American Airlines increases domestic flying for summer travel season

American Airlines Group Inc. is getting ready for summer travel by restoring more flights, offering double AAdvantage^® miles for flights booked in June, re-opening key Admirals Club lounges, expanding flexible policies and continuing its robust health, well-being and cleaning procedures.

Customer Demand Leads to More Domestic Flying in July

In response to improving demand for air travel, American is planning to fly 55% of its domestic schedule and nearly 20% of its international schedule in July 2020 compared to the same period last year. The airline’s July systemwide capacity amounts to approximately 40% of July 2019 flying.

American saw an increase in demand in May. By the last week of May, the airline carried a daily average of about 110,000 customers per day — an increase of 71% over the approximately 32,000 average daily customers the airline served in April.

Time Period	Domestic schedule reduction vs. same time period in 2019	Avg Daily Passengers	Avg Load Factor
April 2020	65%	32,154	15%
May 1-23, 2020	80%	78,718	41%
May 24-29, 2020	80%	110,330	55%

Compared to the spring, American is increasing frequency of flying from hubs, including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to destinations customers are searching and booking most, with increased flying to major cities in Florida, Gulf Coast cities as well as mountain destinations. The airline also increased frequency of flying to Asheville, North Carolina (AVL), Savannah, Georgia (SAV), and Charleston, South Carolina (CHS) for business and leisure travelers.

As the nation’s favorite theme parks begin to open, American will offer more seats to Florida than any other airline in July. American has also added more flying to mountain destinations in Montana, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming as national parks and outdoor recreational spaces reopen and customer demand for these destinations continues to recover.

“We’re seeing a slow but steady rise in domestic demand. After a careful review of data, we’ve built a July schedule to match,” said Vasu Raja, American’s Senior Vice President of Network Strategy. “Our July schedule includes the smallest year-over-year capacity reduction since March. We’ll continue to look for prudent opportunities to restore service so our customers can travel whenever and wherever they are ready.”

International Demand Slower to Return

While international demand continued to be diminished, today marked the return of service to eight international destinations. These include service from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Amsterdam (AMS), Paris (CDG) and Frankfurt (FRA), as well as service from Miami (MIA) to Antigua (ANU) in the Caribbean and Guayaquil (GYE) and Quito (UIO) in Central America. American also restored additional service to London (LHR) from Chicago (ORD) and New York (JFK).

American will delay the return of some previously announced international routes—including transatlantic service from Philadelphia (PHL) and CLT—to August. The airline will operate the following long-haul international flights in July:

View the updated schedules

Investments in Customer Experience: Select Admirals Clubs Reopen June 22

American Airlines will begin reopening Admirals Club lounges in phases, beginning June 22, after making improvements to adapt the clubs and product offerings to reinforce the well-being of customers and everyone who works in the clubs.

The following locations will open June 22 with pre-packaged snack offerings and a full-service bar for customers to enjoy complimentary and premium beverages. Hours vary by location and capacity and offerings could be limited due to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines or local orders or restrictions.

Charlotte (CLT) — Concourse C
Chicago (ORD) — Concourse H/K
Dallas (DFW) — Terminal A and Terminal C
Los Angeles (LAX) — Terminal 4
New York (JFK) — Terminal B (only prepackaged food and water will be available, per local restrictions)
New York (LGA) — Concourse D (only prepackaged food and water will be available, per local restrictions)
Miami (MIA) — Gate D30
Philadelphia (PHL) — Terminal B/C
Phoenix (PHX) — Gate A7
Washington, D.C. (DCA) — Terminal B

Additionally, the following Admirals Club lounges will reopen as service centers and will be available to offer travel assistance. Hours vary by location.

Atlanta (ATL) — North Terminal, Concourse T
Austin (AUS) — Gate 22
Nashville (BNA) — Concourse C
Boston (BOS) — Terminal B
Dallas (DFW)—Terminal D
Houston (IAH)—Terminal A
Pittsburgh (PIT) — Main Lobby
Raleigh-Durham (RDU) — Terminal 2
Orlando (MCO) — Gate 55
San Francisco (SFO) — Terminal 1
Orange County (SNA) — Gate 8
St. Louis (STL) — Concourse C
Tampa (TPA) — Gate 85

Health and well-being improvements at Admirals Club lounges include:

Plexiglass shields at reception and service desks.
Foot-operated door openers to enable touchless operation of restroom doors (where feasible).
Hand sanitizer stations for customers.
Signage and floor decals to remind customers to practice social distancing.

American will continue to adhere to CDC guidelines, use enhanced cleaning measures and provide limited food and beverage offerings to help ensure the well-being of customers and team members.

Investments in Customer Well-Being: American’s Commitment to Clean

American continues to make investments to reassure customers their safety, well-being and peace of mind remain at the forefront of every decision the company makes.

American will continue robust cleaning procedures on all mainline departures, including expanded cleaning to disinfect seats, tray tables, seat buckles, air vents and other surfaces inside the aircraft. Other measures include electrostatic spraying of every surface of the interior of the aircraft, which eliminates 99.999% of viruses and bacteria within 10 minutes and creates a protective layer for up to seven days.

All American mainline aircraft and most regional aircraft are equipped with onboard HEPA filters that provide a complete air change every two to four minutes, similar to the standard for hospitals.

Book and Fly with Confidence: Increased Flexibility

Customers offered options to rebook on fuller flights

As demand for travel increases, American is deploying new tools to notify and allow customers booked on fuller flights to rebook on more open flights when available, all without incurring additional cost. On fuller eligible flights, a percentage of customers will be offered the option to rebook to a different flight during the check-in process.

No change fees for flights booked by June 30

American Airlines is providing customers additional flexibility by expanding waived change fees for customers booking tickets for any new travel purchased by June 30, 2020. Any first, business, Premium Economy, Main Cabin and AAdvantage® award tickets purchased on or before June 30, 2020, for future travel will not incur change fees prior to travel. Customers are allowed to change their origin and destination cities as part of this offer. Offer excludes Basic Economy tickets. Customers must pay any fare difference, if applicable, and fare rules may apply depending on the ticket.

Qatar Airways to resume services to Venice and expand flights to Dublin, Milan and Rome

Qatar Airways has announced the airline will be resuming services to Venice, Italy starting from July 15, 2020. The popular tourist destination and major arts and cultural centre will become the airline’s third destination in Italy to resume flights, marking a significant step in the resumption of global leisure travel.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar will also increase flights to Dublin, Milan and Rome, with daily services starting from 13 June 2020. As one of the only global airlines to have maintained a significant schedule throughout this crisis, Qatar Airways is uniquely positioned to monitor trends in traffic flow and passenger bookings. The airline expects these additional flights to provide further seamless connectivity via its award-winning hub, Hamad International Airport, with its Asia-Pacific destinations, in particular Australia where the airline continues to operate 21 weekly flights to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Qatar Airways three-weekly flights to Venice will be operated by its state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 Seats in Economy class. The airline has further enhanced its onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew. The airline is implementing several changes, including the introduction of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suits for cabin crew while onboard, as well as a modified service that reduces interactions between the passengers and the crew inflight. Cabin crew have already been wearing PPE during flights for a number of weeks, including gloves and face masks. Passengers will also be required to wear face coverings inflight, with the carrier recommending travellers bring their own for fit and comfort purposes.

Flight Schedule:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Doha (DOH) to Venice (VCE) QR125 departs: 08:20 arrives 13:15

Venice (VCE) to Doha (DOH) QR126 departs: 16:05 arrives 22:30

Qatar Airways aircraft photo gallery:

Delta will block middle-seat selection, cap cabin seating through Sept. 30

Delta Air Lines has made this announcement:

Delta is extending our commitment to make more space for safer travel by continuing to block the selection of middle seats and capping seating in every cabin through Sept. 30, 2020.

“Reducing the overall number of customers on every aircraft across the fleet is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure a safe experience for our customers and people,” said Chief Customer Experience Officer Bill Lentsch. “Delta is offering the highest standards in safety and cleanliness so we’re ready for customers when they’re ready to fly again.”

Here’s the latest:

We are extending our seating caps: Through Sept. 30, Delta will ensure more space for customers on all aircraft by capping seating at 50% in First Class; 60% in Main Cabin, Delta Comfort+, and Delta Premium Select; and 75% in Delta One to reduce the total number of customers on board.
We continue to block middle seats: Through Sept. 30, all middle seats will continue to be shown as unavailable or not assignable when selecting seats via the Fly Delta app or online. We’ll also continue to block the selection of some aisle seats in aircraft with 2×2 seating configurations.
We are restarting automatic Medallion upgrades: Starting June 10, we are resuming automatic, advance Medallion Complimentary Upgrades to Delta One (domestic U.S.), First Class and Delta Comfort+ – which were previously being managed at the gate – subject to availability and as permitted by the seat caps.
We are adding flying where we are full: On routes where increasing customer demand is driving flight loads closer to our caps, we will look for opportunities to upsize to a larger aircraft type or add more flying.

As we’ve done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to evaluate our practices to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers.

From check-in to baggage claim, Delta is delivering a safer travel experience with measures that include:

Requiring customers and employees to wear face coverings throughout the travel journey to ensure an extra layer of protection.
Installing plexiglass shields at all Delta check-in counters, in Delta Sky Clubs and at gate counters across the globe.
Adding social distance markers in check-in lobbies, Delta Sky Club check-in areas, at the gate and down the jetbridge to encourage customers to stand apart. Our employees and messaging throughout the airport are reminding customers to keep space, too.
Wiping down our check-in lobbies, self-service kiosks, gate counters and baggage claims many times throughout the day. And by summer, our teams will be using electrostatic spraying in all airports Delta serves in the U.S. – the same measure used on every Delta flight prior to boarding. We have also started electrostatic spraying at TSA checkpoints in key markets and are working with the TSA to provide electrostatic spraying at all checkpoints in the airports Delta serves.
Using state-of-the-art air circulation systems with industrial-grade HEPA filters on many Delta aircraft that extract more than 99.99% of particles, including viruses.
Boarding all flights from back to front, reducing the instances of customers passing by one another to reach their seats.
Streamlining  onboard food and beverage service on all flights and encouraging customers to pack their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to decrease physical touch points.
Providing supplies directly to customers when available, including  hand sanitizers, care kits  and other protective equipment to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Continuing to work with health experts, partners and healthcare industry leaders on best practices.

Change-fee waiver extended through June 30

While Delta is redefining the industry standard of clean and making more space on board for customers, we’re also continuing to offer added flexibility if travel plans change. That’s why we’re extending our change-fee waiver for new flights purchased through June 30, providing customers the option to change their plans without a fee for a year from the date of purchase. And keep in mind: this waiver also applies to award tickets and redeposit fees.

Drastic decline in air travel significantly affects Lufthansa Group’s quarterly result

Lufthansa Group concludes first quarter with adjusted EBIT of minus 1.2 billion euros
Fixed cost development in line with target of a reduction by one third given in March
Restructuring necessary to repay loans and deposits as quickly as possible
Capacity will increase from 3 percent of original planning in May to up to 40 percent in September

“Global air traffic has come to a virtual standstill in recent months. This has impacted our quarterly results to an unprecedented extent. In view of the very slow recovery in demand, we must now take far-reaching restructuring measures to counteract this,” said Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

First quarter 2020

The company is reporting today on the results for the first quarter of 2020, the publication of which was originally scheduled for April 30 and had been postponed due to the effects of the corona crisis. The most important key figures have already been reported in an ad hoc release on April 23.

The travel restrictions imposed due to the global spread of the coronavirus have significantly impacted the Lufthansa Group’s earnings development in the first quarter of 2020. Group revenue in the first quarter fell by 18 per cent to 6.4 billion euros (previous year: 7.8 billion euros). Cost reductions could only partially offset the revenue decline in the quarter. Adjusted EBIT amounted to minus 1.2 billion euros in the first quarter of 2020 (prior year: minus EUR 336 million). Net profit amounted to minus 2.1 billion euros.

Crisis-related asset impairments and the negative development of the value of fuel hedges had a significant negative impact on net profit in the quarter. The Group recorded impairment charges of 266 million euros on decommissioned aircraft and 157 million euros on the goodwill of LSG North America (minus 100 million) and Eurowings (minus 57 million). The negative market value development of fuel cost hedges had a negative impact of 950 million euros on the financial result in the first three months of the year. 60 million related to hedges that expired in the first quarter and had a corresponding cash relevant negative impact on earnings. The remainder reflects the valuation of hedges expiring in the future as of March 31. Adjusted free cash flow amounted to 620 million euros. Compared with the end of 2019, the equity ratio fell by 6.7 percentage points to 17.3 percent and net debt by 5 percent to 6.4 billion euros. Pension provisions amounted to 7.0 billion euros. They were thus 5 percent higher than at the end of the year.

Traffic development

In total, the airlines in the Lufthansa Group carried 21.8 million passengers in the first three months, around a quarter less than in the same quarter last year (- 26.1 percent). The seat load factor fell by 4.7 percentage points to 73.3 per cent during this period. Freight capacity on offer fell by 15 percent and freight kilometers sold by 15.5 percent. This results in a cargo load factor of 62.5 percent, which is 0.4 percentage points lower.

In April, the Lufthansa Group airlines recorded a 98.1 percent year-on-year decline in passenger numbers to 241,000. Supply fell by 96.0 percent. The seat load factor fell by 35.8 percentage points to 47.5 percent. Freight supply was 60.7 percent lower than in April 2019, in particular due to a lack of capacity on passenger flights. By contrast, freight kilometers sold declined by only 53.1 percent, so that the cargo load factor rose by 11.5 percentage points to 71.5 percent. Passenger and freight volumes in May were again significantly lower than in the previous year.

Liquidity development

The state support measures secure the solvency of the company until it is able to generate sufficient funds from its own resources. On 31 March 2020, the Lufthansa Group’s liquidity amounted to around 4.3 billion euros.

“We have succeeded in reducing fixed costs by one third within a short period of time. Nevertheless, in our operating business we are currently consuming around 800 million euros of our liquidity reserve per month. In addition, the reimbursement of cancelled airline tickets and the repayment of financial liabilities that have fallen due will have a foreseeable negative impact on our liquidity development,” said Thorsten Dirks, Member of the Executive Board Digital and Finance at Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Lufthansa Group initiates comprehensive restructuring

“In order to repay the loans and coupons quickly, we will have to significantly increase our annual free cash flow compared to pre-crisis levels – even though global demand for flights will remain below pre-crisis levels for years to come. This will only succeed if we implement restructuring programs in all areas of the Group and agree on innovative solutions with the unions and working councils,” says Thorsten Dirks.

The Lufthansa Group plans to significantly reduce unit costs compared with pre-crisis levels. Among other things, fixed costs have been reduced by short-time working for around 87,000 employees, the postponement or cancellation of planned projects and the postponement of maintenance events. In addition, ongoing restructuring programs at Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines are being further intensified. Brussels Airlines plans to reduce its fleet by 30 percent and its workforce by 25 percent. Austrian Airlines has decided to reduce its capacity in the long term by downsizing its fleet by 20 percent, and has agreed with the working councils to cut personnel costs by around 20 percent. Restructuring and cost-cutting programs will also be launched in other Lufthansa Group companies. Negotiations with aircraft manufacturers on extensive postponements of planned aircraft takeovers are continuing. In addition, the sale of individual non-core business units is being examined in the medium term.

Capacity development

The reduction in traffic performance by over 95 percent in the months of April and May resulted in the Group initially parking 700 of its 763 aircraft.

From mid-June, however, the Lufthansa Group’s airlines will be significantly expanding their schedules to around 2,000 weekly connections to more than 130 destinations worldwide. The aim is to make as many destinations accessible again for holidaymakers and business travellers. Yesterday the Executive Board decided to increase the offered capacity in September by up to 40 percent of the original schedule. At the same time, the number of destinations will increase to 70 percent of the original plan for long-haul flights and 90 percent for short-haul flights in order to offer customers the widest possible choice of destinations. To this end, a step-by-step expansion of the flight schedule is now being worked out over the next three months. In doing so, the company will accelerate the course it has already embarked on to expand its tourist offering.

The company is planning on only gradually increasing demand. It still expects 300 aircraft parked in 2021, and 200 in 2022. Even after the end of the crisis, which is expected to end in 2023, the Group expects its fleet to remain 100 aircraft smaller. A considerable decline in demand is also initially expected for the service companies’ third-party business.

The airlines in the Lufthansa Group have prepared themselves for rising demand with extensive hygiene measures and the introduction of mandatory masks on board. To give their customers maximum flexibility in the corona crisis, the Lufthansa Group airlines continue to offer their customers numerous rebooking options. In addition, capacities in the call centres are being continually expanded so that customers who cancel their flight can be reimbursed as quickly as possible. This should enable ticket refunds in the three-digit million range per month. Due to the high number of refund requests, waiting times may still occur.

Results Forecast

The uncertain further development of the corona pandemic continues to make it impossible to make a precise forecast of the earnings trend for 2020. The Lufthansa Group continues to expect a significant decline in Adjusted EBIT.

“Even in this unique crisis we are working hard to defend our leading position in Europe,” said Carsten Spohr.

Virgin Atlantic increases cargo-only flights by over 33% in June after a record-breaking month in May

Virgin Atlantic made this announcement:

Virgin Atlantic will increase its cargo-only flights by 35% to nearly 600 in June with the launch of new routes including Beijing and Brussels following the success of its May program.

June will see a total of 601 flights – 597 cargo-only services and 4 repatriation flights for the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). As the airline continues to extend its network to support demand for export and import cargoes as UK and international businesses continue their recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak, this month’s schedule highlights for customers include:

The launch of daily flights connecting London Heathrow and Beijing
Virgin Atlantic’s first-ever flights to Brussels, arriving from New York JFK before connecting directly to London twice-a-week
Three flights a week to Chicago, starting on 4 June
Increased Mumbai services to three a week, with UK departures every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from June 6
Three-times weekly London-Atlanta flights from June 9
A return to Nigeria with weekly Lagos flights to and from London
Increase to daily flights to and from Hong Kong

The airline’s growing schedule means cargo customers now have access to direct cargo capacity connecting London, New York JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Johannesburg, Tel Aviv, Lagos, Mumbai, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing and Brussels. Kales Airline Services, Virgin general sales agency in Brussels will market its increased direct capacity in Belgium.

Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said: “I want to personally thank all of our cargo customers who have supported our cargo-only flying. We’re proud to be increasing the number of frequencies and routes we can offer in June as international trade steps us its recovery and lockdowns are eased around the world. While the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to restrict passenger flying, our cargo operation has never been more important both to our business and in keeping vital global supply chains running.”

In May, Virgin Atlantic operated 446 cargo-only flights, including 66 charters for customers, averaging 52 weekly departures from the UK. The airline carried 4.4 million kilos of cargo into the UK and 5.3 million kilos of exports, producing the highest monthly cargo revenues in the airline’s 36-year history.

The airline also looks forward to continuing to partner with the Department for Health and the NHS, working with them on 17 cargo charters per week from Shanghai and Beijing throughout June and July, bringing in the supplies that the teams here in the UK urgently need to care for patients. To date the airline has carried over 44 million items of PPE from China to the UK, including over 33 million isolation and medical masks, as well as millions of disposable aprons and gloves, and protective coveralls. Other PPE shipments to date include eye protection covers, ventilators, isolation gowns, injection and infusion pumps, and disposable samplers and swabs.

Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo, added: “May was an historic month for our cargo business, which is a quite remarkable achievement given the current trading environment. As well as demonstrating our customers’ confidence in Virgin Atlantic, this is a tribute to everyone in the airline who remains so committed to maintaining our customer offering despite the uncertainties which persist in the market. June will see this offering grow again and we are hoping for similar customer support now we have proven the resilience of our cargo-only flying programme.”

Alitalia resumes nonstop Rome-New York services

Alitalia flight AZ 608 marking the resumption of the Airline direct services between Rome and New York, departed at 10:40 am this morning (June 2).

Flights to and from New York will be operated twice a week (from Italy on Tuesdays and Saturdays, from the United States on Wednesdays and Sundays) until 14 June. In the second half of June, the service will be increased to four days a week, with the addition of two flights from Italy on Thursdays and Sundays and two from New York on Mondays and Fridays.

The flight will land at New York JFK airport at 2:25 pm (local time). The departure of the Alitalia flight from the American city is scheduled at 5:05 pm (local time) with arrival in Fiumicino at 7:40 am of the following morning.

All passenger flights are operated with reduced aircraft capacity, in order to comply with the provisions of the Italian law on social distancing on board aircraft.

Photo: Alitalia.

Delta retires the MD-88 and MD-90 ‘Mad Dogs’

Delta Air Lines made this announcement:

Today, June 2, June 2, Delta’s MD-88s and MD-90s will fly their final scheduled flights before heading to Blytheville, Ark., for their well-deserved retirement. For more than three decades in the case of the MD-88s, these aircraft served as steady workhorses for the domestic network. They also played significant roles during some of Delta’s challenging moments, as well as periods of success for the airline.

Even now, the MD-88 and MD-90 retirement marks a special moment in time for Delta, as the airline looks to evolve into a stronger, better, more nimble company amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The final MD-90 flight—aptly numbered DL90—will arrive in Atlanta from Houston at approximately 9 a.m. The final MD-88 flight, DL88, will from arrive from Washington-Dulles at 10 a.m.

Delta is the last U.S. passenger airline to operate these aircraft, whose history will never be forgotten. At our peak, Delta operated a fleet of 185 “Mad Dog” jets that flew roughly 900 daily flights. Read on for a snapshot of both aircraft, which have carried millions of Delta customers during their operating lifespan.

Above Photos: @diecastryan, @Drew_Fellers_Studios.

FUN MD-88 FACTS

McDonnell Douglas MD-88

Delta placed its initial order for 30 MD-88s, often called “Mad Dogs,” in January 1986 with options for 50 more. Eight of the planes were delivered as model MD-82, the forerunner to the MD-88 and later modified by Delta to the more advanced flight deck of the MD-88 configuration.
The MD-88 first entered the Delta fleet  in January 1988, serving Austin, Birmingham, Cincinnati, Jackson, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Shreveport and Washington, D.C. The final MD-88 was delivered in December 1993.
Developed from the original  Douglas DC-9, the 149-seat MD-88 had twice the passenger capacity of the first version, and modernized engines and avionics. The aircraft’s updated “glass cockpit” boasted digital displays powered by cathode ray tubes was advanced at the time. It also featured aerodynamics improvements found on the earlier MD-82, including a redesigned tail cone.
The aircraft also had a 22-inch wide aisle in the coach cabin and handrails along the edge of the overhead bins to offer additional comfort and safety for customers and crews moving through the cabin.
As of February this year, prior to the coronavirus-driven fleet reduction, there were 47 MD-88s operating.
The MD-88 served a number of special missions during its time at Delta. Just last year, as hurricanes devastated parts of the Bahamas, the MD-88 was used on a humanitarian mission to bring supplies and evacuate residents off the islands, as the flight crew recounted in this NPR interview.

FUN MD-90 FACTS

McDonnell Douglas MD-90

Delta was the  launch customer  for the 158-seat MD-90, which entered commercial service in April 1995 between Dallas and Reno. Some of the first cities scheduled for MD-90 service included Dallas/Fort Worth, Atlanta, Nashville, Newark, Reno and Jackson.
As the MD-88’s successor, the MD-90 improved Delta’s cost performance by saving fuel and carrying larger loads while minimizing environmental impact through less noise and reduced emissions. The aircraft offered Delta flexibility to provide passenger and cargo services in a wide variety of operating environments since the aircraft performed very well at hot and high-altitude airports, making it possible for Delta to schedule the aircraft for operations throughout North America—for short-haul and longer routes.
Delta initially purchased the MD-90 to replace its  Boeing 727’s, but when McDonnell Douglas was bought by Boeing in 1997, Delta canceled the rest of its MD-90s and began purchasing the Boeing  737-800. Post-bankruptcy, Delta expanded the MD-90 fleet between 2009 and 2013 when it purchased and refurbished 49 used MD-90s. The addition of these aircraft helped Delta rebound after bankruptcy.
As of February, prior to the coronavirus-driven fleet reduction, there were 29 MD-90s operating.

For the record, MD-88 N900DE operated flight DL88 from IAD to ATL and MD-90 N925DN operated flight DL90 from IAG to ATL.

Alaska Airlines to offer a 50% bonus of elite qualifying miles

Alaska Airlines has made this announcement:

Starting today, Alaska Airlines customers and members of the award-winning Mileage Plan have three new promotions to enjoy. In addition to guaranteeing 2020 elite status through 2021, the airline is extending a 50% bonus of elite qualifying miles for flights taken through the end of the year. Plus, for the first time ever, Alaska Airlines Visa^® cardholders can use their card to earn elite qualifying miles, and consumer cardholders can earn double miles for qualifying restaurant purchases.

50% Bonus of Elite Qualifying Miles – Limited Time Offer

For all flights completed June 1 through Dec. 31, 2020, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members will receive a 50% bonus of elite qualifying miles to help earn higher elite status more quickly. (*Registration isn’t required for this special, limited time offer.)

Alaska Airlines Visa Cardholders – First Time Limited Time Offers

Earn toward status while you spend. Cardholders can earn 2,500 elite qualifying miles for every $5,000spent on purchases with an Alaska Airlines consumer or business Visa card from June 1 through Sept. 30, 2020, up to a maximum of 10,000 elite qualifying miles per cardholder.

Want to support your favorite local restaurants? Alaska Visa consumer cardholders can earn two miles for every dollar spent, up to $1,500, at restaurants and take-out, including delivery services from June 1 through July 31, 2020.

Alaska’s Mileage Plan features 16 global partners, which fly to more than 800 destinations around the world.

Lufthansa agrees to the German stabilization package and loss of slots

Lufthansa Group has made this announcement:

At its meeting on May 30, the Lufthansa Executive Board decided to accept the commitments offered by Germany to the EU Commission for the stabilization package negotiated with the Economic Stabilization Fund (WSF) of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The scope of the conditions required in the EU Commission’s view has been reduced in comparison with initial indications. Lufthansa will therefore be obliged to transfer to one competitor each at the Frankfurt and Munich airports up to 24 take-off and landing rights (slots), i.e. three take-off and three landing rights per aircraft and day, for the stationing of up to four aircraft. For one and a half years, this option is only available to new competitors at the Frankfurt and Munich airports. If no new competitor makes use of this option, it will be extended to existing competitors at the respective airports.

The slots will be allocated in a bidding process. The slots can only be taken over by a European competitor that has not itself received any substantial state recapitalization as a result of the corona pandemic.

The Supervisory Board must approve the stabilization package negotiated with the WSF, including the commitments to the EU Commission. Subsequent to the Supervisory Board’s decision, the company intends to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting in the near future to obtain shareholder approval for the WSF stabilization measures.

Lufthansa aircraft photo gallery:

Iberia to resume short and medium haul routes on July 1

Iberia Group airlines will initially supply 21% of seat capacity on short- and medium-haul routes, which will rise to 35% as restrictions are lifted.
To some 40 destinations in Spain and Europe in July and to 53 in August
The airline is prepared to resume long-haul flights as soon as conditions allow, and travel restrictions are lifted.
In June, Iberia is maintaining a minimum level of air connectivity similar to that of May connecting Madrid with some Spanish destinations in addition to London and Paris
All tickets purchased from now until 30 June for flights taking place until 31 December can be changed once without penalty.
Customers holding vouchers from previous flights may now use them for their summer vacations.

Starting on July 1, 2020, Iberia will gradually resume its short- and medium-haul flight program, with change flexibility for all customers.

The airline is also prepared to resume long-haul flights as soon as conditions allow and quarantine and travel restrictions are lifted in the countries served by Iberia.

In June, Iberia is maintaining a minimum level of air connectivity similar to that of May connecting Madrid with the Spanish Islands (Canary Islands and the Balearic), Barcelona, Bilbao, Asturias, Vigo, La Coruña, London and Paris.

In July and August Iberia, Iberia Express, and Iberia Regional will fly to at least 40 and 53 destinations, respectively, with a total of at least 194 return flights per week scheduled in July, and 359 in August.

This amounts to just 21% of normal seat supply on the short- and medium-haul network, which may rise to 35% as demand increases.

In mainland Spain, services will be resumed to Alicante, Almeria, Asturias, Barcelona, Bilbao, Granada, Jerez, La Coruña, Malaga, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Santander, Santiago, Seville, Valencia, and Vigo. The Iberia Group will also fly to Tenerife Norte, Tenerife Sur, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Palma in the Canary Islands, and to Majorca, Menorca, and Ibiza in the Balearics.

Iberia will also resume European flights in July to Athens, Brussels, Dubrovnik, Geneva, Lisbon, London, Milan, Munich, Oporto, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Venice, and Zurich, as well as to Dakar in Senegal in Africa; and in August will add Berlin, Bologna, Copenhagen, Dublin, Faro, Frankfurt, Lyon, Manchester, Marseilles, Prague, Santorini and Toulouse, as well as Marraquesh in Marocco.

Iberia aircraft photo gallery: