Economy Class & Beyond

North American carriers begin implementing requirements to wear face coverings (JetBlue, Frontier, American, Delta)

by

Three carriers today in North America today announced the requirement to have face coverings when they choose to fly with them. Let's review the current state of face masks.   JetBlue JetBlue Airbus A320 at Washington Dulles Airport JetBlue was the first to announce this move and will require all customers will be required to wear a face-covering during travel … [Read more...]

The American Airlines fleet is going to shrink… by a lot

by

American Airlines has announced fleet cuts - and they're rather large ones as legacy aircraft are set to be withdrawn from the fleet thanks to COVID-19. Let's go through the slicing and dicing. Five fleets won't be coming back, with the airline saying it is to accelerate the retirement of some older, less fuel-efficient aircraft from its fleet sooner than originally … [Read more...]

British Airways to say goodbye to Gatwick?

by

Could COVID-19 be the final thing that makes British Airways walk away from its old Gatwick Hub? A report on BBC News indicates that this could well be on the cards. From the memo to Gatwick staff, the following is stated:  "As you know, we suspended our Gatwick flying schedule at the start of April and there is no certainty as to when or if these services can … [Read more...]

Austrian Airlines strip seats from their Boeing 777 aircraft

by

With Austrian Airlines extending their grounding until the end of May, the airline is making use of its wide-bodied Boeing 777 aircraft - by stripping out their seats. Austrian Airlines Boeing 777-20ER departing Chicago O’Hare – Image, Economy Class and Beyond The airline had ceased regular operation of its flights since 18th March, with 70 aircraft parked at Vienna … [Read more...]

Lufthansa Group to make face masks mandatory from 4th May

by

If you're planning to take a Lufthansa Group Airline (Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine or SWISS), you'd better put a face mask on, as from the 4th May, passengers will be required to wear one onboard. Lufthansa Airbus A319 at Hamburg Airport - Image, Economy Class and Beyond.  You'll need to have a mask that has a mouth-nose cover onboard their flights. As well as … [Read more...]

SAS Group prepares to make major cuts to their workforce

by

SAS Group is suffering - like most airlines as COVID-19 takes its toll. As a result, it has chosen to cut it staff - by 5000 full-time posts. SAS Airbus A340-300 taxing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport - Image, Economy Class and Beyond For SAS, the result of COVID-19 is a nasty one - with demand is expected to be significantly affected during the remainder of … [Read more...]

British Airways staff prepare for major redundancies

by

In unwelcome news today, IAG owned British Airways is planning to cut 12,000 jobs from its 42,000 workforce and making their roles redundant. British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner approaching Heathrow - Image, Economy Class and Beyond The news comes during IAG's first quarter results, with total revenue declined by 13 per cent to €4.6 billion. The results in the first … [Read more...]

Emirates digs deep into into its pockets to issue refunds

by

Emirates has been... a little tardy to the party in issuing refunds. It seems that's changes with the airline planning to ramp up its capability to manage the outstanding refunds. And there's a lot of them. Emirates Boeing 777-300ER at Hamburg Airport - Image, Economy Class and Beyond Emirates note that nearly half a million refund requests are pending to managed. … [Read more...]