May Dispatches
Global's "A380 experience" flights, airport hotels, Polaris Studios, and more
Notes from the runway
I was bike sharing around Miami Beach last week and the thought struck me: how did we get around cities that lack robust transit options before micro mobility (bike share, scooters, etc.)? All of my trips there were around a mile to a mile-and-a-half; distances that I feel are slightly too far for a casual walk but too short to warrant a taxi or ride share. Upon further reflection, my guess was that walking or taking a taxi — maybe some long-past bus service? — were probably the only options in the pre-micro mobility days. It was a good reminder how much micro mobility has changed how we get around our cities. Yes, these services have their issues but the fact that, within a decade or so, dozens of cities have enabled more people to get around without the need of a car, I’d argue, is a net positive. And heck, cycling or scootering around is fun too.
Words
Airport hotels are no longer dominated by the staid, cheap, bed-for-a-night abodes that were standard for so many decades. New accommodations hark back to the luxury of early aviation and feature top-notch amenities that are so nice that some even mark anniversaries at them. (The Washington Post)
An all-A380 startup airline? Yeah, I’m skeptical. But Global Airlines has made it further than I expected with the first of a pair of “A380 experience” charter flights operating earlier in May. (CNN Travel)
Some thoughts on United’s Polaris update, and the new Polaris Studio (cough*first class*cough).
JetBlue wants a partner that’s not American, and will get its loyalty program members to “Omaha or Boise.” Reports suggest that a deal with United may be near. (The Points Guy)
Alaska also saw US travel demand slow in the first quarter and, guess what, executives said outlook looks bright-ish. Shocking, right? Plus, California, loyalty, and premium. (The Points Guy)
American plans seven new O’Hare routes this winter. Cathay Pacific landed at DFW. LATAM is back on Miami-Buenos Aires, Arajet headed to Boston, and Avelo joining the premium brigade. (The Points Guy)
Reading
I remember when Boeing, by weaponizing trade policy, drove Bombardier’s CSeries into the hands of Airbus. What seemed like a great deal for the European airframer — and initially for the plane, rechristened the A220 — is, seven years on, an aircraft program in crisis, reported Aviation Week’s Jens Flottau.
JetZero, with its blended-wing airplane concept, is a startup I’m watching.
The new LAX Metro station will open June 6 but travelers will have to wait until at least early 2026 for the automated tram to the terminals.
Speaking of Los Angeles, Alissa Walker asks in her newsletter Torched, what if, with the Trump administration’s anti-foreigner policies, the world does not come for the upcoming World Cup and 2028 Olympics?
I love flying but this piece in The Guardian makes me want to take a Eurail adventure with my kids.
On the topic of kids, a big congratulations to Alexandra Lange for her Pulitzer Prize win for a Bloomberg CityLab series on family-friendly urbanism. My personal favorite is the piece on courtyard housing:
“In an urban setting, the barrier that the contemporary parent has to letting their child out the door, thinking about the car-dominated city where they are unable to play in the street — the courtyard is a natural alternative.”
Uber is the new bus.
Regular readers know I like to explore places by foot or bike. Keith Taillon’s “Walking New York: Manhattan History on Foot” looks like a great way to explore the city. Thanks
!I’m skeptical of Airbnb’s transformation from a holiday accommodation app to an all-encompassing platform (I also tend to more a DIY traveler than one who books things). A good long-read on the plans and CEO Brian Chesky from Wired. An initial skim of new “experience” options was uninspiring.
Marriott’s purchase of CitizenM is disappointing. In addition to CitizenM’s excellently designed rooms, I appreciate that they are not part of a major chain.
Listening
"An airport should be a building that starts your flight with a first glimpse of it and increases your anticipation after you arrive. The spirit of flight inside and out, and nothing less will do.”
- Former TWA President Ralph Damon to Eero Saarinen in the 1950s
More on Saarinen’s TWA Flight Center and the evolution of airport’s on the BBC’s The Forum.
Confused by what’s going on at Newark airport? Listen to this episode of What Next:TBD with The Air Current’s Will Guisbond.
