Delta adds new services to Seattle-Tacoma

By BA Staff

Delta 737NG. Boeing photo.

Delta Air Lines will add new daily non-stop flights to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from San Diego International Airport and Portland International Airport as well as an additional flight from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, beginning next year. The new service will provide customers with convenient connections to the airline's growing international network from Seattle.

Delta's new and expanded Seattle service includes:

• Four new daily nonstop flights from San Diego beginning June 2, 2014.
• Four new daily nonstop flights from Portland, Ore. beginning Sept. 2, 2014.
• One summer seasonal flight from Anchorage, Alaska beginning June 5, 2014 in addition to returning seasonal service which begins on May 23, 2014.

In addition, Delta is adding double Medallion Qualification Miles to its recently announced Seattle double miles campaign. SkyMiles members now have the opportunity to earn double miles and double Medallion Qualification Miles for Seattle service between Anchorage, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego and San Francisco on all Delta-marketed and Delta or Delta Connection-operated flights through Oct. 31, 2014

Mike Medeiros, Delta's vice president – Seattle said:

"We have continued to strategically add service from key markets in an effort to support passenger demand for our expanding international destinations. Delta's most recent additions will provide our customers with one-stop access to and from several of the top international and domestic destinations via our growing global gateway in Seattle."

Delta's new service from San Diego and Portland will be operated by Delta Connection carrier SkyWest Airlines using 76-seat, two-class CRJ-900s. The additional Anchorage-Seattle seasonal service will be operated with a Boeing 737-800. Each aircraft is equipped with First Class and Economy Comfort seating as well as onboard Wi-Fi.

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Alaska Airlines starts service between Seattle and Colorado Springs and Seattle and Omaha

By BA Staff

Alaska Airlines is inaugurating daily service between Seattle and Colorado Springs, Colo., starting Nov. 1, and between Seattle and Omaha, Nebraska, starting Nov. 7. The flight schedule is shown below:

Summary of new service:
Start date	City pair	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
Nov. 1	Seattle-Colorado Springs	6:20 p.m.	9:55 p.m.	Daily
Nov. 2	Colorado Springs-Seattle	8:00 a.m.	9:55 a.m.	Daily
Start date	City pair	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
Nov. 7	Seattle-Omaha	10:40 a.m.	3:45 p.m.	Daily
Nov. 7	Omaha-Seattle	4:15 p.m.	5:45 p.m.	Daily

Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing said:

"We're thrilled to give our customers in the Pacific Northwest even more great places to fly. In addition to our new flights from Seattle to Colorado Springs and Omaha, we're also starting new flights this month from Portland, Oregon, to Tucson, Arizona, and Reno, Nevada. No one offers more nonstop flights from the Pacific Northwest than Alaska Airlines."

To celebrate the new flights, Alaska Airlines is offering one-way fares starting from $99 between Seattle and Colorado Springs and $159 between Seattle and Omaha. Tickets must be purchased by Nov. 3 for travel through Feb. 28, 2014.

Flights will be operated by SkyWest Airlines using 70-seat CRJ-700 regional jets. Customers can receive soft drinks and Starbucks coffee, A la Cart planeside baggage service, and complimentary Northwest wine and microbrews for passengers 21 years and older.

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Alaska Airlines offers double frequent flier miles from Seattle

By BA Staff

Alaska Airlines is offering members of its Mileage Plan™ frequent flyer programme, double miles on nonstop flights between Seattle and five Californian cities and Las Vegas, till May 31, 2014.

Alaska customers can earn double miles on all flights between Seattle and Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Rosa and Las Vegas. The double miles will also count toward status in the airline's MVP and MVP Gold elite-level programs.

Caroline Boren, Alaska Airlines' managing director of loyalty marketing and customer advocacy said:

"With 62 flights a day between California and Seattle, earning miles and elite status in our award-winning Mileage Plan is easier and faster with Alaska Airlines than any other carrier."

The threshold for Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan members to earn MVP status is only 20,000 miles — 5,000 fewer miles than most other airline frequent flier programs.

Two roundtrip flights between Seattle and Los Angeles would earn enough miles with the double miles offer to qualify for a one-way intra-state award ticket, which requires only 7,500 miles. Double miles are valid on all revenue fare categories on Alaska Airlines

Sample double miles earned: 

Seattle-Los Angeles	1,908 miles roundtrip	3,816 with double miles
Seattle-Las Vegas	1,732 miles roundtrip	3,464 with double miles
Seattle-San Jose	1,392 miles roundtrip	2,784 with double miles
Seattle-San Francisco	1,356 miles roundtrip	2,712 with double miles
Seattle-Oakland	1,342 miles roundtrip	2,684 with double miles
Seattle-Santa Rosa	1,236 miles roundtrip	2,472 with double miles

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Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner successfully completes first flight

by Devesh Agarwal

The second member of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family, the 787-9 successfully completed its first flight, beginning a comprehensive flight-test program leading to certification and delivery in mid-2014. The aircraft performed a 5-hour, 16-minute flight, taking off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington state, at 11:02 a.m. local time and landing at 4:18 p.m. at Seattle's Boeing Field.

Boeing 787-9, line number ZB001 registration N787EX, takes off for its first flight

The 787-9 has its fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters) over the 787-8 which is flying with many airlines including Air India. The 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 kilometres).

787-9 Senior Project Pilot Mike Bryan and 787 Chief Pilot Randy Neville departed to the north. During the flight the reached an altitude of 20,400 feet (6,218 meters) and an airspeed of 250 knots, or about 288 miles (463 kilometers) per hour, customary for a first flight. The two Captains tested the aircraft's systems and structures, while on-board equipment transmitted real-time data to a flight-test team on the ground in Seattle.

Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, the first 787-9 will be joined in flight test by two additional airplanes, one of which will feature General Electric GEnx engines. The additional airplanes are in the final stages of assembly in Boeing's Everett factory.

Boeing says it is on track to deliver the 787-9 to launch customer Air New Zealand in mid-2014. Twenty-five customers from around the world have ordered 388 787-9s, accounting for 40 percent of all 787 orders. National carrier Air India has ordered 27 787-8s only, and no 787-9. Jet Airways has 10 787-8s on order with no purchase options (though it can shift these orders to other Boeing products).

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Alaska Airlines Inaugurates New Flights Between Portland, Ore., and Dallas/Fort Worth

By BA Staff

Starting today, Alaska Airlines will inaugurate nonstop service between Portland, Oregon and Dallas/Fort Worth.

Joe Sprague, the airline's vice president of marketing, had this to say about the route:

"Portland-Dallas is the eighth new route we've added from the Rose City since June of last year. Our customers will not only enjoy convenient nonstop flights, but also seamless connecting opportunities throughout North America via our partner American Airlines at its hub in Dallas/Fort Worth."

The schedules for the new service are as follow:

Start Date	City Pair	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
Sept. 16	Portland - Dallas	10:15 A.M.	4:04 P.M.	Daily
Sept. 16	Dallas - Portland	5:00 P.M.	6:59 P.M.	Daily

To celebrate the new service, Alaska Airlines is offering a one-way fare of $129*. Fares must be purchased by Sept. 19, require a 14-day advance purchase, and are valid for travel from Sept. 30 through Nov. 20, 2013. 

Alaska Airlines has inaugurated service from Portland to seven other destinations since June 2012, including Atlanta, Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., the Hawaiian island of Kauai, Fairbanks, Alaska, Bozeman, Mont., Pasco, Wash., and Santa Barbara, Calif.

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British Airways long haul network changes: Summer 2014

by BA Staff

London based full service carrier British Airways has already begun to announce changes to its long haul network for the Summer 2014 season. Bangalore Aviation has prepared a summary of those changes below.

London Heathrow

• Accra - 10x weekly service introduced for Winter 2013/14 continues and sees capacity increase from daily Boeing 777 + thrice weekly Boeing 767 to daily 747-400 plus thrice weekly 767.
• Austin - NEW nonstop route to be served 5x weekly with Boeing 787 Dreamliner beginning 3rd March 2014, and up-gauged to daily from 4th May. 
• Entebbe - Service increases from 3x weekly to 4x weekly
• Jeddah - Upgraded from 3-class 767 to 4-class 777
• Johannesburg - Frequency decreased from 17x weekly in Summer 2013 to 14x weekly in Summer 2014: 8x weekly 747-400, 6x Airbus A380
• Los Angeles - Capacity decreased from 3x daily 747-400 to 2x daily A380
• Seattle - Frequency increased from 10x weekly introduced for Winter 2013/14 to 12x weekly: now daily 777 plus 5x weekly 747-400
• Tel Aviv- One of 3x daily flights up-gauged from 3-class Airbus A321 to 4-class 777

London Gatwick

• Antigua - Punta Cana - Increases from 2x weekly to 3x weekly 777
• Kingston - Increases from 3x weekly to 4x weekly
• Orlando - Increases from 10x weekly to 13x weekly
• St. Lucia - Increases from 6x weekly to 7x weekly

All changes are Summer 2014 vs. Summer 2013 unless otherwise noted

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Delta to add Seattle - Hong Kong and Seattle - Seoul

Yesterday, Atlanta-based full service carrier Delta Air Lines announced that it would be adding new daily nonstop services from its Asian gateway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Hong Kong International Airport and Seoul-Incheon International Airport. The flights will begin June 2nd, and June 16th, 2014 respectively, and come soon after the carrier ended services between Seattle and Osaka - Kansai Find more details below.

21st August 2013

SEATTLE, Aug. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) will add new daily nonstop service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Seoul-Incheon International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport (both subject to government approval) beginning June 2 and June 16, 2014, respectively. Tickets will be available for purchase Aug. 24, 2013.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO )

"By offering new service from Seattle to Seoul and Hong Kong, Delta will now offer customers service to the top five destinations in Asia," said Mike Medeiros, Delta's vice president – Seattle. "Our expanding Seattle network, combined with investments in our aircraft, the airport and the community shows our commitment to become Seattle's premier international carrier."

Medeiros was recently tapped to lead Delta's overall Seattle strategy, which encompasses expanding airport operations, alliance partnerships, corporate customers and government and community involvement.

Delta is able to offer new service to Seoul and Hong Kong due to strong support of from its local Seattle and Pacific Northwest customers as well as its strategic partnership with Alaska Airlines. The new service will complement existing service to Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo. All five destinations are the leading commercial centers in the region, a benefit for corporate customers traveling between the U.S. and Asia.

With these additions, Delta will serve 17 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region primarily via its U.S. gateways of Detroit, Seattle and Los Angeles, and via its hub in Narita. Since 2009, Delta's Pacific capacity has increased over 20 percent, driven in large part by the development of Detroit and Seattle into core Asia gateways.

Like all of Delta's trans-Pacific flights, the new Seoul and Hong Kong services feature full-flat bed seats in BusinessElite – each with direct aisle access – as well as Economy Comfort seating and in-flight entertainment in every seat throughout the aircraft. Delta's BusinessElite service includes a five-course gourmet meal, paired with a wine menu curated by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson. The in-flight experience is completed with Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding, which includes exclusively designed pillows and comforters, as well as Tumi amenity kits with products from Malin+Goetz.  Every seat throughout the aircraft offers a personal on-demand entertainment system featuring an extensive library of movies, TV shows, music and games.

The Seoul flight will operate using a 210-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 35 full-flat bed seats in BusinessElite, 32 seats in Economy Comfort and 143 Economy class seats.

Hong Kong service will operate using a 234-seat Airbus 330-200 aircraft with 34 full-flat bed seats in BusinessElite, 32 seats in Economy Comfort and 168 Economy class seats.

Seattle is one of Delta's fastest-growing international gateways and last month the airline announced new nonstop service to London-Heathrow Airport beginning in March 2014. Since May, Delta service in Seattle has expanded from 33 peak-day departures to 13 destinations to its current schedule of 44 peak-day departures to 18 destinations, including six international markets. Delta has also invested $14 million in its facilities at Sea-Tac, including its recently completed lobby renovations, new Delta Sky Club, Sky Priority services, new gate area power recharging stations and expanded ticket counters.

Flight details for Seattle-Seoul service

Delta 199

D: SEA at noon A: ICN at 3:30 p.m. (following day)

Begins June 2, 2014

Delta 198 D: ICN at 5:20 p.m. A: SEA at 12:05 p.m. (same day)

Begins June 3, 2014

Flight details for Seattle-Hong Kong service

Delta 139 D: SEA at 1:30 p.m. A: HKG at 6:45 p.m. (following day)

Begins June 16, 2014

Delta 138 D: HKG at 10:00 a.m. A:SEA at 7:55 a.m. (same day)

Begins June 18, 2014

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Video highlights of Airbus A350 AWB maiden flight vs. Boeing 787 first flight

In case you missed the first flight of Airbus' newest aircraft the A350 XWB on June 14th, below are the video highlights.



Compare with the first flight video highlights of the Boeing 787 3.5 years earlier, on December 15, 2009. Both flights picture perfect. The US airframer was gallant in congratulating its main competitor for its achievement.

We congratulate @Airbus on today’s first flight achievement.

— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) June 14, 2013

Have a great week ahead.

Videos courtesy Airbus S.A.S. and Boeing

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Finally!!! Boeing delivers first Boeing 747-8F freighter to Cargolux. Second today.

by Vinay Bhaskara

On 12th October, Boeing finally delivered the first new generation Boeing 747-8F freighter to Cargolux, ending a three week dispute with the carrier over compensation for the aircraft. The aircraft bears registration number LC-VCB.

Click on image for a high resolution view

Cargolux was seeking additional compensation due to performance shortfalls of the 747-8F with regards to fuel burn, though numerous analysts have speculated that the true issue may have been the effect of 787 delays on Cargolux's new owners -- Qatar Airways. The resulting negotiations forced Boeing to cancel a lavish three day delivery event planned for the original delivery date of 19-September, but Cargolux did take delivery of the aircraft in a more muted ceremony on Wednesday.

The deal between Boeing and Cargolux was announced on Wednesday morning by Boeing Commercial Airplane's marketing chief Randy Tinseth on his blog, and at 11:55 am; the first Cargolux 747-8F took off from Paine Field bound for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where it would pick up a cargo load and begin revenue service. Boeing will deliver a second 747-8F, registration LC-VCD to Cargolux today.

Meanwhile, Boeing has also announced that it will be delivering just one Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental (the passenger version of the 747-8F) in 2011, down from a planned total of 5. The first 747-8i will be delivered to a private customer.

Delivery of the first 747-8i to the first airline operator, Lufthansa is targeted for early spring (March~May) of 2012.

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Emirates to begin flights to Seattle; Dallas-Fort Worth

by Vinay Bhaskara

Emirates, the world's fastest growing airline, announced today an expansion of its North American network. Beginning February 2nd, 2012, Emirates will serve Dallas-Fort worth once daily nonstop from Dubai. On March 1st, 2012, they will also add daily flights to Seattle-Tacoma.

Emirates flights to Dallas will be served with 266 seat Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The aircraft are configured with 8 first class seats, 42 business class seats, and 216 economy class seats. The economy class seats are configured in 10-abreast seating (10 seats per row) with seat pitch of 32 inches and seat width of 17 inches. Flight schedules for Dallas-Fort Worth are as follows:

EK221 ~ DXB 0245 - DFW 0905 ~ Daily 777-200LR
EK222 ~ DFW 1150 - DXB 1220 (+1) ~ Daily 777-200LR

Emirates 777-200

Meanwhile, the flights to Seattle-Tacoma will be served by 360 seat Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with 8 first class seats, 42 business class seats, and 310 seats in economy class. Economy class seating is 10-abreast with identical seat pitch and seat width of 32 inches and 17 inches respectively. The flight schedules for Seattle-Tacoma are as follows

EK229 ~ DXB 0950 - SEA 1310 ~ Daily 777-300ER
EK230 ~ SEA 1710 - DXB 1940 (+1) ~ Daily 777-300ER

Emirates Boeing 777-300ER

Business class for both aircraft features fully lie-flat seats, with full private suites available to first class passengers. Both routes will also feature Emirates' ICE seat-back entertainment system for passengers of all classes.

Furthermore, Emirates will be enhancing its passenger experience at one of its existing US gateways in San Francisco with a new Emirates Lounge. According to the carrier:

Located in the International Terminal's Boarding Area "A," the new Emirates Lounge will be a two-level haven for First and Business class passengers comprised of more than 9,500 square feet.... All Emirates Lounges feature a business centre with individual work stations and complimentary broadband and wireless LAN access. Emirates Airport Services staff manage the lounge at all times, while on-site chefs ensure passengers have a wide selection of food and beverages round-the-clock featuring both hot and cold dishes. The dining area also offers a full bar service, including champagne.

Dallas-Fort Worth and Seattle-Tacoma become the 5th and 6th destinations for Emirates in North America. The carrier already serves New York (JFK), Los Angeles, Houston, and San Francisco in the United States. Furthermore, it plans to add a 7th US destination in 2012 (location undisclosed as of now). It is surprising to some however, that Emirates chose to expand in Dallas-Fort Worth and Seattle-Tacoma, given that Chicago, Washington-DC, and even to an extent Boston are all larger markets. However, Chicago is served from the Middle East by rival carriers Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, and Qatar serves Washington DC as well.

The links between Boeing and Emirates are certainly a driving factor behind the new route to Seattle. Emirates is the world's largest operator of Boeing 777 aircraft. According to statistics from the Brookings Institution, there were roughly US $1.7 billion worth of exports from the Seattle area to the UAE, primarily Boeing aircraft. The combination of aerospace links with the Asia-Pacific region, and tech links (think Microsoft etc.) with much of the world provide a solid base of business traffic for the route.

Meanwhile Dallas-Fort Worth has large general business links with Asia and Africa. But even larger is the VFR (visiting family and relatives) travel market. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has one of the largest Asian populations in the US (and was once home to one of Bangalore Aviation's co-authors), and other carriers (such as Korean Air) have found a niche serving this large leisure market.

Both markets have large links with India as well, and Emirates quickly becomes the most convenient option to the majority of Indian destinations from Seattle and Dallas. US Census data from 2010 indicates that the Dallas Fort Worth MSA has a non-resident Indian (NRI) population of 100,386, while Seattle-Tacoma's MSA is home to 52,652 NRIs. Both flights are timed to connect into Emirates' various banks of Indian flights.

However, Emirates' 10-abreast seating in economy class is notoriously uncomfortable with just 17 inches of seat width. Meanwhile, other options for travel to India such as Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Jet Airways, and even Air India offer 9-abreast seating on their 777s, with a much more comfortable 18.5-19 inches of seat width.

Regardless, kudos to Emirates for expanding its business further in the US. There are a total of 10-15 destinations in the US that can support Emirates service, and as more aircraft arrive in the coming months, expect them to further expand their US services.

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Photos: Lufthansa rolls out their first Boeing 747-8i. Delivery scheduled for Feb 13th

By Devesh Agarwal and Vinay Bhaskara

Late on September 4th, 2011, the first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental rolled out of a paint hangar near Boeing’s Everett Factory in Seattle in full Lufthansa colors. This first aircraft, which will be registered as D-ABYA, will undergo stringent ground tests ahead of planned initial test flights beginning in November.


As per Boeing, this first aircraft is tentatively scheduled to be delivered to the German airline on Feburary 13, 2012 and enter service in spring of 2012.


Lufthansa is the launch customer of the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, a stretched re-engine of the popular Boeing 747-400 aircraft. According to Lufthansa:

“The Boeing 747-8 has been stretched by six metres compared with the Boeing 747-400. The new Jumbo measures 76.3 metres in length, making it the world’s longest passenger airliner. The Boeing 747-8 is also setting new standards in terms of sustainability. For example, the redesigned wings with their state-of-the-art profile and ranked wingtips give the aircraft an aerodynamic advantage. In addition, the newly developed GEnx-2B67 engines offer greater fuel efficiency as well as reduced emissions and noise levels. The Boeing 747-8 consumes 13 per cent less fuel than the Boeing 747-400.”

Lufthansa has firm orders for 20 Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental aircraft, which are scheduled to be delivered between 2012 and 2015. The carrier also has further purchase options for 20 more examples.


India is a large recepient of Lufthansa's existing Boeing 747-400 fleet, with the carrier operating the Jumbo jet to Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai out of a total six destinations to India. Clarification: Lufthansa will be suspending service to its seventh destination Hyderabad next month.


With the Government of India sitting on the carrier's request to operate the Airbus A380 super-jumbo on the Delhi-Frankfurt route for over a year, there was hope that Lufthansa would upgrade certain India routes to the 747-8i. However, a spokesperson for the airline indicated that the carrier "has no concrete plans yet for any changes in our existing fleet serving India" seeming to indicate a certain negative sentiment within the corridors of power within the civil aviation authorities following the rebuff of Air India by the Star alliance, an effort in which Lufthansa was the mentor to the national carrier.

Photos courtesy The Boeing Co. and Lufthansa A.G.

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