I was at Heathrow Airport to welcome JetBlue’s first flight to London in the summer of 2021. Since then, the airline has launched services to Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Paris! This shows great ambition from the hybrid carrier, which has grown across Europe at a swift rate. Where in Europe should the New York-based airline fly next? The airline’s incoming Airbus A321XLRs will help it reach further east on the continent, leading to some new long-haul routes! What do you expect? Let us know below!

As much as we love to dream about trips in the cabins up front, the majority of us enjoy most of our flights down back in the cheap seats. There’s usually not much to write home about – just enough space to be tolerable, perhaps some IFE if we’re lucky.

But not all economy seats are equal. At their smallest, economy class seats might be 17 inches wide, with a pitch of 28 or 29 inches. Conversely, some carriers treat passengers to 34 inches of pitch and seats that are 18 inches wide; when you’re packed into the economy cabin, every inch matters.

Of course, seats are very aircraft-specific. Within one fleet, there may be an Airbus A220 with a generous 19-inch seat width and 32 inches of pitch, alongside a Boeing 737-800 with seats of just 17 inches wide and a 30-inch pitch. You’d think long haul aircraft would have the best economy seats, given the time we’re expected to spend in them. But get this – the seats in the A321neo are 18 inches wide; in the 787 Dreamliner, they’re only 17

Emirates took delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 on November 25th, 2024. registered as A6-EXA. The Dubai-based carrier has 65 A350s on order – how will this aircraft change Emirates? How will the A350-900 change Emirates? 

Disclaimer: The following is a statement shared by one of our readers and does not necessarily reflect the views or ideas of our publication.

Premium economy has become a masterstroke by many airlines in bridging the gap between economy and business class. While several airlines have been veterans in this field for years, the likes of Emirates have recently changed the game following their entrance, providing a classy product that could fit in numerous business classes across the industry. Which offerings have surprised you the most? Let us know below!

For nearly a year, there has been huge speculation about Air India expanding to Los Angeles (LAX) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW). These two cities have sizable Indian populations of over 200,000 and the Gulf carriers fly hundreds of passengers each day to India via their respective hubs. Rumors suggest that the routes will be served from Delhi (DEL) with the Boeing 777. What do you think?

Disclaimer: The following is a statement shared by one of our readers and does not necessarily reflect the views or ideas of our publication.

Should Air India even launch or should it instead use the planes to regain recently lost capacity on existing routes?

There have been several new long-haul route launches this month, including avianca’s return to Paris from Bogota, Beond’s arrival in Milan from Maldives (via Dubai), and Juneyao’s inauguration to Brussels from Shanghai. With family across the globe, I would love to see more long-haul flights to the likes of South America and South Asia from Europe. Which long-haul routes would you like to see launched?

Flight demand between the United States and Europe is at an all-time high. Notably, there are 4,674 one-way flights scheduled between the the US and UK this month, according to Cirium data. British Airways dominates the number of weekly flights. However, there is a host of other carriers with a significant presence in the market both sides of the pond. It’s not only the major operators such as the US Big Three and Virgin Atlantic that have a stronghold. The likes of JetBlue, Aer Lingus, TUI, and Norse Atlantic Airways are also regulars across the Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, there are mainstays across the Americas and continental Europe. So, with a range of airlines to choose from, which one is the best? Let us know below!

Air India currently serves 10 European airports: Amsterdam, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Milan Malpensa, Paris CDG, Vienna, and Zurich. Of course, there is a big emphasis on Star Alliance hubs.

India’s flag carrier has 16 non-stop European routes, the latest of which is Bengaluru to London Gatwick, which started in August 2024 (it replaced Heathrow, which was served until 2022).

Its European network exists from Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Delhi, Goa, Kochi, and Mumbai. Unsurprisingly, its two hubs—Delhi and Mumbai—have 80% of seats for sale.

In Q4 2024 (October-December), Air India will have 333,000 one-way India-Europe seats, the most it has ever had in any quarter. It has surpassed its prior quarterly record, held in Q3 2024, by 1.2%. And this is before considering the marriage with Vistara. Air India has 22% of non-stop India-Europe non-stop capacity.

Where else in Europe would you like the carrier to fly? It previously flew to London S

As you may know, Malaysia Airlines will return to Paris in March 2025 after serving the French capital until 2016. Unlike then, when it used the A380/777-200ER, it’ll now run daily on the much more fuel-efficient A350-900. 

Air France last served the market in 2015. This means Malaysia Airlines can a yield premium from being the only non-stop operator. In 2023, Kuala Lumpur-Paris had 72,000 roundtrip point-to-point passengers, with Malaysia Airlines’ service naturally set up for Asia-Pacific connectivity.

The carrier will also return to Karachi in December 2024. It last served the Pakistani city on the A330 in 2011. It will now run three times weekly on the 737 MAX 8.  

Paris and Karachi join Chiang Mai (new to its network) and Malé (last served in 2015), both of which welcomed the carrier in August 2024. Da Nang will see Malaysia Airlines for the first time in September 2024, while the carrier has removed plans to resume Brisbane flights in March 2025.

It is somewhat funny that th

Air India already flies to five destinations in the United States – Newark, Washington Dulles, New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare, and San Francisco. Some of these routes are served by multiple Indian airports. Still, during a chat with Simple Flying last month, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson shared that his airline is keen to expand within the US once it receives more widebodies. There have been reports about adding Dallas and Los Angeles to the works. Still, how much could the airline expand across the US? Could we see some additional routes along both coasts? Let us know what you think below!

Many of us have fond memories of our first flights or an especially memorable trip with an iconic carrier. However, have many carriers gone bankrupt, merged with other airlines, or simply ceased operating?

What are some of your favorite memories from airlines past, and which airlines do you think stood out above the competition?

In August, the world has more than 8,600 daily widebody-operated flights. One in 12 of the world’s services is on a twin-aisle. Most flights are on the Boeing 777-300ER, an excellent variant for range, high-capacity passenger cabins, and considerable belly-hold freight volume. The A330-300 is second, and the 787-9 is third. It raises an obvious question: which widebody type or variant have you flown the most? Let us know!

Everyone knows that New York JFK is the US’s leading long-haul gateway. In the year to July, it welcomed approximately 23 million passengers from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, the Middle East, and lower South America.

Despite service from airlines globally, an estimated 40% of passengers—more than nine million people—had to connect to another flight en route.

More than eight in ten passengers who traveled to/from the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa connected.

Since South African Airways pulled out of JFK in 2020, Southern Africa has had no non-stop or one-stop flights, so all 100,000+ passengers transferred. (United has non-stop flights from Newark.)

These were JFK’s 10 largest unserved cities in the examined period. Mentioning them does not mean they warrant flights or would be commercially feasible.

– Dhaka: 164,000 roundtrip passengers (served by Biman until 2006, then 2009-2011)

– Bangkok: 107,000 (served by Thai Airways until 2008)

– Tirana: 10

There are three major airline alliances in the world. These are oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam. Frequent travelers will often try to stick to member airlines of one alliance as their status is reciprocal across the alliance. Being based in Frankfurt, I tend to find myself flying with Star Alliance carriers, though I also enjoy flying on oneworld Airlines when I get the chance. Let us know which your preferred alliance is in the comments below!

It is hard to be disappointed with low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers, at least when things run as they should. After all, they have a bare-bones approach, meaning expectations are usually low. It’s then easy to meet or even exceed them. The same cannot be said for the spectrum of ‘full’-service carriers, which often overpromise and underdeliver.

It is hard to pinpoint one airline that has disappointed me the most because some aspects of the experience could be good, while others may not. One flight might be less than desirable, while the next – if there is a next time – might be noticeably, or at least acceptably, better. Such inconsistencies only add to the trouble.

Which carrier has disappointed you the most and why? For me, it is Ethiopian Airlines. I have flown it four times, which is not really enough to have a fair impression. Still, the food was unusually poor, even by airline standards, and the cabins, even on nearly ne

At Routes World in Bahrain, Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Arik De, said that the carrier will announce “another US route very soon.” Naturally, he gave no hints. 

It currently serves Boston, Chicago O’Hare, New York JFK, and Washington Dulles. In the past, it flew to Dallas/Fort Worth (until March 2018), Los Angeles (March 2020), and San Francisco (October 2017).

Where would you like them to fly next? Let us know!

Why do you think that Emirates ordered the 777-8?

In my opinion, Emirates placed this order to try to convince Airbus to fix the A350-1000. I think that if Airbus makes the A350-1000 to Emirates’ liking, Emirates will cancel the 777-8 order. What are your thoughts?

Disclaimer: The following is a statement shared by one of our readers and does not necessarily reflect the views or ideas of our publication.

Premium economy class varies significantly across airlines. For some, it just means a seat with slightly more legroom. Other carriers might include a unique meal service or a slightly different design element in the front of the economy cabin to give it a more elegant feel. The perks provided with premium tickets also vary significantly in value.

Quite a few carriers have invested significantly in their premium economy products. Carriers like Emirates have retrofitted portions of their fleets to accommodate the growing demand, while others, such as Alaska Airlines, have ordered incoming planes to feature more premium seats. Other carriers find the extra cabin inefficient and double down on creating an exceptional main cabin or use the space for more upper-class capacity. 

Given the cost difference between a premium economy and an economy or buisness class ticket, which airlines provide the most value for the upgrade?

Late last year, Emirates Executives told Simple Flying that the Dubai-based mega carrier would continue to fly the giant Airbus A380 into the 2040s. At the last Dubai Airshow, the airline’s CEO, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, told me that the airline would continue to buy aircraft from lessors at the right price to enable this. How long do you think Emirates will keep flying the Airbus A380? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Ultra-low-cost carrier Wizz Air has revealed more new routes, including another one—like so many in its network—that has not been served before.

It is Abu Dhabi-Varna, which will begin on March 31 and operate three times weekly. It will use Wizz Air Abu Dhabi machines and crew, with flights leaving the UAE at 13:45 and returning at 23:55. It comes soon after revealing the end of Abu Dhabi-Rome.

As usual, the Varna-Abu Dhabi market is nearly non-existent—just a few hundred passengers yearly. That is also the case when Burgas (around two hours away by car) is included. If Varna/Burgas-Dubai is included, traffic was around 13,000 in the year to July.

Wizz Air revolves around stimulating demand to grow each market, and this will be no exception. How much will it grow Varna-Abu Dhabi traffic? How much of the Dubai market can it capture and grow? It’ll be interesting to see how it develops.