Air Travel: New Airport in Oman, New Concourse at LaGuardia

A new airport in Oman and a new concourse at LaGuardia lead this week’s air travel news. 

This week Oman celebrated the official grand opening of the new Muscat International Airport, a development that Oman Aviation Group will play a major role in transforming the destination into an important traffic hub in the Middle East. The new airport has a capacity of 20 million passengers per year, with an expansion potential for 56 million. It can handle 40 flights per hour, and it has a new, wide runway that can accommodate widebody Airbus 380 and Boeing 747 aircraft. The Sultanate of Oman is also developing new airports in Salalah and Duqm, as well as building modern highways to connect interior destinations and modernizing its transportation and hospitality infrastructure. 

In other airport news, this week American Airlines opened its new concourse at LaGuardia’s Terminal B in New York City, officially beginning to operate flights as of December 1. The construction of the new concourse is the first step in the reimagining of Terminal B, where American has exclusively operated since December 2017. The $5.1 billion transformation of the rest of Terminal B is scheduled for completion in 2022. The new concourse has a number of additional amenities, plus retailers such as FAO Schwarz, Shake Shack, and M∙A∙C. Over the next few years, two new concourses featuring 35 gates will be built at Terminal B. The two concourses will be connected to the main terminal by dual pedestrian bridges spanning an active taxiway, allowing customers and aircraft to move about seamlessly. The project includes a new 840,000-square-foot main terminal with soaring ceilings and corridors filled with natural light.

Luxury Travel Advisor’s ULTRA Summit

Also this week, American announced plans to introduce its premium A321T aircraft to transcontinental service between Los Angeles and Boston as of April 2, 2019. The twice-daily service will offer passengers a three-class aircraft, with fully lie-flat seats, a chef curated menu, premium wines and amenity kits in Flagship First and Flagship Business class, as well as power at every seat, high-speed Wi-Fi and seatback entertainment in the Main Cabin

American also announced a plan to strengthen its partnership with China Southern Airlines by expanding codeshare cooperation and launching reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and lounge access. American will place its AA code on flights to a number of additional cities from Beijing and Shanghai, bringing its total to 20 cities in China beyond those two points of entry, while China Southern Airlines will place its CZ code on additional flights beyond Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York – JFK

In low-cost carrier news, this week Norwegian announced the launch of two more nonstop routes to Europe out of Boston Logan starting net summer, as well as a move of its existing London service from Fort Lauderdale to Miami and from Oakland to San Francisco. The airline will launch new, four times weekly service from Boston to Rome on March 31, 2019, and three times weekly service to Madrid on May 2, 2019. The move of the two London routes will take place starting March 31, 2019. 

Finally, in aircraft news, this week Cayman Airways took formal delivery of its new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, marking the first such aircraft in the Caribbean. As part of its fleet modernization plan, Cayman Airways is replacing its four 737-300 aircraft with the MAX 8, offering 30 percent more seating capacity while achieving up to 30 percent savings in fuel costs. 

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In 1997 they told us air travel was going to become more enjoyable – Villages

Barry Evans

Christmas went by at a dizzying pace as I am sure it did for most of you. We had a great day with our youngest son and his family, plus our daughter, my sister and her son, and a couple of other friends. One tradition was carried on – that is, The Blonde in the house’s famous biscuits. She baked them here and we took them down. Now half way across the country in Colorado our oldest son made them for his family. To top that our youngest grandson can make them too (although he didn’t need to since Grandma brought them). Thus the tradition is now into a third generation (actually fourth as my mother also made them). It is somewhat different now as it is the male side of the family who are carrying on.
One of the aspects of the Christmas Season is that it involves travel. There is a significant amount which involves the glorious airplane. Flying would be great if there weren’t airports and you could be picked up at your house. I would have to guess that is unfortunately sometime down the road. I thought of this several times when I went to pick up our daughter and found all the lanes south of I-4 on the Turnpike closed. On top of that I had just found a September 1997 issue of Time that we had been saving for some unknown reason. What intrigued me was that the issue contained a large four page ad from one of the biggest airlines in the U.S.
In reading this ad, I was informed that they were taking all kinds of steps to make flights more enjoyable. For example, they had hired a renowned chef who was creating a new menu in coach. In addition, in every class new seats were being redesigned for optimal comfort. Finally, their employees were being trained to help minimize the hassles of travel. Perhaps, someone out there can explain to me what has happened between 1997 and now. I suppose that it is possible that they are trying to work out the bugs and that someday in the future we will see the results of their fine work. On the other hand they may be blaming the problems on this administration or the one before – or both!
Now all is not problem ridden in this world. For example, Husbands United (a secret society) just had an exemplary year. We had a year-end social (still secret of course) wherein we discussed and applauded our many successes. It is a difficult and sometime dangerous operation that has been guided by Husbands United. However, the benefit to mankind makes it all worthwhile. As is tradition we do not practice business at the year-end social with one exception. We hold a lottery and the winner can bring in one sorely besot husband and we will solve his problem for him. This year husband’s problem was an easily solvable one. When we removed the applicant’s blindfold (it’s a secret meeting), he explained in a halting voice that his member of the opposite sex was displeased with him because he had bought her an Instant Pot as a Christmas gift. She said that not only did she expect something more, but it was also an insult to her cooking powers.
Normally, the problem and the solution cannot be made public until the statute of limitations expire. This can have varying expiration dates depending mostly on how long the opposite sex person decides to recall the offense even after the solution. In this case, everything meshed completely and all is happy and loving in the threatened household mention above. What we simply told him was that he should head straight to a jewelry store, pick out something very nice, head home and bury it in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Then he should tell her that he was just “funning” and that she should look in the bottom of the Instant Pot. All is now well!
Ah, if all the problems of the world could be so easily corrected. But then there is only one Husbands United (a secret society)!

Barry Evans writes about Life in The Villages for Villages-News.com

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Holiday air travel woes: Cancellations, delays continue in Dallas

Holiday travel headaches continue for travelers at select airports across the country.

Cancellations and flight delays aren’t as severe or widespread as they were in the days before Christmas but trouble spots remain due to weather.

Flight tracker FlightAware says 307 U.S. flights have been canceled and an additional 863 have been delayed.

Travelers headed to, through or from Dallas will be affected the most. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have major operations in Dallas. 

Dallas was hit with severe storms on Wednesday, with the weather bad enough to force the cancellation of a college bowl game, and airlines are still playing catch up.

Airlines have canceled 104 flights and delayed an additional 41 to and from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Friday, according to FlightAware. American, which has a huge hub at the airport, accounts for most of the cancellations and delays.

American had 85 flights diverted late Wednesday and early Thursday due to the weather. Flights to and from the airport were close from 3 p.m. Wednesday until early Thursday morning, according to American spokesman Ross Feinstein.

He said the airline’s operations in Dallas should return to normal Friday afternoon.  

 At smaller Dallas Love Field, home to Southwest Airlines, three flights to and from the airport have been canceled. 

At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, home to another American Airlines hub, 28 flights have been canceled and an additional 22 are delayed, according to FlightAware.

Atlanta and Charlotte are showing the most delays.

More: Holiday travel: 6 things to know if you haven’t flown in a year

Airlines waive fees ahead of winter storm

The holiday travel rush continues through Sunday, Jan. 6.

United Airlines Is Bringing Back The Stroopwafel For 2019

The much-loved Stroopwafel, a waffle-like Dutch treat, is returning to the air. United Airlines says it’ll serve the cookie, a favorite snack to pair with coffee or tea, onboard in 2019.

Old-School Snacks We Bet You Completely Forgot Existed

This is big news for frequent flyers. As we reported in June, the Stroopwafel has been a beloved free perk for United passengers since 2016. They’re wafer cookies sandwiching caramel, and are traditionally served in the Netherlands steamed over coffee. The steam from the hot beverage softens the cookie to reveal its melty center.

Back in June, the airline replaced Stroopwafels with “maple wafers” on flights departing before 9:45 a.m. and customers complained on social media. But on Dec. 28, United tweeted that they’re coming back.

“We’re starting 2019 on a sweet note – the stroopwafel will be back in the snack rotation starting in January!” the tweet reads.

United Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a United spokesperson told The Points Guy website that the “intention has always been to bring it back.” No exact date was given for the cookie’s return.

Cookie monsters on Twitter were pretty excited.

“My now-husband had his first stroopwafel on our first trip together (ORD-MSY), and he got so hooked, we served them at our wedding a couple years later,” wrote Zena Burns. “Thank you for bringing them back!”

If you’re planning to fly in 2019, you may want to know which foods to skip while in the air. Here’s a helpful list of the unhealthiest airplane snacks.

United Airlines Put Out a Cookbook so You Can Eat Airplane Food at Home

United Airlines is hoping to change the perception of airplane food forever with its new offering, the “Polaris Cookbook.”

According to The Daily Meal, the cookbook features more than 40 recipes created by the airline’s own executive chefs. And really, the recipes may actually be delicious as Polaris is the airline’s business-class service, serving the best of the best food on board.

As The Daily Meal noted, one recipe in the book is the coconut soup, which comes with sambal oelek chicken. Don’t worry, you won’t be disappointed by the other recipes either as this cookbook makes no mention of the cold turkey sandwiches or bagged nuts that are often served in economy.

The chefs at United aren’t the only ones featured in the book. According to The Los Angeles Times, chefs from The Trotter Project, a nonprofit organization that provides culinary and educational programs for students pursuing careers in the restaurant industry, also took part. And they are perhaps the best reason to purchase the book because a portion of the proceeds from every sale will go back to the nonprofit.

The United Polaris Cookbook is currently for sale for $29.99 and is available at the online United Airlines shop.

If you’re hoping to create an entire airline-themed cookbook collection, you can. Southwest Airlines put out its own cookbook in 2006 called “Feel the Spirit, Savor the Fare,” The Los Angeles Times pointed out. Delta also put out its own cookbook in 1987, which was compiled by its flight attendants. That book was titled “First-Class Meals.” Though if you find it don’t be shocked by what you see, because airline meals looked a little different back then. And hey, this way even if you can’t fly first class at least you can eat like you did.

United Airlines Says It’s Doing an ‘Unforgettable’ Thing For All 25000 United Flight Attendants. But Will Passengers Like the Result?

But for United, sometimes seems like they can’t catch a break. We don’t have to rehash all the incidents of 2018 that made this clear, but if you think back to the dog that died after being placed in an overhead bin, you’ll sort of remember.

US Air Travel May Get More Expensive As $100b Is Spent On Airport Infrastructure

Following a decrease in the amount of spending on airport infrastructure between 2013-2017, Simple Flying has learnt that fares could increase. Reports suggest that over the next 5 years, US airports will spend some $100bn on infrastructure over the next 5 years. Of course, these costs would likely be passed down to the passenger through increased airfares. This would follow the airport handing to costs down to to the airlines.

US$100bn is expected to be spent on airport infrastructure over the next 5 years.

What Is Infrastructure Spending?

Infrastructure spending involves a range of spending on the usability of the airport. Examples could include resurfacing ramps, building new terminals, or even buying snowploughs. Each enables the airport to operate. An example of a recent large infrastructure project in the US is the refurbishment of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International (LAX).

Why Is Spending Needed?

There are two main reasons why it is necessary to spend on infrastructure. The first is that nothing lasts forever. A great example of this point is the new Berlin airport. Built to open in 2012, the airport has become a rather large white Elephant. While a year ago Reuters reported that the airport will finally open in 2020, it has yet to be seen if this will actually happen. As all of the screens were installed into the airport ready for the 2012 opening, they have already reached the end of their useful life. Despite never being used, it was necessary to replace them. Now imagine how their life would be even shorter with daily use.

Airport Infrastructure can include things from New terminals to repaved taxiways and even snowploughs!

The second reason for infrastructure spending is the handle the ever-growing number of passengers travelling. In 2008, Heathrow airport opened its 5th Terminal to further increase its capacity, while Istanbul is getting ready to open a brand new airport in March 2019.

How Do The Costs affect Me?

As the passenger, you will be the end user paying a large cut of the additional spending. Each carrier will pay a certain infrastructure fee when using an airport. As the airline makes their money from selling tickets, if the cost of operating the flight goes up, the ticket cost will go up. A report by Cowen analysts estimates that the fee paid to airports for each passenger will increase by 19% by 2020.

By 2020, airport costs per passenger will increase by 19%.

Seeking Alpha suggests that 4% of the total costs for ultra-low-cost carriers amounts to airport fees. As such, they are the most likely to have to raise ticket prices, as they have the lowest operating margins. Additionally, only 63% of the $100bn infrastructure fees will be spent on expanding airport capacity.

Are you prepared to pay more to use airports? Let us know in the comments down below!

Holiday air travel woes: Cancellations, delays continue in Dallas

Holiday travel headaches continue for travelers at select airports across the country.

Cancellations and flight delays aren’t as severe or widespread as they were in the days before Christmas but trouble spots remain due to weather.

Flight tracker FlightAware says 307 U.S. flights have been canceled and an additional 863 have been delayed.

Travelers headed to, through or from Dallas will be affected the most. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have major operations in Dallas. 

Dallas was hit with severe storms on Wednesday, with the weather bad enough to force the cancellation of a college bowl game, and airlines are still playing catch up.

Airlines have canceled 104 flights and delayed an additional 41 to and from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Friday, according to FlightAware. American, which has a huge hub at the airport, accounts for most of the cancellations and delays.

American had 85 flights diverted late Wednesday and early Thursday due to the weather. Flights to and from the airport were close from 3 p.m. Wednesday until early Thursday morning, according to American spokesman Ross Feinstein.

He said the airline’s operations in Dallas should return to normal Friday afternoon.  

 At smaller Dallas Love Field, home to Southwest Airlines, three flights to and from the airport have been canceled. 

At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, home to another American Airlines hub, 28 flights have been canceled and an additional 22 are delayed, according to FlightAware.

Atlanta and Charlotte are showing the most delays.

More: Holiday travel: 6 things to know if you haven’t flown in a year

Airlines waive fees ahead of winter storm

The holiday travel rush continues through Sunday, Jan. 6.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Holiday air travel woes: Cancellations, delays continue in Dallas

Air travel delays continue during holiday rush

The same storm that diverted dozens of flights and cancelled hundreds more between Texas and Minnesota Wednesday was moving east, bringing severe rain storms to the Southeast and snow to the northern Great Lakes.

On Thursday, more than 300 flights were cancelled in Dallas, planes were parked on the tarmac in Chicago for more than an hour and nearly a quarter of all flights in Houston were delayed.

ABC News
Severe storms will move through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama by 7 p.m. on Thursday.

The storm stretched from the Canadian border all the way down to the Mexican border, ABC News meteorologist Max Golembo reported. There were blizzard-like conditions from Kansas to Minnesota and strong storms with heavy rain from Texas to Illinois.

Heavy rainfall will create the possibility of flash flooding between New Orleans and Atlanta with damaging winds possible through the Southeast.

ABC News
The rain, and snow to the north, will move into the Ohio Valley and reach north to New England overnight Thursday into Friday morning.

Rain isn’t always problematic, but lightning and wind can snarl airport traffic for extended periods of time.

Dallas Love Field suspended operations for a brief period on Wednesday when lightning was striking near the airport.

ABC News
As much as 5 inches of rain are possible along the central Gulf Coast, while as much as 1 foot of snow could fall in the northern U.S. over the next three days.

Heavy rain is likely along the Interstate 95 corridor from Boston down to Washington on Friday, with snow further to the north.

None of the major U.S. carriers anticipated widespread cancellations, but officials said delays could plague the Southeast and some of the East Coast on Thursday and Friday.

WSJ Reports United Airlines And UPS Executives Think Blockchain Benefits Are Too Soon For 2019

UPS Exec Believes It Is Too Soon For Blockchain Benefits In 2019

Recently, some important executives from the logistics giant UPS have shared their thoughts about the future of the blockchain technology. According to him, unfortunately, 2019 will still not be the year in which the blockchain technology will finally go mainstream. The executives were interviewed by the Wall Street Journal in a report that was published today, December 28.

Juan Perez, the chief engineering and information official of UPS and also vice president of tech in the United Airlines, together with Linda Jojo, the Chief Digital Officer of UPS, affirmed that they are very non-hyped about the blockchain technology and that they are still searching for the “killer use case” that will make it famous.

They affirmed that, at the moment, they have a small team studying the blockchain technology and that they are still looking for the use case that will define the future, as they do not see one and they do not believe that it will appear in 2019 just yet, but possibly farther into the future.

The execs affirm that it is simply too soon to find a real implementation for the blockchain technology that will be as good as people hope that it will. According to them, it is not a realistic view to expect significant benefits in 2019 because the technology is still mostly focused on the whole process of evolving and maturing as much as it can before it produces a great solution.

By commenting that a real revolution will require a lot of parties and more evaluation of the technology, the duo made it clear that they are having a very level-headed vision about the prospects of the blockchain and that the team is ready to wait for it.

Interest In The Blockchain Technology Went Down During the Year

The blockchain received a lot of mixed reviews during the year. Both press and businesses saw the decline in prices accompany a decline in the interest in the technology. The main issue was clear: promises were made in 2017 and not a lot of them was actually fulfilled in 2018.

Despite all the potential of the technology, 2018 was a huge disappointment. It promises of innovation and disruption were simply not solid enough. While a lot of people believe that these promises will be fulfilled on 2019, some believe that this will only happen in the next decade and others that it will never be.

Many businesses saw a huge increase in price by using the blockchain term on their projects, so all the speculation actually made expectatives go up the roof and caused even more disappointment.

2019 will certainly be a year of recovering some of the trust that the blockchain tech has lost this year and to start new exciting projects to prove its potential will become a reality.