This week: Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan; Guest: Maury Gallagher, Chairman, Allegiant Travel Company; News: FedEx Founder Fred Smith passes away at 80; JetBlue says more cost cuts are on the way; ATC understaffing continues; A muted Paris Air Show; National Academy of Sciences reports on FAA overtime; Listener Q regarding airlines taking a stake in other airlines, Pilot availability and wage rates.
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 6 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis; Topics: Info on Air India 171, Crisis Management; A recap of the IATA meeting; Paris Air Show is underway; Listener input on Controller staffing
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 6 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Doug Parker; Guest: Robert Crandall, Fmr CEO/Chairman, American Airlines. Topics/News: Reflections on Scott's Richard Anderson interview; Backstory of presenting the renderings for the Robert L. Crandall Campus; Summer travel starting off slightly slower; SAF discussion at IATA in Delhi; Alaska postpones aircraft delivery; Price differentials on single vs multi-ticket.
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 2 min
This week: Guests: Greg John, CEO Infinity Flight Group, and an Operational Update from David Seymour, COO, American. News: The United & JetBlue collaboration compared to other partnership agreements; Frontier CEO Barry Biffle comments and airline stock prices rise; FAA staff departures as reported by WSJ reporter Andrew Tangel; Listener praise for Richard Anderson.
Jun 04, 2025•49 min
This week: Scott McCartney's Guest Co-Host is Oscar Munoz; Guest: Steve Sisneros, VP Airport Affairs, Southwest Airlines, News: Real ID kicks in; SWA Bags Fly Free no more; Newark caps traffic - United takes biggest hit; Better ATC tech & better runway utilization; ATC leadership failures; Success pending ratification on United flight attendant contract; Delta's new confusing fare classes & subclasses; Listener Input: Conflicting opinions on EWR slot restrictions.
May 28, 2025•1 hr 2 min
This week: Guest Co-Host: Charles Duncan; Guest: Richard Anderson, Fmr CEO, Delta Airlines; News: Airline fares drop; Newark personnel and technology forces contraction; SWA expands international service; United projects getting back into JFK; How might JetBlue benefit from a United alliance?
May 21, 2025•1 hr 20 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Henry Hardevelt; Guest: Adam Stahl, Acting Administrator, TSA; News: Real ID takes effect; US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy presents plan for ATC technology upgrade; What's happening at Newark? Gate reallocation drama with United & American in Chicago; Decline in business travel continues; Validity of JD Power survey? Listener input on Real ID, Affordable Skies Coalition.
May 14, 2025•59 min
This week: Scott's Guest Co- Host is Maya Leibman; Guest: Linda Jojo, Fmr EVP/Chief Customer Officer, United. News: Rep. Sam Graves (R) proposes $15B ATC modernization; United cuts flights at Newark due to ATC equipment and staffing issues; Projected United - JetBlue partnership; How problematic will TSA enforcement of Real ID be? New less fun names for SWA fare bundles; A Freddie Awards recap; United & others seat count changes at ORD; Listener Q: Why is AA suing JetBlue, and what happened ...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min
This week: Scott's Guest Co-Host is Christina Cassotis, Guest: John Pepper, VP/Corporate Development, Allegiant Air; News: Why has a proposed Allegiant-Viva Aerobus alliance been held up by DOT for 3 years? Earning news from AA, SWA, Alaska; Southwest assigns very generic names to fare classes; Alaska increasing flights to West Coast cities; Boeing pauses X-66; Jetzero gains more support; Dozens of JetBlue pilots taking buyout; Listener input on pilot training, airport staffing.
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 4 min
This week: Scott's McCartney's Guest Co-Host is Doug Parker; Guest: Aengus Kelly, Exec. Director & CEO, AerCap Holdings: News: United reports positive earnings & offers two different projections; Spirit hires Dave Davis as CEO as speculation builds on a merger with Frontier; American teaming with AT&T to offer free Wi-Fi; Listener Q on potential reason for new administration's toughness on airlines.
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 5 min
This week: Scott's Guest Co-Host is Dave Hilfman, Special Report: Chris Sloan on the Pacific Island Hopper; News: Frontier, Delta, revenue lower than projected; United adding significant numbers of seats; What's happening with the NOTAM system? FAA still having trouble with technology; Avelo accepts contract to operate deportation flights; Listener Q: Is a Republic - SkyWest merger in the cards?
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Guest Host: Oscar Munoz, Guests: Milind Tavshikar, CEO, SmartKargo & Marco Ferrara, Mngr Product/Strategy, Delta; Ted Christie out as Spirit CEO: Republic buying Mesa; Info on new Executive Aviation focused MBA program at U of Colorado; Airline stocks take another beating; United adding interesting Asian flights; Economic changes potential effects on Southwest; Listener feedback on Southwest, and shades position during boarding and deplaning.
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 8 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan; Guest: Eamonn Brennan, Fmr Director General, Eurocontrol; News: Trans Canada booking data conflicts; Potential market share shifts related to fees; Alaska/Hawaiian increasing Asian service from Seattle; Listener input: Lots about SWA, but not much about JetBlue's situation, YTD stock prices, and future pilots getting hours as a CFI.
Apr 02, 2025•55 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Henry Harteveldt; Guest: Justin Jones, EVP Operations, Southwest Airlines. Recorded in Dallas TX at Cirium OTP Board Meeting; News: Heathrow power failure; International travel slowdown; Report issued on Delta CRJ incident; Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford nominated to head FAA; SWA earns world's lowest cancellation rate; Could the SWA bag rule change be problematic? Listener input on shades during takeoff and landing.
Mar 26, 2025•1 hr 19 min
This week: Scott's Co-Host is Maya Leibman; Guest: Elise Eberwein, Fmr EVP, American Airlines; News: Crisis communication; Delta celebrates 100 Years; Revised earnings projections from United, Delta; The SWA transition; Spirit's quick exit from bankruptcy; Listener Q's on airlines deferring OEM deliveries.
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 11 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis; News: Big bag news & changes at Southwest; Can SWA remain SWA? Cost of enplaned passenger (CPE) & the structure around airport funding; AA asks for a NE Alliance deal review; Staffing requirement change at DCA; A Scott Mini-Rant on Axios fare data conclusion; Listener Q on the future of SWA, & a look ahead to Southwest 3.0.
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 4 min
This week: JetBlue's Top Senior Leadership - Joanna Geraghty, CEO and Marty St. George, President. News: The SWA go-around to avoid Flexjet in Chicago; SWA routes and distribution changes; Frontier makes significant moves in Atlanta; A rant from Scott; Some very much appreciated listener input.
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr
This week: Scott's Guest Co-Host is Doug Parker; Guest: Sara Nelson, President, Association of Flight Attendants; Topics: Organized labor, Partners and mergers, Delta 4819 flight lands, flips upside down, crew performs with excellence, all survive; A drop in government travel, A4A seeks congressional funding to fix the FAA; Spirit restructuring deal approved; AA announces routes expansion at ORD.
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr 24 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Chris Sloan with info on BermudAir; Several see Spirit as attractive; British Airways & Virgin participate in love triangle; Las Vegas "Supplemental" Airport in the works; American adds to BOS-LGA; Tom Doxey to Southwest as CFO; DCA incident news update; Boeing steps up deliveries; Listener comments on open skies in the new administration, post DCA crash reactions. Next week: The Delta crash and SWA layoffs.
Feb 19, 2025•56 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Dave Hilfman, Guest: Jim Compton, Fmr Vice Chairman/Chief Revenue Officer of United Airlines. Topics: Pricing: Favorite Superbowl ads; United brings back stroopwafels; PSA 5342/PAT 25 Crash info update; JetBlue ending BOS-LGA service; United asking for American gates in ORD? Frontier reports interesting numbers.
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 15 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Oscar Munoz; News: A tragic week in aviation; Context and elements to consider; Frontier (again) tries to buy Spirit; Is the American-JetBlue Northeast Alliance back on the table? Listener input on Spirit's attempt at upgraded services, plus differing thoughts on the work of the TSA and Fmr Admin David Pekoske.
Feb 05, 2025•42 min
This week: Scott McCartney - Island Edition from Hawaii; News: David Pekoske out as TSA Administrator; American reports good times-bad times; Operating margin numbers; Wall Street Journal's latest performance rankings; On Point Loyalty's report on loyalty program values; Lister comments: Comparing AOPA to NRA goes to far.
Jan 29, 2025•21 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Henry Harteveldt; SWA rejects outgoing DOT "chronically late" fine, DOT sues SWA; Service increase coming to TLV; A Delta - United near collision over PHX; Spirit announces layoffs; Can GoBig/GoComfy upsells drive significant revenue? AMEX GBT / CWT merger challenged by US Dept of Justice; Azul Abra/Avianca looking to merge; Nick Calio retiring from A4A; Air Wisconsin changing operations.
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 5 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan, Fmr President, Norse Atlantic; News: Tough week for air travel; Questions around wheel well stowaways; Ed Bastian's Sphere presentation & numbers behind Delta's earnings report; Overall capacity changes taking hold; Bill Swellbar report referenced; Bob Jordan's 737 store open for business; Fmr Boeing CEO says time to design a new airplane; Listener Q's on service classes and privatizing ATC.
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 4 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis, CEO, Pittsburgh Int. Airport; Guest Jeremy Bowen, CEO, Cirium; News: Context around recent airliner crashes; DOT fines JetBlue 2MM for chronic lateness; Silver Airways files Ch11, Alaska shares and others up significantly in 2024; 2025 expectations; Elements of Airport-Airlines communication and collaboration; Listener feedback on Doug Parker travel tip to avoid checking bags and a Question on how much time does Spirit have?.
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr 10 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Doug Parker, Fmr CEO, American Airlines. Guest: Nick Calio, President/CEO, Airlines for America; News: New FAA Commissioner Jan 20th; Investor David Bonderman passes; Is Alaska's expanding international service from SEA sustainable? Infrastructure constraints. Listener Q's on best travel tips, privatizing ATC. Happy Holidays/New Year - Next episode: Jan 8, 2025
Dec 18, 2024•51 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Maya Leibman; Guest: Jim Butler, CFO at London Gatwick Airport / Managing Director at Global Infrastructure Partners; News: TSA screening numbers; Some projections indicate travel rebound; Is Frontier adding big seats up front a good idea? Listener comments on airlines being likened to Amazon, JetBlue-Southwest merger viability.
Dec 11, 2024•57 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Dave Hilfman; A look into the "major" report on airline fees from U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) chaired by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT); Budget allocations & potential for privatizing ATC in new administration; High hopes for DOT Admin Nominee Sean Duffy; Reaction to NYT stories on padding schedules and loyalty program; Listener input on Spirit's approach for the future, salute to Jun Tsuruta.
Dec 04, 2024•57 min
This week: Guest Co-Host Oscar Munoz, Fmr Chairman, United; Plus: Andrew Watterson, COO, SWA, with Scott McCartney at ONT "State of the Airport" day in Ontario CA; News: Spirit's "Basic Economy Bankruptcy" moves forward; A discussion around change fees; Lund out, Ackerman in as Boeing head of quality; Arthur Frommer passes at 95; Listener Q on Aer Lingus incentives at Indianapolis, and follow up to Chris Sloan A321 XLR segment.
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr
This week: Chris Sloan flies Iberia and reports on the A321 XLR inaugural flight; Plus: Facts, context, and perspective on the Spirit prepackaged bankruptcy plan, what Ben would say, and what happens next; Gunshots hit multiple aircraft; Court rules Oakland is not San Francisco.
Nov 20, 2024•54 min
