Airlines Confidential Podcast
Scott McCartney
Hosted by Scott McCartney, Fmr. Travel Editor/"Middle Seat" Columnist for The Wall Street Journal. Top Stories, C-Suite Guests, Listener Q's. The Leading Podcast Reaching Travel Industry Insiders, Frequent Flyers, & Aviation Geeks. Created by & Dedicated to Ben Baldanza.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 24, 2021 • 28min
072 - $14,000,000,000 Stimulus
This week: Weather & damage; $14 billion stimulus to airlines?; Are single pilot planes coming soon?; Amy has a question about "QC" airplanes; Kyle asks: Is there a "list price" for a commercial jetliner? Fatima has a complaint about Qatar Airways - Fine? or Whine?

Feb 17, 2021 • 26min
071 - New Routes
This week: A trial balloon that didn't fly; New routes announced; A look OAG data indicates who's actually travelling; Listener complaint: Hawaiian Airlines charged $300 in change fees - Fine or Whine? and this week's shout-outs.

Feb 10, 2021 • 44min
070 - Scott McCartney - Best & Worst Airlines
This Week: Special Guest WSJ Travel Editor Scott McCartney with the Best & Worst US Airlines of 2020; Airline staffing and who's asking for more government funding; A listener upset with United ticketing "schemes"- Fine? or Whine?

Feb 3, 2021 • 30min
069 - Staggering Financial Losses
This week: The staggering amount US Airlines lost this past year; What were Southwest and American really saying in their earnings calls? Will pre-flight Covid testing for all domestic passengers be a requirement soon? New slot rules...now? A pilot/listener follows up on pilots breaks during flight; Shout-outs to Peter Ingram and Gary Kelly.

Jan 27, 2021 • 35min
068 - Leadership Changes
This week: United shows leadership; A look into the new Washington DC leadership change; What qualifies someone to be Secretary of Transportation? Special guest Richard Mintz; and a Spirit complaint-Fine? or Whine? *Note: We apologize for some audio technical difficulties this week.

Jan 20, 2021 • 28min
067 - Delta's Break-Even Date
Delta says they can hit cash break even by summer. Can they? Norwegian ceases transatlantic flights.How long is OK for a pilot to be out of the cockpit during a flight? and Dan gets the Geek of the Week Award for his question of Yield vs PRASM

Jan 13, 2021 • 31min
066 - Chris Chiames Joins as Co-Host
Welcome Ben's new Co-Host Chris Chiames; Can Chinese state-owned Comac succeed in the USA? Ryan Air's covid ad campaign; Listener question on SkyWest's; Should the people who stormed Capitol Hill be banned from flying? and is Alexandra's complaint about Alaska rebooking her and not letting her take her cats onboard - "Fine or Whine?"

Jan 6, 2021 • 46min
065 - Thank You Seth. Introducing Chris.
Seth with a big announcement; We welcome Chris Chiames to the podcast; A look at how holiday travel went; Listener questions: Is a 717 or 757-Max in our future? Did Boeing actually benefit from corner cutting? and Richard in Houston has a complaint about Delta Comfort-Fine? or Whine?

Dec 30, 2020 • 36min
064 - The FAA & The 737-Max
Wishing you a Happy New Year! A listener question: Is the Saint Louis airport going away? What is United currently flying from St Louis and what makes hubs succeed or fail? Another listener asks: Is the FAA too cozy with Boeing regarding the 737 Max? and a "Fine or Whine" complaint that's a very clear Fine!

Dec 23, 2020 • 42min
063 - Jet Blue Storms Miami
This Week: Jet Blue new flight destinations including Miami? Did one airline accidentally match another airline's business class pricing mistake? Insider trivia: What is the "through flight assignment model"?and a baggage compensation complaint in India - Fine? or Whine?


