Connectivity
Venmo takes flight on Southwest
Travelers can now add "Southwest Airlines WiFi" to their Venmo payment comments and really mean it. The airline, in partnership with in-flight WiFi provider Anuvu, added the payment option to its on board portal in recent weeks.
paxex.aero
LATAM picks Intelsat 2Ku for connectivity growth
LATAM will extend its in-flight WiFi portfolio across all its A320 family planes, thanks to a new deal with Intelsat. The company expects to install the 2Ku system across up to 160 existing and new aircraft in the years ahead.
paxex.aero
Cabin Design
Finnair long-haul revamp: New business class and premium economy cabins on offer
Finnair unveiled a revamped long-haul offering, including the introduction of a brand new business class seat and the company's first foray into premium economy. The 200 million euro investment will see the first planes fitted with renewed products flying later this Spring. The full complement of A350 and A330 aircraft will carry the new product within two years.
paxex.aero
Loyalty
Aeromexico to Buy Aimia's Loyalty Program Stake for $405 Million
A death knell for coalition loyalty? Or just the pendulum swinging back as airlines are able to restructure operations (and debt) thanks to bankruptcy proceedings. Either way, Aeromexico is ready to bring loyalty back in-house, chipping away at Aimia's holdings.
skift.com
Other Industry News
Mesa looks to the sea for its next electric regional aviation adventure
To say that Mesa Airlines expects its operations to look dramatically different at the end of this decade would be a significant understatement. The company's third electric aircraft deal, signed last week, could be the most interesting, as it takes on planes that are not exactly planes, with notable differences in the regulatory environment.
paxex.aero
Frontier, Spirit announce plans to merge
Frontier Airlines and Sprit Airlines intend to merge, creating a new 5th largest airline in the US. And, while they're both ULCC players, the way they operate is somewhat different. Integration decisions will be very, very interesting.
paxex.aero
Norse Atlantic Mimics Norwegian Air With UK-U.S. Plans
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. And a long-haul airline based in Norway but operating its 787s from multiple other European countries to the USA is a lot like Norwegian. Even if Norse Atlantic's CEO keeps trying to claim otherwise.
airlineweekly.com
SKT and Joby Join Forces to Bring Air Taxi Service to South Korea | Joby
No timeline in the release makes it a little hard to get excited about this announcement. But the potential for eVTOL across Korea took a step forward thanks to a deal between Joby and SK Telecom.
jobyaviation.com