Dots, Lines & Destinations » Podcast

Hopefully not too shocking, of course. But maybe enough to keep you awake, unlike those pilots… Also in this episode: * Batik Air pilots suspended for falling asleep on a flight * IAG/Air Europa deal on ice again * NTSB is pissed at Boeing, and lobbyists aren't really helping * New United routes * China Southern to Mexico For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * Electric cars * Self-service TSA * AirBnB cameras And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

American Airlines placed a sizable single-aisle aircraft order this week. Perhaps the biggest surprise: Neither Boeing nor Airbus came out on top, at least in terms of total aircraft committed. Also in this episode: * An absurd trip to try Starlink on Hawaiian * BA adding inflight messaging * JetBlue/Spirit deal is dead * More Eclipse flights (DL 2nd frequency, WN contest with Omni) * Qantas new A220 in service * TK’s first flight to MEL For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * Mexico objects to the DOT’s suspension of DL/AM ATI * Boeing’s 90 day deadline from the FAA * United award pricing * New Pacific trip report * BA-B-Q sauce * First Allegris route is MUC-YVR * Verdi strike And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

More baggage talk, plus buses, and an airline is out of business. Also in this episode: * Lynx out of business in Canada * Landline for AC @ YYZ * AA files JFK-HND to start 28 June, UA files GUM-HND for 1 May * AA agrees with the DOT on DL/AM ATI suspension * AA FF changes (and bag fees, too) * Avelo STS base: new routes and a LAS closure, plus a profitable quarter * Spirit suspending MHT For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * TK Wallet and other airline-proprietary payment systems * UA back to TLV * Breeze goes all A220 by EoY, and free Wi-Fi * Qantas delivery delays, but also finally adding international Wi-Fi (for free) * Other Singapore Air Show stuff And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Revisiting a couple stories from the past few weeks, and they still don't make much sense. Plus lots of new news, too. Also in this episode: * Nolinor Ramps Up Capacity for Rising Northern Demand * Air Canada's chatbot gave a B.C. man the wrong information. Now, the airline has to pay for the mistake * Silly carry-on bag thoughts * Qantas domestic ETOPS * Icahn buys in to JetBlue * HA shareholders approved buyout * Allegiant starts loading MAX flights * UA swapping EWR for IAD starting June 27 for four Pennsylvania markets: AVP, MDT, PHL and SCE. For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * Fake ATC in Mogadishu FIR * A380 maintenance in MHV and MNL * RegioJet seats like SkyRider * A4A Threatening to pull out of DUB * Spirit killed Tulum already * DL BOS-HNL, MIA-SEA * Battle for Barbados * Air Serbia E195 incident And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

What's the silliest reason you've ever heard of for planes to be removed from service? We might have a new top contender for that title. Also in this episode: * A321s (briefly) grounded because of no smoking signs * Indigo wet-leasing Qatar 737 MAX for Doha service * Copa to RDU * Finding the bottom in Orlando * Another (even more) absurd India bilateral request * New Go Wild pass from Frontier, again with a twist * Delta premium lounges * Emirates MIA-BOG * Lufthansa back at PHL, pushing Discover out For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * The glory of Houston Intercontinental Airport * AA’s new non-hub route * KE trims a funky one * More China & Cuba delays * Update on the freighter engine fire * SAS selling a mystery flight in April * Heathrow Slot Swaps for Summer 2024 * Tunnels under Chicago And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Why? because it leads to deliciousness later. But that has nothing to do with this week's conversation. Fortunately, we're joined by Ed in an effort to keep things on track. Also in this episode: * 737 MAX 7 deicing exemption & certification delay * STS base for Avelo * (B)OS * AA DFW long-haul expansion * Frontier BizFares * Blind passengers screwed by airline forms * Aeromexico cutting transborder routes this summer * New Southwest seats For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * JetBlue trying to drum up new revenue * Global gets an A380 * BFS preclearance tease * New AF short-haul Biz meals And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

The MAX continues to dominate news cycles, but there's lots more out there also worth talking about. Also in this episode: * MAX 9 is back in service, but that's far from the end of the story * MAX 8 delivery to China Southern * Ryanair buying homes near DUB * Delta/Aeromexico Joint ops busted by MEX issues * American gets Haneda Slots for JFK route, but United may get a consolation prize thanks to Hawaiian * IAD Lego model moves to IAD * Tulsa is adding CBP facilities * Breeze - Mobile, Denver, Greenville For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * United’s MAX 10 plans may need a boost, and Southwest is also unhappy with unclear certification timelines * ITA/Lufthansa Group hits EU merger roadblocks, as does IAG/Air Europa And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Winter weather is giving the industry some troubles, but there's still plenty of hot news to discuss.. Also in this episode: * Delta's A350-1000 order, plus a new 738 config and the A321 premium config is coming soon * Southern Airways Express to Loudon (and eAAgle off the runway at ROC (and KL off the runway at GOT)) * Akasa Orders a bunch of MAXen * Air India A350 PaxEx * Alaska Airlines to YYZ (but dropping PAE-HNL and a couple others) * Turkish will launch MEL via SIN * SAS to Atlanta For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * JetBlue/Spirit merger blocked * LGA Chase Lounge open, already has a waitlist * Coming home from Europe * United scuttles Saudia/Kuwait Airways codeshare And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

We're on the road this week, hanging out in Antwerp with some friends and talking travel. Also in this episode: * LATAM new liveries * Air India adding SEA/LAX/DFW (ZRH, CGK, FCO, KUL) * AUS new concourse * AAdvantage Updates for 2024 For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * Michigan man charged in Meijer mPerks fraud scheme * Travel tales in Antwerp And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Two major aviation incidents to start the year is not a good look for 2024. Here's hoping things calm down in a hurry. Also in this episode: * The JAL crash at Haneda * The Alaska Airlines depressurization event over Portland For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * Seth made a couple amateur mistakes this week * New Starlux CCs are cool looking * Capital A spins off AirAsia to AirAsia X And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

As 2023 comes to a close we're talking about status earned, how we value it, and what the year ahead holds. We've also got Ed from PizzaInMotion and MilesToGo on the show to try to keep us in line. It almost works. Also in this episode: * Turkish gets major slot boost in Australia * Some unusual plays by FlyingBlue after a mispriced business class award * Approval of Norwegian/Wideroe merger after further review * South African Airways Aims To Triple Fleet | Aviation Week Network * Boeing delivers a 787 to China, and appears cleared for MAXen, too * airBaltic 50th A220 livery competition * Europe requiring more airports to have train links * Southwest had troubles over Christmas, but not nearly as bad as last year * Bilateral negotiations for UAE/India For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * Best/worst trip of the year * More on Japan * Norse’s winter schedule is a mess, but adding ATH-JFK for next summer * HiSky OTP-JFK * SAS killed the EWR-AAL/GOT service And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Long flights come with challenging performance requirements. Delta looks to shed some weight restrictions and United may be adding some next year. Also in this episode: * Porter/Alaska partnership * AA 787 Deferral * Airbus finally gets its mega Turkish order * JAL first A350-1000 delivery * QF first A220 delivery * WestJet to Seoul * BA operating to Stansted because City still closes on the weekend * Mexicana converting military 737s for its civilian ops * UA giving up on BNE? For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * Southwest FA vote debacle * JSX moving to Scottsdale * Air New Zealand wants to try Starlink * Lufthansa Group bringing TLV service back in January * Delta boosts Austin now that AA pulled back * Delta’s High J A350 layout And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Maybe it'll work, but there are some half-baked plans being bandied about. And we're not a fan of that unless they're our half-baked plans. Also in this episode: * New Nuuk airport for 2024 * New Vegas airport * Delta to launch SEA-TPE * United to launch SFO-BCN * Delta A330s stranded in Goose Bay * EWR/IAD-JNB going to 772 * Two cargo bits * Fake engine parts guy arrested For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * Hyatt program changes * NATS testing urban mobility * Something about Japan * AA in CUN this winter And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

Alaska Airlines is buying Hawaiian Airlines. There are lots of reasons the deal makes sense, but more than a few questions we have about how it will play out. Also in this episode: * FAA/DOT rules changes for certifications and aircraft monitoring * Visa rules for Malaysia are changing, with major regional tourism impacts * Tulum’s new airport is alive * UA A321neo enters service * UA goes GEO For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * High-J 789 speculation * Breeze adds Ogden * AA RJs getting good wifi * Porter/Transat (and more E2s) And plenty more. Enjoy the show!

No, really, I have no idea what to put here. Also in this episode: * Relatively Successful Thanksgiving Travel Day * Allegiant back at MCO * Oneworld is opening a lounge in Seoul * AS new award charts coming * AA finally kills SEA long-haul * Kittens on a plane * Kiss-and-tell from off-duty crew For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: * EK  AC/UA * Etihad and FlyingPoo * Pakistan visa shenanigans And plenty more. Enjoy the show!