday that the airline will end its practice of having miles expire after 24 months of inactivity in its HawaiianMiles loyalty program. Passenger balances will now never expire, bringing the airline in line with its mainland competitors including Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United.

In addition to giving points a lifetime reprieve, Hawaiian also cut its elite qualification requirements for 2021 in half. Gold status will now requite 15 segments or 10,000 miles on the airline, down from 30 segments or 20,000 miles in a regular year. Platinum can be earned with just 30 segments in 20,000 miles for the year.

With the reduced qualification requirements, the airline is also including new added value for its most loyal fliers. Those that qualify on segments through interisland flying will also receive a free Hawaiian-branded COVID home testing kit for every 15 segments flown. At 30 segments, the airline will send someone to the traveler’s home to install a Pog juice tap so Hawaiian’s signature drink can be enjoyed on the ground as well.


French Government Sends Travelers to the Rails

Lawmakers in France voted late Saturday night to end all domestic flights that can be covered by train in two and a half hours or less. The vote came as part of a broader climate bill that looks to cut carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. The bill must pass a vote twice more – once in France’s Senate and then back to the National Assembly — to become law. For more on how a bill becomes a law in France, we recommend Le Schoolhouse Rock.

French airlines, including flag carrier Air France, lobbied against the bill, stating that this is not the time to ban any flights or limit airlines’ abilities to operate. Analysts from McKinsey believe this could stunt the recovery of the airline industry in France, keeping it from returning to pre-pandemic levels until 2024. It will mostly hurt connecting passengers who will require a lot more than 2.5 hours to go from their arrival airport to the final destination. They’ll likely just fly another airline through another hub instead.

Many national governments partner with airlines to entice travelers to ride the rails on short domestic trips including KLM in the Netherlands and Lufthansa with Deutsche Bahn in Germany. The French approach of forcing passengers to the trains would ban flights to Bordeaux (BOD), Lyon (LYS), Nantes (NTE), Rennes (RNS), and Strasbourg (SXB) from both Paris airports in addition to flights between Lyon and Marseille (MRS).


Air France Subsidiary Hops Backwards

Hop, Air France’s regional subsidiary is shrinking considerably as the airline moves one step closer to potentially being eliminated. The airline is said to be reducing the size of its fleet by more than half, going from 69 to 32. It will also be cutting 1,007 staff members, equal to 40% of its current workforce, with both the aircraft and personnel reductions remaining in place through at least the end of 2022.

With Air France divesting itself of slots in Paris, it does not need as many flights from Hop, especially when coupled with its upcoming delivery of 58 A220 aircraft that will fly short and medium haul flights within Europe for mainline Air France.

Several unions are saying that this is the beginning of the end for the Hop brand, that it’s destined to join Joon in Air France’s big airplane hangar in the sky. Hop management contends that the restructuring is merely designed to ensure the longevity of the airline and brand – which is exactly what you would expect management to say if the airline was on the chopping block.


Air Baltic to offer NFT

Air Baltic will become the first airline to issue non-fungible tokens (NFT). This comes after the airline became the first to accept Bitcoin as ticket payment as far back as 2014. In addition to Bitcoin, airBaltic accepts several other cryptocurrencies for payment and is also willing to barter just about anything if its worth it. Last month a guy paid for a ticket with his collection of used celebrity eyeglasses.

The Latvian government-owned airline is issuing a limited number of collectors’ special NFTs depicting one of the airline’s A220-300 aircraft with its registration and a piece of art showing off a Latvian city.

airBaltic invited everyone to vote on their favorite towns and cities in Latvia in honor of the nation’s 100th anniversary in 2018. The cities that finished atop the voting will be featured on the NFT as well as a bonus NFT honoring the Latvian Orthodox conversion ceremony of New York resident George Costanza.

If you aren’t sure what an NFT is, you should brush up. It’s the new cool thing. Here’s a primer for you.


Airline Potpourri

  • AirAsia Group is setting up a consultancy for anyone interested in starting up an LCC in southeast Asia with several national subsidiaries.
  • Air Austral will receive a $35 million loan from the French government.
  • Air France-KLM is launching a capital increase campaign.
  • BRA, the most supportive airline in Sweden, is resuming operating at Stockholm/Bramma (BMA).
  • British Airways is delaying its resumption of service at London/Gatwick. The airline had previously planned to resume flying from Gatwick by the end of June, but the airline will not make that target with the exception of flights to Glasgow and a small number of long-haul flights.
  • LATAM and Atlas Air entered a partnership with China’s Cainiao Smart Logistics Network to improve cargo connections between Asia and South America.
  • Malawi Airlines did not receive the cash injection it was hoping for and the airline now is facing a potential liquidation. It is expected to launch a GoFundMe any day now.
  • Porter has delayed its restart day once again, this time to June 21. Don’t hold your breath.
  • Sky Mali, longtime competitor of Sky Mall magazine, has postponed its launch of international ops until later this summer.
  • Taban Air acquired its first B737-500.

Brett’s Moment of Levity

What do you put on a lonely grilled cheese sandwich?

Provalone

Happy National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day