The Golden Age of Air Travel?

Quote: Pacomartin

Qantas is now using Dubai as their stopover on the way to Europe. They are in intense competition with Emirates Airlines which also has extensive A380 service to four cities in Australia. Since both airlines are flying the same routes, luxury is very important in being competitive.

Regarding a stopover city, Singapore uses FRA
A lot of my clients like Singapore Airlines
Been selling them from NYC to FRA Germany roundtrip

Quote: terapined

Been selling them from NYC to FRA Germany roundtrip

If I just want to go from JFK to FRA is Singapore comparable in price or more expensive than Delta or Lufthansa? Does it matter if you flying business or economy?

My guess is that SA is interested in shuttling business passengers from JFK to FRA as they can resell the seat to Singapore. But with economy passengers, I am sure they are more interested in tickets going straight through to Singapore only.

Quote: Pacomartin

If I just want to go from JFK to FRA is Singapore comparable in price or more expensive than Delta or Lufthansa? Does it matter if you flying business or economy?

My guess is that SA is interested in shuttling business passengers from JFK to FRA as they can resell the seat to Singapore. But with economy passengers, I am sure they are more interested in tickets going straight through to Singapore only.

If I send somebody to Singapore, my go to airline is not Singapore
Their business class can be expensive.
UA is aggressive in giving my corporate clients big discounts for getting their business
Generally I sell ORD UA HKG UA SIN direct flight, do not change planes in HKG
or
ORD UA NRT NH SIN connection

With the UA corp discounts, this is the cheapest business class

Quote: terapined

UA is aggressive in giving my corporate clients big discounts for getting their business
Generally I sell ORD UA HKG UA SIN direct flight, do not change planes in HKG
or
ORD UA NRT NH SIN connection

You don't use the new SAN-SIN nonstop?

But is it more expensive to fly to just Germany on Singapore Airlines business class?

Orbitz prices for Economy
$723.01 8:15p - 9:50a +1 Singapore Airlines 7h 35m JFK - FRA Nonstop
$764.23 3:55p - 5:20a +1 United 7h 25m JFK - FRA Nonstop
I don't know why Delta didn't appear. Maybe they don't fly nonstop every day.

Quote: Pacomartin

You don't use the new SAN-SIN nonstop?

But is it more expensive to fly to just Germany on Singapore Airlines business class?

Orbitz prices for Economy
$723.01 8:15p - 9:50a +1 Singapore Airlines 7h 35m JFK - FRA Nonstop
$764.23 3:55p - 5:20a +1 United 7h 25m JFK - FRA Nonstop
I don't know why Delta didn't appear. Maybe they don't fly nonstop every day.

I don't see a SAN-SIN nonstop
The ones using Singapore to go to FRA are not allowed business class
My clients when going to SIN prefer going thru HKG or NRT. You get there the next evening. Going thru FRA, you get there in 2 days

Quote: terapined

I don't see a SAN-SIN nonstop

Sorry. I meant to say SFO-SIN nonstop which is UA #1 and Singapore Air #31. I was thinking San Francisco and I spelled out SAN instead of SFO.


San Francisco to Singapore at (8,446 miles) and 16 hr 20 min or 17 hr 15 min on a Dreamliner (Boeing 787-9) began on 1 June 2016 and is the longest flight by a USA carrier. It is also the 3rd longest flight in the world, and is slightly longer than the Atlanta to Johannesburg nonstop by Delta (8,439 miles).

American Airlines longest flight is Dallas/Fort Worth to Hong Kong at 8,123 miles.

I look forward to the day when the longest flight will cover half, or nearly half, the distance around the world, and will take under 3 hours. I think that's over Mach 5 :)

Quote: Nareed

I look forward to the day when the longest flight will cover half, or nearly half, the distance around the world, and will take under 3 hours. I think that's over Mach 5 :)

Mach 5 = 6174 km/hr . So you couldn't cover 20,000 km in 3 hours. Plus that is an average speed, so you would probably have to peak at well over Mach 7.

Hypersonic is generally Mach 5.0 to 10.0 . Plane design is characterized by cooled nickel or titanium skin and small wings.

British Airways is going ULCC.

That's the impression given lately. They plan to "densify" their short-haul aircraft, as well as their long-haul wide bodies based at Gatwick (mostly engaged in vacation/tourist traffic). They also plan to charge for all food and drink on short haul economy (not on Premium Economy), including for such thing as hot water (should you bring your own tea or instant coffee).

They claim this will allow them to offer lower fares. I've heard that one before. It's not false, but one will get you ten if their current fares drop in any meaningful way. What happens is their fares will increase at a slower rate, discounting all other effects (fuel prices, labor costs, fare wars, demand, etc.).

On the plus side, they promise complimentary WiFi on all flights.

Critics are calling it "A no-frills full-service airline," and "an expensive low-cost." Some have also noted BA is giving with one hand and taking away with the other.

I bet during the years when Concorde and the 747 were being developed, no one would have predicted the future of air travel would be cramped, tedious, with long security lines, crowded terminals, delays, luggage restrictions, and no complimentary meals on flights longer than an hour.

Yes, yes, they also wouldn't have predicted so many people would be taking to the air.

luggage and on-board special requests are the vital choke points in all flights. If you don't serve meals you don't need to collect trays or block aisles with carts. If you discourag luggage you don't need to waste time letting the sardines sort themselves out with the overhead compartments. Crowded terminals are fine if its just people not baggage.

Cramped and tedious is the new nature of the beast. Deal with it, and enjoy a quicker but still cramped and tedious flight with quicker turnarounds as planes get emptied and serviced quickly with no darn special meals or unweildy luggage. Just routine sardine processing without frills.

Land a hundred million dollar airliner, unload the sardines, load the new sardines, take off. Routine. Passengers hungry, tell them to eat before flying or bring their own snack. Boarding takes too long with luggage, tell them about Federal Express and DHL because we carry sardines not the sardines belongings.