Time to wrap up the end of year review in the news and blog with the final look back at 2014 between October and December.
October
- CityJet abandons Cambridge airport
- Etihad rolls out Wifi on its fleet
- Virgin Atlantic’s Little Red calls it quits. I look at some of the reasons why Little Red didn’t work
- Alaska Airlines add 10 more 737-900ERs
- I realise I have a trip, and completely forget about it until a few days before I’m about to depart
- Virgin Atlantic take delivery of their first 787-9
- Ethiopian Airlines announce their Addis Ababa to Los Angels via Dublin service
- Virgin America tries something different called “BLAH airlines”. They’ll get you there.
- I try out the Automated Passport Clearance machines at Chicago O’Hare. Are they usable and do they cut down on queuing times?
- Amazingly, I’m not a fan of Uber. Here’s why.
- Some airlines need to keep their publicity materials up to date. HINT: Virgin Atlantic.
- I learn that being flexible is important when flying
- Heathrow T1 turns more into a ghost town.
- FlyBe launches its London City Airport routes
- In the things you never want to do at an airport, idiotic WiFi hotspot names are high on the list
- United are heading off to Newcastle Upon Tyne
- As CityJet, British Airways and Flybe compete between London City and Dublin, I ask is there too much capacity?
- Speaking of saving money, is airline cashback ever worth it?
November
- VLM is to become the first European operator of the Sukhoi Superjet
- American Airlines first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner rolls out of the paint shop
- Air Berlin boosts its summer 2015 services
- Emirates to offer 10mb of WiFi free, and 600mb for a $1
- Aer Lingus boosts its Transatlantic network
- CSeries flight testing intensifies with extra planes joining in
- I argue the sometimes you have to call the airline. See why
- British Airways plan double-daily A380 services to Miami
- Finnair adds Chicago to its network
- Etihad’s 49% purchase of Alitalia is cleared at EU level
- Airbus’s Beluga goes XL, with plans for a new super transporter
- Left a bad TripAdvisor review? One couple did and got charged £100 for it (and later refunded)
- Delta goes shopping, and turns to Airbus for its long haul fleet replacemen
- I worry about onboard safety – with passengers walking in the aisles as a plane is pushing back
- Public Speaking isn’t easy as I recount
- Delta and American Airlines fight between Philadelphia and London Heathrow
- Scared of flying? Don’t worry. Jennifer Aniston is too
December
- The sad news of another major loss, with Indonesia Air Asia flight QZ8501 reported missing
- oneworld sapphire and emerald benefits are boosted… unless you’re on British Airways
- Azul orders A320s for expansion purposes
- Finnair adds A350s to its order book
- UK Air Passenger Duty to be axed for younger passengers
- EVA Air to head off to Houston
- Virgin Atlantic doubles its planned service to Atlanta
- I booked Ryanair… and I’m still fine with it
- ANA increases luggage allowance for international economy class passengers
- Air Asia X signs up for 55 A330neo aircraft
- Finniar’s first A350 enters final assembly
- United Airlines fiddle with their Summer 2015 timetable. Check for changes
- IHG roll out their new offer. I’m not impressed
- Lufthansa gives out extra miles to their elite flyers after all the strikes
- SkyTeam rolls out SkyPriority through its entire network
- Qatar Airways takes delivery of their first A350 after a short delay. What next?
- Virgin Atlantic capacity drops between London and LA
- Hilton and Marriott ask the FCC clarification on blocking your personal WiFi Hotspots
- TAM adds Toronto via New York
That concludes the news and general review. Finally for this year, I’m going to wrap up with my personal review of my flying year.
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