Airlines Confidential Podcast

This week: Rob Gurney, Fmr CEO, Oneworld Alliance, Also: Amy Spowart, Pres/CEO NAA & David Richardson, Pres Aero Club of Washington DC on the Wright Brothers Trophy; Plus: New format announcement; Lots about the situation at Southwest; Boeing on strike; AA F/A contract ratified; 2 airport collisions.

This week: Vasu Raja, Fmr. Chief Commercial Officer, American Airlines; Also: Sept. 11th reflection; JetBlue revises earnings guidance; DOT decides to evaluate award programs instead of addressing flight delay causes; Orlando & Las Vegas market data; Listener input on keeping labor in mind at Spirit.

This week: Dominic Gates, Aerospace Journalist / Boeing Reporter, The Seattle Times; Plus: SAS emerges from bankruptcy with new owners Air France/KLM and more; Norse Atlantic trims fleet, puts focus on 787-9s, joins GDS; Canada based Flair seeks new partners; A SeaTac hack; Airlines gained/lost share in key markets; Listener response to Spirit ticket tax story. Additional tributes to Ben Baldanza.

This week: Suzanne Neufang, CEO, Global Business Travel Association; Breaking News: Which airline might trigger Congressional action on "Taxable Transportation"?; TSA Labor Day weekend projections; Mike Spanos out as Delta's EVP/COO; John Laughter & Allison Ausband assume operational responsibilities; Listener Q on 1st class boarding; an equipment change by AA on BOS-MIA.

This week: David Seymour, COO, American Airlines; The Alaska-Hawaii situation in depth; JetBlue leverages TrueBlue; Shares down on multiple carriers; Breeze blows down Avelo's neck in New Haven; Questions & comments: Southwest vs Spirit new in-flight experience; Listeners thank Ben Baldanza.

This week: An announcement from Ben Baldanza; Plus, never before told Ben stories as Scott McCartney welcomes back Seth Kaplan, Chris Chiames, and Chris Sloan as guests to salute Ben; News: Air & Cruise travel demand; Aircraft delivery delays; Capacity discussion; Delta reliability; Listener Q: What would you do if you were CEO at SWA?

This week: Bob Jordan, CEO, Southwest Airlines; Airlines as an economic indicator; Will Spirit's new fare classes be the solution to current woes? DOT lays out new rules on family seating; Boeing has a new leader: Robert K. “Kelly” Ortberg; Two airlines cut Austin routes; Listeners input on the SWA boarding process and aircraft types, plus fees.

This week: William Swelbar, Chief Industry Analyst, Swelbar-Zhong Consultancy; Southwest short on communicating some big changes; A look at Delta's IT meltdown; American down and projects worse; Listener Q on SWA employee reaction to changes.

This week: Allison Pohle, Travel Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Evacuating an aircraft; American comes to agreement with flight attendants; Exploding soda at Southwest; United reducing capacity; IT debacle hits airlines hard, especially Delta; Takeaways from TSA Administrator David Pekoske on stats & plans; Listener takes issue with Scott on fees; Q's on air traffic controller hiring lawsuit, fee display dropdowns.

This week: David Pekoske, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration (TSA); Delta and other's earnings; Delta announces partnership with Riyadh Air; Cirium seat data released; Rakesh Gangwal joins Southwest Airlines Board of Directors; Listener Q on bad weather flight decisions.

This week: Boeing pleads guilty to defrauding the government; Boeing to buy back supplier Spirit AeroSystems; and more Boeing news; The fee-based travel economy-Have fees gotten out of hand?; Universal Hydrogen burns through $100MM; SWA Q3 revenue down; Listener Q on Spirit Airlines furloughing while increasing executive pay.

This week: Scott McCartney interviews Ben Baldanza, Fmr CEO, Spirit & current Board Member JetBlue: Ben has been selected to receive National Aeronautic Association 2024 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy; FAA looking at new public charter rules; The Basic Economy misnomer with almost incomprehensible policies; SWA flight low altitude situations cause concern; Listener input: APUs, should a pilot stay at Spirit.

This week: Tim Toerber, VP Business Development, Assaia; A focus on Southwest - changes coming, overstaffing, the impact of Elliott Investment Management, and more; Mishandled bag numbers; Alaska must pay for a trademark they don't use; Listener suggestions for Southwest.

This week: Sammy Patel, VP/Commercial, Vantage Airport Group & CEO Midway Partnership and Simon Gandy, EVP/COO, New Terminal One: Rebuilding JFK: FAA understaffing continues; DOT issues minor fine to foreign carriers over passenger refunds; Increased flights to TLV; GBTA, business travel types, numbers, & average trip cost; Listener input: Differentiating between lower cost carriers; Unfair to blame F/A's for American operational issues.

This week: Michael Landguth, Pres. & CEO, Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority; American CEO Robert Isom fires CCO Vasu Raja, actual margins, a brain drain, and more @ AA; Weather issues at DFW; FAA meets with Boeing; A near collision at DCA; Listener Q: If Spirit went bankrupt how would other airlines react?

This week: Chris Sloan: In depth on Hawaiian Airlines; Also: The reality of the London-Singapore flight story; Adding clarity to Frontier's pricing/change fee policy; Remembering Norm Mineta; Listener input: Calling out Allegiant on a "rip-off" ticketing fee, Expedia's multiple brands. Bonus interview content from AFA available at https://airlinesconfidential.com/afa2024

This week: Simon Newton-Smith, SVP Americas, EL AL Israel Airlines; Cirium seat capacity growth data; Airlines For America sues DOT over fee listings; FAA reauthorization bill signed; Congress misunderstands aircraft capacity & evacuation reality; A change in Boeing assembly line process; Listener comments.

This week: Greg Schulze, Chief Commercial Officer, Expedia Group; A tribute to Colleen Barrett, "The Mother of Southwest Airlines"; Ted Christie says the game is rigged; Spirit's plan moving forward; A new FAA investigation of Boeing relating to 787 inspections; Multiple listener response to last episode's William J. McGee interview.

This week: William J. McGee, Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel, American Economic Liberties Project; An in depth discussion on pros/cons of more regulation; Plus, can/will Embraer challenge Boeing & Airbus?

This week: John Breyault, VP, Public Policy, Telecommunications & Fraud, National Consumers League; Also, a dreadful week of business news for airlines; Big losses at AA & SWA; SWA cuts routes, open to new fees; DOT refunds & fee display policy changes; Listener Q on SWA commuter policy concern.

This week: Sam Coats, Retired Airline & Corporate Executive & Civic Leader ; United CEO Scott Kirby reports Q1 loss & Boeing order conversions; Strong Q2 ticket demand; A close call at DCA; Southwest launches new marketing campaign.

This week: Jay Sorensen, President, IdeaWorksCompany; Loyalty program values; Delta Q1 numbers; Spirit woes deepen; Breeze shows a profit; Huge payday for AA CEO Robert Isom; Listener Q on new Boeing aircraft.

This week: Kevin O'Toole, Chief Strategy Officer, Cirium; Data on 2023 Airfares; Airline C-Suite compensation - who's on top? Oakland CA airport wants San Francisco name; Listener input on passenger security screening, crew bases and scheduling.

This week: It's In The Bag - A Focus on the Business of Bag Fees; Breezy Rewards Valuation; Listener input: Feedback on John Heimlich, American shifting to more domestic flights, United's overhead bins.

This week: John Heimlich, VP/Chief Economist, Airlines for America; Boeing searching for a new CEO; FAA moves EWR TRACON to PHL; JetBlue cuts routes; Is cutting costs ultimately more costly? Listener feedback: Public charter security, Rudy Maxa's destination judgements, Maintenance techs in the future.

This week: Rudy Maxa, Travel Journalist; Positive comments on Ben's NVO; Airlines: Biggest? Most Profitable? Biggest airline crown; Southwest expects fewer new planes; Concerns around lack of Boeing paperwork/security video; Empty middle seats on Frontier; Listener feedback on Doug Parker interview.

This week: Doug Parker, Fmr CEO, American Airlines, outlines serious TSA safety concerns. Ben's AI "New Voice Option" (NVO); Spirit & JetBlue go it alone - Next moves? New proposed rule for handling wheelchairs; Fare fact errors made by Tim Wu on CNBC; Listener Qs on useful life of a commercial aircraft, business model for airport lounges.

This week: Zane Kerby, President & CEO at ASTA - American Society of Travel Advisors; 2023 numbers show safest year in aviation; Boeing supervision; AA same-day standby changes; What's with all the new Brisbane flights? Catherine & Richard Dotson remain at SAV; Listener Q: Overhead bin utilization, and a Flight Attendant asks how management really views F/As.

This week: Maya Leibman, Fmr. EVP/Chief Information Officer, American Airlines; It's in the bag - increased fees and a bag revenue rundown in the billions; Delta's Amex credit limit for fuel; Shakeup at Boeing not what was expected - puts women in charge of rescue; AA changes agency ticket policies; Listener Q: Decision process for serving a new airport?

This week: Brett Snyder, President & Chief Airline Dork, Cranky Flier; Delivery and backlog numbers for Boeing & Airbus; Carl Icahn picks up two JetBlue Board seats; The Atlantic article on carry-ons reaches a questionable conclusion; Listener Q on skipping a leg; Why did Spirit focus on A319s?

This week: Jay Sorensen, Ancillary Revenue, A la Carte Pricing, Frequent Flyer (FFP) Consultant; Marty St George returns to JetBlue as President; Spirit's average passenger fare drops, CEO Ted Christie comments on Spirit's future; Administrator Mike Whitaker outlines Boeing actions including FAA inspectors on site; Sen. Ted Cruz requests special TSA treatment for lawmakers; Listener Q: What if 737-Max doesn't fly again?

This week: Mike Leskinen, EVP/Chief Financial Officer, United Airlines; Boeing's situation in 2024; JetBlue's new plan includes a new fee; Frontier introduces a Biz fare bundle via agency GDS; AA adds #1989, and Taylor is scheduled to make the big game; Listener Q: Basic Economy threat to ULCCs? Focus Cities, Hubs, Fortress Hubs.

This week: Dorothy Robyn, Public Policy Consultant/Writer; The latest Wall Street Journal Airline Rankings; Additional earnings reports; Has Amelia Earhart's plane been found? Frontier adds new routes to other's hubs; Listener Q's on pilot opportunities, plus an explanation of the LOPA.

This week: Marian Boyd, Boyd Group International; A review of the Judge's ruling against the JetBlue - Spirit deal plus listener input on the deal that isn't happening, for now.

This week: Jon Ostrower, Founder, The Air Current; Focus on the JAL Evacuation, the Alaska Door Plug, and the current Boeing fiasco; Joanna Geraghty named new JetBlue CEO; Earnings season update; Listener Input: Spirit should be buying JetBlue, United's Andrew Nocella comments that ULCCs are "doomed".

This week: An aircraft fire and a depressurization; 2023's top on-time performance carriers; The MAX-9 Door Plug issue adding to Boeing's challenges; Listener input: United becoming the largest airline & does Boeing need its own Manhattan Project? Plus, more about Block Time.

This week: 2024 Predictions; Southwest system fixes worked; Goldman Sachs cancellation stats; The issue with Chicago Midway; Hollywood takes note of airlines; Possible 2024 merger candidates; Listener Q on leg room vs seat pitch.

This week: Andrew Watterson, COO, Southwest Airlines; Stephanie Pope promoted to COO at Boeing; Delta beefs up Austin TX schedule; Listener Q on high speed rail LA-Vegas. Happy Holidays. Next episode: Jan 3 with 2024 Predictions.

This week: A DHL acquisition of Santa? + other holiday adjustments ;) - Digging into the Alaska-Hawaiian deal & SWA's role; Closing arguments made in the JetBlue - Spirit case; Listener input on the shape of DCA, Pluses of Amtrak, and you won the Powerball-what type of airline would you start?

This week: Chris Sloan on The Airchive; Initial thoughts on the Alaska-Hawaiian deal; Skift story on increased adventure travel due to weight loss: NY Times reports on serious FAA issues; Listener Q: Takeaways from other international agencies? What is the role of a CTO in undertaking change?

This week: Thanksgiving travel recap; Can't Make This Up covers "dog food" in China Eastern Business Class & Striking an anti-strike law; New Saudi passenger rights; Problems with the author's ideas in the book: Why Flying is Miserable & How to Fix It; Was there ever a Golden Age of travel? Listener Q: Is the SWA model broken?

This week: Rick Cotton, Executive Director, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey; AMS slots update; Focus on the safety report & FAA training; Passenger ordered to pay for flight disruption/diversion; Listener Q: Do airlines shop around for better fuel prices?

This week: Ben & Scott go in depth on next generation airplanes; United loyalty program revisions; Some business travel numbers; SUX and other interesting identifiers; Listener input on premium seat value.

This week: Ginger Hardage, Fmr SVP of Culture & Communications at Southwest Airlines/Founder of Unstoppable Cultures; Is ATC ready for the holiday season? JetBlue loses $153MM, is frozen out of AMS, and Spirit merger trial gets underway; SWA potential expansion in Dallas; Listener input: Sun Country, Scott Kirby & ULCC statements.

This week: Jeff Tolkin, Co-CEO, World Travel Holdings, Michael Whitaker confirmed as FAA Administrator, Spirit blames discounted fares for Q3 loss; Southwest makes significant schedule changes; The Alaska off-duty pilot incident; Qatar Airways' "Chief" resigns; Listener Q's: Industry employment potential & Ben's reaction to Chris Sloan's Air Inuit report, and a term paper help request.

This week: Chris Sloan takes us aboard Air Inuit; Also: Increasing industry financial pressure; Airlines stocks taking a beating; Ed Bastian's SkyMiles modifications; Listener Q re: DOT Air Travel Consumer Report & regional carrier on time performance.

This week: Mark Nasr, EVP of Marketing/Digital, Air Canada & President of Aeroplan; Air service in Tel Aviv; Middle East ramifications for travel; Delta's increased profits; Beond Air launches; Support for scheduled charter carriers; Boeing deliveries off pace; Listener Q re: Price gouging, Newark Terminal A; Aviation Manhattan Project committee.

This week: John Heimlich, VP/Chief Economist at Airlines for America; Scott's passport renewal; Pratt & Whitney engine selected for NASA project; Is Hydrogen the aviation fuel of the future? Price points on upgrades; Listener Q: United's large aircraft order, United / AA battle for Chicago, fleet planning.

This week: Steve Dickson, Fmr. Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration; Delta CEO Ed Bastian says SkyMiles changes went too far; Spirit & Frontier announce larger than expected Q3 losses; Future of low cost carrier business model? John Redmond resigns as Allegiant CEO & Founder Maury Gallagher returns in position; Alaska & JetBlue offer Delta status matches; Scott quotes Taylor Swift lyrics; Listener Q: Is SWA 50% off sale a sign of trouble?

This week: Chris Sloan reports on the unique history of Braniff; Plus: Impact of shutdown on an already unacceptable FAA understaffing situation; Southwest's Bob Jordan goes to Denver; NYT reporter David Brooks' $78 Newark lunch; Listener topics: Odds of SWA pulling out of Oakland, "Slots" at EWR.