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  • Spheres is on holiday until April 20

    Keep up with new posts when I’m back by subscribing to the free weekly newsletter. Cheers!

  • CNBC: AA in talks for faster in-flight internet, considering bringing back seatback screens

    Leslie Josephs, reporting for CNBC:

    American Airlines is “seriously considering” bringing back seat-back screens to its narrow-body planes and a decision could be made as early as next month, according to a person familiar with the matter.

    It would be part of a major revamp of American’s in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi for narrow-body aircraft, said the person, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to talk about the plans publicly. 

    Part of those plans include discussions with SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon Leo to potentially provide in-flight Wi-Fi, according to the person.

  • The Week on the JW Marriott, Tokyo

    One of the newest entries in Tokyo’s lively luxury hotel scene. The pool is the centerpiece, with, as The Week’s Stephen Kelly writes, floor-to-ceiling windows that reveal a glittering panorama.

  • Business Traveler on the Four Seasons, Houston

    BT has a nice write-up of the facelift, which I missed when the hotel completed it in 2022. Highlights include the outdoor swimming pool, and the lobby bar, which offers over 250 whiskeys.

  • If JetBlue is up for sale, Alaska has the strongest pro-competition argument

    Rohan Goswami and Liz Hoffman, in a blockbuster report for Semafor:

    JetBlue has tapped advisers to assess the viability of selling itself to a rival airline, and has specifically scenario-planned how a deal with United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, or Southwest Airlines might fare in Washington, according to people familiar with the matter.

    Assuming the folks in Seattle have the appetite, they would have a strongest pro-competition argument. JP Morgan’s math on the domestic market share of the combined entities:

    • Southwest + JetBlue = 22%
    • United + JetBlue = ~16%
    • Alaska + JetBlue = 7%

    Importantly, and unlike United, they barely compete on either domestic or international routes, which Alaska made the centerpiece of its sales pitch to acquire Hawaiian.

    And together, Alaska and JetBlue would be a strong fourth competitor in the northeast, as opposed to the current situation, where JetBlue is losing ground to two giants in United and Delta.

    Meanwhile, for oneworld flyers, an Alaska acquisition of JetBlue would reopen the airline’s path to the alliance.

    American previously planned to sponsor JetBlue into oneworld when both airlines started the short-lived Northeast Alliance in 2020. By July that year, they were telling the DOJ they wouldn’t.

  • What are the security lines like at JFK T8 right now?

    Field notes from journalist Rosie Gray, who passed through this morning:

    • general security line very long, wrapped all the way around the entry hall
    • TSA pre check line took ~10 mins to get through
    • 3 ICE agents strolling (past security), holding Starbucks

    For politically minded readers, Gray recently wrote an excellent essay on the American right and the power of aesthetics.

  • American’s new amenity kits and pajamas are a job well done

    American, today:

    As American Airlines marks its 100th anniversary, the airline is introducing a collection of limited‑edition onboard products designed to honor a century of innovation while elevating the travel experience for today’s customers. The new centennial amenity kits, premium pajamas and refreshed closed‑toe slippers will debut across premium cabins at the beginning of April.

    Let’s start with the amenity kits, which nod to some of the most iconic imagery in AA’s history: the orange lightning bolt, the tricolor stripe, and the eagle emblem, embossed on the front of each kit.

    Each kit also – finally – features upgraded items. First and Business passengers get Colgate toothpaste and an AA-branded bamboo toothbrush, for example; a huge step up from the dollar-store packets found in recent collections.

    The centennial pajamas look great. Bold colors, branded with two classic AA logos, or the elegant 100th symbol. They pair nicely with the new grey closed-toe slippers.

    Good stuff.

  • Kuala Lumpur’s MH ‘Golden Lounge,’ which BA travelers will soon be using on the way from London to Melbourne

    Speaking of that new London to Melbourne BA flight, check out the Malaysia Airlines ‘Golden Lounge,’ which Sapphire and Emerald passengers will use when connecting through Kuala Lumpur.

    Highlights of the satellite lounge:

    • Noodle station
    • Shower suites
    • Nap rooms
    • Family playroom
    • Luggage storage
    • Sports bar

    There’s also a dedicated section for Emerald passengers that MH calls an “intimate space offers quiet luxury, personalised service, and thoughtful touches” with “an elevated dining experience with a bespoke menu.”

  • Flying London to Sydney? It costs 40% more to fly through Singapore

    Matthew Lynn, writing for The Telegraph:

    Browsing Expedia on Friday morning, the cheapest return flights from London to Sydney for May were on Etihad, Emirates and Qatar.

    If I wanted to stop in Singapore instead of one of the Gulf airports, it would cost me about 40pc more to fly with Qantas. There is no great surprise about that. The Gulf carriers all have great service and modern fleets with the latest planes, but even so, all things considered, if I were planning to make that trip, I don’t think I would want to risk getting stuck at Doha or Dubai airport for a week or two watching the drones fly overhead.

    Sure, it may not be as risky as some of the more alarming reports suggest. Even so, I would not want to take the chance, and neither, I suspect, would many other people.

    Lynn’s piece argues that this is an opportunity for BA, who just announced a new route from London to Melbourne, stopping in Kuala Lumpur. Rather than gouging customers, he says the British flag carrier should keep prices steady and use the war to regain lost market share. Good read.

  • TSA chaos in New York

    Tara Terranova and Ellen Yan, reporting for the New York Times:

    The national shortage of Transportation Security Administration workers made for a miserable Sunday at New York City airports, where confusion, exasperation and impatience reigned as travelers waited in line for hours.

    The T.S.A. crisis, tied to a partial government shutdown that has meant thousands of employees have been working without pay, hit especially hard at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, where passengers were waiting at least three hours to go through security.

    Brutal tales from individual passengers in the piece, including this four hour horror story:

    Stephanie Kisgen, 44, an interior designer from Richmond Hill, Ga., and her husband, Patrick Kisgen, arrived at the airport four hours early for their 6:30 p.m. flight and weren’t sure if they would make it.

    This is the result of a dispute over policies and funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the TSA. Democrats have offered a bill that would simply fund the TSA, but do not support legislation that would fund all of DHS.

    The US is the only developed country in the world where this regularly happens.

  • New Qantas lounge rules for Jetstar passengers

    From July 1, Qantas will not allow passengers on international Jetstar flights into lounges unless they’re booked on a Business Max fare or have Platinum One status.

    Sounds reasonable to me. Shared ownership aside, Jetstar is a budget airline. The previous rules were unusually generous compared to other oneworld airlines.

  • The odds seem low for a new lounge to go with AA’s DFW Terminal C expansion

    American talked a little more today about their nine new gates at DFW, scheduled to open this June. Vice President of DFW Hub Operations, Rich Ashlin, is promising some nice things: larger waiting areas, charging stations, and a new baggage system.

    No talk of a lounge, though, which I’d wondered about when writing about American’s lounge roadmap earlier this year.

    The existing Admirals Club at C has its charms – it’s spacious, centrally located, and hasn’t shown its age as much as others from its design era – but it’s certainly outdated, and it’s about to get more crowded.

    Felt like a good spot to trial another Provisions.

  • Malaysia’s Transport Minister wants to ensure the “survival” of local airlines as fuel costs rise

    Bloomberg, Thursday:

    Malaysia said airlines may need to suspend some flights if the Middle East war pushes fuel costs significantly higher.

    Jet fuel accounts for almost half of airlines’ operating costs, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Facebook late Thursday.

    …The transport ministry “will discuss with airports and relevant stakeholders to support the survival of local airlines,” he said.

    …“All parties also agreed to meet weekly as this crisis remains volatile and requires rapid action in the event of new developments,” he added.”

  • Wallpaper* on the new gates at Taiwan’s Taoyuan Airport

    Tianna Williams, writing for Wallpaper*:

    The eight new gates (which extend from D10 to D18) are generous in width and offer long, clear sightlines to allow for smooth, pleasant and efficient travel.

    …The colour palette is a mix of yellow, orange and burgundy, and you progress from one hue to another as you move along the concourse, allowing for easy gate identification. The silver façade, designed to control glare and heat, allows natural light to shine through the double-height space, offering views across the airfield.

    The building’s structure helps form a variety of internal volumes through the use of different ceiling heights. This creates a wave-like visual effect when travelling through its spaces. The bespoke halo light fittings animate the ceilings. The final touch is the 300m length of public artworks, nodding to Taiwanese culture.

    Taipei is a hub for China Airlines, EVA, and Starlux; it’s also a focus city for Cathay.

  • A list of places that’s worth your time

    TIME’s World’s Greatest Places is a cut above the many, many lists you run into on travel websites: the team behind it likes the interesting as much as the luxurious, makes unexpected choices, and gives you just enough information about each to want more. They’re also not in the affiliate link business.

    The list goes well beyond sub-$1,000 hotels (Brisbane’s Bluey’s World gets a mention), but I saved these:

  • American re-announces its new Admirals Club in Austin, which now has an outdoor terrace

    American Airlines, today:

    American Airlines is continuing its investment in premium customer experiences and the Austin, Texas, community with plans to open a new, expanded Admirals Club®lounge at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

    The new lounge will span more than 12,000 square feet on the west side of the terminal, doubling its current footprint at AUS, and introduce a first for American’s lounge network: an outdoor terrace space. Guests will enjoy expansive views of downtown Austin and the airfield, creating a uniquely local and elevated atmosphere for customers.

    Construction starts this year.

    This has been in the works for a while: AA first announced an expansion in 2021, shelved those plans, then Austin’s airport revealed the new lounge footprint while announcing its own expansion plan in 2024.

    New, this time, is the outdoor terrace:

    The outdoor terrace will be a standout feature, marking the first time American has introduced open-air lounge space in its network. It’s part of a broader effort to reimagine the Admirals Club®experience with locally inspired touches and enhanced service.

    Star Alliance and SkyTeam alliance travelers know and love the outdoor decks; they look great at Star Alliance’s LAX lounge and Delta’s T4 lounge at JFK (when we’re not in the middle of a snowstorm).

    Qantas is also building its first outdoor lounge area this year.

  • In latest Middle East update, BA cancels its flights to Abu Dhabi until “later this year”

    British Airways, today:

    Due to the continuing uncertainty of the situation in the Middle East and airspace instability, we’ve had to temporarily reduce our flying schedule in the region. We’ve cancelled all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv until later this month and to and from Abu Dhabi until later this year.

    Not the kind of decision you’d make about a “little excursion.”

  • Toronto’s smaller airport gets a pre-clearance facility

    Speaking of possible oneworld members, good news for travelers in Toronto, where Porter operates a hub. Ethan Lang, reporting for CBC:

    Starting Tuesday, travellers flying to the U.S. from downtown Toronto will be able to go through customs before departing Billy Bishop airport.

    That’s due to the opening of a new pre-clearance facility at the island airport, which politicians and officials announced at a news conference Monday. Canada’s Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters the addition would make travel “faster, more convenient and more reliable.”

    …The new facility is opening as Porter Airlines and Air Canada expand the number of U.S. routes from Billy Bishop, said Roelof-Jan Steenstra, CEO of Toronto Port Authority, the airport’s owner. The authority has been trying to add pre-clearance at the airport for over a decade, he said.

    Billy Bishop is the smaller, regional airport for Toronto (if you’re flying internationally, you’ll be more familiar with Pearson). The pre-clearance facility mostly benefits Porter, which operates flights to Boston, Chicago, Nashville, New York, and DC from here.

  • More IndiGo codeshare routes with BA and Qantas

    Aeroroutes has the details. 22 new domestic routes with BA including multiple Delhi and Mumbai routes. Three with Qantas; all from Singapore. The airline has codeshares with several oneworld and SkyTeam members, and oneworld’s former CEO implied it was a top target for membership late last year.

  • Hawaii wants to diversify its economy

    Christine Hitt, reporting for SFGate:

    “There’s still been growth in visitor numbers but the per person in real inflation-adjusted terms, spending was at its highest actually in 1988, so it means tourists now are spending less than they did individually in 1988,” Steven Bond-Smith, an economist at the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaii, told SFGATE by phone.

    Bond-Smith said a healthy economy in the US averages about 2% growth over long periods of time, but Hawaii is averaging much lower, at around 0.6%. Because the state hasn’t kept pace with the continent, residents are driven to leave.

    “You need higher- and higher-value jobs and activities being done here,” Bond-Smith said. The jobs that tend to offer higher wages are in very large US cities and they’re particularly in tech or biotech, he explained. “The main activity here is obviously tourism, and it hasn’t had that kind of income growth that other places have had.”

    Simple Flying, reporting on Alaska’s hub strategy after acquiring Hawaiian:

    Following the airlines’ merger, more than 20% more seats are now on offer between Seattle and Honolulu, with three of the six daily flights operated by widebody aircraft. Further down the coast, Portland now sees three daily nonstop flights to Hawaii, representing an increase of 25% more seats.

    Two daily flights now take off between San Diego and Maui, with new routes from San Francisco to Kona and Lihue. This will see the group now offer four daily nonstop flights from San Francisco to the main airports in the state. The Hawaiian A330 will also add a once-daily service between Honolulu and Sacramento.

    So, one upshot of Alaska’s purchase – so far – has been more seats between Hawaii and both Seattle and San Francisco, two cities with thriving tech sectors. Approving that acquisition was a no-brainer.