It’s that time where I start reviewing 2015… before we hit 2016.
Lets have a look at some of highlights of 2015
JULY
- The Davis Commission suggests a 3rd runway at Heathrow. The UK Government decides to let the report age until the end of the year.
- Free WiFi at Frankfurt Airport? It does exist
- I present my first Snapshot of Qatar Airways A350 in Economy Class
- And I lambast Doha airport – not once, but twice.
- Paris Orly gets a new airside lounge for BA passengers
- Swiss plans more work for its upcoming Boeing 777-300ERs
- Ryanair offers to sell its part of Aer Lingus to IAG and the European Commission waves the sale through
- I maintain that London City Airport has the perfect passenger experience for arriving passengers
- I talk about the Japan Rail Pass in depth.
- … and I begin the mass writing experience know as The Five Yen of Happiness
- And it was 35 years since Airplane! was released. And yes. I am serious.
AUGUST
- Free bags to come back? Forget it said an airline exec who resigned.
- British Airways meanwhile fiddles with its boarding procedure and hand luggage allowances.
- Pierce Brosman tried to bring a knife in his hand luggage through security. Pay attention 007.
- Air Canada takes delivery of its first 787-9, and packs passengers in
- Luxair walks away from Frankfurt.
- ANA decides it liked the idea of a R2-D2 jet, it wanted a BB-8 jet too.
- IAG buys Aer Lingus at last
- Want to Visit Canada? $7 please.
- British Airways heads of to San Jose.
- I converted a load of loyalty points into a proper purchase – not miles, and I still don’t regret it.
- .. and a Southwest flight attendant thinks he’s in Top Gun.
SEPTEMBER
- The new Malaysia Airlines takes flight. Can it survive?
- Amazon Prime began offering offline content. Good for personal IFE?
- Air Berlin installs bigger Economy seats
- I begun to consider the unfamiliar in life
- Heathrow Express begins to offer lower priced fares for those who book in advanced.
- The Boeing 737 MAX takes shape
- I take a long look at my rebuilt transportation hub – Birmingham New Street
- Lufthansa looks to bring WiFi on short to medium haul routes
- Selfiesticks are a no-no on JR West
- Virgin Atlantic’s Little Red heads off into the sunset
- I take a look at the laughable content that is airline PR’s
OCTOBER
- British Airways gets its first 787-9
- Qatar Airways finally adds Sydney to its network as well as Birmingham
- Emirates goes for the kill at Munich
- Air France announces cuts, its workers get militant
- British Airways plays terminal switcharoo
- CityJet to get Sukhoi SuperJets
- Airbus launches the A350-900ULR. Is it viable?
- Delta walks away from Dubai. And promptly throws its toys out of its pram
- I continue my argument that the best use of miles and points is not in a pre-set list of destinations, but how you see fit
- And I was delayed due to fish.
NOVEMBER
- Air Canada adds more London to Vancouver services, cuts others.
- Flights between Sharm El-Sheik and the UK went into a suspended state.
- The A330neo will have bad-ass eyeshades.
- Jet Airways goes shopping for Boeing 737 MAXs
- Air Serbia returns to the USA
- Singapore Airlines plan to head off to Düsseldorf. They’ll LOVE the Lufthansa Business Lounge there.
- TAP Portugal goes shopping, comes out with new aircraft
- The CSeries completes its flight testing
- KLM begins to charge for seat reservations
- United Airlines plan to serve Illy Coffee
- Airbus’s A320neo certified for service… however there are delivery issues…
- … and I explain in quasi-science way what American Airlines AAdvatage members might feel via the Kubler Ross Curve
DECEMBER
- I take a look at a Passenger Experience improvement aboard the 787 thanks to JAL
- The UK Government has no balls, no guts or ambtion by first thinking about kicking the Heathrow decsision 6 months down the line, then doing so.
- Emirates announces 26 aircraft to leave its fleet.
- Aer Lingus joins the list of airlines that don’t like hoverboards. And a lot of other airlines don’t. Even if your name is Russell Crowe
- I do a bad impression of Shakespeare in Sonnet A10. Shall I compare thee to the third ring of hell?
- I tease about my Cathay Pacific Flights
- Emirates adds more A380 destinations
- Bombardier’s CSeries is formally certified. Anyone buy one please?
- And I went over the hill. Some of my travel lessons. Then I broke some of them in Growing Old in Style
And I’m sure there’s more news to come in 2016!
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Looks like so much when its all on one page! Cheers to a happy 2016.