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Gurugram: <keyword id="22345435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TATA-SIA-Airlines-Limited" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="TATA SIA Airlines Limited" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="TATA SIA Airlines Limited">TATA SIA Airlines Limited</keyword>, known by the brand name of <keyword id="20018887" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vistara" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vistara" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vistara">Vistara</keyword> announced its merger with <keyword id="19896871" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Air India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Air India">Air India</keyword> on Friday. The company said in a statement that customers will not be able to make <keyword id="19916663" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bookings" source="keywords">bookings</keyword> with Vistara for travel on or after November 12. "Starting 03 September 2024, customers will, progressively, no longer be able to make bookings with Vistara for travel on or after 12 November 2024," the company said. However, Vistara will continue to take bookings and operate flights as usual till 11 November 2024. All Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and bookings for the routes operated by these aircraft will be redirected to Air India's website, the company informed. During this transition period, both Vistara and Air India will ensure necessary support, consistent communication, and convenience to all customers, every step of the way. Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, "We are immensely grateful to all our customers for their support and patronage over the last 10 years. As we progress further in our growth journey, we want to emphasize that this merger is about offering them more choice with a larger fleet and a wider network, while elevating the overall travel experience. Vistara and Air India are committed to ensuring that this transition is smooth and hassle-free. We are excited about this new phase in our journey and look forward to welcoming our customers again soon - as Air India." Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer &amp; Managing Director, Air India, said, "Cross-functional teams from Air India and Vistara have been working together for many months to make the transition of aircraft, flying crew, ground-based colleagues and, most importantly, our valued customers, into the new Air India as seamless as possible. The joint team looks forward to offering our guests an expanded network, additional flight options, an enhanced frequent flyer program and the best of both antecedent airlines and are grateful for the support of our loyal customers through this next phase of building a world class, world scale, global airline with an Indian heart." On August 10, Both companies secured the CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) 145 approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (<keyword id="19899185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dgca" source="keywords">DGCA</keyword>) to integrate their aircraft line maintenance operations, as per an official release.

Vistara-Air India merger: Bookings for Vistara to stop from Sept 3, unified operations start from Nov 12

<keyword id="20018887" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vistara" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vistara" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Vistara">Vistara</keyword> will operate the last flight under its brand on November 11 and the full-service carrier's operations will be unified with <keyword id="19896871" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Air India" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Air India">Air India</keyword> from November 12. The government has given its nod for the foreign direct investment by <keyword id="20036942" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Singapore-Airlines" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Singapore Airlines" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Singapore Airlines">Singapore Airlines</keyword> as part of the Air India-Vistara <keyword id="20035800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="merger" source="keywords">merger</keyword>. Vistara is a joint venture between <keyword id="19924335" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tata Group" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Tata Group">Tata Group</keyword> and Singapore Airlines. Air India is owned by Tata Group. "Starting 03 September 2024, customers will, progressively, no longer be able to make bookings with Vistara for travel on or after 12 November 2024," Vistara said in a release on Friday. Thereafter, Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and bookings for the routes operated by these planes will be redirected to Air India's website. "Vistara will continue to take bookings and operate flights as usual till 11 November 2024," the release said. The merger of Vistara with Air India was announced in November 2022 and post-completion of the deal, Singapore Airlines will have a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India. Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said the merger is about offering passengers more choice with a larger fleet and a wider network while elevating the overall travel experience. "Cross-functional teams from Air India and Vistara have been working together for many months to make the transition of aircraft, flying crew, ground-based colleagues and, most importantly, our valued customers, into the new Air India as seamless as possible," Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said. In a separate release, Air India welcomed the Union Cabinet's approval for the foreign direct investment by Singapore Airlines in the airline. "This is an important milestone that facilitates the merger process between Vistara and Air India, and the broader transformation of the Air India Group," it said.

Vistara to operate last flight under its brand on November 11

Faced with <keyword id="21571465" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cabin-crew-shortage" source="keywords">cabin crew shortage</keyword>, <keyword id="19923231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India-Express" source="keywords">Air India Express</keyword> on Thursday cancelled 74 <keyword id="19980901" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flights" source="keywords">flights</keyword> and said <keyword id="19896871" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Air India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Air India">Air India</keyword> will operate services on 20 of its routes to minimise disruptions. A section of cabin crew has reported sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the airline, which has resulted in the cancellation of more than 90 flights since Tuesday night. "We will be operating 292 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 74 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport," the airline said in a statement. In case their flight is cancelled or delayed beyond three hours, the carrier said the passengers may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees. The number of <keyword id="632671" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancelled-flights" source="Orion">cancelled flights</keyword> at 74 translates to around 20 per cent of the airline's scheduled daily flights. Earlier in the day, sources said the airline has issued termination notices to 25 cabin crew members who had reported sick and asked others to join back for duty by 4 pm on Thursday. Against this backdrop, Air India Express said it is taking appropriate steps against certain individuals. "While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests," it added. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indegene-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/109952516.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indegene-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/109952516.cms" target="_blank">Indegene IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-wallet-launched-in-india-store-your-loyalty-cards-boarding-passes-and-more/articleshow/109941139.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-wallet-launched-in-india-store-your-loyalty-cards-boarding-passes-and-more/articleshow/109941139.cms" target="_blank">Google Wallet launched in India – store your loyalty cards, boarding passes and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-april-2024-tata-punch-continues-to-dominate/slidelist/109909744.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-april-2024-tata-punch-continues-to-dominate/slidelist/109909744.cms" target="_blank">Top-selling cars in India in April 2024 – Tata Punch continues to dominate</a>

Air India Express cancels 74 flights due to cabin crew shortage, to operate 292 flights

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="20173795" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Southwest-Airlines" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Southwest Airlines" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Southwest Airlines">Southwest Airlines</keyword> is cutting unprofitable routes and reducing its presence in Atlanta.</li><li>The airline faces pressure from an activist investor to boost revenue and cut costs.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-end-of-budget-airlines-southwest-jetblue-frontier-spirit-2024-7">Southwest Airlines is slashing unprofitable routes</a> as it faces intensifying pressure from an activist investor to boost revenue and cut costs. The budget airline plans to cut some 340 pilots and flight attendants from its busy Atlanta base, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/25/southwest-airlines-cut-service-staffing-atlanta.html">CNBC first reported Wednesday</a>. A company spokesperson confirmed the news, citing lower bookings that have forced it to reduce service. Changes won't take effect for six months. The spokesperson also noted a delay in new plane deliveries <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/its-not-just-boeing-airlines-are-hemorrhaging-cash-too-2024-4">amid Boeing's 737 MAX issues.</a> "We continue to optimize our network to meet Customer demand, best utilize our fleet, and maximize revenue opportunities," the spokesperson said. "Decisions like these are difficult for our Company because of the effects on our People, but we have a history of more than 53 years of ensuring they are taken care of." <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-25/southwest-airlines-slashes-atlanta-flights-to-stem-losses?srnd=all&amp;embedded-checkout=true" target="_blank">Bloomberg reported</a> that the airline said the changes would reduce its Atlanta operations by about a third, to 381 weekly flights from 567, with 16 cities cut altogether. Southwest was the second-largest operator in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-tells-prospective-flight-attendants-wear-proper-underwear-interviews-2024-9">Atlanta behind Delta Air Lines</a>, leaving customers will fewer choices out of the world's busiest airport. <h2>Atlanta is just one of many Southwest network shake-ups this year</h2>The airline announced plans in April to cut flights from Chicago O'Hare by one-third — an airport Southwest only started flying to in 2021 after favoring Chicago's smaller Midway airport for years. The airline also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-leaving-these-4-airports-amid-boeing-737-max-crisis-2024-4">left four airports</a> in August as part of a <keyword id="19942949" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cost-cutting" source="keywords">cost-cutting</keyword> and restructuring plan, including Bellingham International Airport in Washington state, Mexico's Cozumel International Airport, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York. Despite its shrinking network, Southwest is boosting flights where it has an edge. It said it would start flying six routes to and from Nashville and operating red-eye flights from Hawaii to the US mainland in April. The network shakeups are part of a slew of strategy changes as the industry faces headwinds and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-airlines-call-for-changes-new-leadership-ceo-elliott-management-2024-6">a hedge fund with a sizable new stake pushes for changes</a>. Southwest announced in July it would end its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-is-getting-rid-of-open-seating-on-all-flights-2024-7">long-standing open-seating policy</a> and start selling premium seats. Its also committed to updating its outdated technology, which led to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-says-scheduling-system-played-a-role-in-flight-meldown-2022-12">crippling meltdown</a> in December 2022. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-changes-activist-investstor-free-bags-open-seating-fees-2024-6">Further changes</a> are likely to be announced at an investor day on Thursday, which will lay out Southwest's future as we know it. It's likely the<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-airlines-history-2021-8"> low-cost carrier, famous for its open-seating and two free checked bags</a>, will mold more into a mainline carrier — something Elliott believes will boost profits and improve the customer experience. Correction: September 25, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the frequency of Southwest's flights into and out of Atlanta. It reportedly plans to operate 381 flights weekly, not daily, down from 567 weekly flights. The story also misstated when Southwest is set to start red-eye flights from Hawaii. It plans to start flying those routes in April, not in February.

Southwest is making big route changes as it prepares to reveal new details of its turnaround plan

India's domestic air passenger traffic rose 9% to more than 1.27 crore in November, according to official data released on Friday. Last month also saw daily air traffic touching new highs multiple times. <keyword id="6354706" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indigo" source="Orion">IndiGo</keyword> remained the country's largest domestic carrier but its market share declined to 61.8% in November from 62.6% in October. However, none of the scheduled carriers had an On-Time Performance (OTP) score of more than 80% in November. Official data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday showed that airlines flew 1.27 crore passengers in November compared to 1.17 crore in the year-ago period. This marks a growth of 9.06% on an annual basis. "Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-November 2023 were 1,382.34 lakhs as against 1,105.10 lakhs during the corresponding period of previous year thereby registering annual growth of 25.09% and monthly growth of 9.06%," DGCA said. The domestic market share of <keyword id="6358032" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spicejet" source="Orion">SpiceJet</keyword> rose to 6.2% in November from 5% in October. Its OTP stood at 41.8% last month. <keyword id="2573" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-india" source="Orion">Air India</keyword>'s domestic market share remained unchanged at 10.5% in November while that of Vistara fell marginally to 9.4% last month. In November, the share of Akasa Air and AIX Connect remained unchanged at 4.2% and 6.6%, respectively. As per the data, Akasa Air topped the OTP chart at 78.2%, followed by IndiGo at 77.5% and Vistara at 72.8%. Air India's OTP was at 62.5% while that of AIX Connect and Alliance Air were at 69.7% and 66.1%, respectively. On-Time Performance (OTP) of scheduled domestic airlines is computed for four metro airports -- Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.

India's domestic air passenger traffic rises 9% in November

<ul class="summary-list"><li>SpaceX workers got stuck on a barge with a spaceship full of toxic fuel in 2010, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-grimes-baby-name-new-book-character-limit-2024">a new book reports</a>.</li><li>After the Dragon spaceship's first flight, a SpaceX crew retrieved it from the ocean.</li></ul>If you think your job is exciting, try <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/early-spacex-engineer-crawled-inside-imploding-rocket-liftoff-book-2021-3">working at SpaceX</a> in its early days.As author Eric Berger puts it, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/working-for-elon-musk-spacex-workplace-culture-twitter-jim-cantrell-2022-11">SpaceX was not a job; it was a lifestyle</a>."In his first book, for example, one engineer told him about crawling inside an imploding rocket, while others talked about<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-rocket-engineers-island-without-food-mutiny-liftoff-book-2021-3"> running out of food on a small Pacific island</a>.For his latest, "Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age," published in September, Berger spoke with about 100 current and former SpaceX employees.In the new book, Berger recounts the night SpaceX engineers got stuck on a barge and slept near a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-discovers-urine-leak-on-crew-dragon-spaceships-2021-10">spaceship</a> full of potentially explosive gases.The team was helping SpaceX secure much-needed cash flow from NASA. CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spouse-married">Elon Musk</a> had been "weeks away from personal bankruptcy" just two years earlier, Berger, who is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, writes.Here's what happened, according to Berger's book.SpaceX did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.<h2 id="4fe7f3df-1143-41c3-8d2f-4549d8db431a">Dragon's first flight</h2>Musk wanted SpaceX's flagship Dragon spaceship — designed to shuttle cargo and NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station — to be reusable.Reusability is the company's signature, making its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-setback-mishap-with-nasa-astronaut-rescue-mission-2024-10">Falcon 9 rocket</a> launches significantly cheaper than NASA's Space Shuttles.<div type="image" title="crew dragon endeavour crew 2 spacex iss arrival" height="1280" width="1920" msid="114825661" hostid="261" sizebytes="86124"></div>That meant SpaceX engineers had to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-spacex-nasa-crew2-astronaut-mission-splashdown-landing-ocean-2021-4">retrieve Dragon from the Pacific Ocean</a> after its first flight in December 2010.It didn't go exactly as planned.<h2 id="f71787eb-f77e-4e05-bfb0-2bad68072bcd">The danger of Dragon's explosive fuel</h2>The fuel inside Dragon is hypergolic, meaning its components spontaneously combust when they meet. That makes it simple to ignite the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-thruster-tests-may-take-weeks-before-astronauts-come-home-2024-7">thrusters</a> — just open the valves between the fuel components.It also put the ship's first recovery crew at risk.SpaceX had never flown Dragon before, so nobody knew how much damage it would sustain during reentry. It could have fuel leaks, which would pose an explosion risk.That's why SpaceX workers immediately <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-robot-dog-wreckage-exploded-starship-rocket-2021-3">checked for leaks</a>, according to the book. An engineer named Kevin Mock extended a 20-foot pole with a "sniffer" tool, which can detect propellant gases in the air, toward the spaceship bobbing in the water.<div type="image" title="person in a hardhat works on equipment on the outside of a towering, dirty-looking white spaceship" height="1536" width="1920" msid="114825573" hostid="261" sizebytes="412400"></div>With no leaks detected, the team hauled Dragon onto the barge with a crane. Then, two engineers and three technicians donned protective gear and independent air supplies, boarded the barge, and began the hazardous task of emptying the spaceship's fuel tanks.That went off without a hitch, and the team returned to the crew boat to sleep. The next day brought trouble.<h2 id="a643d234-ad9f-43c1-b27f-18b991659a1a">Stuck sleeping in a shipping container</h2>On day two, Mock's five-person team spent about eight hours draining fuel from the spaceship's system and storing it in containers.The ocean became rough, buffeting the barge with large waves by nightfall. When the workers were ready to return to the crew boat, the captain decided conditions were too dangerous for them to cross over.Mock and his crew were stuck on a barge full of toxic, highly reactive fuel and had no beds for the night.The SpaceX employees on the crew boat filled a trash bag with snacks and a thermos of coffee, shoved sleeping bags into another trash bag, and threw both onto the barge. Mock's crew laid their sleeping bags inside a 20-foot-long shipping container on board the barge."We got the best night's sleep we could," Mock told Berger. "We were exhausted, so I can't say that I slept terribly that night."The next day, they finished emptying the spaceship's propellant."It's the hardest work I've ever seen at SpaceX or anywhere," Roger Carlson, a physicist who was watching from the crew boat, told Berger.Berger's new book said that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-workers-took-adderall-slept-bathroom-iv-treatments-deadlines-report-2023-11">working at SpaceX</a> in those days was tough, but the gig had a strong appeal."You're going to work super hard, but you're also going to get to work on cutting-edge stuff," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-autocratic-style-success-politics-harm-2024-9">Berger told BI when promoting the book</a>. "After a few years there with that on your résumé, you can basically write your ticket anywhere in the industry you want to go."Berger wrote that after that first flight, SpaceX got authorization to ship Dragon back to its facilities on land after depressurizing the propellant system.Future crews did not have to spend days offloading hypergolic fuel at sea. These days, retrieving a Dragon only takes a few hours and hasn't caused deadly explosions.The Dragon spaceship went on to become a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-spacex-administrator-bill-nelson-boeing-starliner-rocket-elon-musk-2022-9">staple of NASA's programming</a>, transporting supplies and astronaut crews to and from the International Space Station. It's also flown five <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-polaris-dawn-splashdown-mission-advanced-elon-musk-mars-plan-2024-9">private crew missions</a>.

Early SpaceX workers got stuck overnight on an ocean barge with a toxic spaceship, new book reports

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US airlines have ditched first class for improved business cabins to optimize space and revenue.</li><li>Some global carriers are adopting a different strategy as demand for more onboard luxury spikes.</li></ul>Delta Air Lines and United Airlines years ago eliminated international first class on their planes, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-ditching-first-class-seats-passengers-arent-buying-it-2022-10">American Airlines is following suit</a>.They deemed business class more lucrative for long-haul flights. It can fit more seats and is more marketable to more people than a costly first-class ticket.But many global carriers in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are taking the opposite approach, chasing dollar signs with new first-class cabins amid a post-pandemic industry shift that's seen <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-airline-first-class-suites-in-world-2023-8">increasing demand for luxury at the front of the plane</a>.This includes multimillion-dollar revamp plans in a bid to lure more customers, keep up with the competition, and boost revenue and reputations. While these carriers still have business class, true first class remains a money-maker despite taking up the least amount of cabin real estate.Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/15/qatar-airways-to-launch-first-class-as-airline-courts-airbus-and-boeing-for-new-planes.html?utm_source=syndication">CNBC</a> in March that the airline's first class is here to stay. This was a U-turn from his predecessor, who said in 2023 that first class wasn't necessary with that carrier's famous <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/qatar-airways-business-class-qsuite-next-gen-photos-2024-7">Q-Suite business class.</a>Five-star Singapore Airlines also plans to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/singapore-airlines-new-first-class-business-upgrades-privacy-door-trend-2024-11">launch a new first class</a> as part of an over $800 million cabin overhaul project. Air France, Swiss International Air Lines, and Lufthansa are also in the mix, among others.<div type="image" title="Swiss' new first-class." height="744" width="992" msid="115064431" hostid="261" sizebytes="49628"></div>A study from Mighty Travels Premium, published in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.mightytravels.com/2024/10/who-really-flies-first-class-data-shows-67-are-corporate-travelers-not-wealthy-individuals/#Who-Really-Flies-First-ClassData-Shows-67-are-Corporate-Travelers-Not-Wealthy-Individuals-International-Routes-Report-Higher-Individual-First-Class-Bookings-Than-Domestic">October,</a> showed that the first-class resurgence is largely corporate travelers from monied Fortune 500 companies.The study, which analyzed airline revenue data, saw a jump in international bookings from affluent leisure individuals willing to pay a premium for the posh perks.First-class transatlantic fares averaged about $2,900 one-way between January and August, not including taxes and fees, according to data from the aviation analytics company Cirium. But that can be a lot higher on more luxury-focused airlines.Tiffany Funk, an analyst from the travel website <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.point.me/">Point.me</a>, told Business Insider that a drive behind Singapore's new first-class is partly from ultra-wealthy people who want to fly in style but can't reach certain <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-on-a-50-million-bombardier-global-5000-private-jet-2022-5">destinations with a private jet.</a>"Singapore adding first-class speaks to its demographics," she said. "One of the Google co-founders who goes back and forth between the US and Singapore is someone who would book it, those are the people willing to pay $15,000-$20,000 for that really nice luxury experience."<h2 id="abe0097f-b9fa-429e-b49f-0356ea72b21f">Some airlines are adding first-class to boost their prestige</h2>Funk said airlines like British Airways, Singapore, Emirates, and Air France don't always fill first-class but have them for the "prestige."<div type="image" title="flight attendant sitting in air france first class." height="3124" width="4754" msid="115064429" hostid="261" sizebytes="719060"></div>Airlines, especially those with state investment, are willing to take the trade-off for the sake of boosting their reputation or providing the needed luxuries for their local elites."Air France is committed to having this super premium first-class product because it's Air France," Funk said. "It doesn't necessarily make economic sense, and it doesn't need to with only four seats to fill on the plane."She pointed to other examples like Emirates, which can get more customers across all cabins simply because it is associated with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emirates-airlines-first-class-flight-review-lie-flat-bed-shower-2023-4">having showers in first class</a> — even if people aren't in a seat with access to that shower.Then there is British Airways, which Funk said carries the prime minister and the royal family and needs to partly maintain first-class for that clout."You're not going to have William and Kate fly business class alongside 85 other people," she said.<div type="image" title="Qantas first-class cabin for Project Sunrise" height="4242" width="6000" msid="115064430" hostid="261" sizebytes="2398362"></div><h2 id="e19242e8-14ab-4c62-bb67-afee61170409">9 airlines are planning a new first-class cabin</h2>With at least nine new international first-class cabins coming to market over the next couple of years, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/british-airways-first-class-suite-review-photos-2023-7">deep-pocketed customers</a> have a lot to look forward to — especially as some of these luxury seats will touch the US.Here are nine global airlines introducing a new first-class cabin:<ul><li>Air India: A new first-class will <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-new-luxury-cabins-air-india-retrofit-onto-boeing-777-2023-8">be retrofitted onto existing Boeing 777-300ERs</a> starting in 2025 as part of Air India's $400 million rebrand.</li><li>Air France: The airline's new "La Premiere" first-class is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://businesstravelerusa.com/news/air-france-new-la-premiere/">expected</a> to be unveiled by the end of 2024, though details remain limited.</li><li>British Airways: The UK flag carrier is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/british-airways-improvements-new-first-class-lounges/">debuting</a> a new first class on its Airbus A380s and future Boeing 777Xs. No official timeline has been announced.</li><li>Cathay Pacific: The Hong Kong-based airline is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/cathay-pacific-unveils-aria-suite-a-new-way-to-experience-air-travel-1033863345">introducing</a> a new first class on its future 777X planes, but the delivery of those planes and its new cabin is still uncertain.</li><li>Swiss International Air Lines: From 2025, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/swiss-first-class-seats-too-heavy-for-a330-planes-2024-9#:~:text=Installation%20of%20the%20new%20cabins,plate%2C%22%20a%20spokesperson%20said.">carrier will offer a new pod-like first class</a> on existing A330s, Boeing 777s, and future A350s.</li><li>Lufthansa: Germany's flag carrier is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lufthansa-replacing-dated-business-class-new-allegris-cabin-first-class-2024-4">launching its new A350 Allegris first-class</a> on Saturday. The suite is similar to Swiss.</li><li>Qantas: From 2026, Australia's national airline will debut a new <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/qantas-first-business-class-worlds-longest-flights-project-sunrise-pictures-2023-2">first class on A350s as part of "Project Sunrise,"</a> which will operate the world's new longest flights between Australia, New York, and London.</li><li>Qatar: The Doha-based airline has released few details about its new first class, but the cabin will be on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/qatar-new-qsuite-adding-first-class-to-boeing-777x-2024-3">future 777X planes</a>.</li><li>Singapore: Singapore is the latest airline to reveal a new first class, which will debut on seven <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-longest-flight-singapore-airlines-business-review-2023-1">ultra-long-haul A350-900ULRs</a> in the first quarter of 2027.</li></ul>

International airlines are all-in on fancy first-class seats, even as US carriers focus only on business for long-haul flights

After the completion of two months of its operations, <keyword id="11911527" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="akasa-air" source="Orion">Akasa Air</keyword> is set to establish Delhi as the sixth destination on its network and inaugurate its first flight on the Delhi-Bengaluru and Delhi-Ahmedabad routes on October 7. The airline also announced Pets-on-Board, a pet-friendly service in line with its commitment to create an inclusive travel experience. Both the new routes will be served with daily flights in each direction. The airline has announced eight destinations so far, including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Delhi, Agartala and Guwahati being covered with 11 non-stop routes. <keyword id="2929104" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="akasa" source="Orion">Akasa</keyword> Air, India's newest airline, has completed the first two months of its commercial journey in building India's greenest, most dependable, and most affordable airline. Speaking at an event to mark the airline's first 60 days of operations, <keyword id="4593743" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vinay-dube" source="Orion">Vinay Dube</keyword>, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air said, "Our first two months have been very exciting and satisfying as we moved from planning to commercial operations. We have been hyper focussed on establishing and delivering an empathetic, dependable, and reliable flying experience unlike anything witnessed in the Indian skies thus far". Commenting on the rapid network expansion, <keyword id="3952991" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="praveen-iyer" source="Orion">Praveen Iyer</keyword>, Co-Founder, and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, said "We are elated by the response we have received as we welcomed on board more than 100,000 passengers within just 60 days of operations. Further strengthening our domestic connectivity and catering to more flyers during the festive season, we are delighted to be able to add Delhi to our network and connect the capital city to the rapidly growing and vibrant cities of Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. By expanding our network with an aircraft arriving every 15 days, we aim to fulfil our goal of developing a strong pan-India presence and expect to operate 300 weekly flights by October end." Speaking on product, service and customer experience, Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing &amp; Experience Officer, Akasa Air said, "We set out with a promise to be a dependable airline focussing on warm, efficient, and reliable service". As we continue with our vision to create an inclusive and humane travel experience, Akasa's pet-friendly service will commence from 1st November 2022, wherein passengers flying on Akasa Air will be able to travel with their pets in the cabin. Taking an additional step to ease the travel experience of pet parents and their wards, we have joined hands with <keyword id="7747778" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="umeed-for-animals-foundation" source="Orion">Umeed for Animals Foundation</keyword> to ensure smooth pet-friendly travel", he added. Akasa Air has been progressively expanding its network across the country, in a phased approach with a commitment towards making travel accessible in India through the introduction of routes in Tier 2 and 3 cities. The company has recently received its sixth aircraft and will have a fleet size of 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023. Over the next four years, the airline will add 54 additional aircraft, taking its total fleet size to 72 aircraft. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/insider-picks/news/98-of-companies-responsible-for-80-of-corporate-greenhouse-emissions-refuse-to-disclose-their-climate-change-impacts-study/articleshow/94678938.cms">98% of companies responsible for 80% of corporate greenhouse emissions refuse to disclose their climate-change impacts: Study</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/road-safety-body-urges-withdrawal-of-notification-that-makes-6-airbags-mandatory-in-pvs/articleshow/94678279.cms">Road safety body urges withdrawal of notification that makes 6 airbags mandatory in PVs</a>

Akasa Air launches maiden flights from Delhi, to allow pets in the cabin

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Meteorologists have an open <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/open-jaw-flights-save-money-on-extended-european-trips-2024-5">secret about booking flights</a>: avoid summer afternoons and evenings.</li><li>Because of thunderstorms, late flights in summer are prone to delays or cancellations.</li></ul>Chris Bianchi <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/business-class-first-time-flying-surprising-things-photos-2023-1">loves flying</a>."The fact that you can go from being a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-boeing-737-economy-dfw-nyc-lga-entertainment-review-2024-5">737 sitting on the ground</a> to hurtling through the air at 500 miles an hour in five minutes, is just fascinating to me," he told Business Insider. "I'm never not awestruck when I'm taking off, and on a plane. It's just so cool."But on the evening of June 26, he <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flight-delays-cancellations-airline-canceled-airport-passengers-what-to-do">didn't get to fly</a>. Instead, he got stuck at LaGuardia Airport overnight waiting for an hours-delayed plane.He only had himself to blame. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-shows-why-hurricane-ian-stunned-meteorologists-storm-hunters-2022-9">As a meteorologist</a>, he should've known better than to book a flight on a summer evening.With his extra airport time, he made a TikTok about it."I broke the one rule you should never ever break," the 9News Denver meteorologist <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@weatherchris/video/7385070642166500650?_r=1&amp;_t=8nZqrejGC9z">told</a> his followers. "Never book a flight in the afternoon, or especially at night, during the summertime months in the United States."<div type="image" title="chris bianchi man wearing blue suit and earpiece talking for tv with a screen showing him in front of a weather map in the background" height="1920" width="1920" msid="111691208" hostid="261" sizebytes="84586"></div>Soon flight attendants were posting in the comments about how they always book the first morning flight of the day. Bianchi's meteorologist friends started texting him, asking why on Earth he was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-sleeps-on-redeye-flights-overnight-trains-tips-2023-12">flying at night</a>.It's an open secret among those in the know: Summer afternoons and evenings are the most weather-delay-prone time of year for flights."It was a fun trip, and I did not have to work the next day," Bianchi told BI. "That's why I was like, I'll roll the dice a little bit on this — full well knowing that I could get screwed, which is what happened to me."Ultimately, Bianchi didn't get on a plane home to Denver until 7 p.m. the following day.<h2 id="ae2f1b80-b8a8-4782-bc4c-260ccc276455">Summer afternoons are peak thunderstorm time</h2><div type="image" title="Lightning thunderstorm las vegas" height="2021" width="3000" msid="111691211" hostid="261" sizebytes="346514"></div>Three ingredients make a thunderstorm: moisture, unstable air, and some way for that air to get moving.In summer, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-maximum-could-sooner-than-expected-2023-6">heat of the sun</a> helps get things moving if the atmosphere is unstable enough — either due to differences of temperature or moisture in different layers of the atmosphere. Hot air rises, so the warm summer air near Earth's surface starts to rise to higher, cooler altitudes.Water vapor (completing the ingredient triad) in the air cools as it rises, condensing into clouds. Eventually, you have a thunderstorm."The morning tends to be calmer in most areas. It might take a little bit for that energy to build up for storms to spark," AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny told BI. "You might have a calmer flight in the morning."Bad weather doesn't need to be in your flight path to cause a delay. It could be in a city where your plane stopped earlier that day. A storm in Chicago might delay the plane that's supposed to take you from LaGuardia to Miami."Weather in other cities can really disrupt your travel plans," Bianchi said.April and May are particularly bad-weather months across the central plains of the US and through <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-tornado-alley-is-shifting-east-to-mississippi-tennessee-alabama-2023-4">Tornado Alley</a>, according to Glenny. Then, in the later summer from June onward, hurricane season picks up.Even if your plane isn't coming from a coastal city in a hurricane's path, those systems often move inland after they make landfall, causing tornados and thunderstorms across the US.Remnants of Hurricane Beryl, for example, pummeled the Great Lakes and New England regions with rain and heavy winds Wednesday and Thursday, just days after the storm made landfall in Texas. Even before landfall, Beryl led to over 1,000 flight cancellations and thousands of delays, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-airlines-cancel-over-1300-flights-due-hurricane-beryl-2024-07-08/">Reuters</a>.<h2 id="fc80d736-9102-4048-806f-5a1fa7b79e5f">Morning flights can help you avoid cascading delays</h2>Booking morning flights doesn't just help you avoid nasty weather — it also cushions you against delays that build up throughout the day.Even if skies are clear across the country on the afternoon or evening you fly, any planes that were delayed earlier in the day could still be running behind schedule."That'll have a cascading effect," Glenny said.Knowing all that science and flight logistics, Bianchi's takeaway is simple: "Book a flight in the morning in summer," he said.

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