Airlines

Emirates offers a new non-stop Dubai Newark flight. Goes daily to Florida

Emirates Boeing 777-300ER A6-ENN.

Dubai-based Emirates airline will start a new non-stop daily service between Dubai and Newark (EWR) effective June 1. 2018. The new flight will complement the existing daily flight which operates via Athens, Greece. Emirates will use a three class cabin Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight suites in first class, 42 flat-bed seats in business, and 306 bone-crunching narrow seats in economy …

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Jet Airways to commence second Bangalore Singapore flight in March

Jet Airways' Boeing 737-800 VT-JBD

India’s leading private international airline, Jet Airways, will commence a second flight on the Bangalore Singapore route effective March 25, the start of the Summer 2018 schedule. The new flight will be an overnight red-eye flight with a morning return and will complement the existing day flight on the same route. Jet will use a two class Boeing 737-800 narrow …

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Airbus A380 rescue. Emirates orders 36 additional superjumbos for $16B

Emirates_A380-800 A6-EDF arrives at London.

The struggling Airbus A380 superjumbo program was just handed a lifeline by its largest operator, Dubai-based Emirates Airline. The Gulf behemoth has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to acquire up to 36 additional A380 aircraft. The firm commitment is for 20 A380s with options for an 16. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2020. From the first A380 delivery …

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Aeroflot sends US citizens to India because they are “Indian”

Any frequent flyer has missed or had a connection cancelled while in the air. When it happens during an international transit, the experience can be even more frustrating. However I have found the attitude of the ground crew is the most important factor in keeping up a good passenger experience in these situations. A BA reader forwarded me a story …

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Jet Airways launches Biryani Fridays

Jet Airways Biryani Festival.

India’s largest full cost carrier Jet Airways has begin serving biryani as a standard menu option for lunch and dinner on it’s Friday flights. The airline will be serving from a selection of Yakhni Pulao Biryani Aloo Badi Ki Biryani Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani Kabuli Biryani Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani Lucknawi Dum Biryani Shahi Veg Biryani Veg Mopla Biryani The …

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AirAsia India to restart operations from Chennai

First flight of AirAsia India. Plane after pushback.

Low cost carrier AirAsia India is relaunching flights to Chennai as it’s 17th destination. Chennai was one of the original destinations of the airline when it had first begun it’s India operations. The airline is also inducting it’s 15th Airbus A320. The airline will operate three daily flights between Bangalore and Chennai and 2 daily flights between Chennai and Bhubaneshwar …

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Tata SIA Vistara to commence Chennai services

Vistara's first Airbus A320neo VT-TNB on its maiden commercial flight.

Tata Singapore Airlines branded Vistara will commence services from its New Delhi hub to Chennai from February 15. With this the airline will finally connect all the seven major metros to its hub. The carrier will start with a daily flight which will ramp up to a twice-daily service from March 1. This will allow the airline to offer morning …

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Inflight Review: Indigo: ATR 72: Hyderabad – Mangalore

The cabin of Indigo's ATR 72-600.

Low cost carrier Indigo has begun operations with it’s ATR 72. The flight was the first revenue flight for the airline on any aircraft type beside it’s mainstay Airbus A320. (Read our analysis on Indigo’s ATR order) We were invited by Indigo to travel on this first flight from Hyderabad to Mangalore. Personally, Indigo is my preferred airline to travel …

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Inflight Review: Jet Airways: Economy: 737-800: Bangalore – Singapore

Jet Airways' Boeing 737-800 VT-JBD

I had originally planned to fly Indigo to Singapore, but their flight timings are really inconvenient and the fare on Singapore airlines was double that of Jet on the days I wanted to fly. I have also been wanting to fly Jet on an international leg but due to non availability of award space or high fares on their flights …

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Inflight Review: Qatar Airways: Business: 777-300ER: Doha – Bangalore

Qatar Airways A7-BAC Boeing 777-300ER.

After getting off my last flight from Dallas (Read the review here.), I quickly went through security at Doha and headed to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge. I’ve written about this lounge before so I will not write about it again. I left the lounge late since I was stuck on a call over the lounge wi-fi and didn’t want …

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Lufthansa Group Miles & More program to become revenue-based from 2018

Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i D-ABYA at New Delhi Indira Gandhi airport at night.

Mimicking the move from US airlines, Lufthansa Group’s frequent flier program, Miles & More, will be shifting to a revenue-based earnings model from March 12, 2018. In this model earning of miles will be based on the price of your ticket including any carrier imposed fees and surcharges, rather than the distance you fly. Current system at Miles & More …

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Inflight Review: Qatar Airways: Business: A350-900: Dallas – Doha

The center table - during the flight there is also a bottle of champagne and some flutes placed here.

On my trip back from the US, I was originally booked to fly with Etihad. However the lack luster experience I had with them on my last flight and the horrible response from the customer care, I changed my booking onto Qatar airways. The middle east ban seems to have had an positive (for passengers) effect on Qatar’s award availability …

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Lounge Review: Qatar Airways lounge at Dallas-Fort Worth

While I was flying back from Dallas, I had the opportunity to use Qatar airway’s lounge at The Club at Dallas-Fort worth airport. The club at Dallas airport is the lounge used by all the airlines – however it is not a lounge by itself – Its a a series of mini lounges where each airline has it’s own lounge. …

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Lufthansa unveils business class seat for it’s 777x

German flag carrier Lufthansa has revealed the concept for its new business class which will feature on its 777-9 which is scheduled to be delivered in 2020. The cabin will feature lie flat seats with direct aisle access. The airline has gone for a particularly interesting staggered 1-2-1 and 1-1-1 configuration. That will make every alternate center seat a throne …

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IndiGo follows Go Air. To increase its A320neo seating to 186.

Indigo Airbus A320neo VT-ITC. Cabin. Copyrighted image. Re-use prohibited.

India’s largest domestic carrier IndiGo, is following the lead of fellow A320neo (new engine option) operator Go Air and will add another six seats to its new A320neo aircraft to increase capacity to 186 seats. IndiGo, the world’s largest A320neo operator has chosen to implement the Airbus Space-Flex cabin made by Zodiac Aerospace. The Space-Flex module was developed in order …

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Indigo takes delivery of it’s first ATR

Indigo ATR 72-600 VT-IYA. Indigo Image.

Low cost carrier Indigo has taken delivery of the first of it’s 50 ATR 72 order. This aircraft is the first non – A320 aircraft to be operated by the carrier since it’s inception in 2006. The aircraft is an ATR 72-600 with the registration VT-IYA. Indigo plans to use these ATR aircraft to operate to small airports under the …

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Video: The making of the IndiGo ATR72-600

A nice time-lapse video showing the making of IndiGo’s new regional turbo prop the ATR72-600. IndiGo, India’s largest domestic airline will commence regional operations from December 21. Would you happen to know what ATR stands for? Without Google or Wikipedia?

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Emirates orders 40 Boeing 787’s

The Boeing 787-10 rolled out at Boeing South Carolina. Boeing Image.

American airframer Boeing and middle-eastern carrier Emirates have announced a $15.1 billion deal to purchase 40 787-10 Dreamliners and related equipment at the opening day of the 2017 Dubai Airshow. The airline previously had an order for 70 Airbus A350’s which it cancelled in 2014. This order for 787’s will likely be used to replace some of Emirates’ older 777’s …

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IndiGo explains the Katyal manhandling incident, admits fault.

IndiGo A320 at Bengaluru airport

Low cost carrier IndiGo has written a detailed clarification to the Civil Aviation ministry explaining the manhandling incident of Mr. Katyal at New Delhi airport. The letter written by Mr. Aditya Ghosh, IndiGo’s President and Wholetime Director is addressed to Mr. P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Government of India. The airline acknowledges its fault and …

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Analysis: Qatar buys 9.61% of Cathay Pacific for $662 million for China foothold

After being rebuffed in its attempt to buy a stake in US carrier and fellow oneworld member, American Airlines Group, national carrier Qatar Airways Q.C.S.C. has bought a 9.61% stake in another fellow oneworld carrier Cathay Pacific Airways Limited. Qatar Airways bought 378,188,000 shares of Cathay Pacific from Kingboard Chemical Holdings and its allied companies for HK$5.2 billion (approximately US$662 …

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