Airlines Confidential Podcast

Guest Co-Host Maya Leibman, Guest Alex Cruz, Fmr. CEO, British Airways. News: Tripadvisor kills SeatGuru; US Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy reduces air traffic; Government shutdown breakthrough in the works; UPS Flight 2976 crashes on takeoff; Listener questions on the value of international partnerships.

This week: Guest Co-Host Henry Harteveldt, Guest: Alex Mans. Founder & CEO, FLYR. Topics: AI for airlines; Yahrzeit for Ben Baldanza; The case for using the $18B trust fund to pay controllers; Listener input includes a correction relating to Ryanair, travel spend by different disposable income levels.

Scott McCartney with Guests: Andrew Watterson, COO, SWA and Jay Sorensen, Pres, IdeaWorks; Topics: An SWA update; 2025 ancillary revenue report. Also: Results for American, Southwest, and Alaska; Nat Pieper joins American as CCO; Listener input from Storrington, England.

This week: Guest Co-Host: Charles Duncan, Guest: Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO, Star Alliance. Also: A deep dive into the low cost sector; United earnings and aggressive growth; Shai Weiss to step down at year end, Corneel Koster to be named new CEO, Virgin Atlantic; Seat cleaning grounds Finnair A321s; Spirit projects more losses; with cash stability; Observations from the Wings Club Gala; Listener Input on LCC growth.

Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis, Guests: Architects Luis Vidal & Carolyn Sponza - The new Pittsburgh International Airport. Also: Fall earnings season, Delta numbers; Spirit sheds aircraft - is deal with Frontier more likely? Listener input on Delta Tech Ops and Airport gate allocations.

This week: Host Scott McCartney with Guest Co-Host Doug Parker, Fmr CEO, American Airlines and Guest: Richard Anderson, Fmr CEO, Delta Air Lines. A conversation with two transformative leaders.

This week: Guest Co-Host: Charles Duncan, Guest: Pedro Heilbron, CEO, Copa Airlines; Topics: Top level change at Alaska Airlines; Breeze comes to Norfolk VA; Ramifications of judicial decision on United / American gate reallocation in Chicago; WSJ updates & expands story on toxic fume events; Info on the "Aviation EMBA Program"; A Spirit - AerCap update; JetBlue brings joy to 12 year old boy and family; Listener input on Holly Hegeman interview and the SWA network.

This week: Guest Co-Host Dave Hilfman, Guest: Holly Hegeman, Founder, PlaneBusiness. Topics: Job cut warning and cash concerns at Spirit; US tells Delta - Aeroméxico to unwind joint venture; L3 Harris and Frontier Communications cables cause huge Dallas area disruption for American; C.D. McLean, Fmr COO, Continental, passes; "The Ontario Tower Buzzards" will play at ONT Field; Listener input on WSJ article on toxic cabin fumes.

This week: Guest Co-Host Oscar Munoz, Guest: Nat Pieper, CEO. Oneworld. Topics: Conference season comments; Southwest moves towards introducing premium experiences and international service; Listener Q's on social media impacting Spirit's brand, Southwest O & D saturation and use of RJs.

This week: Guest Co-Host Henry Harteveldt, Guests: Mark Streeter & Jamie Baker, Analysts, JP Morgan Chase; News: Spirit shrinks; United adds flights in Spirit markets; SWA offers up a freebie; Passenger compensation rules changing; Steven Udvar-Házy retires with sale of Air Lease; International visits to the US down; Listener Q's all center around Spirit.

This week: Host Scott McCartney with Guest: Peter Ingram, Fmr CEO, Hawaiian Airlines. Breaking News: What really forced Spirit back into Chapter 11? AerCap claims default triggered; Spirit's poor communication, what markets will see reductions in service, and Frontier Chairman Bill Franke talking with Spirit Chairman Robert Milton and Pres/CEO Dave Davis.

This week: Host Scott McCartney & Guest Co-Host Maya Leibman; Topics: Tribute to Ginger Hardage; Cash management changes at Spirit; Air Canada back to work - who's next? Chris Sununu appointed President & CEO, Airlines for America; Questions from "The Sorting Hat" - Should the government make an investment in Spirit? Why are European low cost carriers doing better than USA counterparts? Will supersonic travel return? How will airlines apply AI? Favorite airport? Coldplay vs Taylor Swift.

Host Scott McCartney & Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan; Southwest writes Mrs McCartney a check, and other recent passenger experiences; Spirit Q2 not good, issues "Going Concern" statement; Relevancy of July airfare price increase; Air Canada flight attendants strike; SWA adds flights in vacation cities, divests renewable fuel, and upgrades their coffee; Listener Q on SWA booking window timing.

Host Scott McCartney & Guest Co-Host: Christina Cassotis; Topics: Change in the Southwest Airlines boardroom - Gangwal steps down as Chair; National Transportation Safety Board report on American Airlines / U.S. Army Helicopter crash - outrageous errors made; Tariff deal benefits aviation industry; No deal at United; Q2 loss for JetBlue; Listener Q on the future of Middle East airlines, Delta Air Lines' loyalty program value. Next episode #300 on 8/20/25

This week: Host Scott McCartney & Guest Co-Host Doug Parker - An "Unplugged" Free For All Discussion. Topics: An overarching look at American, Southwest, growth potential, Both co-hosts answer "The Ben Baldanza Question"; The simplification of pricing and Contract of Carriage; Scott recounts memorable reactions to certain stories.

This week: Guest Co-Host Oscar Munoz, Guest: Charlie Curreri, PhD, The Center for Aviation Mental Health & Creator "Pilot Wingman". Focus: Pilot Mental Health. Also: Colbert/Late Show cancellation relevance to aviation industry; GBTA survey numbers; Delta & United report positive Q2; Delta creatively swaps engines; Avelo pulls out of CA; Listener input on fuel cutoff switches, and a Q on CEO thought process in current business environment.

This week: Guest Co-Host Dave Hilfman, Guest: Mike Malik, CMO, Cirium. News: Air India crash preliminary report released; Delta and others report good news; Bryan Bedford sworn in to head FAA; TSA says to keep your shoes on; Listeners chime in on American's Customer service.

This week: Guest Co-Host: Henry Harteveldt, Guest: Heather Garboden, Chief Customer Experience Officer, American Airlines, News: Huge holiday week travel reported; Delta deals with 100+ massive rain-related diversions; Multi-year funding for FAA system improvements approved; Alaska orders more from Boeing; Listener Q: Point-point success with legacy vs startups.

This week: Guest Co-Host Maya Leibman; Guest Jay Sorensen, President, The IdeaWorks Company; News: Bryan Bedford, CEO, Republic Airways, on track for FAA Administrator; Southwest starts assigned seating, Spirit drops the "Go" & renames fares, Delta adds more international flights from Seattle; NTSB issues report on Alaska door plug failure; Air India crash flight recorder found - nothing released yet; Listener Q on United-JetBlue partnership.

This week: Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan; Guest: Maury Gallagher, Chairman, Allegiant Travel Company; News: FedEx Founder Fred Smith passes away at 80; JetBlue says more cost cuts are on the way; ATC understaffing continues; A muted Paris Air Show; National Academy of Sciences reports on FAA overtime; Listener Q regarding airlines taking a stake in other airlines, Pilot availability and wage rates.

This week: Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis; Topics: Info on Air India 171, Crisis Management; A recap of the IATA meeting; Paris Air Show is underway; Listener input on Controller staffing

This week: Guest Co-Host Doug Parker; Guest: Robert Crandall, Fmr CEO/Chairman, American Airlines. Topics/News: Reflections on Scott's Richard Anderson interview; Backstory of presenting the renderings for the Robert L. Crandall Campus; Summer travel starting off slightly slower; SAF discussion at IATA in Delhi; Alaska postpones aircraft delivery; Price differentials on single vs multi-ticket.

This week: Guests: Greg John, CEO Infinity Flight Group, and an Operational Update from David Seymour, COO, American. News: The United & JetBlue collaboration compared to other partnership agreements; Frontier CEO Barry Biffle comments and airline stock prices rise; FAA staff departures as reported by WSJ reporter Andrew Tangel; Listener praise for Richard Anderson.

This week: Scott McCartney's Guest Co-Host is Oscar Munoz; Guest: Steve Sisneros, VP Airport Affairs, Southwest Airlines, News: Real ID kicks in; SWA Bags Fly Free no more; Newark caps traffic - United takes biggest hit; Better ATC tech & better runway utilization; ATC leadership failures; Success pending ratification on United flight attendant contract; Delta's new confusing fare classes & subclasses; Listener Input: Conflicting opinions on EWR slot restrictions.

This week: Guest Co-Host: Charles Duncan; Guest: Richard Anderson, Fmr CEO, Delta Airlines; News: Airline fares drop; Newark personnel and technology forces contraction; SWA expands international service; United projects getting back into JFK; How might JetBlue benefit from a United alliance?

This week: Guest Co-Host Henry Hardevelt; Guest: Adam Stahl, Acting Administrator, TSA; News: Real ID takes effect; US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy presents plan for ATC technology upgrade; What's happening at Newark? Gate reallocation drama with United & American in Chicago; Decline in business travel continues; Validity of JD Power survey? Listener input on Real ID, Affordable Skies Coalition.

This week: Scott's Guest Co- Host is Maya Leibman; Guest: Linda Jojo, Fmr EVP/Chief Customer Officer, United. News: Rep. Sam Graves (R) proposes $15B ATC modernization; United cuts flights at Newark due to ATC equipment and staffing issues; Projected United - JetBlue partnership; How problematic will TSA enforcement of Real ID be? New less fun names for SWA fare bundles; A Freddie Awards recap; United & others seat count changes at ORD; Listener Q: Why is AA suing JetBlue, and what happened to JetBlue BOS-ISP?

This week: Scott's Guest Co-Host is Christina Cassotis, Guest: John Pepper, VP/Corporate Development, Allegiant Air; News: Why has a proposed Allegiant-Viva Aerobus alliance been held up by DOT for 3 years? Earning news from AA, SWA, Alaska; Southwest assigns very generic names to fare classes; Alaska increasing flights to West Coast cities; Boeing pauses X-66; Jetzero gains more support; Dozens of JetBlue pilots taking buyout; Listener input on pilot training, airport staffing.

This week: Scott's McCartney's Guest Co-Host is Doug Parker; Guest: Aengus Kelly, Exec. Director & CEO, AerCap Holdings: News: United reports positive earnings & offers two different projections; Spirit hires Dave Davis as CEO as speculation builds on a merger with Frontier; American teaming with AT&T to offer free Wi-Fi; Listener Q on potential reason for new administration's toughness on airlines.

This week: Scott's Guest Co-Host is Dave Hilfman, Special Report: Chris Sloan on the Pacific Island Hopper; News: Frontier, Delta, revenue lower than projected; United adding significant numbers of seats; What's happening with the NOTAM system? FAA still having trouble with technology; Avelo accepts contract to operate deportation flights; Listener Q: Is a Republic - SkyWest merger in the cards?

Guest Host: Oscar Munoz, Guests: Milind Tavshikar, CEO, SmartKargo & Marco Ferrara, Mngr Product/Strategy, Delta; Ted Christie out as Spirit CEO: Republic buying Mesa; Info on new Executive Aviation focused MBA program at U of Colorado; Airline stocks take another beating; United adding interesting Asian flights; Economic changes potential effects on Southwest; Listener feedback on Southwest, and shades position during boarding and deplaning.

This week: Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan; Guest: Eamonn Brennan, Fmr Director General, Eurocontrol; News: Trans Canada booking data conflicts; Potential market share shifts related to fees; Alaska/Hawaiian increasing Asian service from Seattle; Listener input: Lots about SWA, but not much about JetBlue's situation, YTD stock prices, and future pilots getting hours as a CFI.

This week: Guest Co-Host Henry Harteveldt; Guest: Justin Jones, EVP Operations, Southwest Airlines. Recorded in Dallas TX at Cirium OTP Board Meeting; News: Heathrow power failure; International travel slowdown; Report issued on Delta CRJ incident; Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford nominated to head FAA; SWA earns world's lowest cancellation rate; Could the SWA bag rule change be problematic? Listener input on shades during takeoff and landing.

This week: Scott's Co-Host is Maya Leibman; Guest: Elise Eberwein, Fmr EVP, American Airlines; News: Crisis communication; Delta celebrates 100 Years; Revised earnings projections from United, Delta; The SWA transition; Spirit's quick exit from bankruptcy; Listener Q's on airlines deferring OEM deliveries.

This week: Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis; News: Big bag news & changes at Southwest; Can SWA remain SWA? Cost of enplaned passenger (CPE) & the structure around airport funding; AA asks for a NE Alliance deal review; Staffing requirement change at DCA; A Scott Mini-Rant on Axios fare data conclusion; Listener Q on the future of SWA, & a look ahead to Southwest 3.0.

This week: JetBlue's Top Senior Leadership - Joanna Geraghty, CEO and Marty St. George, President. News: The SWA go-around to avoid Flexjet in Chicago; SWA routes and distribution changes; Frontier makes significant moves in Atlanta; A rant from Scott; Some very much appreciated listener input.

This week: Scott's Guest Co-Host is Doug Parker; Guest: Sara Nelson, President, Association of Flight Attendants; Topics: Organized labor, Partners and mergers, Delta 4819 flight lands, flips upside down, crew performs with excellence, all survive; A drop in government travel, A4A seeks congressional funding to fix the FAA; Spirit restructuring deal approved; AA announces routes expansion at ORD.

This week: Guest Co-Host Chris Sloan with info on BermudAir; Several see Spirit as attractive; British Airways & Virgin participate in love triangle; Las Vegas "Supplemental" Airport in the works; American adds to BOS-LGA; Tom Doxey to Southwest as CFO; DCA incident news update; Boeing steps up deliveries; Listener comments on open skies in the new administration, post DCA crash reactions. Next week: The Delta crash and SWA layoffs.

This week: Guest Co-Host Dave Hilfman, Guest: Jim Compton, Fmr Vice Chairman/Chief Revenue Officer of United Airlines. Topics: Pricing: Favorite Superbowl ads; United brings back stroopwafels; PSA 5342/PAT 25 Crash info update; JetBlue ending BOS-LGA service; United asking for American gates in ORD? Frontier reports interesting numbers.

This week: Guest Co-Host Oscar Munoz; News: A tragic week in aviation; Context and elements to consider; Frontier (again) tries to buy Spirit; Is the American-JetBlue Northeast Alliance back on the table? Listener input on Spirit's attempt at upgraded services, plus differing thoughts on the work of the TSA and Fmr Admin David Pekoske.

This week: Scott McCartney - Island Edition from Hawaii; News: David Pekoske out as TSA Administrator; American reports good times-bad times; Operating margin numbers; Wall Street Journal's latest performance rankings; On Point Loyalty's report on loyalty program values; Lister comments: Comparing AOPA to NRA goes to far.

This week: Guest Co-Host Henry Harteveldt; SWA rejects outgoing DOT "chronically late" fine, DOT sues SWA; Service increase coming to TLV; A Delta - United near collision over PHX; Spirit announces layoffs; Can GoBig/GoComfy upsells drive significant revenue? AMEX GBT / CWT merger challenged by US Dept of Justice; Azul Abra/Avianca looking to merge; Nick Calio retiring from A4A; Air Wisconsin changing operations.

This week: Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan, Fmr President, Norse Atlantic; News: Tough week for air travel; Questions around wheel well stowaways; Ed Bastian's Sphere presentation & numbers behind Delta's earnings report; Overall capacity changes taking hold; Bill Swellbar report referenced; Bob Jordan's 737 store open for business; Fmr Boeing CEO says time to design a new airplane; Listener Q's on service classes and privatizing ATC.

This week: Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis, CEO, Pittsburgh Int. Airport; Guest Jeremy Bowen, CEO, Cirium; News: Context around recent airliner crashes; DOT fines JetBlue 2MM for chronic lateness; Silver Airways files Ch11, Alaska shares and others up significantly in 2024; 2025 expectations; Elements of Airport-Airlines communication and collaboration; Listener feedback on Doug Parker travel tip to avoid checking bags and a Question on how much time does Spirit have?.

This week: Guest Co-Host Doug Parker, Fmr CEO, American Airlines. Guest: Nick Calio, President/CEO, Airlines for America; News: New FAA Commissioner Jan 20th; Investor David Bonderman passes; Is Alaska's expanding international service from SEA sustainable? Infrastructure constraints. Listener Q's on best travel tips, privatizing ATC. Happy Holidays/New Year - Next episode: Jan 8, 2025

This week: Guest Co-Host Maya Leibman; Guest: Jim Butler, CFO at London Gatwick Airport / Managing Director at Global Infrastructure Partners; News: TSA screening numbers; Some projections indicate travel rebound; Is Frontier adding big seats up front a good idea? Listener comments on airlines being likened to Amazon, JetBlue-Southwest merger viability.

This week: Guest Co-Host Dave Hilfman; A look into the "major" report on airline fees from U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) chaired by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT); Budget allocations & potential for privatizing ATC in new administration; High hopes for DOT Admin Nominee Sean Duffy; Reaction to NYT stories on padding schedules and loyalty program; Listener input on Spirit's approach for the future, salute to Jun Tsuruta.

This week: Guest Co-Host Oscar Munoz, Fmr Chairman, United; Plus: Andrew Watterson, COO, SWA, with Scott McCartney at ONT "State of the Airport" day in Ontario CA; News: Spirit's "Basic Economy Bankruptcy" moves forward; A discussion around change fees; Lund out, Ackerman in as Boeing head of quality; Arthur Frommer passes at 95; Listener Q on Aer Lingus incentives at Indianapolis, and follow up to Chris Sloan A321 XLR segment.

This week: Chris Sloan flies Iberia and reports on the A321 XLR inaugural flight; Plus: Facts, context, and perspective on the Spirit prepackaged bankruptcy plan, what Ben would say, and what happens next; Gunshots hit multiple aircraft; Court rules Oakland is not San Francisco.

This week: Guest Co-Host Henry Harteveldt, President, Atmosphere Research Group; Remembrance: B. Ben Baldanza passes at age 62 from ALS; News: New chairman & 5 new board members at SWA; Expected FAA changes in 2nd Trump Administration; SAF Policies; Is it time to privatize air traffic? Cirium holiday capacity projections; Back to work at Boeing; The raccoon at LaGuardia; Listener Q on increased labor costs.