layovers ✈︎ air travel and commercial aviation

044 PVG - Pokemon Go, Cathay Dragon, BA ex-BMI A321, new SWISS 777-300ER, motorized carry-on

Episode Summary

Flight 044. Want to look like a fool in airports? Play Pokemon Go or ride a motorized carry-on. Asia on top, the US way behind: the Skytrax world's best airlines and world's best airports awards tell no surprise. It’s finally game over for the US4 against the ME3. Alex eats like a king and sleeps like a baby in his premium journey to Shanghai with Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon. Paul tests the sole European short haul lie-flat seat in the ex-BMI A321 and flies a brand new 777-300ER for 22 minutes. Drones will offer faster turnarounds for Airbus aircrafts, and last mile deliveries for Amazon UK.

Episode Notes

Pokemon Go makes you do stupid things

• Airline warns against playing Pokemon Go in an airport - LA Times

Carry-on might make you look like an idiot

• Modobag: World's First Motorized, Rideable Luggage | Indiegogo | Indiegogo

A beautiful AV Geek engagement

• A Reagan Airport Engagement Shoot — Why Have We Never Seen This Before? | Washingtonian

Lufthansa sells seats on AirBnB

• Lufthansa - AirBnB (link will expire at the end of the campaign)
• Lufthansa is renting seats on its airplanes on Airbnb — Quartz

Mitsubishi also wants to enter Iran

• Mitsubishi Regional Jet may take off in Iran- Nikkei Asian Review

Air Astana wants the Embraer E2

• Air Astana considers Embraer E2s, additional AOC | Airlines content from ATWOnline

Farnborough 2016

• Air-to-air combat: Airbus and Boeing | Espresso
• The orders are in at FAI16 - Wandering Aramean
• OPINION: Why lessors didn't place huge orders at Farnborough
• Airbus Wins a Hollow Victory at Farnborough - The Motley Fool
• Forget Boeing and Airbus: Embraer Was the Real Winner at Farnborough - The Motley Fool
• Etihad chief: A350 & 777X are the future for widebodies | Airframes content from ATWOnline
• Jaw-dropping 'zero gravity' vertical take-off captured at Farnborough International Airshow
• The Beauty of Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliner on Display - YouTube
• The Farnborough notebook - CNN.com

The end of the 747?

• Is Boeing about to pull the plug on the 747?
• Will Horton on Twitter: "Cathay Pacific 747 passenger flights: 3 August 1979-30 September 2016 (Special farewell flight 8 Oct 2016)
• Boeing Sees $2.1 Billion Cost on 787 Dreamliners, Air Tanker - Bloomberg

Alex flies Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon

• Cathay Pacific set to rebrand Dragonair as ‘Cathay Dragon’ in bid to strengthen corporate identity | South China Morning Post
• Dragonair Rebrands As Cathay Dragon - What Are The Implications? - One Mile at a Time
• Creating Cathay’s New Brand. An Exclusive Inside Look At Cathay Dragon | TheDesignAir

Singapore Airlines in rough air

• Southeast Asia's Biggest Airlines Face Increased Competition – Skift
• Singapore Airlines Hires Its First Female Pilots

Air France sees more strikes

• Air France strike: travellers face week-long disruption as third of flights scrapped | World news | The Guardian

Unlimited flights Paris/London - NY

• La Compagnie Selling Tickets for Unlimited Flights for Year

Game over for the US4 griefs (finally!)

• Victory for Gulf airlines as US government ends Open Skies row with no further action | The National

The SkyTrax awards

• WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS | the Passengers Choice Awards
• The World's Best Low-Cost Airlines | 2016
• WORLD AIRPORT AWARDS | the Passengers Choice Awards

Lots of words, almost no action for London airports

• London airports decision to be made in the autumn - FT.com
• 34 councils urge government to back third runway at heathrow | Daily Mail Online
• Heathrow expansion vital after Brexit, says hub — FT
• Heathrow runway expansion: Green spaces design revealed - BBC News
• London City Airport Granted £344m Expansion

Drones

• Amazon partners with UK. government to test its drones | TechCrunch
• Airbus uses drones to speed up aircraft inspections

The photo app for BA pilots

• BA unveils new flight deck photo app

Paul experiences lie-flat seats in short haul flights

• British Airways A321 (ex-Bmi) Club World - Business Traveller – The leading magazine for frequent flyers
• Boeing 777-300ER | In operation from 2016 | SWISS

Review your flights on Tripadvisor

• TripAdvisor now allows airline reviews - Jul. 19, 2016
• Airlines - TripAdvisor

The search for MH370 os almost over

• Flight MH370 was flown into water, says crash expert | World news | The Guardian
• Exclusive: MH370 Pilot Flew a Suicide Route on His Home Simulator Closely Matching Final Flight
• MH370 pilot practised suicide route into the Indian Ocean
• MH370 search team says they may have been looking in wrong place | World news | The Guardian

The FlyDubai leaks

• Airline pilots complain of dangerous fatigue in leaked documents | Business | The Guardian
• Flydubai flight records – the leaked documents | Business | The Guardian

Solar Impulse ends its round the world jounrey

• Solar Impulse Blog — Completing a dream: the first Round-the-World...
• Solar Impulse can be an inspiration for the next phase in aviation industry | Tony Tyler | LinkedIn

PVG

• Pudong International Airport