In The Sky: April

Jet Blue Trades Trays for Carts

American carrier JetBlue Airways will no longer be bringing travelers their drinks on trays. Instead, onboard carts will be used to deliver both snacks and beverages. The change leaves Southwest as the last large U.S. carrier to take customers drinks into the cabin loaded onto trays. JetBlue says switching to carts will enable them to offer more choices on 95% of its flights while also increasing the speed of service.

Air New Zealand begins, Qantas considers new Chicago route

Australian flag-carrier Qantas is contemplating continuing its recent expansion in long-haul service to include direct flights from Australia to Chicago. New routes from Melbourne to San Francisco and from Brisbane to Los Angeles-New York have already been announced, in addition to its landmark Perth to London direct service. This comes hot on the heels of South-Pacific rival Air New Zealand opening a new service between Auckland and Chicago O’Hare that will operate three times a week, while also extending their Auckland-San Francisco offering from seasonal to year-round.

Lufthansa ends Berlin-New York Route

Lufthansa’s Berlin-New York flight will be suspended after operating for only a few months. Instituted after the collapse of fellow German carrier Air Berlin, the service connected the German capital to New York-JFK five times a week. Lufthansa travelers will have to fly to Berlin via Frankfurt in the future.

New interiors, more flights from Emirates

Gulf carrier Emirates has unveiled a new business-class cabin on its Boeing 777-300 aircraft. Key features include larger 23-inchscreens for entertainment, widened seats and a 2-2-2 seat configuration. The airline has also announced that they will increase the frequency of services on its Dubai-Orlando and Dubai-Fort Lauderdale services, as well as deploying the A380 superjumbo to its Houston route. 

Air Canada Unveils New Fares

New basic economy fares will be part of Air Canada's bid to keep up with low-cost competition. The Canadian flag-carrier is also matching other legacy carriers like United, Delta and American, all of whom have already introduced basic economy fares. These pared-back offerings trade reduced perks in exchange for a lower ticket cost. Currently these fares apply only to travel within Canada and are targeted particularly against domestic competitors like Westjet.

Singapore Airlines unveils new regional cabin products

The carrier’s new Boeing 787-10 fleet will feature new business and economy class seating options. The 36-seat business class cabin will feature 76-inch fully-flat beds with privacy screens, in-seat power stations and direct aisle access for all in a forward-facing 1-2-1 staggered configuration. Meanwhile, economy class passengers will enjoy ergonomically-designed contour backrests for greater comfort and six-way adjustable headrests with foldable wings to provide more neck support, as well as personalized in-flight entertainment.