What Do You Make Of Austrian Airlines’ Innovation With AeroSHARK Technology On The Boeing 777?

In this job, I’ve been lucky to travel all across the continents, from North America to Asia. However, my journey in the skies started long ago when I was just three years old, during a trip to Delhi with my family. According to my parents, the aircraft I flew on was an Air India Boeing 747. What was your first flight? Let us know below!

Flight demand between the United States and Europe is at an all-time high. Notably, there are 4,674 one-way flights scheduled between the the US and UK this month, according to Cirium data. British Airways dominates the number of weekly flights. However, there is a host of other carriers with a significant presence in the market both sides of the pond. It’s not only the major operators such as the US Big Three and Virgin Atlantic that have a stronghold. The likes of JetBlue, Aer Lingus, TUI, and Norse Atlantic Airways are also regulars across the Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, there are mainstays across the Americas and continental Europe. So, with a range of airlines to choose from, which one is the best? Let us know below!

Many of us have fond memories of our first flights or an especially memorable trip with an iconic carrier. However, have many carriers gone bankrupt, merged with other airlines, or simply ceased operating?

What are some of your favorite memories from airlines past, and which airlines do you think stood out above the competition?

In August, the world has more than 8,600 daily widebody-operated flights. One in 12 of the world’s services is on a twin-aisle. Most flights are on the Boeing 777-300ER, an excellent variant for range, high-capacity passenger cabins, and considerable belly-hold freight volume. The A330-300 is second, and the 787-9 is third. It raises an obvious question: which widebody type or variant have you flown the most? Let us know!

I was at Heathrow Airport to welcome JetBlue’s first flight to London in the summer of 2021. Since then, the airline has launched services to Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Paris! This shows great ambition from the hybrid carrier, which has grown across Europe at a swift rate. Where in Europe should the New York-based airline fly next? The airline’s incoming Airbus A321XLRs will help it reach further east on the continent, leading to some new long-haul routes! What do you expect? Let us know below!

Modern aviation is dominated by the ‘big three’ airline alliances: oneworld, SkyTeam, and the Star Alliance. Each of these groups consists of member airlines from all over the world whose networks interconnect seamlessly to give passengers more options for onward travel. Visually, these alliances like to advertise their presence with special liveries.

These paint schemes are normally worn by several different aircraft at each member airline, with the purpose of putting the brand identity of the alliance itself front and center, rather than that of the airline. There are different ways in which this has been done, with SkyTeam opting for a uniform silver livery with a dark blue tail that makes minimal reference to the individual airlines. Star Alliance uses a similar template, albeit with white being the main color.

My favorite approach, however, is that of oneworld, which puts its branding front and center while integrating it into the member airlines’ existing liveries, allowing for

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On June 22nd, 2025, SkyTeam will officially celebrate its silver jubilee. The global alliance based in Amsterdam currently has 18 members on its roster (and one suspended member) and has had something of a shake-up in its membership over the past nine years. It all started with China Southern leaving the alliance after 10 years, followed by long-time member Czech Airlines, as well as recent addition ITA Airways saying goodbye.

Despite that, SkyTeam has also gained new members as well, with Virgin Atlantic joining in 2023, followed by Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in 2024. Which airline do you think could be the next to join SkyTeam? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Russian-carrier Aeroflot used to serve over 50 destinations before the Russia-Ukraine War but mostly all have been terminated in Europe and North America since the beginning of the war.

In the United States, Aeroflot served direct flights from Moscow (SVO) to: New York (JFK), Miami (MIA), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Chicago (ORD), Seattle (SEA), and Washington (IAD).

In Europe, Aeroflot served Moscow (SVO) to: Madrid (MAD), London (LHR), Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Rome (FCO), Warsaw (WAW), and so many more. However, all have been terminated since the EU banned Aeroflot from flying to Europe.

The airline currently serves flights to Dubai (DXB), Istanbul (IST), Bangkok (BKK), Tehran (TEH), Almaty (ALA), and other destinations. This also includes flights around Russia including St. Petersburg (LED), or places like Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (PKC). These are mainly reasons why Aeroflot makes money still. Other airlines banned from Europe are Rossiya, and S7 Airlines.

With

I’ve noticed that there is a pretty big gap in the United network. They don’t have a major hub in the southeast, and no — Washington Dulles does not count. If I were to choose an airport, it would be Raleigh-Durham, but in theory any airport that already sees United service is up for grabs. What do you think?

As you know, Delta has a firm order for 20 Airbus A350-1000s, with options for 20 more. Deliveries will begin in 2026. The type may become Delta’s highest-capacity equipment. It will surely have many premium seats, which will help dictate where it is flown.

Combined with a high overall capacity, they may be used in slot-constrained airports, particularly in Europe, where it is hard to grow with additional frequencies.

But that’s far less interesting than possible new routes. When combined with their long range, they will inevitably mean more new routes. Delta has teased by suggesting destinations in India and Saudi Arabia.

It flew from Atlanta to Mumbai on the 777-200LR in 2008/2009. Might it return? In the past year, it had 55,000 roundtrip point-to-point passengers, making it a slightly larger market than Delhi. Plus, of course, there is considerable transfer traffic.

Despite being a very long way, the Atlanta-Mumbai base fare was only $712 one-way (excl. fuel surcharge, taxes, e

Star Alliance became the first global aviation alliance in 1997 with five airlines. Now, the organization has grown to 25 carriers, which all offer numerous connections to destinations all over the world. As it competes with the SkyTeam Alliance and oneworld, which airline do you think will be the next to join?

Disclaimer: The statement above is shared by one of our readers and does not necessarily reflect the views or ideas of our publication.

There are three major airline alliances in the world. These are oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam. Frequent travelers will often try to stick to member airlines of one alliance as their status is reciprocal across the alliance. Being based in Frankfurt, I tend to find myself flying with Star Alliance carriers, though I also enjoy flying on oneworld Airlines when I get the chance. Let us know which your preferred alliance is in the comments below!

Of all the carriers to form part of Star Alliance, which is your favorite to fly with, and why?

Disclaimer: The following is a statement shared by one of our readers and does not necessarily reflect the views or ideas of our publication.

It is hard to be disappointed with low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers, at least when things run as they should. After all, they have a bare-bones approach, meaning expectations are usually low. It’s then easy to meet or even exceed them. The same cannot be said for the spectrum of ‘full’-service carriers, which often overpromise and underdeliver.

It is hard to pinpoint one airline that has disappointed me the most because some aspects of the experience could be good, while others may not. One flight might be less than desirable, while the next – if there is a next time – might be noticeably, or at least acceptably, better. Such inconsistencies only add to the trouble.

Which carrier has disappointed you the most and why? For me, it is Ethiopian Airlines. I have flown it four times, which is not really enough to have a fair impression. Still, the food was unusually poor, even by airline standards, and the cabins, even on nearly ne

With there being a 100-year celebration of Delta next week, we pause to recall this airline’s history, while being hopeful and curious about its future. Being a major player in American aviation, Delta is always innovating and adapting its fleet and route network to meet changing consumer demand and ultimately achieve maximum profitability. Which aircraft will they commit to order this year, and do you predict a huge route expansion? If so, to where?

While there are several factors at play when choosing a flight, many people will tend to gravitate towards a particular airline. This could be because they live near a base, have frequent flyer status, or simply prefer the service on offer. I track all of my flights in the Flighty app, and today took a look at my most flown airlines and was slightly surprised to see British Airways claiming the top spot with 49 flights compared to 41 at Ryanair (which I had expected to be at the top)! Equally cool is Air Astana with 7 flights from a single trip to Kazakhstan last summer. What are your most flown airlines? Join the conversation below!

Everyone knows that New York JFK is the US’s leading long-haul gateway. In the year to July, it welcomed approximately 23 million passengers from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, the Middle East, and lower South America.

Despite service from airlines globally, an estimated 40% of passengers—more than nine million people—had to connect to another flight en route.

More than eight in ten passengers who traveled to/from the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa connected.

Since South African Airways pulled out of JFK in 2020, Southern Africa has had no non-stop or one-stop flights, so all 100,000+ passengers transferred. (United has non-stop flights from Newark.)

These were JFK’s 10 largest unserved cities in the examined period. Mentioning them does not mean they warrant flights or would be commercially feasible.

– Dhaka: 164,000 roundtrip passengers (served by Biman until 2006, then 2009-2011)

– Bangkok: 107,000 (served by Thai Airways until 2008)

– Tirana: 10

Given oneworld Alliance carrier Alaska Airlines’ recent acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, it would appear another brand is set to join the oneworld fold. The smallest of the three major airline alliances with just 13 current members, the group has the potential to grow even further.

Two airlines have already confirmed they will be joining the program in the coming months. Fiji Airways (which is set to adopt the American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program) and Oman Air (the second Gulf carrier to join oneworld following Qatar Airways) will officially join the group. 

Speaking to Simple Flying’s Sumit Singh earlier this summer, oneworld CEO Nathaniel Pieper said that any future airlines must bring a range of new destinations without significantly eroding the market share of existing oneworld carriers. Which airlines do you think have a complimentary network that would fit well in the oneworld Alliance?

Airbus today shared that it is talking with Rolls-Royce regarding plans for a new narrowbody aircraft for the late 2030s. The manufacturer already has the successful A320 family under its belt and also took on the A220 program from Bombardier in 2018. Julie Kitcher, the chief sustainability officer of Airbus, told Simple Flying at the Farnborough Airshow that her company is looking to continue improving aircraft fuel efficiency. What other changes could we see with this type? Let us know what you think below!

As much as we love to dream about trips in the cabins up front, the majority of us enjoy most of our flights down back in the cheap seats. There’s usually not much to write home about – just enough space to be tolerable, perhaps some IFE if we’re lucky.

But not all economy seats are equal. At their smallest, economy class seats might be 17 inches wide, with a pitch of 28 or 29 inches. Conversely, some carriers treat passengers to 34 inches of pitch and seats that are 18 inches wide; when you’re packed into the economy cabin, every inch matters.

Of course, seats are very aircraft-specific. Within one fleet, there may be an Airbus A220 with a generous 19-inch seat width and 32 inches of pitch, alongside a Boeing 737-800 with seats of just 17 inches wide and a 30-inch pitch. You’d think long haul aircraft would have the best economy seats, given the time we’re expected to spend in them. But get this – the seats in the A321neo are 18 inches wide; in the 787 Dreamliner, they’re only 17