What's the future for airline alliances?

Star Alliance does not have a top candidate airline to represent Russia in the alliance. In fact, there are no Russian candidates as S7 is committed to OneWorld while Aeroflot is already with SkyTeam Alliance.

Definitely, Russian domestic connections are not that easy due to absence of interline agreements between international carriers serving the two major Russian gateways (Moscow and Saint Petersburg) on one hand and the Russian domestic carriers on the other hand. Seemingly, they are not aware of the potential benefits of those agreements.

Date: 23 December 2010 commenting on http://www.businesstraveller.com/

Egyptair, SAS code-share; a new link between Africa and Europe

Unfortunately, the multi-destination booking feature in EgyptAir website does not work properly. Moreover, EgyptAir ticketing agents have no interest in selling any destination beyond those served by their company. So, how could EgyptAir customers benefit from the newly signed code-share agreement?

Date: 16 December 2010 commenting on  http://logisticsweek.com/

No SAA investment in central African airline

How smart for the South African Airways (SAA) to only support the newly conceived airline venture in central Africa without providing airplanes or investing in the anticipated airline company.

Obviously, the operational burden will be on the shoulders of both EgyptAir and Ethiopian Airlines. Will they be able to manage? Will the under-served new markets of central Africa guarantee the success of the proposed joint company?

Date: 09 October 2010 commenting on http://www.businessday.co.za/

Air Force Two knocks over small plane on Long Island

Are we talking here about the mishaps involving the Vice President Joseph R. Biden or an aviation safety issue?
Definitely, Mr. Biden has nothing to do with the incident as long as he did not volunteer to help the captain.
Considering the fact that the private plane was not occupied, the reason of the accident could be either:
1) the control tower crew of the airport.
2) the cockpit crew of Air Force Two.

Date: 15 August 2010 commenting on http://www.myfoxny.com/

Juba: Capital of an almost state

There is no way for any cabin crew to feel superior over passengers. This is against the basics of customer service. That is quite outrageous considering that Mr. Alaa Ashour, chairman of EgyptAir said when Air Transport World interviewed him back in March 2010:
Quote
Meanwhile, the carrier is moving forward with a comprehensive product upgrade throughout its fleet, including new catering and a reinforced "we care" service approach. At the end of January it commenced a vast training program for its 7,300-strong workforce, involving everybody from the call center to station managers to flight crew, about the importance of customer service.
Unquote

EgyptAir is about to extend some of its Cairo-Khartoum flights to Juba. Obviously, there are some valid commercial reasons for EgyptAir to establish its brand early in the to-be-announced country. Having said so, it might be imperative for EgyptAir to build a good image for itself in such a new market.

Date: 30 July 2010 commenting on http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/

The need for airport innovation

It is not only airports which need innovative ideas to improve their operation and profitability. Nontraditional approaches are widely needed in various domains of our daily life.
Without violating both the basics and ethics, we should be looking for something new. With ever-changing business and life dynamics, the best adoptable slogan for better future could be “continuous pursuit for excellence.”

Date: 30 July 2010 commenting on http://blogs.forbes.com/wheelsup/

Check your jacket, sir?

Unfortunately, there are no police patrols on board of Air France flights.
The task of keeping order on board was originally thought to be performed by cabin crew members. What about the possibility of a passenger stealing from another passenger? Will the cabin crew act as a police force or will they ask the thief to share the loot with them?

Date: 26 July 2010 commenting on http://aviationreport.blogspot.com/

Proving it - Why every pilot must become an accountant

Is it “become an accountant” or rather “have a good grasp of accounting”?
You said that pilots do not like sitting behind desks. Having a practical accounting knowledge requires a dedicated time spent behind a desk. What about becoming an accountant? Definitely, a long way to go and it might require a career change altogether.
Without ignoring the importance of having general understanding about accounting, accounting support might be readily available through professional accountants.
For those who will become accountants, please do not forget that there is a federal law banning texting while driving, and possibly similar law banning studying while flying?
Cheers!

Date: 23 July 2010 commenting on http://blogs.forbes.com/wheelsup/

Is the person in the back of your private aircraft trained to save your life?

The answer to your titled-question is most probably “I do not know.”
Those issues are probably taken for granted. Corporate passengers simply assume that the flight and the flight personnel are both operationally meeting all safety standards. Corporate passengers are not aviation experts, and thus, they are not in a position to be perplexed by aviation technical and operational issues.
It is true that safe operation of general aviation assumes that only well-trained personnel should be in charge of the flight. So, the message should be clearly addressed to that particular person within the corporate management team who oversees the corporate flights.
After all, the idea of corporate flights is to provide more convenient mode of transportation, and understandably, without compromising the safety requirements.

Date: 13 July 2010 commenting on http://blogs.forbes.com/wheelsup/

Air Iran hit by new EU aviation blacklist

Putting politics aside, there is no joking when it comes to aviation safety.
Basically, those countries and airline companies, which have been affected by the European Union’s recent ban, have two options to cope with the decision. The first option is to fully comply with the applicable safety standards.
The second option applies only if they can not comply with the required safety measures.

Since the European Union's ban affects the usage of the airspace, what about reaching various European airports without using the airspace? The European ban affects flying only. The non-complying airlines can still taxi in Europe, of course without flying. They could construct long runways and taxiways connecting their airports with the European airports.

Using airplanes as large buses is definitely a non-economic means of transportation, but it might be a good way to grow feathers the right way.

Date: 07 July 2010 commenting on http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/
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Date: 08 July 2010 commenting on http://www.nycaviation.com/

WTO brands Airbus subsidy illegal

Playing with the rules is the most important safeguard needed to maintain fair competition. The recent decision of the World Trade Organization is a milestone in the competition between the two sides of the Atlantic.
What could be the reason for such a critical case to be deliberated for six years?
Is the current market share of Airbus a direct result of the allegedly disputed funding?
What would be the exact impact of that funding on the efficiency of Airbus family of aircraft?
Is it safe to assume that Airbus has been able to achieve the current status irrespective of the funding dispute?

Date: 02 July 2010 commenting on http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/

Obama urges tourists to continue visiting “outstanding” Gulf Coast despite oil spill

It is known that President Barack Obama has the required key for launching USA's strategic weapons. Does he have a similar key to bring tourists back to the Gulf of Mexico?
If the region was really an “outstanding” tourist destination, there should have been some rigorous measures to protect it from such devastation of the carelessness.

Date: 15 June 2010 commenting on http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/

Maran set to buy 40% in SpiceJet

If SpiceJet’s fragmented ownership has prevented the airline from expanding its fleet as there was always a sense of uncertainty in the ownership, what about the non-fragmented and non-experienced ownership of the novice suitor, Mr. Kalanithi Maran?
Well, are we supposed to assume that the no-objection certificate previously obtained from the Ministry of Civil Aviation to run a non-scheduled air passenger service an acceptable credential?
If the current speculations will become the reality of tomorrow, it is highly recommended for Mr. Maran to appoint a technocratic team to run the airline on his behalf. Otherwise, there will be a giant question mark wrapping the future operation of SpiceJet.

Date: 15 June 2010 commenting on http://www.livemint.com/

AI to spruce up services, cut costs

Cutting costs and increasing focus on customer services might not be enough for straighten up the current messy situation of Air India. It is no secret that the corruption is so strong to miscarry the plans of Air India’s newly appointed chief operating officer.
Professor Taneja is absolutely correct about underlining the importance of running Air India independently away from the Indian government.
The National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL) is the child of the Indian Government. That familial link simply means that the Indian government is still controlling Air India through the independent directors of NACIL.

Date: 14 June 2010 commenting on http://www.livemint.com/

Five weirdest travel stories

Plastic utensils are supposed to be disposed without thinking of reusing them. Proper cleaning may render them harmful for human use.

Seemingly, God has created Rolando Negrin with such strong hands to compensate with his relatively weak private part.

Who said that the swimming pools are 100% hygienically clean? If necessary, just swim at your risk!

Ginger McGuire has the right to sue them for such major negligence.
More importantly, did the relevant authorities re-search the aircraft after being unattended for more than 3 hours?

Date: 01 June 2010 commenting on http://www.bnet.com/

Terror on the plane & Joy upon arrival

What a long way!
What could be the reason for things to happen in the following sequence? 
1) The Lieutenant General Ahmed Shafiq to issue orders that Prince Imesy travel free in a special separate compartment on Egypt Air flight.
2) The above orders to be transmitted to the director of JFK International Airport
3) The airport director to inform Mr. Zahi Hawass about Shafiq's orders.

The article did not tell us about the reason for involving the JFK airport director in purely Egyptian affairs.
Most remarkably, where is the role of Egypt Air management in handling an internationally highlighted event like that?
Are we in a position to assume that Egypt Air is busy teaching its pilots not to hit light-poles again at Cairo Airport?

Date: 10 April 2010 commenting on http://www.aawsat.com

EgyptAir plane strikes lightpoles at Cairo airport

Question marks:
Is Captain Hefni serious about his initial assessment?
The facts of (Two light-poles) and (minor damage to the left wing of the aircraft) do not make sense together.
The claim that the passengers of the doomed Egypt Air flight were mostly Egyptians is highly disputed as the number of Egyptians traveling from Cairo to Hurghada can not reach 190 passengers in any one flight.

Date: 08 April 2010 commenting on http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/

Airline crisis with Saudi Arabia deepens

Protectionism is the keyword here.
“Open sky” policy minimizes governments’ intervention in international aviation.
The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority is likely acting in favor of Egypt Air. Of course, it is an advantage for Egypt Air to operate away from the competition of low cost carriers (LCCs).
Bassel El-Sissy of the Egyptian Chamber of Travel Agencies is correct about his opinion that the Saudi-Egyptian crisis would affect Egyptians currently performing the Umrah.

Date: 08 April 2010 commenting on http://www.almasryalyoum.com/

Something for nothing – What do you think?

I am not enthusiastic about distributing free samples which might be given to wrong prospects.
I would rather prefer to combine the free sample (service or product) with a solid commitment from the potential prospects. One month free with a paid 3-month subscription, for example, could be more realistic option. For airline industry, I would recommend applying a discounted (or free) travel companion ticket.
That way, the marketing efforts would positively affect both publicity and sales.

Date: 06 April 2010 commenting on http://www.aviationbusinessconsultants.com/

Catch customers. Don't just fish for them

The keyword is interaction which is supposed to be maintained with prospects/ customers. Of course, that can not be done without making the necessary research about the prospects/ customers, and fully cooperating with them.
Sellers should not be selfish by just considering their interests and forgetting all about their customers.
After all, two winners are better than one winner and one loser.

Date: 24 March 2010 commenting on http://www.forbes.com/

Beyond Cairo

Is it unbearable to fly dry without liquid food?
With Egypt Air, the only possible way to go around that is to place a request for a special meal. Similar to any other international airline, Egypt Air caters for most of passenger special meals including Hindu meals and kosher meals. The code for the required meal is BBML which stands for baby meal.
Well, Egypt Air is known for its good formulas.
Bon appétit! Enjoy your meal!

Date: 24 February 2010 commenting on http://jenniferconlin.typepad.com/

JetBlue finishes converting to Sabre Reservation System

After 5 negative responses to your description of the assumingly happy marriage of JetBlue and Sabre, I think that it is appropriate to say that the divorce was not necessarily a wise decision for the family JetBlue.

Was just JetBlue changing its imperfect spouse with another identical spouse? It is totally understood that JetBlue can not be without a spouse as celibacy is not an option in today’s airline industry. However, it was definitely a better idea to leave an undependable spouse for a somehow perfect one.

The reality is that we can not say that Navitaire and Sabre are imperfect reservation systems. We can cautiously say that Navitaire failed to deliver full satisfaction to JetBlue. By putting the hassle of the cutover aside, we can safely say that Sabre has not got the chance, as of yet, to prove its dependability.

For the record, I have been working with Sabre for about 18 years. So far, I have no problem with the system and its functionality.

Date: 19 February 2010 commenting on http://www.bnet.com/

Up in the air

It was totally unexpected for the airlines to treat their high-yield passengers like that. Passengers of both first class and business class are simply considered the bread and butter for any airline company.
A valid question should be asked about the reason for choosing British Airways and ignoring its rival Virgin Atlantic.
I am wondering about the reason for a business leader like the article writer to prefer handling the case in such a relaxed tone. I would say that he is eligible to use more decibels in delivering a sharp message to BA management and its field representatives.

Date: 18 February 2010 commenting on http://www.forbes.com/

Aeroflot's A330 cabin a big step up

Being a Muscovite myself, I can not favor one of my airport-sons over the other two. They are equally doing well considering their respective ages and qualifications.
The point is that they are competing with each other to attract more air traffic. Considering the zero-sum game, the ultimate effect on Mother Russia will be almost the same unless there will be a significant increase in transit traffic.

Date: 10 January 2010 commenting on http://www.flightglobal.com/

Catching terrorists: Why profiling is not the answer

Ethnic profiling is not a viable solution for combating terrorism.
Singling out passengers on the basis of race or religion would trigger the issue of discrimination. Alternatively, an environment of equality would increase the collaborative action of everyone.
What we really need is strict alertness of official security agencies. Of course, the official role of security has to be complemented by a vigilant sense of responsibility maintained by all of us.
Israel has long managed a highly successful security system for the Israeli air industry. What about copying the Israeli model instead of inventing a system which might be proven infeasible down the road?

Date: 06 January 2010 commenting on http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Next up: The boob bomber

The tug of war between terrorists and security agencies will be always there. What could be really sad is acknowledging the fact that terrorists could have the lead in that highly dangerous game. So far, security agencies are only reacting by taking precautionary measures to thwart terrorist acts similar to those which happened in the past.
Detroit’s last terrorist attempt proved that the system failed even to be proactive when it carelessly ignored valuable pieces of intelligence. No wonder that President Obama bluntly admitted that the system screwed up.
Terror is a deadly activity between the terrorists who seemingly know how to deal with scanning machines, and security agencies which are not subject to the humiliating effect of the scanning machines. The only victims are the innocent air travelers.

Date: 06 January 2010 commenting on http://www.forbes.com/