Tag Archives: Washington

JetBlue Airways announces two new routes from Washington Reagan National Airport

JetBlue Airways (New York) today announced two new nonstop routes from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Fort Myers (RSW) and West Palm Beach (PBI) in Florida. The two routes will launch on December 18, 2014 and operate during the winter season. The airline today also launched three new routes from DCA to Charleston, SC (CHS), Hartford/Springfield (BDL) and Nassau, Bahamas (NAS). Additionally, JetBlue will boost its existing service to Tampa, Florida, with a second daily flight effective July 2, 2014.

The new routes and increased frequency follow the allocation of 12 slot pairs to JetBlue by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as a result of divestitures from the American Airlines-US Airways merger. More flights will be announced this summer as JetBlue continues to ramp up its presence at DCA.

JetBlue entered the Reagan National market in 2010, becoming the airline’s 62nd destination. With the three new routes launched today, the airline now offers 24 daily flights, with service to Boston, Charleston, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Hartford/Springfield, Nassau, Orlando and Tampa, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico. New service to Ft Myers and West Palm Beach will both launch on December 18, 2014. JetBlue will operate up to 30 roundtrips per day at DCA by the end of 2014.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N665JB (msn 3348) arrives at Reagan National Airport (DCA).

JetBlue Airways:

Frontier adds three new routes from growing Cleveland

Frontier Airlines (2nd) (Denver) is again adding more routes from its new and growing Cleveland mini hub. Frontier is adding three new mainline routes from Cleveland to Chicago O’Hare (starting on October 1), Washington-Dulles (October 1) and New York-LaGuardia (October 26).

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 N209FR (msn 4641) approaches the runway at Washington (Reagan National).

Frontier Airlines (2nd):

American Airlines and the IAM reach a tentative agreement for a new three-year contract with the US Airways mechanics

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) union have reached three tentative agreements covering more than 11,000 US Airways (Phoenix) mechanics, fleet service agents and maintenance training specialists. The Tentative Agreements cover the workgroups separately and amend pre-merger contracts. The three-year agreements are each subject to membership ratification. The union leadership and negotiating committees unanimously endorsed the tentative agreements, which if ratified, will lead to joint collective bargaining negotiations with their colleagues at the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to cover more than 30,000 employees at the new American Airlines.

The tentative agreements announced today continue progress on labor agreements at American Airlines since the merger with US Airways closed on December 9, 2013. Negotiations for a joint flight attendant agreement are underway. In addition, unions for pilots, flight attendants and customer service agents have filed petitions with the National Mediation Board for single carrier status determination to resolve union representation.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-112 N702UW (msn 896) of US Airways now painted in the American Airlines brand arrives at Washington (Reagan National).

American Airlines (current):

American Airlines-US Airways:

US Airways:

United Airlines to return to Santiago, Chile

United Airlines (Chicago) will start Houston (Bush Intercontinental)-Santiago, Chile daily service on December 7. The route will be flown with Boeing 767-300 ERs.

Additionally the company will also operate a weekly Houston (Bush)-Punta Cana route starting on December 20 with Boeing 737-800s and a weekly Chicago (O’Hare)-Belize City route also starting also on December 20 with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

On Monday, June 16 United issued this statement:

United Airlines has announced the company will introduce service to Santiago, Chile, from its hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, beginning on December 7, 2014, subject to government approval.

Houston-Santiago, Chile

Flight UA 847 will depart Houston daily at 9:05 p.m. (2105) and arrive in Santiago at 9:40 a.m. (0940) the next day. Return flight UA 846 will depart Santiago daily at 10:45 p.m. (2245) and arrive in Houston at 5:40 a.m. (0540) the following day. (All times are local.)

The flights are timed to provide convenient connections from Houston to 111 airports across the United States and to more than 60 international destinations.

United will operate its Houston-Santiago service with Boeing 767-300 aircraft with a total of 214 seats – 30 flat-bed seats in United BusinessFirst and 184 seats in United Economy, including 49 extra-legroom United Economy Plus seats.

Additional New Service

United also is boosting its Central America and Caribbean connections, beginning December 20, 2014:

Houston-Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with year-round service on Saturdays and service on Sundays during periods of expected higher demand

Chicago-Belize City, Belize, subject to government approval, with Saturday service scheduled through early May 2015

This winter, United also plans to expand its Houston-Aruba service. The airline currently offers Saturday Houston-Aruba flights that are scheduled to continue through mid-August 2014. On December 20, the company will resume Saturday service that will continue through early May 2015 and begin service on Sundays for periods of expected higher demand.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-322 ER N676UA (msn 30028) approaches the runway at Washington’s Dulles International Airport.

United Airlines (current):

JetBlue sells LiveTV to the Thales Group for $399 million

JetBlue Airways (New York) announced today it has completed its sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary LiveTV to Thales Group for $399 million in cash. The sale will allow LiveTV to continue the innovation that has set it apart as the leader in inflight entertainment (IFE) and onboard connectivity under Thales ownership. JetBlue will maintain its relationship with LiveTV to continue providing customers with differentiated, industry-leading inflight entertainment and connectivity products.

LiveTV is the leading provider of live IFE and connectivity systems for commercial airlines. In 2013, LiveTV and its partner ViaSat introduced Ka-band satellite-driven onboard connectivity, a game-changing technological advancement.

Meanwhile Bloomberg Businessweek is taking a look at the challenges facing JetBlue (and others) in providing high speed inflight Internet service. Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Showing off the LiveTV antennae on top, Airbus A320-232 N821JB (msn 5417) banks before landing at Washington (Reagan National).

JetBlue Airways:

United Airlines announces changes to its MileagePlus program

United Airlines (Chicago) today announced that the company will make changes to its MileagePlus program in 2015. Members will earn award miles based on their ticket price rather than distance flown.

Beginning March 1, 2015, members will earn award miles based on the price of their ticket – specifically the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges – and their MileagePlus status. Members will earn five miles for every dollar spent, while those with MileagePlus Premier status will earn the following on their base fare and carrier surcharges:

Status level on day of departure on or after March 1, 2015:

The new earning structure will apply to MileagePlus members worldwide for most tickets for travel on United and United Express flights, and most United-issued tickets for flights on the company’s airline partners – tickets with numbers that begin with “016.” Members may earn up to 75,000 award miles per ticket.

In addition, next year United plans to offer members new opportunities to use their award miles, including for single-flight purchases of extra-legroom United Economy Plus seats and to purchase Economy Plus and checked-baggage subscriptions.

Tickets not issued by United for MileagePlus partner airline flights departing on or after March 1 will still earn award miles based on distance flown and purchased fare class.

The new earning structure will not affect the way members qualify for Premier status in 2015, and MileagePlus credit card members will still earn even more miles when they use their cards to purchase United tickets.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-924 ER N77430 (msn 37098) prepares to land at the Washington Dulles hub.

United Airlines (current):

United launches nonstop summer Washington Dulles-Madrid flights

United Airlines (Chicago) last night (June 5) launched the Washington area’s only nonstop flights between the airline’s hub at Dulles International Airport and Madrid, with daily summer-season service through September 4, 2014.

Flight UA 163 departs Washington Dulles International Airport at 5:45 p.m. (1745), arriving at Madrid–Barajas Airport at 7:40 a.m. (0740) the following day (all times local). On the return, Flight UA 164 departs Madrid at 11:35 a.m. (1135), arriving in Washington at 2:30 p.m. (1430) the same day. Flight times are seven hours, 55 minutes eastbound and eight hours, 55 minutes westbound.

United will operate the service with Boeing 757-200 aircraft with a total of 169 seats – 16 flat-bed seats in United BusinessFirst and 153 seats in United Economy, including 45 Economy Plus extra-legroom seats.

United Airlines has been serving Spain for more than 20 years. In addition to the Washington–Madrid service, the airline operates Newark-Madrid and Newark-Barcelona service.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 757-222 N574UA (msn 26686) climbs away from Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.

United Airlines (current):

British Airways delays the introduction of the Airbus A380 to Washington Dulles

British Airways (London) is delaying the introduction of the Airbus A380 on the London (Heathrow)-Washington (Dulles) to October 2 (from September 1) according to Airline Route.

British Airways:

Video: A tour of the Airbus A380:

Silver Airways to start frequent service between Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Jacksonville

Silver Airways (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Gainesville) has announced today it is adding multiple daily nonstop flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). The new service starts on August 19, 2014, with up to three flights per day, and increases to up to six daily flights on November 2, 2014.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. SAAB 340B N412XJ (msn 412) taxies at Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Silver Airways:

Route Map:

Tailwind Air Service plans to launch Cessna Caravan seaplane flights from Manhattan this summer to Boston and Washington

Tailwind Air Service (New York) has announced is launching passenger flights this summer, offering weekday seaplane service between Manhattan’s East River at 23rd Street, Boston Logan and Washington Dulles. Flights will depart Manhattan in the mornings, offering same-day returns from Boston and DC in the evenings.

Tailwinds’ seaplanes will ultimately land in the downtown waterfronts in both Boston and Washington, D.C., but in early stages the flights will land at private terminals in Boston (Logan) and Washington (Dulles).

Tailwind, a new venture, has aligned with Fly The Whale, an established seaplane and private charter operator most popular for its weekend shuttles to the Hamptons and Nantucket. The two companies will utilize each other’s aircraft for increased and efficient service.

Flight times between 23rd Street and Boston Logan or Washington Dulles is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Passengers only need to arrive at 23rd Street and the private terminals at Logan and Dulles 20 minutes prior to take-off, shaving hours off the normal air commute. Single tickets will range from $450-$650 each way.

The carrier defines its operations as:

“Tailwind is a FAA Certified Air Carrier operating amphibious Cessna Caravans in the Northeast United States. We operate shared charter flights between major cities and are also available for charter to countless destinations. All Tailwind flights are operated by Lima NY Corp., FAA Certificate No. L87A495L.”

Bloomberg Businessweek takes a look at this new airline: CLICK HERE

Images: Tailwind Air Service.