Airline Weekly Lounge Podcast

Mar 06 2025 363 ep. 27 mins 152
Airline Weekly Lounge Podcast artwork

The editors of Airline Weekly discuss the most interesting developments within the commercial airline industry. In keeping with Airline Weekly’s style, conversation generally centers on one question: How do you make money in this industry? 

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British Airways is a Profit Machine

Mar 06 2025 47 mins  
In this week's episode, Gordon and Jay discuss the latest financial results and operational strategies of British Airways and Qantas. They delve into British Airways' impressive earnings, particularly in the North Atlantic market, and the implications of potential Heathrow expansion. The conversation then shifts to Qantas, highlighting its strong domestic performance and the challe

Is India the World's Hottest Airline Market?

Feb 27 2025 43 mins  
This week hosts Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat discuss the upcoming Skift India Forum, focusing on major airline players like Air India and Indigo. They explore Singapore Airlines' strategic investment in Air India and the implications of fleet expansions for Indigo. The conversation shifts to insights from the U.S. airline industry, highlighting trends in consolidation and the future

Is Southwest Airlines Losing its Magic?

Feb 20 2025 35 mins  
In this week's episode, Gordon Smith is joined by Airline Weekly's Jay Shabat and Skift airlines reporter Meghna Maharishi. Part one is focused on the big picture trends as U.S. earnings season draws to a close. In part two, the trio discuss the first involuntary layoffs in Southwest history and assess their wider impact on the airline. Read the latest issue of Airline Weekly. Tak

Breaking Down Japan Airlines and British Airways

Feb 13 2025 37 mins  
In this episode of the Airline Weekly Lounge, hosts Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat delve into the current state of Japan Airlines and British Airways. They explore Japan Airlines' historical performance, recent financial trends, and the challenges it faces in a competitive market. The discussion then shifts to British Airways' recent changes to its loyalty program, which have sparked

What a Frontier-Spirit Merger Means for Air Travel

Feb 08 2025 34 mins  
In this episode of the Airline Weekly Lounge, hosts Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat delve into the potential merger between Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines. They discuss the historical context of their relationship, the current status of Spirit's bankruptcy, and Frontier's renewed offer. The conversation explores the implications of a merger, including potential synergies and mar

Breeze Airways' Big Break: A ULCC Finally Profits

Jan 31 2025 25 mins  
Note: This episode was recorded prior to the American Eagle collision with a military helicopter on January 29, 2025. In this episode of the Airline Weekly Lounge, hosts Jay Shabat and Meghna Maharishi analyze the financial performance and strategic direction of American Airlines and Breeze Airways. American Airlines, despite improving its operating margin to 8% in Q4 2024, continu

Setting the Scene for a Brazilian Airline Mega-Merger

Jan 24 2025 38 mins  
In this episode of the Airline Weekly Lounge, hosts Gordon Smith and Jay Shabbat discuss significant developments in the airline industry, focusing on a potential mega merger in Brazil involving Azul and Gol, and the acquisition of ITA Airways by the Lufthansa Group. They explore the implications of these mergers on competition, market dynamics, and the challenges faced by low-cost

Why Egypt Is an Airline Market Worth Watching

Jan 17 2025 32 mins  
In this episode, Gordon and Jay discuss the current state of the Egyptian aviation scene, highlighting the booming tourism sector despite regional unrest. They explore the factors contributing to Egypt's tourism success, including its geographical advantages, affordability, and the influx of Russian tourists. The conversation then shifts to European air capacity trends, examining t

The U.S. Airlines Growing and Shrinking in 2025

Jan 10 2025 31 mins  
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat crunch the big numbers to reveal which U.S. carriers are in expansion mode in the first quarter of 2025 and which operators are shrinking year-on-year. Takeaways The US airline industry is seeing a modest capacity increase of 1% for Q1 2025. Delta Airlines is focusing growth on mid-continent hubs like Atlanta and Minneapolis. United Airlines is expe

What Does 2025 Mean for the Airline Industry?

Jan 02 2025 31 mins  
In this week’s episode, Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat turn their attention to the year ahead. Going region-by-region, the pair share the emerging stories that are on their radar for 2025 and beyond. Connect with Airline Weekly LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/airline-weekly/ X: https://x.com/Airline_Weekly/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airlineweekly/ Instagram: