Warning to the squeamish: This week caused some creepies to crawl.
Hot happenings in the skies this week include many things worth remembering. None more so than our history.
This weekly post is my ‘round tuit’. Included are stories which caught my eye and others which I couldn’t cover in-depth during the week, but thought Flight Chic readers would want to know about.
1. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRG! (I did warn you.)
"Snakes on a Plane!"
There has been a real snake on a plane in Mexico! ► https://t.co/i0zWglbUWK pic.twitter.com/SP56iJCreE
— Airline Ratings (@Airline_ratings) November 8, 2016
When a snake falls from the overhead bin during a flight https://t.co/HH1iKa8dSy pic.twitter.com/C5LGC2Mhzn
— Travel + Leisure (@TravelLeisure) November 7, 2016
When the snake news broke yesterday I asked myself which would be worse, that or a giant spider. Can’t decide. https://t.co/sye5GiiDtj
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 8, 2016
2. Heathrow’s ‘super-complainers.’
Heathrow 'super-complainers' bombard airport https://t.co/6qnosDBYRN #Travel Weekly # article via @travelweekly
— Unite4Heathrow (@Unite4Heathrow) November 8, 2016
3. Condor heads to Pittsburg.
“Pittsburgh is a perfect departure point for round trips through the US or Canada,” the airline states. “Condor‘s next summer flight schedule will offer a total of 16 destinations in North America with non-stop service from Frankfurt, and partly also from Munich.
“Additional service into Europe has been a top priority for Pittsburgh International Airport and the community. We are extremely excited to welcome Condor to our growing market. The airline’s wide-body aircraft and on-board product will be a great addition for the many travelers to Europe who use Pittsburgh International Airport,” Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis said.
4. Gulf carriers will upgrade their lounge space in Frankfurt.
The three major Gulf carriers will get prime lounge space at Frankfurt airport's new terminal https://t.co/VzSGrByfVa via @luxury #paxex
— starflyergold 🕊 (@starflyergold) November 10, 2016
5. Norwegian introduces lounge service at Oakland-San Francisco.
- The new Escape Lounge at OAK will be the first to open on the West Coast.
- Norwegian’s Premium passengers will find a relaxing atmosphere with contemporary furnishings and an extensive complimentary locally inspired food menu created in partnership with Oakland-based Chef Chris Pastena.
- Unlimited free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, free high-speed Wi-Fi, newspapers, and magazines will also be available.
- Norwegian’s economy passengers and customers of other airlines can buy access to the Escape Lounge.
Thomas Ramdahl, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian said: “We’re upgrading our Premium passengers’ journey with complimentary access to the newest airport lounge in the Bay Area. Norwegian is defining premium low-cost travel with an enhanced experience without the price tag. Our customers expect high quality, choice and affordable fares which is why Premium passengers can enjoy the fantastic brand new facilities of the Escape Lounge at Oakland in addition to select lounges in other parts of the world.”
6. Etihad Airways features top-chefs at ‘Taste of the World’ in Abu Dhabi.
The 10 chefs taking part in the event will compete to show who among them epitomizes Etihad Airways’ food philosophy: remarkable culinary experiences throughout the journey, on the ground and in the air, using innovative cooking techniques and the creative use of ingredients.
Patrick Pierce, Etihad Airways Vice President Sponsorship, said, “We draw inspiration from the finest restaurants and emerging chefs from the world’s major culinary capitals, serving inspired dining both on the ground and in the air, and doing it with the style and sophistication that has become synonymous with the Etihad Airways brand.”
Etihad Airways has 235 Inflight Chefs and 495 Food and Beverage Managers in service.
7. Nok Air CEO shares his views on the passenger experience.
Nok Air CEO Patee Sarasin on the most overlooked aspect of #PaxEx, his online presence & the future of #IFE: https://t.co/9INwX3rAFS #AvGeek pic.twitter.com/6QWmeoE6jq
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) November 7, 2016
8. Yes, please. More of this.
Great idea: @Schiphol testing new scanner where liquids bag and laptop remain in cabin bag, hope it proves viable and spreads #PaxEx pic.twitter.com/4wunbCe9xm
— Andreas Spaeth (@SpaethFlies) November 7, 2016
9. Panasonic Avionics unveils new modem.
Today we unveiled a new modem developed with @Newtec_Satcom to future proof our global satellite network: https://t.co/2DZr7ABsP1 #IFEC pic.twitter.com/z3l4Mzz0jB
— Panasonic Avionics (@PanasonicAero) November 7, 2016
Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, says: “As we continue to optimize our second generation Global Communications network, we are constantly looking for new pieces of critical technology that will enable our customers take full advantage of HTS and XTS technology. Newtec’s broadband modem, which is based on the innovative DVB-S2X standard and customized to our requirements, allows us to access much larger blocks of frequency and better support high bandwidth platforms across all of our vertical markets.”
10. Airport beacons are more than passing fancy.
SITA's Ron Reed on why beacons are much more than just a techie fad | via @IntAirport https://t.co/IpzMrUvdsW pic.twitter.com/7PJws4grnC
— Hana Sperlova (@sperl_hanna) November 8, 2016
11. KLM’s new Digital Lab opens.
Opening of @KLM Digital Labs! @idetudelft showing demo's of our projects. #proudpartner Soon in a flight near you 😉 pic.twitter.com/gJyBY1DJZ2
— Christine De Lille (@cshdelille) November 8, 2016
12. ViaSat has a good week.
We expect our airline expansion will impact the industry in a way that’s good for the passengers & the airlines $VSAT #PaxEx pic.twitter.com/WVfK4buTqt
— Viasat Inc. (@ViasatInc) November 8, 2016
13. The most amusing meal of the day.
The ongoing joke that is economy class Transatlantic Breakfast https://t.co/Wb1aFUSvVP pic.twitter.com/vJhUEfPyEj
— Kevin – Economy Class & Beyond (@EconomyBeyond) November 8, 2016
Excellent service & flight in @Lufthansa's Business ATH-MUC-TLS on @Airbus A321 today. The catering from ATH is always delicious: pic.twitter.com/fwsW0CFAaQ
— Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) November 7, 2016
14. There’s a clever way for airlines to find rooms for disrupted passengers quickly as needed.
This is a genius solution for airline disruption management. https://t.co/YK9PiNM8Xz
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 8, 2016
15. Emirates Airline introduces mobile visas. (Smart.)
Emirates Airline: Apply for UAE visa on your phone, anytime, anywhere https://t.co/OxTnRjIRWm | Travel Daily News HT @theAPEXassoc
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 9, 2016
Electronic visas are not just more efficient they are also more secure @DScowsill @WTTC @UNWTO ministerial #WTMLDN #travel #tourism pic.twitter.com/wESFj7u3lS
— Annebeth Wijtenburg (@abwijtenburg) November 9, 2016
16. Why, look at that, balancing supply and demand works!
$AAL @AmericanAir expects 4Q/16 TRASM of (0.5-2.5)%, pre-tax margin ex-items of 5-7%, both improved from prior guidance of (1-3)% and 4-6%
— Robert W. Mann, Jr. (@RWMann) November 9, 2016
17. Who will add Premium Economy next?
Will United follow American and Delta into premium economy? https://t.co/tReqoPEPw3 via @Airline_ratings
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 8, 2016
18. OAG and Skyscanner partner up.
Hugh Aitken, Commercial Director at Skyscanner, said: “Research from March 2014 showed that more than 20% of UK travellers checked their flight status information via mobile device or tablet—this will only have increased in the last two and a half years. OAG enables us to provide real-time flight status information on the day of travel, underpinned by the same data that our customers have come to rely on to book the best travel option.”
Exciting news! @Skyscanner, the leading travel search engine teams up with OAG. See the press release here. #avgeek https://t.co/EUYtQdd3w0 pic.twitter.com/HP5qHthlxB
— OAG (@OAG_Aviation) November 8, 2016
19. Saudia reveals interiors of new 777-300ER.
20. Thoughts from airline execs on the impact of long-haul, low-cost routes.
Airline execs: Long-haul, low-cost on brink of changing industry https://t.co/hxSzBU7SvM
— Mango Aviation (@MangoAviation) November 10, 2016
“We’re just on the brink of something new coming along,” Emirates Airline president Tim Clark said.
“There will be lots of airlines that label themselves long-haul, low-cost and will never make a penny,” IAG CEO Willie Walsh said.
(Plus worries over protectionism.)
21. Thoughts from IAG on Open Skies.
22. WOW Air list of destinations from Cork Airport.
WOW The list of new destinations to the USA, Canada and Iceland looks impressive. @wow_air @CorkAirport #FlyFriendly pic.twitter.com/ghep0YKuVi
— Cork Airport (@CorkAirport) November 10, 2016
And Pittsburg is popular. (It is nice.)
WOW! Pittsburgh Receives New Service to Iceland https://t.co/bBeIDDHfhQ pic.twitter.com/2OJFphlCLe
— AirlineGeeks (@AirlineGeeks) November 9, 2016
23. Open and Fair Skies thing aside, Qatar Airways hopes for joint venture with American Airlines.
Qatar Airways turning 20 – and hoping for a joint venture with American Airlines https://t.co/m1Jj9ESDQr
— Will Horton (@winglets747) November 10, 2016
24. Speaking of which, I think the question is whether alliances matter any more. Thoughts?
25. The latest scoop from APEX on leading content strategies.
Content Connections: Asia, #Millennials and Big Names. Read more -> https://t.co/0Ve0UzQG4Z #PaxEx #IFE #AvGeek pic.twitter.com/n65sZHNPiq
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) November 10, 2016
26. Alaska Airlines’ own content game is quite good.
Everyone should keep an eye on what Alaska Air does w/ #travel content, because it’s a thing of beauty. 🌟 @JoPiazza https://t.co/pVNLiASilS
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 8, 2016
27. Airlines get failing grade on mobile UX. (2017 Goals.)
A reality check for airlines and the direct channel https://t.co/2CRpXtE9cl by @foxychops (Eye-opening stats, here.) pic.twitter.com/m0NZK5Ccmk
— PhocusWire (@phocuswire) November 8, 2016
From @tnooz today: How APIs can increase the speed of innovation in mobile: https://t.co/j7FS01egyr pic.twitter.com/CSU1gBJAT7
— Sabre (@Sabre_Corp) November 10, 2016
28. Setback for Ryanair and TUIfly as EU demands repayment of Austrian airport credits.
EU orders Ryanair, TUIfly to repay illegal Austrian airport aid https://t.co/yL9Elt5KZX
— ReutersAerospaceNews (@ReutersAero) November 11, 2016
29. And United faces problems with EU too.
» Belfast International Airport deal with United Airlines falls foul of the European Commission – https://t.co/OLdml5Smnw
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 8, 2016
30. Scotland’s Airports are growing.
Scotland's airports report record traffic growth https://t.co/HLNwxeTXm5
— Aviation Xtended 🎧 (@AviationXtended) November 11, 2016
31. Austrian Airlines picks Inmarsat GX broadband service.
.@_austrian Airlines to take to the sky with our new high-speed #GXAviation in-flight broadband service #PaxEx https://t.co/MHSrfIzAOJ
— Inmarsat (@InmarsatGlobal) November 11, 2016
32. There was an election in the U.S..
#Trump protectionism set to be bad news for airlines, but $600bn infrastructure boost will benefit airports #avgeek https://t.co/zAt3o8jZGz pic.twitter.com/qvDivO42kA
— Tim Robinson (@RAeSTimR) November 11, 2016
Letter from @united CEO Oscar Munoz on the US election results pic.twitter.com/9lXXzJXLJ0
— Edward Russell (@ByERussell) November 10, 2016
What to expect from travel in the age of President Trump. @SimonCalder's face says it all https://t.co/JU4AIHcIaI #travel #Trump pic.twitter.com/UOKiq0wm89
— Independent Travel (@IndyTravel) November 9, 2016
Open & Fair Skies Group looks forward to briefing President-elect Trump #avgeek https://t.co/TBTwHsYFrG pic.twitter.com/oAgXwqSdMV
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 9, 2016
Tui boss: 'US election outcome will have less impact on #travel industry than Brexit' https://t.co/PfJ3H7bczS via @TTGMedia
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 9, 2016
ACI-NA Congratulates President-Elect Donald Trump #avgeek https://t.co/c5td8fey5g pic.twitter.com/tcAv6axZmP
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 9, 2016
Politics Aside People Will Still Travel, Danish #Travel Guru Says https://t.co/lUPfcmE4C6 pic.twitter.com/elwIeqTVUi
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 11, 2016
To our mates in the States… Well, that was a journey. Here’s an invitation that might be more relaxing. #EscapeToNZ #ElectionHangoverCure ✈️ pic.twitter.com/28OxlYHbrY
— Air New Zealand ✈️ (@FlyAirNZ) November 10, 2016
I’m off to CAPA Asia where other CEOs and industry leaders will be discussing this topic. I’ll share the highlights.
33. Soon, a turkey will be pardoned.
Our editors share their best Thanksgiving travel tips. https://t.co/3P4Sp90gK5 pic.twitter.com/wddTvWjwSK
— Travel + Leisure (@TravelLeisure) November 7, 2016
34. Lufthansa introduces Mildred Facebook Messenger chat bot.
Lufthansa brings Mildred to the chat table https://t.co/LeKvBbtKjG @foxychops @tnooz
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 11, 2016
35. Sabre reservations glitch affects multiple airlines, causes flight cancellations and delays.
A previous systems failure briefly affected some Sabre customers in October.
Multiple airlines hit by reservations glitch https://t.co/7a6HJMVJPf – pic.twitter.com/EkdBuB095N
— Ben Mutzabaugh (@benmutzabaugh) November 11, 2016
36. Cityjet is in a buying mood.
Earlier this year, rumours circulated that Cityjet might buy Denmark’s failing Cimber Air from SAS. SAS and Cityjet have an established wet-lease collaboration on regional services, and the Irish carrier bought SAS’ Finnish Blue1 last year.
Pat Byrne says @cityjet is working on acquiring 2 more regional carriers & hopes to close on these by end of 2016. #silc
— Patrick Edmond 🇺🇦 (@PEdmondAero) November 11, 2016
37. IAG updates strategy at Capital Markets Day.
IAG lowers plans for capacity growth, fleet investment & profit, but keeps return on capital target https://t.co/uGUvR4N0as
— Will Horton (@winglets747) November 11, 2016
IAG outlines cost-saving drive in maintenance operation https://t.co/UACbCzFwBV via @FlightGlobal //For others, MRO is profit engine.
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 9, 2016
38. Could IAG become the next big A380 customer?
39. British Airways cabin crew consider industrial action after rejecting 2% pay rise considered inadequate.
British Airways cabin crew to vote for possible industrial action https://t.co/F5GfBjsvyP via @guardian #airlines #labor
— B N Sullivan (@AircrewBuzz) November 11, 2016
40. Emirates simplifies its fleet to two large aircraft types.
.@emirates retires last Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, making it the world’s first airline to operate an all A380 and B777 fleet ✈️ https://t.co/Eu1gdJNc2P
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) November 11, 2016
41. Cathay’s Dragon branding will debut soon.
Cathay Dragon Branding Officially Launches Later This Month – https://t.co/c816NATIPk via @PointMe2Plane pic.twitter.com/Fao3utdiZJ
— BoardingArea (@BoardingArea) November 11, 2016
42. Hawaiian Airlines debuts destination-inspired fashion.
RT @honolulumag: Catch presenting sponsor @HawaiianAir's #HonoluluFW fashion show Nov11:https://t.co/pdcvPf5ZqE pic.twitter.com/hLExe0Bo9o
— Hawaiian Airlines (@HawaiianAir) November 7, 2016
43. We have a take-off date for Crystal Cruise’s ultimate-luxury plane.
Crystal AirCruises to start widebody ops in 2017 #Comlux #CrystalAirCruises https://t.co/YD6qpmFLzH pic.twitter.com/p13LFlgP7o
— Aviation Tribune (@AviationTribune) November 11, 2016
44. Lufthansa argues the case to life night-flight bans at Frankfurt.
Lufthansa: Frankfurt airport night-flight ban remains a disadvantage … https://t.co/YAnYSMKlph pic.twitter.com/mgnlZlnuON
— Air Transport World (@ATWOnline) November 11, 2016
45. Frankfurt Airport’s growth is stagnant.
Frankfurt's passenger numbers stagnate. Now you can see why it wants to attract major LCCs with Ryanair becoming the first. [DE] https://t.co/93ovboLsiI
— Alex McWhirter (@McWhirterAlex) November 10, 2016
46. Further airport privatisation in Europe.
As ACI-EUROPE explains, with government funding decreasing it is the only way to ensure adequate investment in infrastructure.
Part of Dublin Airport could go private https://t.co/im0OrjSBBA via @IrishTimesBiz (could but shouldn't)
— starflyergold 🕊 (@starflyergold) November 12, 2016
Following our Airport Investment Symposium yesterday, here is a press release on its conclusions https://t.co/VXxajMBPf9
— ACI EUROPE (@ACI_EUROPE) November 11, 2016
47. Great opportunity here to learn more about ancillaries.
Webinar: The science behind ancillary merchandising, with new @FusionMoment research https://t.co/fIktwRU53J pic.twitter.com/BjvBckSBBW
— PhocusWire (@phocuswire) November 9, 2016
48. Airbus wants more women engineers.
You know when they say that it’s all in your head? Well, it is! So make the most of it. We need more #WomeninSTEM. https://t.co/E9U3ucHgcP
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) November 12, 2016
49. We could use more women pilots and Captains too.
Aviation industry still struggling with flightdeck gender imbalance – despite looming pilot shortage. Analysis https://t.co/WBBFqgzI66 pic.twitter.com/Vps7zIG5x4
— Tim Robinson (@RAeSTimR) November 8, 2016
50. Qantas reveals new Business Class Pyjamas.
51. Stressing over week 51? Alitalia is ready.
52. Airlines should keep this pique over chocolate in mind.
Oh, Toblerone. What have you done? https://t.co/IoXOS8AcV9 https://t.co/hhDnlYC4KD
— 🎈Marisa Garcia (@mgarcia_writer) November 8, 2016
53. We honour those who ensure our freedoms through their personal sacrifice.
#OnThisDay 1918: Germany signs armistice ending fighting on the Western Front. WWI ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
— Aust War Memorial (@AWMemorial) November 11, 2016
Today we remember. At 11am across the UK we will observe a 2min silence & all our grounded planes will silence their engines #ArmisticeDay pic.twitter.com/PLKQKh8Q0f
— British Airways (@British_Airways) November 11, 2016
This #VeteransDay, the men and women at #Boeing would like to say more than thank you. This is what we mean. pic.twitter.com/mmhJHDPFR9
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) November 11, 2016
The Air Canada family lay a wreath today at the National War Memorial to recognize all those who serve. #LestWeForget #RememberThem pic.twitter.com/gqyIJP1Iy6
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) November 11, 2016
“Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”
— In Flanders Fields – by John McRae
As we enter week 46: Remember the sky is still there and more beautiful sometimes than the heart can bear.
Aurora & star trails after the clouds cleared, ~1am last night at Hirvisuo, Finland. #photography @ObservingSpace @YleSaa @NASAGoddardPix pic.twitter.com/YcmESwWUeD
— Thomas Kast (@thomas_kast) November 9, 2016
Estelas "de colores" en Salinas #Asturias ✈️😜🙈🙊😂 #BuenosDías pic.twitter.com/bgbcAv9vQS
— Guiller 🇪🇸✈️ (@GuillerCil) November 12, 2016