Flight Wisdom

Virgin Atlantic became the first airline to fly a plane on biofuel, as it partnered with GE, Boeing, and Imperium Renewables. If babassu and coconut oil is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than jet fuel, then we’re all for it.
Alitalia will launch nonstop Rome-Los Angeles service on June 1st. The service, the only nonstop between [...]

Happy Eighth Birthday to JetBlue Airways. Who would have thought they’d grow so fast so quickly? Remembering the good old days when we flew them between Rochester, NY and JFK…

Alaska Airlines and Horizon have announced they have selected Seattle-based Jones Soda Co as their new drink partner. The airlines will offer customers complimentary canned Jones [...]

We’d like to remind our readers that the links embedded in each article go to a press release or news article with more details than our news briefs. Each week we scour the press releases and such for these articles.

Regional airline SkyWest has sued Delta Air Lines over the airline’s withholding of $25 million [...]

Lots to cover…never enough time…

United Airlines announced new service from Los Angeles to Des Moines, IA and Austin, TX effective February 13th, and will be operated by Skywest’s CRJ-700 regional jets with 6 first class and 60 economy seats, including Economy Plus.
Beginning on March 3rd, Delta will be offering flights from Lawton/Ft. Sill, Oklaholma to [...]

Midwest Airlines has added the option to purchase a customized Travel Guard single-trip travel insurance policy specifically for Midwest customers during the ticket purchase process on the Midwest Airlines website and through their other distribution means. We love trip insurance….it protects you from the horror stories we often collect about horrible situations that have happened [...]

Mesa Airlines announced an agreement with United Airlines to replace 8 50-seat CRJ-200 aircraft with two 66-seat CRJ-700 aircraft. United, as well as other airlines, are replacing the cramped 40-50 seater planes with larger more spacious regional planes which preserve the economy of smaller aircraft but add the comfort of mainline service.
San Francisco International Airport [...]

The FAA has ordered the inspection of all wing slats on newer Boeing 737s based on findings about a fire that destroyed a China Airlines plane in Japan last week. Investigators have discovered that a bolt from a right wing slat had pierced the fuel tank. Thus, within 24 days, all US planes must have [...]

Frontier Airlines announced new nonstop service from Memphis to Ft. Lauderdale on November 15th. Service from Las Vegas will increase to five days per week on September 6th. On November 15th, a third flight to Denver will begin. Finally, on December 15th, a second flight to Orlando.
San Francisco has rolled out the red carpet for [...]

China…land of a thousand aviation opportunities…and a lucrative destination to gain for an airline. The DOT is once again accepting bids for new service to China. We’ve put off talking about these developments…but it is time to review the candidates.

American Airlines has applied to operate Chicago to Beijing service. They even have a website, www.flytochinaonaa.com. [...]

We’re catching up on our backlog of exciting news…While we do that…why don’t you head over to our new spinoff, Infrequent Flier, for a bit of sage advice…namely Don’t Book with Cheapoair.

Cathay Pacific announced a third daily flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Hong Kong to begin November 15th. Currently, they operate one nonstop, [...]

American Eagle will add nonstop service from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport and Raleigh-Durham beginning November 4th with six day a week service operated by 37-seat ERJ-135 jets.
American Eagle will also add service between Santa Fe, New Mexico and both Dallas/Ft. Worth and Los Angeles. Service will be operated with 44-seat Embraer 140 regional jets. Daily [...]

It is a question we often ask ourselves…Perhaps a few bits of info should give you pause…

The body of an Asian male in his 50s was found in the nose gear wheel well of a United 747 yesterday at San Francisco International Airport. Counting the most recent victim, the FAA has tallied 75 stowaway attempts [...]

Virgin America….the airline that has faced numerous hurdles in its certification due to foreign control concerns…began selling tickets today. Tickets are available for sale at 1-877-FLY-VIRGIN(877-359-8474) and at the Virgin America website. Tickets are on sale from August 8th through February 12th.
From its hub at San Francisco International Airport, Virgin America will inaugurate:

Twice daily service [...]

For the first time, this Roundup was written while our editor was sitting at an airport, awaiting a flight. Hmm…perhaps a story on Airport Wifi is in order?

The Coalition for Luggage Security….don’t you love their press releases as much as we do? They reported(and we use the term lightly) on the 13th about a British [...]

Air Canada will introduce daily nonstop service from Vancouver to Yellowknife with seasonal service from December 1st through April with a 50-seat CRJ. Flights are timed to connect with service to Tokyo, Osaka, and points within British Columbia.
Airtran launched service today from Portland, Maine to BWI. The first flight from BWI brought a delegation of [...]

Airtran will be the first to serve Cherry Coke and Cherry Coke Zero onboard all flights effective this month. We just love the fact that it is big news which soft drinks an airline has…probably bigger for the airlines that don’t give you any.
United raised fares on popular business routes by up to $50 each [...]

The head of the Port Authority has stated that Stewart Airport in the Hudson Valley will not become New York’s fourth area airport even though the Port Authority will be running the airport. He stated that Stewart would never be the scale of the other airports, although it may eventually hit four million fliers a [...]

intends to connect to more of upstate New York. Delta will be adding 22 Delta Connection flights, operated by Big Sky Airlines using 19-seater Beechcraft 1900D aircraft, effective April 8th. The flights will connect customers in Albany, Massena, Ogdensburg, and Watertown to Boston, with additional nonstop service between Albany and Watertown with continuing service [...]

Not to be outdone by Jetblue’s recent Bay Area Trifecta, Southwest has announced its intention to resume service to San Francisco International Airport. Southwest operated at SFO from 1982 to 2001. At the termination of service, Southwest offered 14 daily departures to San Diego and Phoenix.
Southwest credits its return to the airport to the [...]

Bay Area Rapid Transit(BART) reported record ridership during Christmas week. Currently, the extension and airport station operates at a loss.
We don’t understand why…with moderately convenient public transportation to the airport, why people would not take advantage of it to avoid the hassles of driving to the airport. Cities have invested money in these buses and [...]

Jetblue Airways announced in a press release today that effective May 3, 2007, it would inaugurate service to San Francisco International Airport, complimenting its service to Oakland and San Jose. Jetblue offers service from San Jose to Boston and New York City and from Oakland to Boston, New York City, Long Beach, Washington-Dulles, and Ft. [...]