Airline Reporter

Alaska Airlines to Bring Back the Salmon-Thirty-Salmon Livery

David Parker Brown — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:57:16 +0000

Alaska Airlines New Salmon-Thirty-Salmon, which will be put in service in the fall 2012. Image from Alaska. CLICK FOR LARGER.

Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute have announced plans to make the world’s longest, flying King Salmon on a Boeing 737-800.

In 2005, the airline unveiled the first Salmon-Thirty-Salmon on a Boeing 737-400. That livery was retired and painted over last year. Those who were fans of the fish-themed livery were disappointed and I know I have been hoping for a second version since.

The “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon II” will be nine feet longer and will feature salmon colored titles on the fuselage. Also, check out those scales on the winglets — not too shabby. Alaska plans to unveil the new salmon livery sometime this fall.

The first Salmon-Thirty-Salmon livery on a Boeing 737-400. Photo by Andrew Cohen.

“This airplane celebrates Alaska Airlines’ unique relationship with the people and communities of Alaska and underscores our air transport commitment to the state’s seafood industry,” said Marilyn Romano, Alaska Airlines’ regional vice president of the state of Alaska. “Because the new design will be featured on a larger 737-800, this 91,000-pound king will boldly promote the world’s finest seafood from the Hawaiian Islands to Boston and beyond.”

Speaking of Salmon, Alaska Airlines will be celebrating the first Copper River Salmon delivery with an early morning cook off this Friday. Once again, I will be getting up early to welcome the salmon and enjoy what the cooks are able to create.

Who is the Airline Reporter?

David Parker Brown — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:45:09 +0000

After the Boeing 747-8I landed for the first time.

I have been doing this airline blog thing for about three and half years now. At the beginning I always struggled to answer the question, “so what does your blog do?” As time has gone on, I have gotten a bit better at it (at least I think), on describing what it is I do. Even though I have moved to cover aviation and travel, the main bread and butter is still airlines.

Figured I would share what some people have been saying about this blog and what it is I do exactly…

From Jon Ostrower with the Wall Street Journal (formally with Flight Global) and Addison Schoeland with AIG:
My blog recently won second place in FlightGlobal’s blog of the year contest and the two judges stated, “From trip reports to breaking news, Brown captures his enthusiasm and passion for aviation, taking his readers along for the ride. The Airline Reporter brand is synonymous with the community’s passion for aviation. Every post, every tweet is done with the same infectious energy that permeates the internet’s AvGeekdom.”

From Johnny who is Johnny Jet:
“I met David Parker Brown (aka the Airline Reporter) on Air New Zealand’s delivery flight from Boeing’s headquarters in Seattle. David’s a really cool guy and he is quickly making a name for himself in the aviation world. He seems to get invited on every delivery flight and he just did one a few days ago when he took RwandAir’s brand spanking new Boeing 737-800 all the way from Seattle to Rwanda. Since a 737 doesn’t have that much range, they had to make a few stops and I learned, by following his Twitter feed, that they stopped in Iceland and Istanbul on the way. If you like aviation, be sure to add David to your list.”

From Brett Snyder with CrankyFlier.com:
“David Parker Brown lives in Seattle and so you’ll see some of the local goings-on from his perspective. What I like about this blog is you often feel like David is learning right along with you. He’s enthusiastic, and it’s a unique perspective, so it’s fun to follow.”

From Scott McMurren with AlaskaDispatch:
“I’ve followed David’s updates at Airline Reporter for years. I finally met him on the tarmac at Sea-Tac last year to watch Alaska Airlines’ offload the first load of Copper River salmon. David’s blog is a great read if you’re an aviation nut (guilty!). He talks about new planes, new airlines, new paint jobs — and the business of flying planes.”

Thanks to everyone for their kind words. So how do I describe what I do myself?

I think the bottom line is I love aviation and airlines and I love to share that passion with others. I am glad that many of you are along for the ride!

My Review: Flying Emirates Airline Business Class to Dubai

David Parker Brown — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:00:13 +0000

I couldn't get any good shots of my 777-200LR in Seattle or Dubai, so I am using this photo of another Emirates Boeing 777-300ER that I took from my aircraft.

EMIRATES AIRLINE REVIEW BASICS:
Airline: Emirates Airline
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200LR
Departed: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Arrived: Dubai International Airport (DXB)
tops: Non-stop flight Class: Business Class
Seat: 8D to DXB (center, aisle, bulkhead) and 11A to SEA (window)
Length: About 14 hours

Cheers: Great combination of service and product.
Jeers: If you have wide shoulders, avoid the center seat — even in business class.
Overall: Emirates makes a 14 hour flight easy.

With the wood paneling, the Business Class really has a warm atmosphere. Notice the real flowers on the bulkhead.

THE FULL EMIRATES BUSINESS CLASS REVIEW:

On March 1st, Emirates started flying from Seattle to Dubai non-stop. I was invited to try out Emirates Business Class product on one of their recent flights (the airline covered the costs of the flight). This review will be a mixture of both my flight to and from Dubai — although I slept most of the way home.

The benefits of sitting in a premium cabin starts well before you get to the gate, but only once you arrive to the airport. With Emirates, the benefits of flying in Business Class starts at home. If you fly in either Business or First class you have access to a free chauffeured car within 60 miles of your arriving or departing airport. Unfortunately I did not do my homework before leaving and did not find out about that service until I was in Dubai (thanks Ben for the ride to the airport by the way).

However, I was able to make use of the service when coming home and it is always great having someone greeting you with your name on a sign that escorts you right to your front door in a Town Car. Having a Business Class ticket normally gives you access to a lounge at the airport and flying Emirates out of Seattle is no different. Passengers who have either first or business class tickets are able to use the new Club International lounge before their flight.

Emirate's Business Class seats offer quite a bit of room and one ginormous remote.

Since I stayed in the lounge for a while, my flight was almost fully loaded by the time I arrived at the gate and I was able to just walk on the plane. I messed up and forgot to check myself in online (I know, what kind of airline reporter am I?), so I ended up in a middle seat: 8E. Emirates has their 777-200LR configured in a 2-3-2 layout in business.

Even though the seats are larger, I was not looking forward to being in the center for 14 hours, but at least I wasn’t in economy. When I found my seat and sat down, I became a little worried — my shoulders touched both sides of the hard plastic walls — not good. Luckily for me the lovely (and smaller) Harriet Baskas, who was in my media travel group, had the aisle seat next to me and offered to swap. I gladly took her up on her offer and never had any problems with the seat width with the open aisle.

I think I would have managed just fine in the center seat, but if you have wider shoulders, I would surely advice checking in earlier to claim a non-center seat.

If you like technology and gadgets, you will love Emirates ice entertainment system. Each seat in first and business gets this large, removable remote.

Emirates entertainment system, called ice, was amazing, but a bit overwhelming. First off, you have three options on how to control the system: touching the screen, using the removable touch screen remote or use the smaller wired remote. When sitting in a bulkhead seat, even at 6’1″, I was unable to touch the screen. When I flew back to Seattle I was not at the bulkhead and was able to touch, but it wasn’t easy and I would imagine near impossible if you measuring in at less than 5’10″.

I am normally not very slow when it comes to technology or in-flight entertainment systems, but it seemed like I could only do some things with one remote and I had to do other things with the smaller one. I am sure I just wasn’t able to figure it out, but if I had trouble, I am sure most other people did too. It is worth trying to get past the control issues, because once you do, there are many options — 1200 to be exact.

Emirates, by far, has the largest selection of movies and entertainment I have experienced. After flying a total of 27 hours to Dubai and back, I still had not explored everything it had to offer. For a frequent flier on the airline, this would be a huge perk. No matter what class you are flying in, you get access to the same ice entertainment system (just not the fancy large remote if you are in economy).

Emirates configures their Boeing 777s with a 2-3-2 layout in Business Class. Notice how the windows have buttons to move the shades.

One on my favorite things, on systems that offer it, are the outside cameras you can access on your screen. The Emirates 777 has one facing forward and once facing straight down. Being in the center section during take off, it was handy watching the aircraft take off via the cameras. We took off to the north and just kept going — almost in a straight line over the north pole and back down to Dubai. Because of this, it never got dark outside.

Passengers also have the option to make a phone call at $5 per minute or send text messages for $1 per message. Every time I tried to access the service, it said it was unavailable, which was okay by me. I was planning on trying it out for the story, but was not motivated to ask one of the flight attendants, since I did not mind saving my money. Although Emirates does have Wi-Fi up and running on all their Airbus A380s, they do not have it on the rest of their main fleet (777, A330, A340) — yet.

When the lights go down, the stars come up. Emirates offers a special StarLight feature providing a great sleeping atmosphere.

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is touted as being unique for its ambient lighting and electronic sunshades. The Emirates product in business and in first is almost as close as you can get to the 787 interior.

First, they have the ambient lighting; going from a soft white/yellow to pinks to purple for the different light cycles. Then you have the windows up front that do not have manual shades, but two buttons that make the shades go up and down. The flight attendants have the ability to to put up or down all the shades, similar to the 787.

What Emirate’s 777 has that no 787 has (yet) are the stars that come out on the ceiling. Called StarLight, this amazing feature is unique to Emirates and really sets the mood. It is hard to describe, laying flat on a bed at 35,000 feet, opening your eyes and seeing stars.

It is too bad that Emirates doesn’t have any 787′s on order; it would be amazing what they could (and probably would) do with that cabin.

Steak, potatoes I cannot pronounce and red wine at 30,000 feet? Yea, I can handle that.

After settling in, it was time for meal service. My dinner started with a traditional mezze platter with hummus, smoky moutabal, muhammara, vine leaves and a spinach fatayer. Yea, I don’t know what half of that means either, but I can tell you that it was great. Then I was served roasted tomato and thyme soup and salad, followed by the main course of beef fillet with shallots and dauphionouse style potatoes. I decided to skip the dessert option and have a bit more red wine — nice call.

Economy class still provides large screens, amenities and food. Eh, I will stick to Business Class.

I feel very lucky that I get these opportunities to fly in the front of the plane on long flights, but there is no doubt that I have put my time in economy. During the ride over to Dubai, I made an effort to make a lap around the plane and check out economy. During my tour, most people were sleeping and there were so many feet, arms, shoulders, etc out in the aisle — it was a challenge to get through without bumping into people.

With the 3-4-3 layout in economy, it is a bit tight, but doable with the large screens and same ice entertainment system. That being said, I was happy to return to the business class cabin.

Business Class is nice, but First Class is better. Each seat is like its own cubicle, with closing doors.

When I complete flight reviews, I try to stay anonymous as long as I can. Typically a flight attendant will start asking questions (not suspiciously, but out of curiosity) when I am taking photos of my remote, food, etc. One of the benefits of being known as media is getting access to the aircraft that others might not.

On the flight back to Seattle, I was given the opportunity to spend some time up in First Class. Luckily for me, there were no passengers in the front cabin, which gave me time to check it out and talk to the flight crew. There are four crew members assigned to first class, including the pursuer. They normally work in shifts of two, but when there are no passengers in first, they are able to enjoy a relaxing flight and also will help the rest of the cabin crew, if needed.

Where business felt so much better than economy, similarly first class felt so much better than business. There are only eight first class suites, where each has a large seat, own mini-bar, large tv screen, similar controls to business class and doors that can be closed to give ultimate privacy.

Taking off from Dubai I could see the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in the background.

One indicator on how good a product is on an airline is how well I am able to sleep. The fact that I slept five hours to Dubai and about 10 hours back to Seattle is a positive sign for sure. Another indicator is how happy I am that I was able to sleep so much. In this case, I was upset that I slept so much and wasn’t able to enjoy my experience a bit better. Emirates has lived up to its reputation for providing a fabulous flying experience.

Next is to try and test out their newer business product on the Airbus A380 — stay tuned.

See all 52 photos from my Emirates Airline flight

Airline Livery of the Week: Sierra Pacific Airlines and their 737-200

David Parker Brown — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:46:42 +0000

Sierra Pacific Airlines Boeing 737-200 taken at Boeing Field (BFI). Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.

I am always game for an airline in the US operating with a few classic Boeing 737-200s. It is rare to find one still operating in the US and soon, it will surely be impossible.

Sierra Pacific Airlines was founded in 1971 and currently operates two 737-200s (N703S and N712S) out of their base in Tucson, AZ. The airline runs charters and sub-charters for other airlines, while also running flights for the US Forest Service, US Military and the US Marshals.

Like most classic airliners, comes a classic livery and Sierra Pacific is no different. The livery rocks that cheat-line that is not seen on many of today’s modern jets.

Seeing this livery next to others a bit more modern, it comes up a bit short. Yet seeing it as an historical package, how can one not like it?

Alaska Airlines Presents New, Roomier Seat in their 737-900ERs

David Parker Brown — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:30:26 +0000

Alaska Airlines new New Recaro seats for economy class that will make their appearance on the airline's new Boeing 737-900ERs. Image from Alaska.

Alaska Airlines has announced that they will be installing new seats from Recaro Aircraft Seating on their 22, soon-to-be delivered, Boeing 737-900ERs.

The seats will offer a six-way adjustable headrest, three inches of recline and an additional inch of legroom.

The additional leg room will not affect the airline’s seat pitch of 31-32″, but it will offer more room for your legs. “The extra inch we refer to is gained by Recaro’s clever design that effectively adds one more inch of room to your living space, without us moving the seats further apart,” Alaska spokes person confirmed to AirlineReporter.com. “Specific to pitch, our pitch will stay consistent with our current standard 31-32 inches.”

Alaska Airlines new New Recaro seats for First Class that will make their appearance on the airline's new Boeing 737-900ERs. Image from Alaska.

Alaska will also get new Recaro seats for the first class cabin that will offer five inches of recline, an articulating seat bottom and a six-way adjustable headrest.

The seat, “design includes a comfortable yet slimmer seatback and bottom and a literature pocket located above the tray table,” said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of marketing. “The new seats add to a very special onboard experience that all of our customers flying Alaska’s new 737-900ERs will enjoy, including Boeing’s Sky Interior—with its improved lighting and sculpted overhead bins that create a more spacious cabin—onboard Wi-Fi, Starbucks coffee, premium Washington wines and delicious meals for purchase, as well as our renowned personal service.”

The seats are also lighter and are expected to save about 8,000 gallons of fuel annually per aircraft.

Allegiant and Spirit Are Smart to Add/Increase Fees. Why Not?

David Parker Brown — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:00:59 +0000

Allegiant MD-80 and Spirit Airbus A319 hanging out in Las Vegas. Photo by Joe (JX).

With Spirit Airlines raising their carry-on fee at the gate to $100 ($35 if you pay ahead of time after November 6th) and Allegiant Air starting to charge for their carry-ons, it has a bunch of people very upset. But why? If an airline comes out with a policy you do not agree on, do not fly them. They will get the message and either change their policies or go out of business. Even though people state they won’t fly either airline, both Allegiant and Spirit continue to grow, so why would they want to reverse their fees?

Yes, I realize that some passengers do not have many choices at their closest airport. However, there is a reason why other airlines are not able or willing to fly into those airports — they can’t make it profitable. So, you are either stuck with an airline that charges fees, one that runs turbo-props or you take the bus.

What interests me are the people that do have a choice, complain about fees, yet continually choose either of the two ultra low-cost carriers.

Being human, most people want their cake and eat it too. Passengers want a first class experience at an ultra low-cost carrier price. Sorry to break it to you — that is not going to happen.

When asked how Spirit Airlines views its fees, Misty Pinson, Director of Spirit Communications, told AirlineReporter.com, “Our ultra low fares with optional add-ons are very consumer friendly. We give customers the opportunity to save money with our low fares and give them the power to choose the extras they want, and they only pay for those they use rather than being forced into paying a higher fare that includes extras that they don’t even want or use.”

Some of you might be rolling your eyes thinking that Spirit is just spinning the fees as a good thing, but Pinson actually gives some good points. If I fly on another airline that might not have as many fees, but I don’t want a soda, I don’t have a bag to check and I am not interested in food, I am still paying for all of those things in my ticket price. Yet airlines, like Spirit, give you the option to pay less overall, if you are not going to use all the options. How is that unfair? Especially when you do all all the fees to the base fare, the overall price still comes under most other airlines.

I also reached out to Allegiant to check in on charging for carry-on bags is going. “Inevitably, when you start to charge for something that used to be free, there will be some people who are vocal about it, but ultimately, we have seen that only about a third of our customers are purchasing overhead bin space when they make their travel reservations online,” Allegiant spokesperson explained over email. “As we unbundle our product and drive down base fares, we are able to stimulate demand and see growth in the number of people who can afford to travel.”

Let’s take a closer look at how both airlines have been doing; comparing the first quarter of 2011 to 2012, both airlines did very well (all data from SEC):

ALLEGIANT
Revenue Passenger Miles (RPM) are up 17.2%
Passenger revenue is up 25.8%
Average fare is up 6.7% to $94.95
Average fare (ancillary revenue) is up 4.2% to $37.75

SPIRIT
RPMs are up 18.8%
Passenger revenue is up 17.5%
Average fare per passenger flight segment is down 6.9% to $76.65
Non-ticket revenue per passenger flight segment is up 21.3% to $51.68

That 6.9% decrease is important to note. It indicates that the people who don’t buy anything else are getting a better deal on Spirit flights.

If you were an airline and wanted to make profit (when it comes down to it, that is what every airline wants right?) and you have this business model that makes you profit, while you continue to grow your passenger load, why wouldn’t you do it? There is obviously enough demand for airlines like Allegiant and Spirit to exist with other domestic carriers Southwest, Alaska and Virgin America as well.

Many feel that ultra low-cost carriers have started a race to the bottom for overall experience. I disagree. They have provided a cheaper option for people who care more about getting from point A to point B as cheaply as possible than they do about amenities. If you want to ride in style, you can still pay more to fly in first class on another airline, not have to pay any fees, get more room and even a meal. The “golden-age” style of flying still exists, but it will just cost you much more (like it did in the “good ol days”).

If you are still angry about all those airline fees, it is okay to be angry — just don’t blame the airlines. If you are going to blame anyone, blame those passengers who see them as a better overall deal and create the demand for airlines like Allegiant and Spirit to come along and fill.

Alright, let’s hear it… what do you think of these new/higher airline fees?

A huge thanks to Dan Webb for helping me with these numbers and to Joe (JX) for letting me use his photo.

Attention Seattle: Paine Field Aviation Day – MAY 19th

David Parker Brown — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:40:31 +0000

A view of General Aviation Day (now Paine Field Aviation Day) in 2010. Image by Liz Matzelle.

On Saturday, May 19th from 9:00am to 5:00pm, Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field – KPAE) and the Washington Pilots Association – Paine Field Chapter will present Paine Field Aviation Day and you should come.

Admission will be $5 per person or $10 for the entire family. Admission also includes free access to the Flying Heritage Collection and the Historic Flight Foundation. Parking is free and there will be shuttles running from three designated lots throughout the day. The shuttles will drop guests off at the FHC or HFF and there will also be shuttles inside the airport to take guests from one side of the event to the other.

This will be the 17th year that the event is held and provides a bunch of activities:

* FREE YOUNG EAGLES FLIGHTS (KIDS 8-17)
* FIRE FIGHTERS FLY DAY 5K AND PANCAKE BREAKFAST ($5/person • 9:00am to 11:00am • benefiting the Northwest Burn Foundation)
* STATIC AIRCRAFT DISPLAYS
* SCENIC HELICOPTER & BIPLANE FLIGHTS (additional cost)
* GREAT FOOD, VENDORS AND KIDS ACTIVITIES
* AVGEEKS FROM AROUND THE GREATER SEATTLE AREA

Not all the planes just sit on the ground. F7F Tigercat and F8F Bearcat in formation. Photo by Liz Matzelle.

From the WPA’s press release, “Come see the latest in general aviation aircraft as well as many of the airplanes owned and operated by local private pilots. Vintage aircraft and warbirds will be on display thanks to the participation of the Museum of Flight Restoration Center, Flying Heritage Collection, Historic Flight Foundation and Cascade Warbirds. Among these will be WWII aircraft and many pre-war military and civilian aircraft. Also, in conjunction with the 70th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, there will be up to 5 vintage B-25 aircraft on
display. Along with these fascinating and historic aircraft, there will be automobile displays, unlimited hydroplane displays, and some of Paine Field’s fire apparatus will also be on hand for kids to get an upclose look. Beginning at 12:00 pm, the warbirds will take flight, as well as formation flying by The Blackjack Squadron, the Cascade Warbirds and other aviation groups.”

SEE THE OFFICIAL FLYER

Aviation Week: Inside Pratt’s New Flying Testbed

David Parker Brown — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:27:04 +0000

Can you spot what is different about this Boeing 747SP (C-GTFF)? If you guessed the engine attached to the upper deck -- you win. Pratt & Whitney is testing the PW1200G engine. Photo by Guy Norris.

Guy Norris, with Aviation Week, recently posted an interesting story and photos on Pratt & Whitney’s flying test bed – a class Boeing 747SP. P&W is in the process of testing their PW1200G engine, that is slated to for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) and Norris was able to take a tour of the unique and classic aircraft.

P&W uses a Boeing 747SP that was originally delivered to Korean Airlines (reg HL7457) on January 30, 1980. It flew with the airline until it was placed into storage in 1998. Then in 2008, P&W purchased the 747SP to use for engine testing.

Big kudos to P&W for keeping a few rows of first class seats and the mural. For those who dream of the “golden age” of flying, those are the seats you used to fly in. Compare them to some of of the products available today: Emirates Airlines or Singapore Airlines first class product and really, how can you miss the “golden age” that much?

To see more photos and learn more about the testing check out Norris’ story on Aviation Week. Also check out additional photos of the 747SP on Airliners.net.

A Preview of LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner

David Parker Brown — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:45:44 +0000

Computer image of LOT's Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Image from LOT.

LOT Polish Airlines is using the addition of the 787 Dreamliner to their fleet as an opportunity to update their interior and livery. The airline describes the new interior as “modern and trendy yet an ethnic design inspired by tradition and famous symbols of Poland.”

Below are multiple photos showing what the new interior of the LOT’s 787 will look like. LOT will configure their Dreamliner with 18 seats in Business Class in a 2-2-2 layout, 21 seats in premium economy in a 2-3-2 layout and 213 seats in economy in a 3-3-3 layout.

LOT also announced that they plan to use the 787 Dreamliner on their Chicago to Warsaw route starting in January 2013.

Business Class mock up on the LOT 787. Image from LOT.

LOT's Business Class seats will be fold flat. Image from LOT.

Economy section of LOT's 787 Dreamliner. Image from LOT.

LOT's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the Boeing Factory floor in Everett. Photo from LOT.

Boeing 737 MAX to get a Radical Winglet with a Boring Name

David Parker Brown — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:00:37 +0000

High Resolution Image (click for larger) of what Boeing expects the winglet for the new 737 MAX will look like. Image from Boeing.

Last month, Boeing announced some of the design decisions for their new Boeing 737 MAX. However, there was no news on what their plans were for the winglets. Would they stay similar to those found on the 737 NG or would they go a more radical direction? Turns out somewhere in the middle.

Boeing is planning to go with a dual feather design that they are calling the “Advanced Technology” winglet (more on the name later). They are expecting the new winglet will save an additional 1.5% fuel burn versus the one currently on the 737.

737 MAX winglet video from Boeing“The Advanced Technology winglet demonstrates Boeing’s continued drive to improve fuel burn and the corresponding value to the customer. With this technology and others being built into the MAX, we will extend our leadership,” said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Boeing states in their press release, that the 737 MAX will provide an 18% fuel burn advantage over the current Airbus A320. Unfortunately, they fail to compare the MAX to the new Airbus A320neo.

According to Airbus, the A320neo will have a 15% better fuel burn advantage over the current A320, so it appears the 737 MAX and A320neo will most likely be quite competitive to one another. I expect that these numbers, for both aircraft, will continue to change during development, so don’t get attached to them. It is safe to say that the 737 and A320 will continue to be direct competitors.

The Boeing 737 MAX 7, 8 and 9 showing off the winglets selected. Image from Boeing.

I am all for improving the 737 and I love following the changes, but I have to say that I am not too happy with the names that Boeing is coming up with. Although the MAX name has grown on me a bit since when I first heard about it (I was really not a fan), can’t Boeing come up with a better (and cooler) name than “Advanced Technology winglet?” I almost fell asleep just typing out that name.

Airbus has already stated that they are putting new winglets on the A320s and are calling them “sharklets.” That is a great name.

Yes, I know an airline is not going to choose the A320neo vs the 737 MAX based on the names (at least they better not), but the 737 and its new winglet are products that are deserving of creative names. Boeing has a history of coming up with classic names (Stratocruiser, Clipper, Dreamliner, etc). I just don’t see “MAX” and “Advanced Technology winglet” going down in the history books quite in the same way.

See additional photos of the Boeing 737 MAX with new winglets on Boeing’s website.

Lufthansa Airlines Takes Delivery of Their First Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental

David Parker Brown — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:30:17 +0000

Lufthansa's first Boeing 747-8I (D-ABYA), taken from the Future of Flight's new flightline room. Photo by Sandy Ward / Future of Flight.

Today, Lufthansa Airlines took physical delivery of their first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental. Although the first 7478I was delivered back in February to the government of Qatar, this is the first Intercontinental to be delivered to an airline.

Lufthansa's Boeing 747-8I taxiing next to the Future of Flight. Photo by Chris Sloan / Airchive.com.

“We are excited and thrilled to welcome the 747-8 Intercontinental to our fleet,” said Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa German Airlines. “Our passengers will love the new interior, which includes our all-new full-flat business-class cabin.”

Lufthansa 747-8I (D-ABYA) takes off from Paine Field. Click for larger. Image from Boeing.

Lufthansa’s 747-8I will begin its first revenue flight on June 1st from Frankfurt to Washington, DC. The airline has 20 of the Intercontinentals on order and are expecting to take delivery of five more by the end of the year.

Video taken by PlaneInsightOfficially, the aircraft was delivered by Boeing on April 25th. Between the official delivery date and fly-off earlier today, the airline conducted airline-specific preparations before heading to Frankfurt, where it will be greeted with another celebration.

The First Class section in the nose of the Boeing 747-8I for Lufthansa. Click for larger. Photo by Boeing.

“We are very proud and pleased that Lufthansa is the airline launch customer for the 747-8 Intercontinental,” said Boeing’s Pat Shanahan, senior vice president, Airplane Programs, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Lufthansa has been a trusted partner for many years and has contributed greatly to making the 747 a truly beloved airplane around the world. We are excited for Lufthansa’s passengers to experience the incredible new Intercontinental — it is truly a Queen of the Skies for the 21st Century.”

Lufthansa's new Business Class seat on the Boeing 747-8I. Click for larger. Photo from Lufthansa.

Lufthansa will operate the 747-8I with a configuration of 362 seats (8 First Class, 92 Business Class and 262 Economy Class). The aircraft also debuted Lufthansa’s new Business Class product, which is in a “V” arrangement, where the seats fold flat.

A huge thanks for Chris Sloan (aka @AirChive and AirChive.com – seriously check out that site and his photos from today) for being so on top of covering this event via Twitter today.

MORE ON LUFTHANSA’S FIRST BOEING 747-8 INTERCONTINENTAL
(will be adding more as they become available)
* 200 Photos of today’s event from Chris Sloan
* Delivery day photos from the Seattle PI
* Photos from Boeing’s Randy Tinseth
* Previous photos/video from Lufthansa
* 747-8I Microsite

Airline Livery of the Week: Turkmenistan Airlines

David Parker Brown — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:00:53 +0000

Turkmenistan Airlines Boeing 737-700.

Turkmenistan Airlines was founded in 1992 and is the flag carrier of Turkmenistan. The airline operates an almost all Boeing fleet consisting of the 717, 737-300, 737-700, 737-800, Boeing 757-200, 777-200LR (in VIP configuration), An-2, Mi-8 and the Il-76TD used for cargo operations.

Turkmenistan Airlines carries out schedule flights to 15 different cities with-in Europe and Asia.

Their livery is simplistic, with just a green tail and engines, with matching green titles on the fuselage. Almost every livery looks best on the Boeing 757 and I think this one is no exception.

Image: Andrew Seiber

Photo Tour of Emirates Airline Crew Training in Dubai

David Parker Brown — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:45:23 +0000

Yes. The building is designed to look like an airliner. Only in Dubai.

It was surreal pulling up to the Emirates Airline training facility in Dubai to find that part of the building was designed to look like an airliner — engines and all. In retrospect, it shouldn’t be too surprising, since this is the land of bigger and better and Emirates Airline seems to fit right in.

Emirates currently has a fleet of over 175 aircraft, flying to 120 destinations and they have no plans to slow down their growth. The airline hopes to hire around 4,000 additional cabin crew by the end of 2012.

Emirates is not an airline that cares only about the number of employees, but also the quality. They hire people from around the world to train to be some of the best flight crew in the world and Emirates Aviation College in Dubai is where every new hire will start.

A Majlis, where students learn about the Emirates culture and the cultures of others.

Each week, about 80-120 near new trainees will start their seven week long educational journey. Each class is comprised of people from around the world, making Emirate’s employees some of the most diverse. At any given time, there are about 130 nationalities represented among the trainees and about 70 among the the trainers.

One of the first steps of every trainee is learning about Arabic hospitality and about the other cultures represented among the company and passengers in a themed roomed call the Majlis room. The crew’s diversity helps them easily interact with many of the passengers that will be flying on the airline.

Flight Stewardesses train how to properly serve passengers in this Airbus A380 mock interior trainer.

One can only learn so much by reading out of a book or being lectured to. That is why each trainee is given hands on experience in one of the interior cabin mock-ups. From greeting passengers to learning what order to serve them food, to pointing out how to operate the on-board showers, the mock ups provide opportunities for students to learn new ways of doing things and to learn from their mistakes.

Each trainee is taught how each cabin is designed to give their passengers a unique experience. Emirates tries to make first class passengers feel like they are on a private jet, where business class passengers will receive a “my retreat” experience and finally a “surprising treat” type encounter for economy.

Part-time Emirates Trainer and Senior Flight Stewardess Lisa Williamson works the bar in the Airbus A380 trainer.

One part of the training is learning when it might be best to start weaning a passenger off alcohol, when they have had one too many. This can be more of a challenge when that passenger is in a public space, like the business and first class bar on board an Emirates Airbus A380. Unlike a bar on the ground, a drunk person cannot be kicked out. It takes a certain skill level to cut a person’s alcohol without insulting them. Lisa Williamson, part-time Emirates Trainer and Senior Flight Stewardess, explained how Emirates follows a delay, distract, dilute and then, deny strategy.

Every flight stewardess learns how to properly wear their uniform and wear make-up.

A group of Emirates flight crew walking in an airport garners attention — and for good reason. Their outfit is one that stands out and each trainee must go through training on how to wear their uniform, style their hair, apply their make up and of course on how to properly wear their signature red hat.

Emirates Boeing 777 safety trainer is able to move on three axis, providing realistic scenarios inside the cabin.

Although learning how flight crew should properly wear make up is interesting enough, getting to the training pool with a mock up for the Boeing 777, Airbus A380 and A330/A340 is much more aligned with my interests.

Unlike other safety training mock-ups I have seen, both the 777 and A340/A330 trainers are able to move on 3-axis. Due to the size of the larger A380 trainer, it did not move and was stationary.

New trainees practice helping a passenger who is passed out down the slide.

In the aircraft training room there is a pool that is surrounded by all three aircraft mock-ups. On one side, crew are able to practice water evacuations, where on the the other side, slides allow trainees the ability to practice sliding to the ground. This can be a mentally and physically challenging part of training and those flight crew that are not able (or un-willing) to go down the slide, are unable to continue the overall training program.

Emirates Airbus A380 and A340/A330 Safety Trainer.

Like most other things in Dubai, the aircraft training room was huge — it has to be. There was no shortage of eye candy watching both the A330/340 and Boeing 777 trainers rocking and rolling, hearing trainees yell for their training and seeing them jump out of the slides. I probably could have stayed in that room all day — heck probably all week.

Unfortunately during out visit, there was no one who jumped into the pool.

Who needs Disney Land, when you can take a ride on an Airbus A380 upper-deck slide.

The photo above does not accurately convey how steep and long the upper deck slide on the Airbus A380 is from the top to the ground. It made me feel a bit nervous just standing on the ground and I could imagine that some trainees would have some hesitation sliding down for the first time. At first glance, the facility might seem like fun and games, but crews are practicing worse case scenarios on how to keep passengers safe and how to save lives.

From providing the best customer service as possible, to helping passengers in a disastrous situation, the Emirates Airline Crew Training facility prepares everyone to have a successful career with the airline.

SEE ALL 35 PHOTOS OF EMIRATES TRAINING FACILITY

All Nippon Airways to Launch Seattle Service on July 25th Using Boeing 777

David Parker Brown — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:53:05 +0000

ANA Boeing 777. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.

Christmas has come a bit early for those of us that live in Seattle. All Nippon Airways (ANA) has recently announced that they will start service from Tokyo’s Narita Airport (NRT) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) a bit early this year.

Previously, ANA announced starting service between NRT and SEA using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner during the second half of financial year 2012 (October 2012-March 2013), but now they will start the service on July 25th using a Boeing 777-300ER. According to a press release, the airline, “has decided to launch the route ahead of schedule in order to capture passenger demand over the busy summer season.” ANA is still planning to change the route to a 787 Dreamliner later in the fiscal year.

The initial Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will be configured with a total of 247 seats (85 business class, 162 economy). ANA will configure their 787 on the route with 158 seats – 46 business class seats and 112 economy class seats.

ANA currently operates eight US daily routes and Seattle will become the ninth. ANA will be the first airline to operate the 787 Dreamliner out of Seattle.

United Airlines, a Star Alliance partner of ANA, currently operates a daily flight from SEA to NRT using a Boeing 777-200 and some have questioned if United would reduce or eliminate their service. When I asked United about their future plans for the route, they replied with, “No changes planned.”

Music Video to Commemorate a Lost Bag

David Parker Brown — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:45:28 +0000

To be honest, when I received an email saying a frustrated passenger made a music video to let off some steam after an airline lost his bag, I was very close to deleting it. First off, this concept as been done and secondly — well — sometimes bags get lost and it is by no means is it a good thing, but surely not something to write a story on.

However, I am glad I took the time to click on the link and watch the video. Turns out the bag lost held quite a bit of video equipment worth good money. This meant that the passenger was out his stuff, but he still had the skills to make this classy music video.

Hopefully someday his bag will show up, but until then, enjoy the music.