Which frequent flyer program offers the best benefits for business travelers

Virgin Atlantic announced this week that it will cease operations to Shanghai. The only other service in that region – Hong Kong – was suspended in 2022. Qantas has revealed plans to pull out of Shanghai on July 28, leaving only Hong Kong in its Far East network. Airlines from other countries, including the US, have expressed difficulties in maintaining China operations. The problem for many airlines is the closure of Russian airspace, which means longer journeys to destinations in China. For example, Virgin’s Shanghai route had to add an hour outbound and two hours return to accommodate the extended flight time. Making matters worse, Chinese airlines are not required to bypass Russian airspace, allowing them to operate westbound flights faster and with less fuel and crew than rivals. This lack of a level playing field has frustrated many airline leaders and is clearly taking the wind out of the sails of many airlines as they struggle to rebuild their pre-pandemic China footprint.

In August, there are more than 8,600 daily flights on wide-body aircraft worldwide. One in every 12 flights worldwide is operated on a twin-aisle aircraft. Most flights are operated on the Boeing 777-300ER, an excellent variant with long range, high capacity passenger cabins and significant cargo volume in the cargo hold. The A330-300 is second and the 787-9 is third. This raises an obvious question: which wide-body aircraft type or variant have you flown on most often? Let us know!

There are more daytime transatlantic flights between the US/Canada and Europe in August 2024 than in any other year. About 419 departures match this schedule, compared to 399 in August 2023 and 307 in 2019 before the pandemic. Growth was partially influenced by several small new routes from Azores Airlines, many of them with wide-body aircraft flown on wet lease. Despite the increase, daytime flights are rare, with only about 1 in 50 flights between the US/Canada and Europe scheduled this way. That’s no surprise: They rely on shorter markets with strong point-to-point demand and fewer time zone changes, of which there aren’t many. Some passengers may prefer them because of less jet lag, although they can mean a day is “wasted.” For airlines, they can mean lower aircraft utilization and lower yields due to lower interest in beds, if available. Have you flown from North America to Europe during the day? If so, did you enjoy it? How did it compare to night time? Let us know!

Late last year, Emirates executives told Simple Flying that the Dubai-based mega-airline would continue to fly the massive Airbus A380 into the 2040s. At the recent Dubai Airshow, the airline’s CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told me that the airline would continue to buy aircraft from lessors at the right price to make this possible. How long do you think Emirates will continue to fly the Airbus A380? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Air India already flies to five destinations in the United States – Newark, Washington Dulles, New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare and San Francisco. Some of these routes are served by multiple Indian airports. However, during a chat with Simple Flying last month, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson shared that his airline is keen to expand within the US once it gets more wide-body aircraft. There have been reports that Dallas and Los Angeles are in the pipeline. But how much could the airline expand in the US? Could we see some additional routes along both coasts? Let us know what you think below!

Even passengers on budget airlines often pay extra to get priority boarding. On some budget airlines, the cost is even higher than the base price of the ticket. Still, many travelers find it’s worth the money. I think it can be worth it, because earlier boarding isn’t the only benefit. Other benefits include a larger carry-on bag that can be stored in the overhead bin, which is essential for some trips. What do you think? Is it worth it? Let us know below!