Powering Travel welcomes travel industry leaders to share how they’re building, innovating, and evolving their businesses for the future. Along with his guests and regular guest co-hosts, host Brandon Ehrhardt, Senior Director of Partner Programs, explores the latest trends, reveals best-kept secrets, and tries to predict where the industry is headed next. Each episode shares actionable tips and trends backed by cutting-edge research and data to help travel industry leaders stay current and ...
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Hosted by Ben Baldanza, former CEO Spirit Airlines & Scott McCartney, former Wall Street Journal Aviation Editor/Columnist "The Middle Seat". Top stories, discussion, listener questions, and passenger complaints are all addressed head-on in each episode.
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Best Cabo Tours, LLC is a group of friends who have figured out how to enjoy Cabo at a wholesale cost. It took many beers, miles and fails but we did it! Now we make it our mission to show you how to do the same thing. Our Direct Book Tours are the exact same tours we sell on Expedia, TripAdvisor and other booking channels but without the markup! Check out our reviews, pictures and other information on those platforms and then go to www.4cabofun.com to Book Direct.
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238 - Greg Schulze, Chief Commercial Officer, Expedia Group
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This week: Greg Schulze, Chief Commercial Officer, Expedia Group; A tribute to Colleen Barrett, "The Mother of Southwest Airlines"; Ted Christie says the game is rigged; Spirit's plan moving forward; A new FAA investigation of Boeing relating to 787 inspections; Multiple listener response to last episode's William J. McGee interview.…
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240 - Chris Sloan: In depth on Hawaiian Airlines
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This week: Chris Sloan: In depth on Hawaiian Airlines; Also: The reality of the London-Singapore flight story; Adding clarity to Frontier's pricing/change fee policy; Remembering Norm Mineta; Listener input: Calling out Allegiant on a "rip-off" ticketing fee, Expedia's multiple brands. Bonus interview content from AFA available at https://airlinesc…
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239 - Simon Newton-Smith, SVP Americas, EL AL Israel Airlines
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37:52
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This week: Simon Newton-Smith, SVP Americas, EL AL Israel Airlines; Cirium seat capacity growth data; Airlines For America sues DOT over fee listings; FAA reauthorization bill signed; Congress misunderstands aircraft capacity & evacuation reality; A change in Boeing assembly line process; Listener comments.…
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237 - William J. McGee, Senior Fellow, Economic Liberties Project
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55:27
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This week: William J. McGee, Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel, American Economic Liberties Project; An in depth discussion on pros/cons of more regulation; Plus, can/will Embraer challenge Boeing & Airbus?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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236 - John Breyault, VP, Public Policy, Telecommunications & Fraud, National Consumers League
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55:46
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55:46
This week: John Breyault, VP, Public Policy, Telecommunications & Fraud, National Consumers League; Also, a dreadful week of business news for airlines; Big losses at AA & SWA; SWA cuts routes, open to new fees; DOT refunds & fee display policy changes; Listener Q on SWA commuter policy concern.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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235 - Sam Coats, Retired Airline & Corporate Executive & Civic Leader
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52:06
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This week: Sam Coats, Retired Airline & Corporate Executive & Civic Leader ; United CEO Scott Kirby reports Q1 loss & Boeing order conversions; Strong Q2 ticket demand; A close call at DCA; Southwest launches new marketing campaign.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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234- Jay Sorensen, President, IdeaWorksCompany
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34:36
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This week: Jay Sorensen, President, IdeaWorksCompany; Loyalty program values; Delta Q1 numbers; Spirit woes deepen; Breeze shows a profit; Huge payday for AA CEO Robert Isom; Listener Q on new Boeing aircraft.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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233 - Kevin O'Toole, Chief Strategy Officer, Cirium
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This week: Kevin O'Toole, Chief Strategy Officer, Cirium; Data on 2023 Airfares; Airline C-Suite compensation - who's on top? Oakland CA airport wants San Francisco name; Listener input on passenger security screening, crew bases and scheduling.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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232 - This week: It's In The Bag - A Focus on the Business of Bag Fees
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This week: It's In The Bag - A Focus on the Business of Bag Fees; Breezy Rewards Valuation; Listener input: Feedback on John Heimlich, American shifting to more domestic flights, United's overhead bins.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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231 - John Heimlich, VP/Chief Economist, Airlines for America
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37:45
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This week: John Heimlich, VP/Chief Economist, Airlines for America; Boeing searching for a new CEO; FAA moves EWR TRACON to PHL; JetBlue cuts routes; Is cutting costs ultimately more costly? Listener feedback: Public charter security, Rudy Maxa's destination judgements, Maintenance techs in the future.…
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Beyond amenities: Delivering Premier Host-level experiences
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Guest Host Becca Glenn, Director of Partner Success for Vacation Rentals is joined by Mary Beth Miles, CEO of Vacation Rental Collective. Becca and Mary Beth sit down to talk all things vacation rentals, and how to create unforgettable experiences for guests. In a post-pandemic world, guest expectations of vacation rentals have shifted. Today, trav…
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This week: Rudy Maxa, Travel Journalist; Positive comments on Ben's NVO; Airlines: Biggest? Most Profitable? Biggest airline crown; Southwest expects fewer new planes; Concerns around lack of Boeing paperwork/security video; Empty middle seats on Frontier; Listener feedback on Doug Parker interview.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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229 - This week: Doug Parker, Fmr CEO, American Airlines with TSA safety concerns.
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This week: Doug Parker, Fmr CEO, American Airlines, outlines serious TSA safety concerns. Ben's AI "New Voice Option" (NVO); Spirit & JetBlue go it alone - Next moves? New proposed rule for handling wheelchairs; Fare fact errors made by Tim Wu on CNBC; Listener Qs on useful life of a commercial aircraft, business model for airport lounges.…
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Traditional to tech-driven: A look at revenue management
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Guest host Mike Grubler, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Expedia Group, is joined by Kerry Mack for this episode on revenue management in hospitality. Kerry is an expert in the space, and is currently the Chief Revenue Officer at Highgate, where she has worked for over eighteen years. Mike and Kerry discuss why revenue management in th…
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228 - Zane Kerby, Pres & CEO at ASTA - American Society of Travel Advisors;
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This week: Zane Kerby, President & CEO at ASTA - American Society of Travel Advisors; 2023 numbers show safest year in aviation; Boeing supervision; AA same-day standby changes; What's with all the new Brisbane flights? Catherine & Richard Dotson remain at SAV; Listener Q: Overhead bin utilization, and a Flight Attendant asks how management really …
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227 - Maya Leibman, Fmr. EVP/Chief Information Officer, American Airlines
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47:21
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This week: Maya Leibman, Fmr. EVP/Chief Information Officer, American Airlines; It's in the bag - increased fees and a bag revenue rundown in the billions; Delta's Amex credit limit for fuel; Shakeup at Boeing not what was expected - puts women in charge of rescue; AA changes agency ticket policies; Listener Q: Decision process for serving a new ai…
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Wondering how new technology like AI will impact travel? In this episode, guest host Richard Kocher, Senior Director of Media Insights and Planning at Expedia Group, is joined by travel journalist Siew Hoon Yeoh to discuss the role of technology in travel. Siew Hoon is the founder of Web in Travel, and has been covering the impact of tech on the tr…
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226 - Brett Snyder, President & Chief Airline Dork, Cranky Flier
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51:53
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This week: Brett Snyder, President & Chief Airline Dork, Cranky Flier; Delivery and backlog numbers for Boeing & Airbus; Carl Icahn picks up two JetBlue Board seats; The Atlantic article on carry-ons reaches a questionable conclusion; Listener Q on skipping a leg; Why did Spirit focus on A319s?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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225 - Jay Sorensen, Ancillary Revenue, A la Carte Pricing, Frequent Flyer (FFP) Consultant
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43:25
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43:25
This week: Jay Sorensen, Ancillary Revenue, A la Carte Pricing, Frequent Flyer (FFP) Consultant; Marty St George returns to JetBlue as President; Spirit's average passenger fare drops, CEO Ted Christie comments on Spirit's future; Administrator Mike Whitaker outlines Boeing actions including FAA inspectors on site; Sen. Ted Cruz requests special TS…
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Inspiring 2024 travel with tech, experiences, and growth
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Brandon is back to host this episode of Powering Travel! Join him and Ariane Gorin, President of Expedia for Business at Expedia Group, for a great discussion on the state of the travel industry, how Expedia is enabling their partners to capture the demand of the growing middle class, and the importance of accessing this new segment of travelers. A…
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224 - This week: Mike Leskinen, EVP/Chief Financial Officer, United Airlines
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This week: Mike Leskinen, EVP/Chief Financial Officer, United Airlines; Boeing's situation in 2024; JetBlue's new plan includes a new fee; Frontier introduces a Biz fare bundle via agency GDS; AA adds #1989, and Taylor is scheduled to make the big game; Listener Q: Basic Economy threat to ULCCs? Focus Cities, Hubs, Fortress Hubs.…
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223 - Dorothy Robyn, Public Policy Consultant/Writer
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This week: Dorothy Robyn, Public Policy Consultant/Writer; The latest Wall Street Journal Airline Rankings; Additional earnings reports; Has Amelia Earhart's plane been found? Frontier adds new routes to other's hubs; Listener Q's on pilot opportunities, plus an explanation of the LOPA.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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What is the lodging industry doing to achieve decarbonization and net zero? Aditi Mohapatra, VP Global Social Impact & Sustainability, sits down with Xavier Guillemin, VP Global Sales Sustainability at Accor, Europe's largest hospitality company, to find out! Xavier gives his insights on the lodging industry's pursuit of decarbonization and net-zer…
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222 - Marian Boyd, Boyd Group International
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42:53
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This week: Marian Boyd, Boyd Group International; A review of the Judge's ruling against the JetBlue - Spirit deal plus listener input on the deal that isn't happening, for now.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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221 - Jon Ostrower, Founder, The Air Current
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51:18
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This week: Jon Ostrower, Founder, The Air Current; Focus on the JAL Evacuation, the Alaska Door Plug, and the current Boeing fiasco; Joanna Geraghty named new JetBlue CEO; Earnings season update; Listener Input: Spirit should be buying JetBlue, United's Andrew Nocella comments that ULCCs are "doomed".…
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From inspiration to booking: How travelers purchase
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Is there a typical path to purchase when it comes to booking travel? Join guest host Richard Kocher, Senior Director, Media Insights & Planning, as he interviews Cheryl Miller, Senior Vice President of B2B Marketing at Expedia Group. Cheryl has extensive experience in marketing and go-to-market initiatives for large tech companies, and together, th…
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This week: An aircraft fire and a depressurization; 2023's top on-time performance carriers; The MAX-9 Door Plug issue adding to Boeing's challenges; Listener input: United becoming the largest airline & does Boeing need its own Manhattan Project? Plus, more about Block Time.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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This week: 2024 Predictions; Southwest system fixes worked; Goldman Sachs cancellation stats; The issue with Chicago Midway; Hollywood takes note of airlines; Possible 2024 merger candidates; Listener Q on leg room vs seat pitch.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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218 - Andrew Watterson, COO, Southwest Airlines
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This week: Andrew Watterson, COO, Southwest Airlines; Stephanie Pope promoted to COO at Boeing; Delta beefs up Austin TX schedule; Listener Q on high speed rail LA-Vegas. Happy Holidays. Next episode: Jan 3 with 2024 Predictions.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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217 - DHL, Santa, and Other Holiday Adjustments
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This week: A DHL acquisition of Santa? + other holiday adjustments ;) - Digging into the Alaska-Hawaiian deal & SWA's role; Closing arguments made in the JetBlue - Spirit case; Listener input on the shape of DCA, Pluses of Amtrak, and you won the Powerball-what type of airline would you start?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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Join Brandon and an expert roster of guest hosts as they uncover what recent breakthroughs in technology mean for travel. From Gen AI to innovative new security features, the travel space is rapidly evolving – and we have a front row seat. Tune in this season to uncover how these innovations can help you and your business grow in 2024! Powering Tra…
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Expedia Talks: Michael Dykes, VP, Market Management, Asia-Pacific
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What happens when as an eight-year-old, you are moved from Okinawa to Indiana, two more contrasting places you couldn’t imagine? Well, for half-Japanese-half-American Michael Dykes, it was definitely “jarring”, but it taught him some valuable life lessons which have stood him in good stead in both his career and life. The Vice President, Market Man…
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This week: Chris Sloan on The Airchive; Initial thoughts on the Alaska-Hawaiian deal; Skift story on increased adventure travel due to weight loss: NY Times reports on serious FAA issues; Listener Q: Takeaways from other international agencies? What is the role of a CTO in undertaking change?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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Expedia Talks: Rob Torres, SVP, Media Solutions
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Like many key figures in travel and hospitality, Rob Torres, Senior Vice President of Media Solutions at Expedia Group has seen the industry shift and evolve over time, with technology driving most of the change in the last couple of decades. In this episode of Expedia Talks, we ask Rob about the lessons he has collected and curated over the years …
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This week: Thanksgiving travel recap; Can't Make This Up covers "dog food" in China Eastern Business Class & Striking an anti-strike law; New Saudi passenger rights; Problems with the author's ideas in the book: Why Flying is Miserable & How to Fix It; Was there ever a Golden Age of travel? Listener Q: Is the SWA model broken?…
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Expedia Talks: Karen Bolda, SVP, Product & Technology
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In this episode of Expedia Talks, we ask Karen about what drew her to the intersection of travel and technology. We also chat about her first startup and how Expedia acquired it all those years ago. Then, Karen gets candid about the formative years that brought her to Expedia, before answering today's most pressing question - what's a human quality…
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214 - Rick Cotton, Exec. Director, Port Authority of NY & NJ
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54:03
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This week: Rick Cotton, Executive Director, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey; AMS slots update; Focus on the safety report & FAA training; Passenger ordered to pay for flight disruption/diversion; Listener Q: Do airlines shop around for better fuel prices?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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Expedia Talks: Greg Schulze, SVP of Strategic Travel Partners & Hari Nair, SVP and General Manager, Lodging Marketplace
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As a company, Expedia Group is no stranger to change - the company has been through many shifts in the travel and hospitality industry, from technological booms to slumps in the global economy, to the current AI revolution amidst a worldwide recovery phase. Similarly, two travel veterans, Greg Schulze, SVP of Strategic Travel Partners and Hari Nair…
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213 - Where Are The Next Generation Airplanes?
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This week: Ben & Scott go in depth on next generation airplanes; United loyalty program revisions; Some business travel numbers; SUX and other interesting identifiers; Listener input on premium seat value.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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Expedia Talks: Alfonso Paredes, SVP, Commercial Partnerships, Expedia Group
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Expedia Group rolled out a few partnerships recently – SoFi, Mastercard, and WalmartPlusTravel.com. By enabling giant retailers like these, do they risk losing business on the B2C side of things? And what does it take to form lasting partnerships in today's travel and hospitality scene? On the first episode of Expedia Talks, a special series powere…
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212 - Ginger Hardage, Fmr SVP of Culture & Communications at Southwest Airlines
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This week: Ginger Hardage, Fmr SVP of Culture & Communications at Southwest Airlines/Founder of Unstoppable Cultures; Is ATC ready for the holiday season? JetBlue loses $153MM, is frozen out of AMS, and Spirit merger trial gets underway; SWA potential expansion in Dallas; Listener input: Sun Country, Scott Kirby & ULCC statements.…
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211 - Jeff Tolkin, Co-CEO, World Travel Holdings
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This week: Jeff Tolkin, Co-CEO, World Travel Holdings, Michael Whitaker confirmed as FAA Administrator, Spirit blames discounted fares for Q3 loss; Southwest makes significant schedule changes; The Alaska off-duty pilot incident; Qatar Airways' "Chief" resigns; Listener Q's: Industry employment potential & Ben's reaction to Chris Sloan's Air Inuit …
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210 - Chris Sloan on Air Inuit's Unique Service
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This week: Chris Sloan takes us aboard Air Inuit; Also: Increasing industry financial pressure; Airlines stocks taking a beating; Ed Bastian's SkyMiles modifications; Listener Q re: DOT Air Travel Consumer Report & regional carrier on time performance.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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209- Mark Nasr, EVP Marketing/Digital, Air Canada/President of Aeroplan
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This week: Mark Nasr, EVP of Marketing/Digital, Air Canada & President of Aeroplan; Air service in Tel Aviv; Middle East ramifications for travel; Delta's increased profits; Beond Air launches; Support for scheduled charter carriers; Boeing deliveries off pace; Listener Q re: Price gouging, Newark Terminal A; Aviation Manhattan Project committee.…
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208 - John Heimlich, VP/Chief Economist at Airlines for America
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This week: John Heimlich, VP/Chief Economist at Airlines for America; Scott's passport renewal; Pratt & Whitney engine selected for NASA project; Is Hydrogen the aviation fuel of the future? Price points on upgrades; Listener Q: United's large aircraft order, United / AA battle for Chicago, fleet planning.…
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207 - Steve Dickson, Fmr. Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
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This week: Steve Dickson, Fmr. Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration; Delta CEO Ed Bastian says SkyMiles changes went too far; Spirit & Frontier announce larger than expected Q3 losses; Future of low cost carrier business model? John Redmond resigns as Allegiant CEO & Founder Maury Gallagher returns in position; Alaska & JetBlue offer Delt…
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206 - Chris Sloan reports: The Unique History of Braniff
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This week: Chris Sloan reports on the unique history of Braniff; Plus: Impact of shutdown on an already unacceptable FAA understaffing situation; Southwest's Bob Jordan goes to Denver; NYT reporter David Brooks' $78 Newark lunch; Listener topics: Odds of SWA pulling out of Oakland, "Slots" at EWR.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney
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205 - Dave Holtz, Chairman of Operations, Wheels Up
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This week: Dave Holtz, Chairman of Operations, Wheels Up. Also: Attention Media! It wasn't a "plunge"; Big changes to Delta's frequent flyer program - who might benefit? Austin TX announces 10 year expansion plan; American, Frontier, JetBlue cut earning estimates; Smaller airlines running late more often; Pilot commuting & related issues.…
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204 - Scott Mayerowitz, Founder, GlobeTrotScott Strategies
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This week: Scott Mayerowitz, Founder, GlobeTrotScott Strategies; Remembering 9/11; Michael Whitaker nominated for FAA Chair; Delta hires Tom Brady; SWA, United, Alaska fuel price warnings; Qantas CEO retires abruptly, Potential FAA rulemaking would hurt charter operators; Listener input: Saturday night stay requirement still alive.…
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203 - Schiphol Amsterdam's Environmentally-Driven Flight Caps
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This week: The Zozobra eliminates gloom; Flight caps for different reasons in Mexico City and at Schiphol Amsterdam; American's $4M fine for tarmac flight delays; Delta thriving at LAX and elsewhere with strong investment strategy; Allegiant adds Johnny Walker Blue to the menu. Listener input on Flight Attendant training, threats to safety and jobs…
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