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JetBlue and United Obtain DOT Approval
In a twist nobody noticed coming (except they’ve ever seen a merger in sluggish movement), the Division of Transportation gave the blue inexperienced mild to United and JetBlue’s “Blue Sky” partnership — as a result of apparently “Joint Enterprise Lite” sounds too trustworthy. The deal lets the 2 airways cuddle up simply sufficient to commerce JFK and Newark slots, cozy up their frequent flyer applications, and supply reciprocal perks like precedence boarding and checked baggage. However don’t fear, they completely promised to not coordinate pricing or schedules. Simply a few pleasant neighbors who coincidentally present up on the similar events with the identical plus-one carrying the identical outfit bringing the identical potato salad.
JetBlue will get caught with eight better-timed operations at Newark and United will get a revival to make one more half-assed run at JFK with as much as seven roundtrips per day in 2027. Oh and frequent fliers get to earn and burn throughout each networks — assuming they will determine whether or not TrueBlue Mosaic 3 is extra worthwhile than MileagePlus 1K (spoiler: it take a slide rule, abacus, and an app to determine — and even nonetheless, the result’s inconclusive). In the meantime, Spirit filed a grievance sooner than you’ll be able to say “slot squatting,” warning that this marriage of comfort is only a smokescreen to crush competitors. However hey, no less than you’ll quickly have the ability to guide a JetBlue flight to JFK on United’s web site, and vice versa. That’s progress. Or not. Who is aware of.
United Flight Attendants United in Rejecting Contract
United’s flight attendants swatted down the contract handed by its union management earlier this spring to the tune of a 92% turnout, and 71% voting hell no. Certain, the deal supplied fast raises of no less than 26%, retroactive pay, and boarding bonuses — however for a lot of attendants, that’s like placing lipstick on a in a single day Newark layover. Their actual gripe? Work guidelines aren’t altering practically sufficient. Additionally, administration nonetheless isn’t paying them for the late-night reroutes, or fixing these sketchy layover resort rooms.
Union head Ken Diaz wasn’t mincing phrases: the proposal missed the mark on scheduling flexibility, ground-hour compensation, and primary quality-of-life enhancements. United known as the vote “disappointing,” however it shortly dusted off its PR script about returning to the negotiation desk — probably with federal mediators in tow. In the meantime, the union plans to survey members to map out their precise priorities, as a result of apparently spreadsheets and “industry-leading charges” don’t translate to glad crews.
JetBlue’s Q2 a Blended Bag
JetBlue Airways posted a small loss in its Q2 report card earlier this week however needs you to know that for those who strip out a lot of its losses, it really eked out a tiny revenue. In comparable information, for those who ignore the three hours your flight was delayed final week, it really operated on-time. Actually, at a 0.3% adjusted margin, its proclaimed revenue is likely to be higher described as “profit-ish.” Income dipped 3% year-over-year, unit prices crept up, and but by some means it nonetheless framed this quarter as a step ahead in its JetForward technique—which, primarily based on the numbers, appears extra like JetSideways.
JetBlue’s newest shiny object is its new Blue Sky alliance with United, which — spoiler alert –received’t ship actual cash till no less than 2027. However that didn’t cease the service from claiming it bumped their long-term EBIT outlook by $50 million, and for those who squint exhausting sufficient, a few of its self-congratulations type of monitor: on-time arrivals are up three factors, NPS is climbing, and the airline pocketed $180 million of JetForward-related EBIT since launch. That mentioned, the bar was so low after final 12 months’s operational faceplant that merely working a semi-functional airline this summer time was sufficient to spark high-fives in Lengthy Island Metropolis.
Briefly, JetBlue remains to be bleeding cash, however now it’s bleeding a bit slower and speaking rather a lot louder. With income down, prices up, and one more imprecise strategic partnership being hyped to the moon, Q2 was much less of a comeback and extra of a repeat for JetBlue whereas it performs the hits. However hey, it did beat analyst expectations — in order that’s good for a short inventory pop and some LinkedIn pats on the again.
Alaska Claims the West Coast, One Deserted Avelo Route at a Time
Alaska Airways introduced seven new west coast routes, most of which look suspiciously like they have been picked off the bones of Avelo’s retreat from Burbank. Highlights embody Burbank to Eugene, Pasco, and Redmond/Bend (day by day), San Diego to Solar Valley (seasonal — as a result of SoCal ski bums want elite standing too), and new hyperlinks from Boise to Ontario and Spokane to Orange County.
It’s additionally a delicate flex: whereas others shrink and shuffle, Alaska’s constructing loyalty and boosting elite perks in markets the place passengers simply need a flight that received’t get canceled as a result of somebody misplaced a wrench. Horizon Air handles the flying, the Alaska Mileage Plan does the loyaltying, and someplace within the distance, Avelo quietly disappears from Burbank, stage left.
Alaska is framing this as a loyalty-building masterstroke, which is marketing-speak for “we like revenue, and our planes really present up.” In the meantime, Avelo management shakes its head whereas muttering one thing about “community optimization,” and the west will get a legacy-adjacent service that doesn’t assume “point-to-point” is a unclean phrase — for now.
Spirit Furloughs 270 Pilots
Spirit Airways continues to desperately try to scale back prices, saying this week that it’s going to furlough about 270 pilots, whereas demoting one other 140 from the Captain’s seat to lower-paid First Officers.
The furloughs might be efficient November 1, with the demotions set to kick in a month earlier on October 1. That is the second time in as a few years Spirit has furloughed pilots after it did so to 260 pilots final fall. The announcement comes after the airline exited Chapter 11 chapter in March and has tried to remake itself as a extra upscale service with high-falutin’ choices akin to bundled seat assignments, further legroom, and complimentary booze.
Spirit has misplaced greater than $2.5 billion for the reason that onset of the pandemic, and has made a number of makes an attempt to reinvent itself within the ensuing years. It just lately restructured $795 million of debt into fairness and acquired a $350 million fairness funding from present traders. Regardless of all that, it’s exhausting to not marvel… when is that subsequent chapter submitting deliberate for?
Air Astana signed a codeshare with China Southern that you just didn’t know you wanted.
Air Canada posted a C$418 million Q2 revenue which converts to about US$302 million plus a vat of maple syrup and an 11-game miniplan to see the Winnipeg Jets in 2025-26.
Air France – KLM‘s push to buy a stake in Air Europa is over.
Air New Zealand is planning a brand new flagship lounge in Auckland as a result of that makes extra sense than placing its new flagship lounge in Oakland. The airline additionally named Nikhil Ravishankar its new CEO.
Air Peace transformed a pending E175 order to E195-E2s.
American acquired the go forward from the FAA to employees its new B787-9s with simply seven FAs.
Austrian Airways posted a €43 million loss for the primary six months of the 12 months.
BA‘s Q2 will be described as “exceeding expectations.”
Condor added 3x weekly service to Sanya, an actual place, through Bangkok.
Emirates chosen Hangzhou as its fifth mainland China vacation spot.
IndiGo is increasing its codeshare with KLM.
LATAM completed Q2 with a $242 million revenue.
Loganair and Blue Islands are now not codesharing. This devastating information will have an effect on somebody. We expect.
Lufthansa‘s Q2 was robust.
Norse Atlantic named Kristin Berthelsen as its new Deputy CEO. She was named the position regardless of not being named Bjørn, a shock to all who observe the service intently.
Riyadh Air acquired a slot at London/Heathrow.
SAA is including nonstop, 3x weekly service between Cape City and Mauritius.
SkyWest posted a $120 million second quarter revenue.
SWISS will make Boston its first A350-900 vacation spot.
Tajik Air is leasing two B737s, and if that doesn’t portend a superb weekend for us all, then nothing will.
Turkish accomplished a financing association with the Dubai Islamic Financial institution for an A350-941.
Virgin Australia informed Rex to discover a new foster dwelling.
I by no means understood why a set of false enamel is known as “dentures”. They actually missed a possibility to name it “substitooths”
