What is AirlineReporter?
Welcome, and thank you stopping by, where we love to share our passion for aviation, travel and the airline industry since July 23, 2008. We are a team of writers, located around the world who love airlines. We have flown over 2,000,000 miles to bring engaging content to our readers. Most of us are working professionals, who want to share our passion with you.
There are many negative voices about the airline business out there and we try to provide the context behind the stories. Many people see airlines as an “evil” business and that flying “is not like it used to be.” AirlineReporter tries to remind folks that flying can still be a magical experience and it is not like the way it used to be; in many cases it is better.
We hit a broad audience of aviation fans, frequent fliers, people who work in the airline business, and others in the media that cover aviation. We are proud of the impact we have made with our hundreds of thousands of readers each month and our strong social media presence, with over 120,000 engaged Twitter followers.
We have been on, written for, or quoted on a number of different media sources, including: CNN, Washington Post, BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, Costco Connection, Reuters, CTV (Canada AM), CBC, NPR, Marketplace, FOX, AOL Travel, 9News Australia, Huffington Post, Forbes, APEX magazine, USA Today, KING5, MSNBC (now NBC News), Puget Sound Business Journal, Seattle Times, Gadling, Alaska Airlines’ Blog, and others.
Have questions? Story ideas? Maybe share your own story? Cool. Email our Editor-in-Chief and Founder, David Parker Brown, directly at da***@ai*************.com.
The AvGeeks Running the Show:
David Parker Brown
Editor-in-Chief & Founder – Seattle, WA
@ARdpb | Flickr | YouTube | Stories Written | da***@ai*************.com
David has written, consulted, and presented on multiple topics relating to airlines and travel since 2008. He has a genuine passion for sharing the complexities and benefits of the airline business. The aviation-bug got him during his first flight, when he was six months old, strapped in a baby seat in the back of a Bonanza. He has a background in higher education, public relations, entrepreneurship, and has been “blogging” since 1999.
As a bit of a Trekkie, he was quite excited when William Shatner called him an “aviation expert,” when he did a piece for his Weird of What Show in 2012. He has also earned a (good or bad) reputation for wearing a top hat, during VIP events.
Blaine Nickeson
Managing Editor – Denver, CO
@bnickeson | Stories Written | bl****@ai*************.com
Blaine is an enthusiast of all things airplanes, airlines, and miles. Due to his family being split on opposite sides of the country, Blaine traveled frequently as a child, falling in love with the flying experience, and has continued to travel ever since. For AirlineReporter, Blaine edits all content before publishing, assists in story and concept development, and takes every chance he gets to produce original content for the site. When Blaine’s not busy planning his next travel adventure, he spends his time working as a college administrator. If he can’t be on an airplane, he’d prefer to be on a bicycle or playing with his two kids and wife.
Francis Zera
Editor-at-Large – Seattle, WA
Francis Zera is a Seattle-based architectural, aerial, aviation, and commercial photographer, a freelance photojournalist, and a confirmed AvGeek.
JL Johnson
Managing Correspondent – Lee’s Summit, MO.
@User47 | Instagram | YouTube | Stories Written | **@ai*************.com
JL joined AirlineReporter in 2012 and has since become one of our most tenured and prolific writers. His passions include catalyzing AvGeek passion in others, spending too much time on Twitter, and frequent travel. While he’s always looking for the next big adventure, home is with his growing AvGeek family in a Midwest suburb.
Manu Venkat
Senior Correspondent – New York, NY
Manu got his private pilot license in high school, setting the tone for his interest in all things aviation. He earned his frequent flyer credentials working as a journalist, and is now a medical resident in New York City. He enjoys writing about air travel from a millennial’s perspective.
What is an AvGeek?
We proudly call ourselves AvGeeks and so do most of our readers. What’s an AvGeek, you ask? Here are some stories to check out:
- What is an AvGeek? I am an #AvGeek & Hear Me Roar! on AirlineReporter
- Aviation geeks, a flight club set on solving Malaysia mystery on CNN
- Antonov’s AvGeek Maker: The An-225 Mriya on AirlineReporter
- As Other Paparazzi Chase Kardashians, These Guys Stalk Dreamliners on Bloomberg
- I did the Spirit Bare Fare… for Science on AirlineReporter
- Wow! Making planes in the world’s biggest building on CNN
- #Avgeeks: The new warriors on terror on CNN