The Cranky Confab Joins the Cranky Network Awards Lineup

We are just a little over two months away from the 2025 Cranky Network Awards presented by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on February 27, 2025. To say we have a lot of potential nominees is an understatement. And that’s not just because we’ve expanded from covering the US and Canada to include everything in the western hemisphere that’s north of the equator this year. This was really an action-packed year.

At the last few award ceremonies, we’ve heard attendees tell us that they wish there was more to it than just the awards, the afterparty, and the forecast breakfast the next day. We are very happy to announce that we actually listened to you. Welcome to the Cranky Confab.

This year’s Cranky Confab will have two panels. The idea is to have substantive, useful discussions that last for an hour (or a bit more) so there’s enough time for everyone to say something more than just their names. I can’t stand those 25-minute sessions that never even scratch the surface.

The two panels for this year are:

The OEM Panel

Only the cool kids know that OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. (Actually, it may be the uncool kids who know that….) This panel will specifically be filled with those who make the airplanes — or at least those who take all the airplane pieces and put them together. If that’s still not clear, let me use a visual aid. This is an airplane:

Since this event is for network planning teams, we thought any discussion around when they might actually get airplanes to schedule in their networks would be useful. Also, what’s next? This isn’t just going to feature current manufacturers. Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time for Q&A. My partner-in-crime, Courtney Miller from Visual Approach, will lead the discussion. Lucky for us, he knows a lot about airplanes.

The US-México Panel

The market for air travel across the southern border is a big one, but it’s also really complicated. Case-in-point: We have Aeromexico and Delta in an immunized joint venture that is under threat by the US government because cargo airlines are mad about the airport they have to use in Mexico City. How is that even a real sentence? We have another pair — Viva and Allegiant — that have been waiting for the US to rule on their immunized joint venture plan, but it’s on permahold because of said cargo airlines.

Even without shenanigans, this market is complex with three major segments: VFR (visiting friends and relatives), beach tourism, and business. You can break this down even further, but you get the point. It’s complicated. We’re going to dive in and talk about what the future will bring. And when I say “we,” I mean it. I’ll be leading this panel myself.

For those who are attending, make sure to take a morning flight into Phoenix on Feb 27, because we’ll get this party started at noon. And don’t worry, you’ll have time to go back to your hotel and put on your ugliest sportcoat before the evening’s events begin.