This is great news for German aviation … Condor becomes the first German customer for the A330-900neoThe German holiday airline Condor has just ordered 16 Airbus A330-900neos. The first aircraft is to be added to Condor’s fleet in autumn 2022, while all aircraft are to be delivered by mid-2024. Condor’s long-haul fleet currently consists of 13 Boeing 767-300ERs, which are on average 26 years old. For a long time there were questions about the plans to renew Condor’s long-haul fleet, as the planes will (presumably) only fly that much longer. Well, now we finally know the plan. The A330-900neo is the latest generation of the A330 family. The aircraft has improved fuel efficiency over older versions of the A330 and is a great lower capacity alternative to the A350, which is otherwise the flagship of Airbus’ long-haul aircraft. In a standard configuration, the A330-900neo has a range of 6,550 nm and offers space for 287 passengers. Condor claims that this will make the airline the European leader in terms of fuel efficiency on long-haul flights. It even markets this aircraft as a “2-liter aircraft” because the airline states that the fuel consumption per person will be 2.1 liters per 100 kilometers flown. This aircraft should be a huge improvement for the airline in many ways – in terms of fuel efficiency, passenger experience, range, operating costs, and even capacity. This also means considerable growth for the airline – the long-haul fleet will grow from 13 smaller aircraft to 16 larger aircraft. Condor presents new Business Class Premium EconomySo far, Condor has communicated the following about the passenger experience of the upcoming Airbus A330-900neos:
For the context, the Condor 767s are currently in a configuration with two cabins. Business Class consists of (heavily) sloping seats that are not really competitive with other Business Class products out there (but there is not much competition on the Frankfurt to Whitehorse route either). I could imagine Condor introducing flat beds in Business Class on the A330-900neos. I don’t think it’s going to be anything innovative, just something that is solid. After all, the airline is a vacation airline, so many travelers are couples or families and don’t mind sitting together. Additionally, the airline doesn’t face much competition in many of the markets in which it operates. In addition, Condor promises to be the European frontrunner when it comes to fuel consumption per passenger on long-haul flights. To earn this title, a lot of seats must be placed on airplanes. ? Could Condor’s long-haul strategy change?While there is no sign of anything changing, I can’t help but ask this question. The long-distance network of Condor currently consists almost exclusively of leisure routes from Germany. We talk about everything from Anchorage, Cancun, Havana, Mauritius, Phuket. The airline will expand its long-haul fleet significantly, given the number of aircraft and their capacity. Additionally, the airline is likely to have a better all round passenger experience. I can’t help but wonder whether Condor will compete against Lufthansa on further routes, as Lufthansa has no competition in many markets. Lufthansa is replicating some Condor routes with its new subsidiary Eurowings Discover, which could make some markets more difficult for Condor. Conversely, Condor could perhaps go on the offensive against Lufthansa in some more traditional business markets. I’m not saying it will happen, but I think it can’t be ruled out. Bottom lineThe German holiday airline Condor has ordered 16 Airbus A330-900neos, which will be delivered between 2022 and 2024. They replace the airline’s 13 aging Boeing 767-300ERs. It is so exciting that Condor is evolving this way as these planes will offer a whole new passenger experience. Condor will always have a special place in my heart as it is the airline that I associate most with my childhood. I have fond memories of flying non-stop between Tampa and Frankfurt with the airline (although I also had to sit in the smoking section, which was what made me earn miles in the first place so I could travel more comfortably). What do you think of Condor’s A330-900neo order and what do you think this means for the airline’s strategy? Via https://globalconnekt.com/condor-renews-its-fleet-with-16-airbus-a330-900neos/
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Traveling to England without quarantine is becoming possible for many more people and the travel industry will no doubt be delighted with the news. England opens up to vaccinated US and EU travelersThis is important. England is reported to be opening up to fully vaccinated travelers from the European Union and the United States. Currently, these travelers are required to undergo quarantine for at least five days upon arrival, while this rule no longer requires quarantine. That decision was made today at a meeting of the government’s coronavirus operations committee. More details are expected to be announced later in the day, including the introduction of this agreement, whether this applies to England only or the whole of the UK, whether unvaccinated children can travel with vaccinated adults, etc. I would expect this new policy is due out soon, possibly within of days to come into effect. Prior to this announcement, England had started easing quarantine rules for vaccinated travelers, but only for those vaccinated in the UK. It seems a bit strange to set up entry requirements based on where people were vaccinated, although England isn’t the first place to take such an approach. Don’t expect US restrictions on England to changeUnfortunately, while England is opening up to vaccinated Americans, don’t expect this to be reciprocal. A few weeks ago it was announced that travel restrictions between the US and England are unlikely to end this summer. The logic was that neither country was ready to lift the restrictions without reciprocity, and the United States was not ready to lift the restrictions on England. It seems that at this point England is pushing ahead with the lifting of the restrictions, even without reciprocity. The Biden government stated a few days ago that there are no plans to lift the travel restrictions anytime soon, so I expect this policy to be maintained. Personally, I disagree with the logic – the delta variant cannot be ruled out (the vast majority of our cases are already the delta variant), Americans have had access to vaccines for months, and the vaccines work really well against hospitalizations and serious illnesses. I think it’s time people reconnected, but that’s just me. Bottom lineEngland is reportedly being opened to vaccinated people from the United States and the European Union and we should have all the details shortly (I will update this post when these are published). It’s great to see this news, it’s just a shame there is no reciprocity. What do you think of the opening of England to vaccinated travelers? Via https://globalconnekt.com/england-opens-to-vaccinated-americans/ Okay, I guess unfortunately I can Believe it, I just wish I couldn’t. How do we approach this issue sensitively? Charlotte airport shirtsI dress casually when I fly (and everywhere, actually). Athleisure makes up 90% of my wardrobe and I feel pretty comfortable wearing it in most places, including on airplanes and airports. Some readers occasionally comment on stories about how people dress to fly and find that they “remember the time you dressed up to fly”. Well I think I have my own version of this because I disbelieve what others wear when flying. I had a long delay at Charlotte Airport yesterday, and since it was a rolling delay, nearly 200 people crowded around the gate. I couldn’t believe how people were dressed. Let me give you a snippet of what I just saw at my departure gate for a single flight to Tampa. I’m not even talking about the four people who wore Trump gear in either 2020 or 2024 (ironically, the only one of them who followed the federal mask mandate was the one who wore a Trump face mask instead of a hat). For the record, there were zero bids 2020 or 2024 in the gate area, because the election is known to be over. I’m talking more about the other things I’ve seen … There was the lady who wore a shirt that said “No Pepper Spray Girl” with a picture of a machine gun on it. How exactly does this mental dialogue work when you get dressed to go to the airport? “Hmmm, I’m flying today, I’ll be stuck in tight quarters with strangers who may have different beliefs than I do. Yes, let me wear my shirt that jokes about shooting people. ”And we wonder why there are so many flight disruptions … Or there was the guy (I couldn’t get a good picture that still protects his privacy, but I found the shirt on Amazon) wearing an “It’s Not Gay If It’s TSA” shirt. Which would have been almost funny if the person he was traveling with wasn’t wearing a Confederate flag t-shirt. And then there was a guy who was wearing a “don’t step on me” shirt that seems to mean different things to different people. Is this against American Airlines’ dress code?American Airlines has a dress code that is too simple in my opinion:
Interestingly, curvy women are almost always told to cover up when we hear stories of this being enforced because they are “showing too much” even though all of their private parts are covered. The defense of people who agree to this is usually, “I don’t want my children to be exposed to this.” I don’t really get it because if you ever take your child to the beach they will see much more revealing clothing. Maybe it’s just me, but personally I would consider wearing a shirt that jokes about the use of machine guns or an obviously homophobic shirt that is “more obnoxious” than seeing a woman’s natural curves while still obscuring what needs to be “covered”. But again, it’s just me. Bottom lineI’m not surprised by much these days, but I’m disappointed with the shirts people wear in airports these days. I would expect one or two of these, but the sheer amount I saw was daunting and I feel like there has been an increase lately (more at some airports than others). Has anyone noticed an increase in these types of “statement” t-shirts? And what do you think, at least some of them are crossing the line into “obnoxious” clothing and breaking American Airlines’ dress code?
Via https://globalconnekt.com/i-cant-believe-the-shirts-people-wear-at-airports/ There is no denying that hotels are making a lot of cost cuts as they are slowly emerging from the pandemic and hoping to become companies with higher profit margins. While most hotel cost reductions are bad news for guests, here is one change I can support. Marriott does not have alarm clocks in the roomScott Mayerowitz attended a meeting of Marriott executives at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit, and one surprising topic came up – alarm clocks. Marriott’s group president for the US and Canada spoke about the company’s rethinking, specifically pointing out that alarm clocks are a relic of the past that is no longer needed:
While there’s no formal schedule for removing alarm clocks from Marriott’s brands, it sounds like the world’s largest hotel group is eliminating them, at least in newly built properties. That is a change that I am advocatingView from the Wing strongly opposes this change, arguing that “eliminating clocks from rooms potentially means less rest”. Here is Gary’s argument:
I see where Gary is from even though I have a different opinion:
Of course, these things are not all or nothing. Is it nice to look at the watch sometimes instead of picking up the phone and letting other notifications stimulate your brain? Yes. But if you ask me, the negatives outweigh the positives. Bottom lineMarriott is trying to remove alarm clocks from rooms as they are historic but are not widely used these days. Personally, this is a cost-cutting change that I am very much in favor of. I find alarm clocks more impractical than anything else. I’ve never set a hotel alarm clock before, but I’ve certainly set off my fair share of it because previous guests had set them. There is always a wake-up call for those who need to be awakened. Where do you stand on hotel room alarm clocks? Via https://globalconnekt.com/good-riddance-marriott-wants-to-cut-alarm-clocks/ “Meet me under the clock right on platform 2 of Victoria Station,” he urged with burning eyes. This was supposed to be our first date and I wondered what he was up to with it. I arrived at 10:55 a.m., a few minutes early to settle down, only to find that he was already waiting, looking embarrassed, a bouquet of red roses in hand. Just as I passed out at this gesture, I heard the whistle of the steam train that clicked into place on the platform. He gently took my hand, whispered, “Your champagne breakfast awaits M’lady,” and led me to the Pullman dining car on the Royal Windsor Steam Express. Reality check. Ok, that’s the Mills and Boon version. We went to Windsor for just one day to see Her Majesty’s Castle and enjoy the historic town of Windsor. We decided to add a little romantic glamor to an otherwise mundane trip around London by traveling Pullman style aboard a steam train destined for this proper royal city. This is a new regular steam service from London’s Victoria Station that returned to the tracks in 2019 after 50 years. Our train was the Mayflower, and I had the opportunity to check their boiler room before leaving. Here tons of coal are hand shoveled into the stove to turn water into steam. At 383 degrees Fahrenheit (195 degrees Celsius), it’s fair to say it’s hot there. I looked at the red faces of the two men who, with a little awe, kept everything going. It was much cooler in the carriage as I walked down the wood-paneled catwalk to my comfortable armchair seat to a table draped with a white linen tablecloth. Silver cutlery, champagne flutes for two, a historical reading lamp and tied back embroidered curtains stage a bygone era or perhaps a crime thriller on the Orient Express. Champagne was served by Peter, who wore a black uniform and a big smile (no doubt) under a black mask. The orange juice and coffee. Soon the brunch came; Eggs royale; two muffins with smoked salmon topped with a poached egg, topped with hollandaise sauce and served with half a grilled tomato. Having breakfast on the tracks while listening to the whistling of steam between bites was fun. While the scenery wasn’t a great backdrop during this 58 mile journey between London Victoria Station and Windsor – what do you think of Barnes and Clapham Junction? – There were green spots closer to Windsor. What could have improved the experience? During the trip it occurred to me that I would like to dine with background music – anything classic would have enhanced the feeling of civilized escapism. Verdict:Enjoying an hour of attentive service and a Tet-a-Tet at breakfast when nothing in the world matters is definitely a first class first date or any type of date experience. How much does a Pullman style meal cost:Pullman-style meals are £ 89 per person, children £ 69. There are several levels of promotion and these can be found at https://ift.tt/3BNgzGt
Via https://globalconnekt.com/review-the-royal-windsor-steam-express-breakfast/
Via https://globalconnekt.com/in-this-way-you-avoid-paying-too-much-for-flight-luggage/ Delta is now the first major airline in the United States to unconditionally renew elite status for the second year in a row. Delta extends status until 2023Delta SkyMiles extends Medallion status for a second year in a row, meaning status is valid until January 31, 2023. Additionally, Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) earned in 2021 will carry over to 2022 to qualify for 2023 Medallion Status. This more or less reflects the status upgrade we saw from Delta SkyMiles earlier this year. While most airlines renewed their status last year, it was a different story this year, at least in the United States, as the pace of the domestic travel recovery rebounded. At the beginning of this year, Delta started a campaign to make it easier to earn status. In particular, flights count towards status 50-75% faster than usual, and award flights also count towards status. This promotion will still be valid. While those whose status has been extended will not be able to select new Choice Benefits, existing global and regional upgrade certificates that have been acquired will be extended through January 31, 2023. An incentive to qualify for delta statusSome people will no doubt say, “Well, that’s not fair, I’ve already requalified for status and now Delta will just give it to other members for free.” For these people, there is an interesting angle here. Starting February 1, 2022, those who qualified for status in 2021 will be eligible for free upgrades before those with the same tier that have been extended. I think it’s a really smart turn for Delta to expand this opportunity. Elite members are often concerned about the swell of the elite ranks, and the main practical impact is competition for upgrades. This benefit addresses it, at least for those of the same elite tier. Another incentive to qualify for status is that if your status is simply renewed, you can select Choice Benefits, while you will not receive any additional Choice Benefits. Delta 360 invitation-only status will also be extendedIn addition to the published Delta SkyMiles Medallion Levels, there is also the Delta 360 program, which is invite-only. The airline has confirmed that this status will also be extended for another year until January 31, 2023. All Delta 360 members can choose Diamond Choice benefits. Delta is the second airline to extend invitation-only status, as United extended Global Services a few days ago. Will other airlines follow Delta’s lead?You’d assume the answer was yes, since the major airlines tend to all follow each other on such things. Delta was the first major airline to announce that the status would be renewed in 2020, and now it is the first major airline to announce that the status will be renewed in 2021. In this case, however, I’m not entirely sure if other airlines will follow suit. That’s not to say it can’t or won’t happen, but I think more likely that other airlines won’t follow suit. For example, we’ve seen American AAdvantage launch several promotions that gradually make it easier to earn status. The latest promotion allows you to maintain your status by simply spending $ 15,000 on an American Airlines co-branded credit card or earning 2,000 Qualifying Elite Dollars (EQDs). I’m not sure American thinks it has to be a lot easier to earn status for yourself. That’s the main reason I’m not convinced that other major airlines will keep up. Bottom lineDelta has extended elite status for the second year in a row, so anyone who earned status in 2019 or later can enjoy it through January 2023. The airline continues to run their promotions that allow you to get expedited status. Additionally, those who actually qualify for status this year will enjoy upgrade priority, which seems fair. Again, what do you think of Delta Renewal Status? Do you think other airlines will follow suit? Via https://globalconnekt.com/wow-delta-skymiles-extends-status-for-another-year/ JetBlue’s much-anticipated transatlantic service is slated to start in a few weeks. Many have wondered if the airline will push this service forward, given the current travel restrictions between the United States and the United Kingdom. There is an update for this … JetBlue reduces transatlantic frequenciesJetBlue will offer daily non-stop flights between New York JFK and London Heathrow from August 11th and a second daily frequency from September 29th (this flight goes to London Gatwick rather than London Heathrow). When the airline put these flights on sale back in May, it presumably did so in the expectation that the reciprocal travel bans would be lifted by August:
So while transatlantic travel is generally picking up (mainly for Americans traveling to countries in the European Union), demand between the United States and the United Kingdom remains very limited. With that in mind, JetBlue has an update on its London plans:
What I find strange about this power reductionI find it a bit strange that JetBlue is at full speed in London in August, but then heads back in September:
So I’m intrigued by JetBlue’s strategy here, and I’m not sure I’ll follow suit. I only have one theory, and it’s pretty far-fetched. If JetBlue cancels flights to London, the airline must reimburse passengers on those flights in cash. If the airline is on schedule and passengers cancel due to travel restrictions, travelers will only be eligible for credit on a future JetBlue flight. In other words, this allows JetBlue to hold onto the cash from all bookings for the month of August instead of having to issue refunds. I can’t imagine that is ultimately the logic as these transatlantic flights are not going to be cheap to operate. At the same time, I don’t really understand the angle here. I’m surprised to see that JetBlue doesn’t quite delay the London service. Unless a travel ban is lifted, demand for this flight will be very, very limited. Bottom lineDespite the current travel bans, JetBlue is moving ahead with the introduction of transatlantic flights in mid-August. Interestingly, the airline has daily flights in August and then plans to reduce frequencies to 4 times a week in September. Are you surprised that JetBlue is making headway with its launch in London? And what do you think is the logic of keeping the frequencies in August but reducing them in September? Via https://globalconnekt.com/jetblue-is-cutting-london-flights-but-in-a-strange-way/ Flight operations are admittedly incredibly complex, and that is something that most passengers miss. I’m pretty forgiving of delays because I understand what it takes to make a flight on time (although admittedly some airlines are better at that than others). Here’s something I can’t deal with … American flight status for rolling delaysDelta and United are both good at providing accurate flight status to the best of their ability in the event of irregular flight operations:
And then you have American Airlines … I had booked a flight from Charlotte to Tampa this morning that was long, rolling delay (and eventually canceled). Hopefully the flight status monitor images below give you a sense of my frustration (the time on the left side of the monitor is the scheduled time of departure and the time in the lower right corner of the monitor is the time the image was taken). Also note that all of these pictures were taken prior to boarding. That’s right, at 10:40 am, the flight was supposed to start at 10.30 am, even though boarding hadn’t even started and there wasn’t even a full crew operating the flight. Is that too much?There are constant delays and I understand the reasons why airlines sometimes cannot find a crew for a flight. But if you have a 196-passenger plane and boarding has not yet started (let alone the fact that no crew has been assigned to the flight), why is it so difficult to at least consistently book a departure time of 25+ minutes? the future? I don’t see a single reason why a computer shouldn’t be programmed to do this easily. It shows such a disrespect for passengers’ time. American’s failure to update the flight status monitor resulted in large numbers of passengers crowding the gate for hours. Many passengers arrived at the gate around 8:30 a.m. and stood there until the flight was canceled around 12:30 p.m. All because they thought the flight was leaving in a few minutes, because that was the only information they were given. Well, the decision to overcrowd the gate of course depends on the passengers not really understanding how flight operations work (that’s the amount that American flies through Charlotte these days), although it doesn’t change anything that people are really concerned about were they’d miss the flight if they left. I heard a passenger go to the gate agent and ask if they could use the toilet, which was literally across from the gate without the risk of missing the flight. There weren’t many updates from the gate agents either, other than “We don’t know what’s going on”. Showing a departure time of 25+ minutes in the future seems to be in the best interests of the airline and its customers. It would allow people to keep a little distance, find a quieter place to sit, and not be so frustrated. Instead, passengers cheered loudly every time a pilot or flight attendant in uniform came to the gate thinking it was the missing crew (in reality, it was just staff trying to get a seat on the flight to get home). I suppose if there is any silver lining it is that the American Airlines app now has push notifications when boarding begins. This is useful if you know your way around, but I guess most people couldn’t understand this. Bottom lineAmong the major airlines in the United States, I find American by far the worst when it comes to updating flight status to account for delays. I understand that there are rolling delays and American may not know when a flight is actually departing. However, I think we all agree that at 10:40 a.m., an airline should not tell its passengers that the flight is leaving at 10:30 a.m. even though boarding has not yet started. Can anyone shed some light on why Americans are so bad at this? Does the airline just don’t care, doesn’t the airline think the passengers care or what? This seems like such a simple solution! Via https://globalconnekt.com/why-is-american-so-bad-at-updating-flight-status/ |
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March 2022
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