Tag Archives: LAX

QANTAS’ first Boeing 787 will arrive in Sydney on October 20

QANTAS Airways has unveiled its first Boeing Dreamliner, the game-changing aircraft that will open up new routes and new levels of comfort for travellers.

The latest addition to the QANTAS fleet, the 787-9 Dreamliner features next generation seating in Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class (below), with more space and a lower passenger count than most of its competitors.

Other Dreamliner features include larger windows to create a greater sense of space, better air quality to help reduce jetlag and ride dampening technology to minimise the effects of turbulence. It is also quieter, more fuel efficient and generates fewer greenhouse emissions than similarly-sized aircraft.

At a ceremony at the Boeing factory in Seattle, QANTAS Group CEO Alan Joyce said the first Dreamliner signaled the start of an exciting new era for the national carrier and for the travelling public.

“The Dreamliner makes routes like Perth to London possible, which will be the first direct air link Australia has ever had with Europe. And it means other potential routes are now on the drawing board as well.

“There are lots of elements that combine to make the QANTAS Dreamliner special. The seats, the lighting, the entertainment, personal storage, right through to the special crockery, cutlery and glassware that weighs on average 11 per cent less.

“We’re working with sleep specialists, dieticians and other scientists at the University of Sydney to see how adjustments to our inflight service can improve wellbeing and help people adjust to new timezones,” added Mr Joyce.

The interiors of the aircraft and seating were shaped by Australian industrial designer David Caon who has collaborated with QANTAS on cabin upgrades and its lounges in Singapore and Hong Kong.

A total of eight Dreamliners will be delivered to QANTAS by the end of 2018, enabling the retirement of five of the airline’s 747s (below).

Above Copyright Photo: QANTAS Airways Boeing 747-438 VH-OJL (msn 25151) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 921533.

Two Dreamliner routes have been announced so far – Melbourne to Los Angeles starting in December this year and Perth to London starting in March next year. Additional flights from Brisbane have also been flagged.

The name ‘Great Southern Land’ was chosen for the first aircraft out of 45,000 suggestions from the travelling public. Each Dreamliner will be named after something that is uniquely Australian, including animals, places and literature.

As part of the aircraft unveiling in Seattle, Australian band, Icehouse, performed its anthemic 1982 song Great Southern Land, the inspiration for which came to singer and songwriter, Iva Davies, as his Qantas flight crossed the country’s red centre.

The Dreamliner is painted in QANTAS’ updated livery, first revealed in late 2016 in preparation for new aircraft entering the fleet and the airline’s centenary in 2020. This marks only the fifth time the iconic Flying Kangaroo has been updated, with those updates traditionally coinciding with the introduction of a significant new aircraft type.

The Dreamliner, registered as VH-ZNA, is scheduled to land in Sydney on the morning of October 20, 2017 after it performs a flyover of Sydney Harbour, weather and air traffic control permitting.

All photos by QANTAS Airways except the Boeing 747.

Delta Air Lines announces a 2017 third quarter profit

Delta Air Lines on October 11, 2017 reported financial results for the September quarter 2017. Highlights of those results, including both GAAP and adjusted metrics, are below and incorporated here.

Adjusted pre-tax income for the September 2017 quarter was $1.7 billion, a $182 million decrease from the September 2016 quarter. Pre-tax income includes a $120 million reduction from the operational disruption following Hurricane Irma that hit the Caribbean, Florida, Georgia and, specifically, Delta’s hub in Atlanta.

“While we faced a number of challenges this quarter, including multiple hurricanes and an earthquake in Mexico, I am proud of how Delta people responded and still delivered an outstanding performance this quarter,” said Ed Bastian, Delta’s chief executive officer. “Having just completed the busiest summer travel season in our history, we have good momentum, a determined team and a solid pipeline of initiatives to grow earnings and margins.”

To assist customers and employees in affected regions, Delta operated nine humanitarian flights, added more than 12,000 additional seats to impacted cities and shipped more than 600,000 pounds of relief supplies. In addition, Delta and the Delta Air Lines Foundation made $2.75 million in contributions to Red Cross organizations, while Delta employees contributed $250,000 to the American Red Cross and another $250,000 to the Delta Care Fund that directly supports fellow employees.

Revenue Environment

Delta’s operating revenue of $11.1 billion for the September quarter was up 5.5 percent, or $577 million versus prior year, despite a $140 million reduction from Hurricane Irma.

Passenger revenue increased $328 million, including $160 million from Delta’s Branded Fares initiatives. Passenger unit revenues increased 1.9 percent on 1.6 percent higher capacity.

Cargo revenue increased 11.5 percent, driven by higher volumes in freight and mail. Other revenue increased 18.4 percent primarily due to higher loyalty revenue and third-party refinery sales.

“Three of four entities reported positive unit revenues, and we see continued opportunity in business yields. We expect fourth quarter unit revenues to be up two to four percent with all entities in positive territory by year end,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s president. “Our commercial platform of delivering network efficiency, driving customer innovation and improving customer choice should allow us to deliver sustained positive unit revenue, while maintaining our industry-leading revenue premium.”

December 2017 Quarter Guidance

For the December quarter, Delta is expecting continued pressure on margins as its unit revenue momentum catches up to the rise in fuel prices that began in July.

Cost Performance

Adjusted fuel expense⁴ increased $230 million compared to the same period in 2016 as market fuel prices increased throughout the quarter. Delta’s adjusted fuel price per gallon for the September quarter was $1.68, which includes $0.03 of benefit from the refinery.

CASM-Ex, including profit sharing increased 4.8 percent for the September 2017 quarter compared to the prior year period which includes pressure from Hurricane Irma-related flight cancellations. Normalized CASM-Ex, including profit sharing increased 2.6 percent versus the prior year period, driven by employee wage increases, product investments, and accelerated depreciation associated with Delta’s narrowbody fleet initiatives.

Non-operating expense declined $35 million for the quarter due to foreign exchange favorability.

“For the full year we expect non-fuel unit costs to be up approximately four percent as harmonization of profit sharing plans, accelerated depreciation of narrowbody aircraft and pressure from weather-related cancellations have added over a point of pressure to costs from our previous guidance,” said Paul Jacobson, Delta’s chief financial officer. “However with the productivity from our fleet, maintenance and technology initiatives combined with the determination of the Delta team, we are confident we can deliver our long-term two percent cost target for 2018 and beyond.”

Cash Flow, Shareholder Returns, and Adjusted Net Debt

Delta generated $1.6 billion of operating cash flow and $471 million of free cash flow during the quarter. The company used this cash generation to invest nearly $1 billion into the business for aircraft purchases and improvements, facilities upgrades and technology, as well as $175 million to complete its 49% ownership of Aeromexico.

Adjusted net debt at the end of the quarter was $8.8 billion, up $2.7 billion versus year end as a result of Delta’s March quarter 2017 unsecured debt issuance used to accelerate pension funding. The company’s unfunded pension liability has declined by $3.8 billion at the same time from $10.6 billion at the end of 2016 to $6.8 billion at the end of the September quarter.

For the September quarter, Delta returned $769 million to shareholders, comprised of $550 million of share repurchases and $219 million in dividends. The company completed the 2015 $5 billion share repurchase authorization during the September quarter and December quarter purchases will be made under its 2017 $5 billion share repurchase authorization.

“Delta’s improved financial position was recognized with an investment grade credit rating by Standard & Poor’s this quarter – the third agency to grant Delta this status,” Jacobson continued. “With strong cash flows and a systematic approach to shareholder returns through share buybacks and dividends, we are committed to maintaining our durable franchise.”

September Quarter Results

Special items for the quarter consist primarily of mark-to-market adjustments on fuel hedges.

End Notes

Note A to the attached Consolidated Statements of Operations provides a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures used in this release to the comparable GAAP metric and provides the reasons management uses those measures.
CASM – Ex, including profit sharing: In addition to fuel expense, Delta believes adjusting for certain other expenses is helpful to investors because other expenses are not related to the generation of a seat mile. These expenses include aircraft maintenance and staffing services Delta provides to third parties, Delta’s vacation wholesale operations and refinery cost of sales to third parties. The amounts excluded were $387 million and $247 million for the September 2017 and September 2016 quarters, and $975 million and $845 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Management believes this methodology provides a more consistent and comparable reflection of Delta’s airline operations.
Normalized CASM-Ex, including profit sharing: Delta’s new pilot contract was ratified on December 1, 2016 and was retroactive to January 1, 2016. As a result, Delta recognized $380 million in retroactive wages and other benefits in the December 2016 quarter. On a normalized basis, approximately $140 million of this amount related to the September 2016 quarter. We believe that adjusting this period allows investors to better understand and analyze the company’s core operational performance on a year-over-year basis.
Adjusted fuel expense reflects, among other things, the impact of mark-to-market (“MTM”) adjustments and settlements. MTM adjustments are defined as fair value changes recorded in periods other than the settlement period. Such fair value changes are not necessarily indicative of the actual settlement value of the underlying hedge in the contract settlement period. Settlements represent cash received or paid on hedge contracts settled during the period. These items adjust fuel expense to show the economic impact of hedging, including cash received or paid on hedge contracts during the period. See Note A for a reconciliation of adjusted fuel expense and average fuel price per gallon to the comparable GAAP metric.

Copyright Photo: The Boeing 747-400 fleet will be retired by the end of 2017. Delta Air Lines Boeing 747-451 N667US (msn 24222) LAX (Brandon Farris). Image: 905925.

SkyWest to acquire 20 additional aircraft, will expand its relationship with Delta and Alaska

SkyWest, Inc. has announced additional order of 20 new aircraft and new flying agreements

Order includes 15 70-seat Embraer E175 SC aircraft expected to be delivered and placed into service with Delta Air Lines in 2018
Order includes five 76-seat Embraer E175 aircraft expected to be delivered and placed into service with Alaska Airlines in late 2017 and early 2018`
Terms and economics similar to prior contracts with each partner
SkyWest, Inc. has reported that it has entered into aircraft purchase agreements and capacity purchase agreements to acquire and fly 15 additional new aircraft with Delta Air Lines and five additional new aircraft with Alaska Airlines. Expected delivery dates for the 20 aircraft run from September 2017 through the end of 2018. These aircraft will be operated by SkyWest Airlines, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest.

Of the 20 aircraft, 15 Embraer E175 SC aircraft will fly under an agreement with Delta in a 70-seat configuration. The E175 SC aircraft has an E175 airframe and can be retrofitted to 76 seats in the future. The agreement with Alaska includes five Embraer E175s, with a 76-seat configuration, similar to aircraft SkyWest has previously placed into service with Alaska.

Combined with last month’s announcement for 25 new aircraft, this announcement results in a cumulative order of 45 new aircraft. Similar structurally to SkyWest’s acquisition of 104 E175s, SkyWest expects to invest approximately $161 million in cash to acquire these 45 aircraft, and to finance the balance of the purchase price with debt. The expected delivery dates for the 45 aircraft run from September 2017 through the end of 2018, with the majority of the deliveries scheduled for mid-2018.

Top Copyright Photo: Delta Connection-SkyWest Airlines Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N252SY (msn 17000612) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 936861.

Delta Connection:

Alaska SkyWest:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Alaska SkyWest (SkyWest Airlines) Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N186SY (msn 17000606) ONT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 938865.

Southwest introduces the new Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 today

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) on October 1, 2017 added a new aircraft type to its fleet. The carrier put nine copies of the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 into revenue service today. The airline becomes the first U.S. carrier to operate the new type. Southwest was the launch customer.

The first revenue flight retraced the original route of Dallas (Love) – Houston (Hobby) – San Antonio – Dallas (Love).

The delayed inaugural flight was predicated on the retirement of the Boeing 737-300 fleet.

Southwest is planning to have 14 MAX 8s in service by the end of the year.

The company is committed to 170 MAX 8s and 30 MAX 7s.

The pictured N8706W is one of two MAX 8s that operated into Los Angeles today.

Delta and Virgin Atlantic update their network between the U.S. and the U.K.

Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic have announced updates to their respective summer 2018 schedules to optimize their joint network between the United States and the United Kingdom. The strong partnership between the two airlines is focused around offering customers more convenient travel options and the best travel experience across the Atlantic.

Effective March 24, 2018, Delta will introduce the Airbus A330 aircraft on its New York-JFK, Atlanta and Detroit routes to London-Heathrow. The A330 aircraft, which are equipped with Wi-Fi and feature 34 fully flat-bed seats in the Delta One cabin will bring Delta’s onboard customer experience to a new level as well as increase the number of seats on these U.S. routes to London-Heathrow. Highlights of Delta’s A330 service on-board service include:

Fully flat-bed seats in the Delta One cabin, arranged in a ‘herringbone’ configuration with individual aisle access.
Chef-curated meal options in Delta One, featuring locally sourced ingredients and regionally-inspired meals in the Main Cabin, served with complimentary beverages.
Customizable TUMI amenity kits in Delta One, plus a sleep kit with travel essentials for passengers in the Main Cabin and Delta Comfort+.
Complimentary in-flight entertainment with Delta Studio at every seat, including Hollywood titles, over 1,000 hours of TV, music and games.
Wi-Fi available for purchase.
RFID checked baggage tracking updates available direct to mobile devices through the Fly Delta App.

In addition, beginning March 25, 2018, Virgin Atlantic and Delta will optimize their schedule between New York-JFK and London-Heathrow to offer eight daily frequencies. Virgin Atlantic will operate six daily services and Delta two, providing customers with conveniently timed flight choices throughout the day.

The airlines’ joint summer 2018 schedule includes a total of 37 peak daily nonstop flights between the U.S. and the U.K. Of these, 26 flights will operate between London-Heathrow and popular U.S. destinations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. and 11 flights will operate between Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, London-Gatwick and Edinburgh to popular U.S. cities.

The joint venture partnership between Delta and Virgin Atlantic continues to grow, allowing both airlines’ customers to benefit from a high-quality and complementary travel experience with customer service being a key priority. In 2016, the joint venture connected almost five million customers on over 23 routes to over 200 destinations in the U.S.

Top Copyright Photo: Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-302 N823NW (msn 1628) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 931837.

Delta announces its summer 2018 trans-Atlantic schedules

Delta Air Lines has announced it be offering more nonstop options to Europe from its Los Angeles, New York-JFK, Atlanta, and Detroit hubs and more next summer.

Further schedule and service detail is as follows:

Los Angeles

New Boeing 777-200LR service will link Angelenos nonstop to Paris and Amsterdam beginning June 16, 2018. in addition to more than 100 onward destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India via easy connections on Delta’s joint venture partners Air France and KLM:

LAX – Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Flight Number	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
DL156	LAX at noon	CDG at 7:55 a.m. (next day)	Tue/Thurs/Sat
DL157	CDG at 3:15 p.m.	LAX at 6:25 p.m.	Wed/Fri/Sun

LAX – Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Flight Number	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
DL78	LAX at noon	AMS at 7:55 a.m. (next day)	Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun
DL79	AMS at 3:35 p.m.	LAX at 6:25 p.m.	Mon/Tue/Thur/Sat

New York-JFK

Delta’s largest trans-Atlantic gateway will expand next year with new seasonal service to the Ponta Delgada-Azores beginning May 24, 2018 year-round service to Lagos, Nigeria, beginning March 24 and an upgraded offering on New York-JFK to London-LHR with new A330 service.

JFK – Azores (PDL)
Flight Number	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
DL417	JFK at 8:30 p.m.	PDL at 7:30 a.m. (next day)	excluding Mon/Wed
DL217	PDL at 9:15 a.m.	JFK at 10:30 a.m.	excluding Tue/Thurs

JFK – Lagos (LOS)
Flight Number	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
DL415	JFK at 10:55 p.m.	LOS at 2:50 p.m. (next day)	Mon/Wed/Fri
DL215	LOS at 11:30 p.m.	JFK at 5:30 a.m. (next day)	Tue/Thurs/Sun

Atlanta

At Delta’s Atlanta hub, the world’s most travelled, new daily seasonal service to Lisbon on Boeing 767 aircraft will begin May 24, 2018 and run through Sept. 4, 2018. Delta’s Atlanta hub will make it easier for U.S. customers to visit Portugal with convenient one-stop connections from over 150 destinations in the U.S.

ATL – Lisbon, Portugal (LIS)
Flight Number	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
DL122	ATL at 7:30 p.m.	LIS at 8:45 a.m. (next day)	Daily
DL123	LIS at 10:30 a.m.	ATL at 2:45 p.m.	Daily

Detroit

Delta will add a third daily round-trip between Detroit and Paris beginning May 16, 2018 in addition to Delta’s and Air France’s existing service. The new flight will provide customers more choice and offer additional connections in Paris to over 100 destinations in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.

DTW – Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Flight Number	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
DL96	DTW at 3:50 p.m.	CDG at 6:00 a.m. (next day)	Daily
DL99	CDG at 1:10 p.m.	DTW at 4:10 p.m.	Daily

Orlando and Indianapolis

Previously announced year-round service will begin March 30, 2018 from Orlando to Amsterdam and on May 24, 2018 from Indianapolis to Paris, bringing easy connections to more than 100 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India to customers in the Sunshine and Hoosier states.

Orlando (MCO) – Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Flight Number	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
DL126	MCO at 9:45 p.m.	AMS at 12:45 p.m.(next day)	Daily to 5x weekly
DL127	AMS at 1:15 p.m.	MCO at 5:40 p.m.	Daily to 5x weekly

IND – Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Flight Number	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
DL500	IND at 6:20 p.m.	CDG at 8:45 a.m. (next day)	Daily to 5x weekly
DL501	CDG at 1:15 p.m.	IND at 4:35 p.m.	Daily to 5x weekly

Copyright Photo: Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-232 LR N702DN (msn 29741) “The Spirit of Atlanta” LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 932543.

United announces the last Boeing 747 revenue flight

https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-USA6/United-Airlines-NC-Boeing/i-GsNbX9f/A

United Airlines made this announcement:

In celebration of United Airlines retiring the Boeing 747 from its fleet, United flight 747, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 from San Francisco to Honolulu will be the airline’s farewell flight to the 747 fleet.

This journey will serve as the ultimate throwback for customers, employees and invited guests as it recreates the first 747 flight operated by United in 1970. From a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that first flight, passengers will help send the Queen of the Skies off in true style. The original United 747 aircraft that first made this journey from San Francisco to Honolulu was named the “Friend Ship,” the same name bestowed on this farewell flight.

Seats on this special, one-way trip, United flight 747, are available for purchase now at united.com or through the United app. The seats in the upper deck will not be sold, giving all guests the opportunity to spend time in this iconic space.

Customers seated in United Polaris first class and United Polaris business class will be entered into a drawing that will take place at the gate prior to boarding for an opportunity to occupy one of a select number of seats in the upper deck during the flight.

The journey will begin with a gate celebration at 9 a.m. local time at San Francisco International Airport, featuring a Boeing 747 gallery, remarks from United employees and executives, as well as refreshments. The flight will depart San Francisco International Airport at 11 a.m. local time, landing at Honolulu International Airport at 2:45 p.m. local time. Upon landing in Honolulu, local employees will welcome the aircraft with final festivities to close out the historic day. Customers and fans of the Queen of the Skies are encouraged to use the #UA747Farewell hashtag in social media posts.

United and the Boeing 747 through the Years

April 13, 1966: Boeing announces it will build a 490-passenger 747 transport. Construction is set to begin in June on a new plant in Everett, Washington.

January 3, 1967: The first production workers for the 747 program arrive in Everett. The 50,000 who would produce the world’s largest civilian airplane were known as The Incredibles, and they earned the label by bringing the Jumbo Jet dream to reality in only 16 months.

September 30, 1968: The first Boeing 747-100, City of Everett, is rolled out at their Washington plant, painted with the insignias of the 27 airlines that had already ordered the aircraft including United.

February 9, 1969: The Boeing 747-100 makes its first flight.

January 21, 1970: The Boeing 747 makes its first commercial flight from New York to London for Pan American World Airways.

June 26, 1970: Continental Airlines becomes one of the first carriers to put the Boeing 747 into U.S. domestic service, flying from Chicago to Los Angeles and onward to Honolulu.

June 26, 1970: United Airlines receives its first Boeing 747-100 complete with a christening ceremony fit for a luxury liner.

July 23, 1970: United makes its first Boeing 747 commercial flight, with a trip from San Francisco to Honolulu.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-122 N4710U (msn 19755) JFK (Bruce Drum). Image: 101357.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-122 N4728U (msn 19925) “747 Friend Ship” LAX (Bruce Drum). Image: 103100.

January 1977: A modified Boeing 747-100 is delivered to NASA to serve as a carrier vehicle for the Space Shuttle.

April 22, 1985: United announces its plan to acquire Pan Am’s Pacific routes, as well as 11 Boeing 747SP planes. The 747SPs feature a 48-foot-shorter body and fly higher, faster, and farther than standard 747 models.

Above Copyright: United Airlines Boeing 747SP-21 N149UA (msn 21649) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 101362.

January 29-30, 1988: Friendship One, a Boeing 747SP owned by United Airlines, sets the around-the-world air speed record of 36 hours, 54 minutes, and 15 seconds. This special flight raises $500,000 for children’s charities through the Friendship Foundation. Tickets cost a minimum of $5,000, and special guest passengers included astronaut Neil Armstrong, famed test pilots Bob Hoover and Lieutenant General Laurence C. Craigie, and Moya Lear, the widow of Lear Jet founder Bill Lear.

June, 1989: United Airlines receives their first Boeing 747-400 which provides increased range.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-422 N117UA (msn 28810) LHR (Antony J. Best). Image: 920997.

August 23, 1990: The first of two modified Boeing 747-200Bs is delivered to the Air Force for presidential transport. Better known as Air Force One, these planes still serve the president today, having replaced the Boeing 707-320Bs that had served as the presidential aircraft for almost 30 years.

September 1996: A 747SP previously flown by United is transformed into NASA’s SOFIA, or Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, which carries a 17-ton, 8-foot-wide infrared telescope mounted behind an enormous sliding door.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-422 N179UA (msn 25158) SFO (Mark Durbin). Image: 901763.

June 28, 2014: Boeing delivers the 1,500th 747 to come off the production line. The 747 aircraft is the world’s first wide-body airplane in history to reach the 1,500 production units milestone.

January 11, 2017: United announces that it will retire the Boeing 747-400 fleet in the last quarter of 2017.

July 28, 2017: United schedules a special domestic flight from Chicago O’Hare to San Francisco to allow more people to say farewell to the Queen of the Skies.

October 29, 2017: United flies its last international 747 flight from Seoul to San Francisco.

November 7, 2017: United celebrates the retirement of the Boeing 747 with a fitting full-circle moment. A special retro event sees the aircraft flying from San Francisco to Honolulu—a nod to its first-ever flight back in 1970.

Top Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 747-422 N128UA (msn 30023) NRT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 923735.

United Airlines (historic liveries):

United Airlines (current livery – Boeing):

Endangered Species List:

Southwest adds 19 new routes and international service to San Jose, Sacramento, Columbus and New Orleans

Southwest Airlines has announced a substantial investment for its California travelers and communities served as it extended its bookable flight schedule through June 1, 2018. Carrying more passengers to, from, and within the great state of California¹, Southwest is thanking its loyal Golden State Customers with even more flights including nearly 20 new nonstop routes and increasing frequency to 27 existing routes as well as opening new international gateways.

¹Based on U.S. DOT O&D Survey from grouped by years 1998-2016

Effective March 10, 2018

New nonstop service will be offered on Saturdays between both California cities of San Jose and Sacramento and San Jose del Cabo/Cabo San Lucas, subject to requisite government approvals. Additionally, San Diego Customers will be able to enjoy nonstop service on Saturdays and Sundays to and from Puerto Vallarta, complementing daily international service between San Diego and San Jose del Cabo/Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Effective April 8, 2018

Among the new routes, travelers can enjoy daily nonstop service between:

Fort Lauderdale	and	Jacksonville (Three daily flights)
Sacramento	and	Austin
Sacramento	and	St. Louis
San Francisco	and	Austin
San Jose, CA	and	Boise
San Jose, CA	and	Houston (Hobby)
San Jose, CA	and	St. Louis
San Jose, CA	and	Spokane

Effective May 6, 2018

San Jose, CA	and	Orlando
Sacramento	and	Orlando

New Service to Cancun

The carrier also announced today that, beginning April 14, 2018, nonstop service on a seasonal basis is intended to operate on Saturdays between Cancun and both Columbus, Ohio, and New Orleans, both routes subject to requisite government approvals.

Seasonal Returning Routes

The airline also published returning seasonal nonstop routes throughout the country. Effective Sunday, April 8, 2018, Southwest will operate daily service between Houston and Portland, Ore., and weekend service between Denverand Charleston, S.C. Weekly service on Saturdays between Albuquerque and Orlando, and between Kansas Cityand Pensacola, Fla., will operate beginning April 14, 2018.

Southwest continues to estimate its year-over-year available seat mile (ASM) growth to be less than four percent in the first half of 2018 and its full year 2018 ASM growth to be less than its 2016 year-over-year ASM growth of 5.7 percent.

JetBlue expands its Mint service map

JetBlue Airways (New York) on July 17, 2017 announced a series of expansion plans for the airline’s Mint premium experience, which will boost the number of Mint flights to more than 80 per day on up to 20 routes.

Starting in January 2018, JetBlue Mint® will land in new cities, launch new routes and expand on existing routes – introducing true premium travel to markets suffering from legacy options and offering all customers on the aircraft JetBlue’s new Airbus A321 core experience.

JetBlue announced it will offer Mint flights between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport (LAS), advancing JetBlue’s plan to expand its leadership position in Boston where it is already the largest airline. Service will begin January 4, 2018 and seats are on sale today. Last fall the airline announced plans to reach 200 daily flights at Logan, and this spring reached 150 daily flights with nonstop service to more than 60 destinations – more than any other airline in Boston.

The launch of Mint service between Boston and Las Vegas will follow the start of previously announced service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Las Vegas which begins in November.

JetBlue will be the only U.S. airline to operate regularly scheduled flights that feature fully lie-flat seating on domestic routes in Las Vegas.

Mint Schedule Between Boston (BOS) and Las Vegas (LAS)
Beginning January 4, 2018


BOS – LAS Flight #1077				LAS – BOS Flight #1078
7:10 a.m. – 10:22 a.m.				7:45 a.m. – 3:44 p.m.
BOS – LAS Flight #177				LAS – BOS Flight #178
8:50 p.m. – 11:52 p.m.				11:32 a.m. – 7:31 p.m.

Start Dates for Seattle/Tacoma

JetBlue also announced the start dates for two Mint routes at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Service between Boston and Seattle will begin February 15, 2018. When this route launches, JetBlue will serve seven destinations with Mint service in Boston.

Mint Schedule Between Boston (BOS) and Seattle/Tacoma (SEA)
Beginning February 15, 2018


BOS – SEA Flight #597				SEA – BOS Flight #598
8:56 a.m. – 12:18 p.m.				1:29 p.m. – 9:47 p.m.
BOS – SEA Flight #197				SEA – BOS Flight #498
7:22 p.m. – 10:46 p.m.				11:56 p.m. – 8:11 a.m. (+1)

In addition to Boston service, JetBlue will also launch Mint service between New York-JFK and Seattle/Tacoma on April 15, 2018. Mint will initially be offered on one daily roundtrip, with a second daily roundtrip added later in 2018. JetBlue, which is New York’s Hometown Airline®, will offer Mint on ten routes at JFK when Seattle service begins.

Mint Schedule Between New York (JFK) and Seattle (SEA)*
Beginning April 15, 2018


JFK – SEA Flight #263				SEA – JFK Flight #264
10:42 a.m. – 1:58 p.m.				3:08 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

*Second daily roundtrip start date and schedule to be announced later in 2017.

Growth in the Golden State

JetBlue will also expand Mint in two key California markets. At Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) the airline is adding an additional daily Mint flight to New York, which will boost JetBlue’s service on the route to up to eleven daily flights – more than ever before. JetBlue recently relocated to LAX Terminal 5 which brought a vastly upgraded customer travel experience for JetBlue travelers. The addition of Mint has helped JetBlue grow its brand in Los Angeles, with the airline’s overall number of daily flights at LAX doubling since 2014.

At San Francisco International Airport (SFO) JetBlue is adding an additional daily Mint flight to Boston, which will boost JetBlue’s service on the route to up to five daily flights. The added Mint flight frequency will allow for a new afternoon departure from either Boston or San Francisco, offering travelers in both cities even more options to meet their schedules.

Covering the Caribbean

In the Caribbean, where JetBlue is a top carrier, the airline is adding second Saturday seasonal roundtrip Mint flights between:

New York-JFK and St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM)
- Beginning January 13, 2018
Boston and Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA)
- Beginning February 17, 2018
Boston and St. Maarten
- Beginning February 17, 2018

Additionally, Mint service between both New York and Boston to Aruba will operate daily the week of the President’s Day holiday (February 15 – 26). All seasonal Mint routes in the Caribbean operates through April 2018.

JetBlue’s Airbus A321 With Mint Offers Every Customer A Better Flight

All customers will benefit from JetBlue’s new Airbus A321 with Mint aircraft, which features the airline’s new core experience for customers seated throughout the entire aircraft.

Features of the A321 core interior include 10-inch television screens offering free entertainment, comfortable seats with the most legroom in coach (a) and power outlets accessible to all customers. JetBlue’s popular marketplace, a self-serve station full of free snacks, sodas and water for customers to enjoy at their convenience, is also available throughout the flight. And all A321 aircraft offer JetBlue’s free Fly-Fi high-speed broadband Internet service when flying over the contiguous U.S. (b), access to JetBlue’s Hub content on personal devices and first-run Hollywood movies.

Mint Service Map:

United to increase service on 11 routes to Hawaii

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United Airlines (UAL) has announced an increase of service on 11 routes connecting the continental U.S. and Hawaii, offering customers more flights between the mainland and the Hawaiian Islands than any other carrier.

Beginning December 20, United will increase service from its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Franciscoto Hawaii. The airline will continue operating its daily nonstop service to Honolulu from all seven domestic hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., plus Guam and Tokyo.

Lie-flat seating from 5 United hubs

Beginning this summer, premium cabin customers on all overnight flights between Hawaii and Chicago, Denver, Houston, New York/Newark and Washington, D.C., will enjoy 180-degree flat-bed seats for a more relaxing and sleep-enhancing flight with custom-designed duvets and pillows provided by leading luxury specialty store and New York-bred retailer Saks Fifth Avenue.

Celebrating 70 years of service in Hawaii

The Hawaiian Islands are an important part of United’s history. With the maiden departure of a United DC-6 Mainliner from San Francisco to Honolulu in May 1947, United played a major role in helping to make Hawaii an easily accessible destination for tourism and business. In fact, United’s West Coast hubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco will remain the country’s largest gateways for connecting customers to Hawaii, and in December, United’s Denver hub will be another primary interior gateway to Hawaii, offering customers the ability to get to Hawaii from more than 90 destinations in the U.S. and Canada.

Denver International Airport (DEN)

Beginning December 20, service between Denver and Kona (KOA), Lihue (LIH) and Maui (OGG) will increase from seasonal to daily year-round service. The airline will continue its year-round daily service from Denver to Honolulu.

DEN to	Current	New Schedule	Starts
Honolulu (HNL)	Daily, year round	Daily, year-round	Now flying
Kona (KOA)	Seasonal only	Increase to daily, year-round	Dec. 20
Lihue (LIH)	Seasonal only	Increase to daily, year-round	Dec. 20
Maui (OGG)	Seasonal only	Increase to daily, year-round	Dec. 20

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

Offering the only nonstop service between Chicago and Hawaii, United will increase service to Maui (OGG) to five times per week beginning December 20.

ORD to	Current	New Schedule	Starts
Honolulu (HNL)	Daily, year round	Daily, year-round	Now flying
Maui (OGG)	Saturdays only	Daily, year-round (except Tu/We)	Dec. 20

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

From Los Angeles, United offers nonstop service to more Hawaiian Island destinations than any other airline. In addition to United’s five times daily service to Honolulu, United will increase service between LAX and Hilo, Kona, Maui and Lihue beginning December 20. United is the only U.S. airline with nonstop service from LAX to Hilo, on the Island of Hawaii.

LAX to	Current Schedule	New Schedule	Starts
Honolulu (HNL)	5 flights daily	5 flights daily	Now flying
Hilo (ITO)	5 flights weekly	Increase to daily	Dec. 20
Kona (KOA)	Daily	Increase to 2 flights daily	Dec. 20
Lihue (LIH)	Daily	Increase to 2 flights daily	Dec. 20
Maui (OGG)	2 flights daily	Increase to 3 flights daily	Dec. 20

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

From San Francisco, United offers more nonstop service to more Hawaiian Island destinations than any other airline. In addition to its five times daily service between SFO and Honolulu, United will increase service to Kona, Lihue and Mauibeginning December 20.

SFO to	Current	New	Starts
Honolulu (HNL)	5 flights daily	5 flights daily	Now flying
Kona (KOA)	2 flights daily	Increase to 3 flights daily	Dec. 20
Lihue (LIH)	1 flight daily	Increase to 2 flights daily, year-round	Dec. 20
Maui (OGG)	3 flights daily	Increase to 5 flights daily	Dec. 20