Loyalty Review: Twice Burned By Air France-KLM's Flying Blue

Frequent flyers loyal to one airline will understand the value of a large 'pile' of loyalty points - not only monetarily, but also the fact that they represent dozens or hundreds of hours in the air. It might also mean some level of inconvenience or additional cost in terms of itinerary and flight choice, all for the sake of being loyal to one group of airlines and the pursuit of more points. So, when it comes to actually redeeming those points, you would hope for a smooth experience as a reward for your loyalty. This was, unfortunately, not my experience with Flying Blue.

Background: What is Flying Blue?

Flying Blue (FB) is the loyalty program of Air France and KLM. It is also used by Transavia, Aircalin, and Tarom. Kenya Airways was previously a part of this program as well but has since formed its own in-house program. While "XP Points" to gain status for flight benefits are primarily based on distance and travel class, the program's redeemable reward points ("miles") are spend-based, with an "x amount of miles per euro spent." More Here

IndiGo Airbus A320 Diverts To Bengaluru After Failure To Land At Hyderabad Airport

A regularly operated IndiGo flight from Kolkata Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) to Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) on Thursday, August 31st, had to divert the flight down south to Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport (BLR), after being unable to land at Hyderabad twice.

The flight

Flight 6E-6525 is a daily service operated by the Indian carrier IndiGo, which has a scheduled departure time of 21:00 and an arrival time of 23:00. However, data from FlightRadar24.com indicates that on most days, the flight is completed on average within 1 hour and 45 minutes.

On the day, one of the airline's Airbus A320neo aircraft (VT-ITA) departed CCU at 21:14, and the data shows that about 90 minutes into the flight, the aircraft began its descent into HYD for the first time. The aircraft descended from 38,000 feet to around 2,000 feet; at this point, the A320 seemed to have cancelled its landing as the aircraft began climbing again and flew over the airport runways. More Here

Orlando International Airport Launches Airside Access Without Boarding Pass

Orlando International Airport just became the latest American airport to allow passengers to access the secure side of the airport without a boarding pass. Through the Gate Pass program, one can apply to visit terminal C without a ticket.

Airside access at Orlando International Airport

Long gone are the days of no airport security and hanging around at airport gates without a boarding pass, but some American airports still allow people to access terminals without a ticket. Orlando International Airport has just become the latest airport to launch such a program, allowing access to Terminal C.

Those interested in visiting must apply ahead of time online using the airport's application. The only information required is name, date of birth, gender, e-mail, and phone number. Applications are limited and are available as early as seven days in advance, so it is best to apply with as much time as possible. The Transportation Security Administration oversees the approval process.

If the application is approved, an e-mail will be sent after midnight on the day of the approved visit. For those applying on the day of the visit, an email will be sent within 15 minutes of applying. An Experience MCO Visitor Pass will be attached to the e-mail and must be shown at the TSA security checkpoint along with a valid photo ID to access the terminal. More Here

Boeing 777 Engine Defect: FAA Proposes GE90 Airworthiness Directive

General Electric’s GE90 engine may be the subject of a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rule, requiring changes to nine Boeing 777s powered by the turbofan engine in the United States.

Current issues

The proposed airworthiness directive (AD) shared by the US Government on Friday outlines a powdered metal defect affecting components for the GE90-90B, GE90-94B, GE90-100B1, and GE90-115B engines.

An investigation by GE uncovered the faulty iron inclusion material found within particular high-pressure turbine stage 1 and 2 disks, rotor seals, and compressor spools may cause premature metal fatigue, leading to “uncontained debris release, damage to the engine, and damage to the airplane.” More Here

United Airlines ‘Schedules’ Flight With Airbus A321neo

United Airlines has quietly loaded an Airbus A321neo flight into its inventory. While this could be only speculative, given the carrier hasn't even received its first of the variant.

Airplane buffs should eagerly book tickets on the proposed flight between Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) south to Florida's Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL), with the flight scheduled for July 21st, 2024, as flight UA1872.

Simple Flying contacted United Airlines regarding the newly listed A321neo flight but had not heard back when this article was published.

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Lands In Hong Kong In Middle Of Super Typhoon

On Friday, September 1st, an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft took the daring decision to land at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) despite the chaotic weather being experienced by the city. As such, the aircraft became the only one to land at the airport that evening.

The flight

The flight in question is ET-608, an Ethiopian Airlines service that operates from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Hong Kong via Bangkok. The airline has fifth-freedom rights to operate between Bangkok and Hong Kong and operates this route with a thrice-weekly frequency on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

On the day in question, the weather was completely unfavorable for aircraft operations due to Super Typhoon Saola, which recorded maximum winds of 210 km/h (130 mph). Reports from Bloomberg indicate Hong Kong's flag carrier, Cathay Pacific, suspended operations from 14:00 on Friday until 10:00 on Saturday morning...

JetBlue Will Suspend All Flights To Cuba This Month

The New York-based hybrid airline JetBlue has announced the suspension of all flights to Cuba after the last day of service on September 17. The news comes after the decline in travel to the island and several regulatory restrictions for customers on both sides. JetBlue was the first airline in the US to operate commercial flights between the two countries in more than 50 years. After more than seven years of scheduled services to the island, it is now time to quit... More Here

Russian Airlines Have Imported Over $1 Billion In Parts For Airbus & Boeing Aircraft Since May 2022

Russian airlines have managed to import approximately $1.2 billion worth of parts for Airbus and Boeing aircraft since May 2022, according to a report by Reuters. This loophole has allowed Russian-registered planes to continue flying, bypassing Western sanctions aimed at restricting the access of parts for their Airbus and Boeing fleets... More Here

China Southern Officially Retires The Airbus A380

China Southern has officially confirmed the retirement of its Airbus A380 fleet. It last operated a commercial A380 flight in November 2022 before sending its fleet into desert storage.

All confirmed

As reported by FlightGlobal, the Chinese carrier made the A380s retirement official in its latest half-year report. The airline removed two of its five A380s from service in November 2021, and three of its A380s had ended up at Mojave Air & Space Port (MHV) - one of the world's best-known aircraft 'graveyards' - by the end of 2022. More Here

Why The FAA Won't Let Nashville Airport Extend Its Runway

Plans for a runway expansion at Nashville International Airport (BNA) have been placed on hold amid Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for more environmental studies, according to The Tennessean. Following a denial of a 2021 runway expansion request, the airport has been working alongside the FAA to conduct further reviews for its proposed runway extension to accommodate long-haul jets but is yet to succeed. More Here

Belgium-Bound Air Canada Boeing 767 Diverts To London Heathrow Amid Multiple System Failures

A routine Air Canada cargo flight on Wednesday, August 30th, saw AC7222 declare an emergency in flight. The service departed from the eastern Canadian Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) in Nova Scotia and was bound for Belgium's cargo hub, Liège Airport (LGG).

AC7222 was making its way across the Atlantic Ocean at 38,000 ft, and the crew noted unreliable airspeed, so it descended to 31,000 ft at the time. From there, at approximately 230 nautical miles west of the Irish city of Shannon, the crew reported that the aircraft had encountered multiple system failures. More Here