Cranky on the Web: Drastic Changes, Now What for JetBlue?, Smart Airports, Airline Videos

Aug 20, 2022

More Reading on This Topic: Cranky on the Web

More than 2 years into pandemic, drastic airline schedule changes are still the norm – TPG
TPG took on the issue of schedule changes this week, and I offered my thoughts.

JetBlue triumphs in Spirit deal. Now, its real challenges begin – Travel Weekly
There will be many words written about this deal, but as of now, all we can do is speculate about what will actually happen.

Smartest Airports for Making Connections – WendyPerrin.com
In a perfect world, you’d have your pick of airports to make connections in. I gave my thoughts on what some of the better options are.

Introducing Cranky Flier and the 2022 Dorkfest – The Plane Jockeys Podcast
The Airline Videos Live guys have a podcast, so they had me on to talk about my background and later on, about Cranky Dorkfest coming on Sep 17.

Brett

6 responses to “Cranky on the Web: Drastic Changes, Now What for JetBlue?, Smart Airports, Airline Videos”

MRY-SMF

Aug 21, 2022 at 9:04 pm

My flight home from the UK in October got changed to having an hour ten minute connection at PHX. I can walk fast. Will that be enough time to clear customs and make my connecting domestic flight?

Reply
1. CF
  
  Aug 22, 2022 at 5:16 am
  
  MRY – SMF – It’s allowable under AA’s rules (assuming you’re connecting AA to AA), but I’d definitely recommend not checking a bag and having global entry if you can.
  
  Reply
  1. MRY-SMF
    
    Aug 22, 2022 at 6:53 am
    
    Thanks. Yes, AA to AA. LHR-PHX-SMF.
    
    Reply
Dartagnan79

Aug 22, 2022 at 12:26 pm

Brett,
I have to respectfully disagree on your comments in the travel weekly article on jetblue about the strategy being “rudderless”, Really? What is the other option Do they have? Order 300 new non-crewed airplanes from Airbus and take 3x more time to grow and 3x more in sticker price? By then all the routes/gate/ growth opportunities will be gone. In the meantime if they didn’t they won’t be relevant enough and be a target themselves for a hostile takeover, which the board clearly doesn’t want. And if they are competing with the big 3 primarily, they need scale and scope and grow premium revenue sector, which can be done more expeditiously by taking all the new airplanes and making a more mint light/upgraded big front seat strategy for sub 3 hour flight. Not sure if they will, but they do want to increase the premium passenger portfolio, and this is a more expeditious option to do it. Slowly growing in their current form doesn’t seem too sound in the airline environment now and in the coming years. So, again, your response for someone keen on airline strategy is a head scratcher.

Reply
1. CF
  
  Aug 23, 2022 at 7:16 am
  
  Dartagnan – Just because there isn’t another option doesn’t mean there is rudder here. Or maybe there is rudder and it’s just flipping wildly around. On the one hand you have all the efforts to go premium product with London and Mint expansion. Then you have the business travel move with the NEA with American. And now you have the acquisition of Spirit which will provide more airplanes and pilots but it requires an actual strategy to use them, and I don’t know what that is. Spirit works because of low costs. That will go away with JetBlue. There may be some coherent strategy buried here somewhere, but I certainly can’t see it.
  
  Reply
Bill from DC (aka Cranky Gazelle?)

Aug 23, 2022 at 8:17 am

Brussels (BRU) should be on the list for great airports for European connections. Very easy to navigate, not too huge like AMS or FRA, beautiful and airy open spaces and, most importantly, it’s the largest chocolate outlet in the world! About 1.5 kg of chocolate is sold per minute, about 2 tonnes per day and more than 800 tonnes per year. I’ve purchased my share and always at great prices too!

Seriously though, BRU should be on the list if VIE is. Similarly sized airports, traffic (BRU had around 26 million pxs in 2019, roughly the amount VIE had in 2018), connections, etc.

Reply