Fly anywhere, anytime "Business Select" on Southwest Airlines for Business (FLAT RATES)of 1 Adult 300-400 and 2 Adults 500-600, Future or Last Minute Flights available at any time. All flights are booked before you pay. Yes, you've heard correctly. All tickets are punched while providing your itinerary confirmation for you to verify your flight it will have all your information your name etc, emailed directly to you from Southwest Airlines before you pay a dime,
Fly anywhere, anytime "Business Select" on Southwest Airlines for Business (FLAT RATES)of 1 Adult 300-400 and 2 Adults 500-600, Future or Last Minute Flights available at any time. All flights are booked before you pay. Yes, you've heard correctly. All tickets are punched while providing your itinerary confirmation for you to verify your flight it will have all your information your name etc, emailed directly to you from Southwest Airlines before you pay a dime, Contact me now at 800-527-8745 or 323-346-9266 TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHT TODAY. Brian M Rye
Up close with a Norwegian 787 Dreamliner (Photo: Simon Wright | Norwegian) low-cost airline Norwegian has set a new record time for the fastest ever transatlantic flight by a subsonic passenger aircraft this week for the route between New York and London, using the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Norwegian flight DY7014 from New York JFK to London Gatwick on Monday completed the full duration of the flight in 5 hours and 13 minutes – the fastest transatlantic flight recorded on a subsonic commercial aircraft. The previous record was 5 hours and 16 minutes.
Recorded flight time places DY7014 close to the absolute record by a subsonic aircraft, a British Royal Air Force Vickers Super VC-10 who covered the JFK-Prestwick, Scotland route in 5 hours and 1 minute, in 1979.
The flight carrying 284 passengers departed New York at 11:44 a.m. and arrived at London at 9:57 p.m. local time – 53 minutes early.
Europe’s third-largest low-cost airline operates double daily flights between London and New York using the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The flight benefitted from strong tailwinds over the Atlantic Ocean that reached a maximum of 176 knots (202mph). The tailwinds pushed the aircraft to a top speed of 776mph during the flight.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft (G-CKHL) used on the record-breaking transatlantic flight adorns British tail fin hero Amy Johnson, a pioneering pilot who was the first female to fly solo from England to Australia in 1930. Norwegian honors iconic figures on the tails of its aircraft, using personalities who symbolize the spirit of Norwegian through innovation, challenging the norm, and inspiring others.
G-CKHL, the record aircraft. (Photo: Norwegian)
Captain Harold van Dam at Norwegian said, “The 787 Dreamliner is a pleasure to fly and it’s a great feeling to know that we have set a new record in this aircraft. We were actually in the air for just over five hours and if it had not been for forecasted turbulence at lower altitude, we could have flown even faster.”
In 2018, Norwegian will take delivery of 11 brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, 10 of which will feature Norwegian’s new expanded Premium cabin with 56 seats – 21 more seats than the airline’s current Premium cabin.
Fly anywhere, anytime "Business Select" on Southwest Airlines for 50% of the retail value, Future or Last Minute Flights available at any time. All flights are booked before you pay. Yes, you've heard correctly. All tickets are punched while providing your itinerary confirmation for you to verify your flight it will have all your information your name etc, emailed directly to you from Southwest Airlines before you pay a dime,
Contact me now at 800-527-8745 or 323-346-9266 TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHT TODAY.
Brian M Rye
If you haven’t had the chance to visit New York JFK’s Etihad Private Residence VIP Room just yet, you’re in luck. It’s now possible to buy access to the lounge for just $40!
However, this room is available for purchase only when Etihad doesn’t have a Residence passenger flying that day. When they do, the room goes to that passenger as part of their airline ticket, whether it was booked with cash or eith [Etihad] miles.
This new information is not yet available on Etihad’s website, but View from the Wing obtained the following statement:
“You can also upgrade to our VIP Room for an additional $40 for you and your family. This is a completely private area, where you can have a bite to eat, rest or simply enjoy time together before your flight. Our New York lounge opens three hours prior to flight departures. Lounge access and use of the VIP Room are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You can pay at the lounge on the day by using credit card or Etihad Guest Miles.”
Since it will be first come, first served, I have a feeling that it will be pretty tough to actually get into the Residence VIP Room. Especially considering the low price Etihad is charging for access. Nevertheless, next time I have a flight from JFK, I’ll give it a go and see if I can make some magic happen!
Will you try to visit Etihad’s Private Residence VIP Room next time you’re at JFK?
Airbus released its 2017 order and delivery figures on Monday, delivering a company-record 718 aircraft. Most of the aircraft delivered by Airbus in 2017 were from the A320 family, which includes the A319, A320, and A321. 181 of the A320 family aircraft were New engine option (neo) variants.
Total Deliveries
Airbus delivered 718 aircraft, including 558 A320 family aircraft, 67 A330s, 78 A350s, and 15 A380s.
2017 Airbus delivery figures
The 100th A350
Among the 78 A350s delivered in 2017 was the 100th customer A350 registered B-18908, which flew home with China Airlines.
Emirates took delivery of 9 of the 15 A380s delivered in 2017, including its 100th A380, registered A6-EUV. Etihad, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines took home 2 each. One of Singapore’s new A380s replaced the first commercial A380 put in service, which was returned to its lessor in November.
Delta Is Cracking Down on Service Animals on Flights
To combat some of the issues that they have faced with customers bringing on a variety of service and support animals, Delta is strengthening regulations regarding how service and support animals fly. To ensure that customers and passengers with real issues have access to the animals that aid them, Delta is putting new policies into place in order to protect staff and passengers from further incidents.
In the past, passengers have brought an assortment of comfort turkeys, gliding possums known as sugar gliders, snakes, spiders and other creatures onto planes, ignoring established guidelines about what constitutes a service and support animal. This has led to several incidents on planes that Delta hopes to avoid in the future.
Delta has long complied with the Air Carrier Access Act, which allows service and support animals to fly in the cabin free of charge. Going forth, beginning March 1, passengers traveling with a service or support animal will be required to show proof of health or vaccinations 48 hours in advance of the flight. In addition, to prevent household pets from interfering with working animals, those with psychiatric service animals and emotional support animals will need to provide documentation proving their animal can behave on a plane, in addition to the already required signed doctor’s note.
Delta flies hundreds of thousands of passengers with service animals each year and is hoping to improve safety on board flights by creating the new regulations. Delta’s top brass believes that having requirements for both health and training screenings will allow them to continue to fly service and support animals and reduce the number of issues that the airline has experienced—ranging from potty-training accidents to biting.
To create the new requirements, Delta used guidance from its Advisory Board on Disabilities, a collection of frequent flyers with a range of disabilities.
Hawaiian aircraft in Honolulu (Photo: Ian McMurtry)
While the typical U.S. traveler may complain about the decline in airline competition in the mainland United States over the last few years, Hawaiians have experienced even more challenges. Carriers like go!, Aloha and Island Air have collapsed, paving the way for Hawaiian Airlines to stand mostly uncontested on inter-island routes. Although my family originally was scheduled on Island Air, the bankruptcy of the carrier in November left us rebooking onto Hawaiian, who was just a few dollars more expensive than the discontinued carrier. This report will chronicle my experiences island hopping on Hawaiian Airlines.
Flight One
Hawaiian Flight HA354
Seat: Economy 11F
Route: Lihu’e (PHLI) to Honolulu (PHNL)
Scheduled Departure: 3:51 p.m.
Scheduled Arrival: 4:25 p.m.
Aircraft: Boeing 717-22A N485HA “Palila”
Despite the late afternoon departure, the early check out time of our rental house left us plenty of time to make our way to Lihu’e and to the airport. We arrived at the Lihu’e Airport a few minutes after 2 p.m. local time, as the airport was experiencing its first of two major waves of flights traveling back to the US mainland, meaning the terminal was slightly more crowded than it is during the rest of the day.
Despite the increase in traffic, however, automated kiosks at the Hawaiian Airlines counters and a small TSA line meant it took less than 10 minutes to get airside.
Hawaiian airports tend to focus on allowing passengers to maximize their time in the warmth of the islands. Therefore, a large portion of the terminal is exposed to the elements. The only air-conditioned section of the terminal is the gates themselves and a few of the restaurants in the center of the terminal. The remainder of the terminal has no windows or doors.
Lihue’s main terminal area (Photo: Ian McMurtry)
Once another aircraft headed to Los Angeles had finished boarding, and the Hawaiian agriculture inspection station had cleared out, we made our way to Gate 6 for our flight to Honolulu. Despite the Los Angeles flight backing out 15 minutes late, the pushed-back aircraft was able to make enough room for our Boeing 717 to slide into Gate 6 and allow for an on-time departure.
Boarding for zone 1 of our flight started around 3:25 p.m. with the small aircraft taking roughly 20 minutes to fill all three zones. The interior of the Hawaiian 717s is more cramped than your normal flight, with the carrier opting for only 30” pitch, but the 2-3 seating allowing for an extra inch of width than economy on a Boeing 737. Hawaiian also opts for very slimline seats and small tray tables due to the short flight times.
Palila on the ground at Lihu’e (Photo: Ian McMurtry)
The aircraft backed away from Lihu’e four minutes early and the three flight attendants began their safety instructions. Due to the small size of Lihu’e, the taxi time was short and HA354 departed runway 3 for Honolulu at 3:54 p.m. and started a gradual right turn away from Kaua’i towards O’ahu.
Palila wasted little time reaching the flight’s cruising altitude of 13,000 feet as the flight attendants started a very quick beverage service. Passengers were given a choice of passion-orange juice or water, which would be distributed from cardboard boxes that they were carrying. I opted for the juice, which was pleasantly refreshing.
As quick as we arrived at 13,000 feet, our aircraft started it’s descent into the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. The Boeing 717 wrapped itself around the southern end of O’ahu before flying a straight in approach to runway 8L.
Our aircraft touched down at 4:16 p.m., nine minutes ahead of schedule and quickly made its way to gate 52. The aircraft deplaned quickly and baggage claim was a breeze with the only other passengers waiting to come off of HA51 from New York’s JFK Airport.
Flight Two
Hawaiian Flight HA318
Seat: Economy 22A
Route: Honolulu (PHNL) to Kailua-Kona (PHKO)
Scheduled Departure: 9:33 a.m.
Scheduled Arrival: 10:20 a.m.
Aircraft: Boeing 717-22A N479HA “’Akepa”
After three days on the island of O’ahu, it was time to return to the airport for another Hawaiian island run to get to the big island of Hawai’i. We arrived at the airport around 7:15 a.m. and found Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye Airport buzzing. Using Hawaiian’s curbside check-in, however, we were able to dodge most of the lines and were airside within 15 minutes of arriving at the airport.
The inter-island terminal in Honolulu (Photo: Ian McMurtry)
Overall, the Honolulu airport can get busy in the morning. Hawaiian Airlines runs most of their inter-island routes through HNL so the terminal can get crowded with multiple flights going to the same city within an hour of each other. On the international side, it isn’t much better as Asian carriers like Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and All Nippon Airways fly multiple flights from the airport, with most departures happening between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Honolulu Airport is also more traditional from a structural standpoint, with the terminal being mostly enclosed and air-conditioned. However, some walkways between terminals and gates are exposed to the outdoors if people want to experience the tropical temperatures before boarding their flight.
Once airside, we made our way to our departure gate, gate 59, where Hawaiian was boarding a flight to Maui. The area around gates 58-61 was busy with two flights going to Maui, a flight to Hilo and our flight to Kailua-Kona scheduled in an hour and a half block. Despite the large crowds, the ample amount of airport seats meant that nearly everyone had a place to sit.
Once the Maui-bound aircraft pushed back, the gate was free for ‘Akepa to make its way in for an on-time departure. The aircraft started boarding at 9:00 a.m. and HA318 officially pushed back from the gate one minute early at 9:32 a.m.
Due to the shape of the Daniel K. Inouye Airport, taxi time was extensive as we worked out way out of the inter-island terminal and down long taxiway RB towards Honolulu’s “reef runway”. After 12 minutes of taxiing, ‘Akepa rocketed off of runway 8R and immediately made a right bank to avoid flying over downtown as it started it’s 164-mile trek to Kailua-Kona.
The in-flight service and aircraft interior were similar to that on HA354, with the only changes being that the cruising altitude for our flight being 23,000 feet and beverage service swapping the passion-orange juice for a passion-orange-guava juice, which was as good as the passion-orange juice. The crew took more time with the in-flight service than the previous flight since the route is longer to Hawai’i than Kaua’i.
Once we were clear of Maui, the aircraft began its descent into Kailua-Kona. The aircraft was maneuvered into position before touching down on runway 17 at 10:10 a.m., ten minutes ahead of schedule. The plane pulled into gate 10 and airstairs were used to deplane. Baggage claim was simple as Kailua-Kona’s airport is one of the smallest in the islands and we were one of two aircraft on the ground at KOA.
Final Thoughts
Hawaiian’s inter-island service isn’t something to marvel at, but it is efficient. If you go in expecting a full food and beverage service and seatback in-flight entertainment, be prepared to be disappointed. However, the fact that the flights are only 25 minutes, on average, the quality of service is what you would expect, or may even exceed expectations, with some amenities such as beverages and a first class cabin being offered.
The Hawaiian islands’ nice weather and Hawaiian Airlines’ high standards for maintenance and service mean that the carrier has over a 90% on-time rate, which is well above the industry standard and something that should be applauded considering the number of tight turnarounds these Boeing 717s do a day.
Flying on Hawaiian may not be the most flashy experience, but for flights costing less than $80 one way, service to most cities operating every hour or two and the carrier operating codeshares on inter-island routes with several Asian and American carriers, it would be hard to dethrone this current king of Hawaiian travel.
Fly anywhere, anytime "Business Select" on Southwest Airlines for 50% of the retail value, Future or Last Minute Flights available at any time. All flights are booked before you pay. Yes, you've heard correctly. All tickets are punched while providing your itinerary confirmation for you to verify your flight it will have all your information your name etc, emailed directly to you from Southwest Airlines before you pay a dime, Contact me now at 800-527-8745 or 323-346-9266 TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHT TODAY. Brian M Rye
Passengers say that while airlines are passing the buck, some flyers have still not been reunited with their checked luggage more than ten days after a burst pipe wreaked havoc at JFK.
After promising to “hold all responsible parties accountable for the incident that disrupted flightsinto and out of Terminal 4,” the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Thursday announced a series of interim measures to prevent a reoccurrence of the weather-related malfunctions that brought operations at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) International Arrivals Terminal to a near standstill earlier this month. The new and improved winter storm response plan may be cold comfort to those international travelers who have yet to be reunited with their lost bags nearly two weeks later.
“What happened at JFK, as we have emphasized over the past two weeks, was unacceptable and must not be allowed to happen again,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said in a statement this week. “The interim directives and protocols we are announcing today are critical initial steps to ensure improved operations in future storms. We look forward to reviewing Secretary LaHood’s findings and recommendations. We intend to act aggressively on Secretary LaHood’s ultimate report – both to address accountability for failures that occurred and to implement his recommendations to assure these failures never happen again.”
Cotton, however, did not address the fact that hundreds of passengers say that their checked luggage is still missing in action as days without their personal items are now turning into weeks. According to NBC News, the exact count of still missing bags is unknown but likely numbers in the hundreds and that number doesn’t include luggage in transit after either being misdirected or handed over to couriers.
In some cases, passengers report that their lost bags weren’t stuck on a baggage cart in a far corner of the tarmac, but instead delayed somewhere between the airport and home. “It wasn’t that the bag was on the other side of the world and had to be sent back,” David Elizandro (who finally received his luggage one piece at a time over several days) told CNBC. “It literally took, in one case, eight days to get from JFK to the Upper West Side
Wyndham Worldwide Corporation announced on Thursday morning that they will acquire La Quinta Holdings, Inc. for $1.95 billion, with an expected acquisition close date before the end of the second quarter 2018. Even if the deal doesn’t go through, Wyndham will still pay $37 million in termination fees.
“Under the terms of the agreement, stockholders of La Quinta will receive $8.40 per share in cash (approximately $1.0 billion in aggregate), and Wyndham Worldwide will repay approximately $715 million of La Quinta debt net of cash and set aside a reserve of $240 million for estimated taxes expected to be incurred in connection with the taxable spin-off of La Quinta’s owned real estate assets into CorePoint Lodging Inc.”
After Marriott’s 2016 acquisition of Starwood Hotels, they became the biggest hotel chain, but once this deal is complete, Wyndham will hold the new title for the largest hotel chain with over 9,000 properties across 21 different brands.
This acquisition plan, as of now, is a good thing for La Quinta members because they will be able to take advantage of benefits at many more hotels worldwide. Full details on what will happen with the two loyalty programs and when still remains to be seen. It’s likely that there will be some changes that aren’t favorable to at least one party!
How do you think this acquisition is going to unfold?
The JetPhotos catalog grew by more than 250,000 photos in 2017, reaching over 3.6 million total photos and 250,000 unique registrations. Those photos help power the photos of actual aircraft tracked on Flightradar24. To end the year, we asked the JetPhotos team for some of their favorite photos added to the catalog in 2017.
The JetPhotos Team’s 2017 Top Photos
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Screeners’ Choice
If you’re looking for more great photos from 2017, check out the Screeners’ Choice section, which offers a plethora of amazing photos, including these.
Photos of the Week
JetPhotos administrators also comb through submissions on a weekly basis to find the best photos for the Photo of the Week.
The final 2017 photo of the week as a Delta 717 and United 787 land in San Francisco
Love taking photos of aircraft and want to share them with the world and have your photography featured on Flightradar24? Create a JetPhotos account today and begin uploading your work.
