Airline Weekly Lounge

Airline Weekly Lounge


Latest Episodes

A Surprise Thai Turnaround
February 16, 2024

Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat discuss how Thai Airways has shaken off its pandemic problems and emerged as one of the world's most profitable carriers.

Plotting A New Frontier
February 09, 2024

Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat discuss Frontier Airlines' bold new strategy which will see it cut capacity in Las Vegas and Florida. We also review the latest developments from Japan where the country's biggest carriers are enjoying a spike in premium demand

The Rising Fortunes of Ryanair
February 02, 2024

Ryanair has its problems, but it is doing much better than most.

What do United Airlines and easyJet Have in Common?
January 26, 2024

As airline earnings season continues to gather momentum, this week we examine the fortunes of United and easyJet. Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat discuss the major developments and identify the key trends at these two very different carriers. 

Judge to JetBlue: No Merger for You
January 19, 2024

This week has seen major courtroom drama as the proposed JetBlue-Spirit merger was blocked by a U.S. judge. In this special episode, Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat discuss the implications of the ruling and assess the likely knock on impact for the wider air

What’s the Latest with Boeing’s 737 Max?
January 12, 2024

Boeing's 737 Max is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. An Alaska Airlines 737-9 lost a door plug after a sudden decompression on January 5 that prompted the FAA to temporarily ground all Max 9 variants with door plugs. Edward Russell and Jay

Air France-KLM's Outlook
January 05, 2024

What does Air France-KLM think of the future?

U.S. Airlines See Strong December Quarter Demand
December 15, 2023

Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest all dropped updates on the fourth quarter outlook in recent weeks. The verdict? Travel demand is good, fuel is down, and operations are largely better than expected. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat disucss. Plus, the state of a

The Alaska-Hawaiian Merger: Pros and Cons
December 08, 2023

There are three big reasons for Alaska Airlines proposed $1.9 billion merger with Hawaiian Airlines: scale, loyalty, and premium traffic. And there are lots of questions too. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss. Reading List Alaska Airlines in Deal to

An All British Affair
December 01, 2023

Virgin Atlantic in a good year turns a modest profit. In bad years, it loses money. So why is Shai Weiss so confident the airline will turn a profit next year? Jay Shabat and Edward Russell settle in for a cuppa to discuss. Plus, EasyJet's results. Readin