Friday Flyer – August 25, 2023

You may have noticed that I missed last week’s flyer, so this week I have a few stories from last week, as well as a few from this week.  Let’s get to it.

Aviation Stories

  • Earnings announcements continue with Qantas announcing theirs this week, including a healthy profit figure based on post-COVID recovery.
  • Speaking of COVID recovery, the industry continues to see a pattern where recovering demand wants higher-end experiences in premium cabins.  That means that airlines can’t add those types of seats fast enough.  Here’s an article that talks about that effort.
  • Porter Airlines, based in Toronto, has made a step towards a massive expansion they’ve been working on for the last year or so.  This time the announcement is about new routes to Florida.  It’s a great expansion and option for those going from Canada to Florida.
  • I’ve shared articles about the on-going negotiations by pilots with the big 3 US airlines.  After United and Delta’s massive agreements, AA pilots wanted to go back and review their recent agreements.  That finalized this week with an updated contract that is quite lucrative for those pilots.
  • The Lufthansa CEO recently joined a flight to work as a crew member.  Whether it’s just for publicity or to connect with the crew and passengers, it doesn’t really matter because it gives a better perspective of what both passengers and crew go through on a flight.  No matter the intention, I’m a fan.
  • Hopper has reached an interesting agreement with Air Canada that allows any passenger the opportunity to cancel an otherwise non-refundable fare, for a fee.
  • When you think of Alaska Airlines, you probably think of routes on the west coast, mostly around Seattle, Anchorage, or even San Francisco after the merge for Virgin American.  What you probably don’t think of is a very short route between Cleveland to Pittsburgh.  That is exactly a market that they’ve just announced.  It happens to be part of a multi-leg flight, but interestingly enough, you’ll only be able to take it in one direction.

Interesting Aviation Fact

If you have ever listened to any cockpit communication, you are likely to have heard the pilots discussing “flaps.”  This article explains what they are and why they’re needed for flying.

Cool Aviation Photo

I’m guessing the pilots or the plane’s owner won’t find this picture or situation very cool, but it’s at least a “muddy” aviation photo.  Here a Kalitta Air Cargo Boeing 747-400 came to rest off the runway after an issue on landing.