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Airline Weekly Lounge: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Skift
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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- 1 weeks ago44 min
Decoding Q3 U.S. Airline Earnings
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat break down third-quarter earnings from the biggest U.S. airlines, examining record revenues, rising fuel costs, and diverging financial performance. They discuss JetBlue’s financial challenges, Southwest’s turnaround, the gap between revenue growth and underlying demand, and the risks of higher fares and continued capacity growth heading into 2027. The episode was recorded live on LinkedIn ahead of the Skift Aviation Forum in New York City. Follow the Hosts: Gordon Smith – LinkedIn Jay Shabat – LinkedIn Meghna Maharishi - LinkedIn 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: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries. 00:00 Welcome to AWL 01:23 Q3 Earnings Overview 03:06 Margins Scorecard 04:53 Seasonality Caveats 07:20 JetBlue Under Pressure 11:43 Southwest Revenue Switches 16:23 Europe Earnings Preview 17:09 Industry Economics and Consolidation 22:23 Demand Destruction Question 24:56 Travel Over Homeownership 26:11 Loyalty Fees Risk 26:55 Fuel Inflation Lessons 28:55 What To Watch Next 31:36 Start Your Day With Jay 33:26 Aviation Forum Lineup 37:31 Audience Q&A Capacity 40:19 Earnings Season Surprises 41:49 Wrap Up And Subscribe
- 2 weeks ago38 min
United Airlines Is Bullish. Should It Be?
United Airlines is feeling bullish after its third-quarter earnings. But does the outlook match the optimism? Gordon and Jay break down the biggest takeaways from United’s Q3 earnings call, including what CEO Scott Kirby and his leadership team revealed about the airline’s performance and what may lie ahead. Follow the Hosts: Gordon Smith – LinkedIn Jay Shabat – LinkedIn Meghna Maharishi - LinkedIn 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: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries. 00:00 Welcome to the Lounge 00:30 In Flight Bread Debate 03:02 United Earnings Snapshot 06:23 Kirby vs American Airlines 08:14 Starlink and Brand Loyalty 15:04 Fuel Shock and Industry Risks 21:49 Break and Listener Mail 22:20 Alaska Airlines Margin Miss 25:33 Loyalty Deals and Aeroplan 27:58 Swipe Fees Under Scrutiny 33:39 Wrap Up and Final Thoughts 36:57 Closing Credits and Subscribe
- 3 weeks ago35 min
Delta Sets the Pace for Airline Earnings Season
As Delta Air Lines kicks off Q3 earnings, Gordon and Jay unpack the numbers. Plus, could Southwest be eyeing widebody aircraft? And what's behind the latest slide in JetBlue's share price? Follow the Hosts: Gordon Smith – LinkedIn Jay Shabat – LinkedIn Meghna Maharishi - LinkedIn 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: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries. 00:00 Welcome and Agenda 00:30 Finnair Raises Guidance 03:44 Delta Q3 Headlines 06:14 Delta Refinery Advantage 10:30 Cargo and MRO Boost 14:37 Break and Listener Plug 15:00 Premium Strategy Explained 20:04 Riyadh Route Postponed 22:02 Southwest Widebody Rumors 28:54 JetBlue Under Pressure 33:19 Forum Promo and Wrap
- Oct 8, 202640 min
Delta Kicks Off Q3 Earnings Season
In part one, Gordon and Jay preview what to watch as U.S. carriers report Q3 earnings. In part two, they turn to Alaska Airlines' investor day and discuss what stood out. Follow the Hosts: Follow the Hosts: Gordon Smith – LinkedIn Jay Shabat – LinkedIn Meghna Maharishi - LinkedIn 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: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries. 00:00 Welcome and Agenda 00:34 Q3 Earnings Preview 03:17 Revenue Man Tailwinds 08:38 Cost Vader Headwinds 11:29 Fuel Uncertainty Outlook 12:56 Premium Cabin Boom 18:16 Skift Aviation Forum Plug 21:20 Break and Reset 21:49 Why Investor Days Matter 23:35 Alaska Rough First Half 26:40 Alaska Global Expansion Risks 30:29 Alaska Revenue Strategy Shift 33:23 Partnerships and M&A Chatter 38:07 Wrap Up and Farewell
- Oct 1, 202618 min
Virgin Atlantic CEO Corneel Koster on Fuel, AI, and ATC Meltdowns
Gordon Smith sits down with Virgin Atlantic CEO Corneel Koster on the sidelines of Skift Global Forum in New York. They discuss how fuel costs are weighing on the airline and why premium demand keeps holding up, before turning to recent air traffic control meltdowns that have disrupted transatlantic operations. Follow the Hosts: Gordon Smith – LinkedIn Jay Shabat – LinkedIn Meghna Maharishi - LinkedIn 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: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries. 0:00 Introduction1:00 Becoming CEO of Virgin Atlantic3:00 The Iran War and a Challenging First Year4:00 Fuel Costs Have Doubled5:30 Transatlantic Demand and Cargo Revenue7:00 The Premium Cabin Bet9:00 Keeping Premium Feeling Special10:00 The Delta Relationship12:00 AI at Virgin Atlantic14:00 ATC Failures and Infrastructure16:00 Vision for Virgin Atlantic
- Sep 24, 202637 min
What American, Southwest and United Told Investors
Gordon is joined by Jay and Meghna to unpack the recent Morgan Stanley Laguna conference, where executives from American, Southwest and United set out where they think the market is heading. Follow the Hosts: Gordon Smith – LinkedIn Jay Shabat – LinkedIn Meghna Maharishi - LinkedIn 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: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:45 Laguna Conference Themes 03:46 Demand Strong Costs Rising 08:12 Premium Push and Lounges 15:23 Airline Strategies Compared 18:25 Wrap Part One and Break 20:53 Part Two Fuel Update 22:58 Capacity Cuts Ahead 24:48 Merger Rumors Return 30:55 Regulators and Rail Parallels 36:09 Final Thanks and Subscribe
- Sep 17, 202641 min
Airlines Post Record Revenues But Costs Catch Up
Gordon and Jay open with why record revenues still aren't covering a sharp rise in costs, then turn to what JetBlue's latest outlook tells the rest of the industry. Follow the Hosts: Gordon Smith – LinkedIn Jay Shabat – LinkedIn Meghna Maharishi - LinkedIn 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: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries. 00:00 Welcome and Agenda 00:50 Why Costs Matter Now 02:37 Six Inflation Buckets 03:01 Fuel and Labor Pressures 05:00 Aircraft and Maintenance Crunch 06:22 Airport Infrastructure Inflation 08:47 Premium Service Costs 09:49 Borrowing Costs Rising 11:32 How Airlines Fight Inflation 14:19 Capacity Cuts and Pricing Power 18:15 Demand and Supply Behind Fare Hikes 21:01 OEMs and Next Aircraft Programs 22:23 Forum Plug and News Notes 23:32 Back From Break Global Forum 26:36 JetBlue Investor Update Numbers 31:14 Fort Lauderdale Strategy Post Spirit 34:34 Losses Bankruptcy Talk and Options 36:11 Merger Prospects United Southwest American 38:19 JetBlue Right of Reply Context 40:34 Wrap Up and Subscribe
- Sep 10, 202638 min
The Air Canada Anko Inherits
In part one, Gordon and Jay weigh the opportunities in front of Air Canada against the challenges that come with them. In part two, the conversation turns to China, and why the country's Big Three carriers had such a rough second quarter. Follow the Hosts: Gordon Smith – LinkedIn Jay Shabat – LinkedIn Meghna Maharishi - LinkedIn 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: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries. 00:00 Welcome and agenda 01:38 Air Canada turnaround history 04:27 New CEO and headwinds 08:32 Competitive landscape and Aeroplan 14:25 Sixth freedom strategy explained 16:42 New aircraft and route growth 21:49 Forum plug and break 23:03 China big three losses 24:20 Why fares can’t rise 27:04 Fleet politics and economy 28:48 International bright spots 34:25 Wrap up and next week
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About Airline Weekly Lounge
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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