Another week has passed in the world, and there’s been a fair bit going on (to say the least).
And this has kept me going more often than not this week.
Let’s dive in and see what we covered last week on Economy Class and Beyond
Airbus news
Yes, the Pan-European aircraft manufacturer get their own segment this week.
- Airbus A380 production to end in 2021 – with a production run of 251 aircraft, the A380 production line will close in 2021. However, planes will continue to fly for some time to come (at least till 2030).
- Emirates switches to Airbus A350 and A330neo – it seems smaller and efficient wide-bodied aircraft are the order of the day as Emirates swaps out 39 A380s for smaller twin-engined aircraft.
Airline suspensions
- FlyBMI (British Midland Regional Airways) files for administration and suspends all operations – It seems that the regional minnow, BMI Regional has succumbed to a mixture of carbon trading credits and Brexit to push it over the edge, ending the linage of British Midland that can trace its roots back to 1938.
Passenger Experience
- Ryanair to launch a frequent flyer scheme – introducing Ryanair Choice – Whilst £199 seems a no-brainier for unlimited seats assignments, fast track security and priority boarding, dig deeper into the numbers. You may find it may take 22 flights to recover the costs!
Routes and Networks
“I’m a golden boy
Come here to enjoy
And before I leave
Let me show you Tel Aviv”
Rail
- Heathrow Express to accept Contactless Payments and Oyster Cards – But its at the full price. Book before you travel to get a lot better rates….
Strike Update
- Brussels Airlines to be hit by Belgian National Strike – Most services cancelled on 13th February – Over for now, but there’s always a chance of another one….
Snapshots
I was in the the air last week (breaking my dry period that is normally January to March). Here are some snapshots of the passenger experiences I encountered:
- Iberia 3167 London Heathrow to Madrid Barajas – Business Class – featuring Airbus Iberia’s Airbus A340-600
- Crowne Plaza Madrid Airport
- British Airways 461 Madrid to Heathrow in FIRST/Club Europe – featuring British Airways Boeing 777-300ER… and a BA FIRST seat.
Pretty Pictures
Next week
I was going to kick off the trip report next week (and I probably will on Wednesday). However, on Monday – I have to be at Heathrow Airport by 9am.
Why? A special Boeing 747 will be landing – and Economy Class and Beyond will be covering the event. This is the perfect chance to follow me on Twitter (@economybeyond) and Instagram (@economybeyond) as I’ll be breaking the story there first, with the write up to follow on the blog.
Until then – happy flying!
Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond – Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, with in-depth coverage, unique research as well as the humour and madness as I only know how to deliver.
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Also remember that as well as being part of BoardingArea, we’re also part of BoardingArea.eu, delivering frequent flyer news, miles and points to the Europe Frequent Flyer.