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The Air Show

Cranky Flier LLC

Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss the business of the sky on this aviation podcast.

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24 episodes
Avg 31 min
English

Episodes 24

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#111
Thursday · 33 min
An Extra Long Range Summer is Coming
Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder dissect the airlines’ plans for summer 2027, led by the rapid rollout of the Airbus A321XLR. It's supposed to be the game changer for longer, thinner routes, and they examine how United, American and Air Canada are each approaching the aircraft a little differently with routes to Europe and Asia. Thanks to the Alaska-Hawaiian Airlines Pilots and Flex Pay by Upgrade for sponsoring this episode.
#109
August 27 · 39 min
American Needs More Urgency
Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder unpack American Airlines's latest course corrections to play catch-up with Delta and United, from adding more premium seats and bringing back screens to reshuffling senior leadership. It's good news, but is it happening quickly enough? Thanks to this week's sponsor Flex Pay by Upgrade.
#108
August 20 · 36 min
Southwest's COO on the MAX 7 and Ops Fixes
Southwest’s Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson joins Brett Snyder to talk about the certification of the MAX 7, the airline’s operational troubles, and yes, even Andrew’s responsibilities themselves. Thank you to Points, a Plusgrade company and SkyGo for sponsoring this week's episode.
#107
August 6 · 34 min
The Shifting Role of LaGuardia
LaGuardia is one of the most congested airports in the country, and the way that airport has been used has changed dramatically over time. Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder dig into LaGuardia’s service over the years and where it might go in the future. Thank you to Points, a Plusgrade company for sponsoring this week's episode.
#106
July 31 · 30 min
The Air Show Attends An Air Show
Jon Ostrower is back to talk about what he saw at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK. He tells Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder about the breakthrough of a Saab 340B modified with a hybrid electric power design, how the show was surprisingly weighted towards the defense industry, and more. Thank you to SkyGo for sponsoring this week's episode.
#105
July 23 · 31 min
The Unsettled Transpacific
Transatlantic strategies are pretty well set for North American carriers, but transpacific strategies are definitely not. Delta seems to be making its move now, though Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder disagree on whether this should have happened earlier. This week, we talk about that and all the airlines that are trying to cement their place across the Pacific. Thank you to SkyGo for sponsoring this week's episode.
#104
July 16 · 27 min
Mergers Improve Competition
The U.S. Government Accountability Office came out with a new report on airline competition and the challenges for lower-cost airlines. But Brett Snyder and guest host Courtney Miller, founder and managing director of Visual Approach, poke holes in why this report isn’t all that useful, even if it’s not a bad report itself. Thank you to Points, a Plusgrade company and SkyGo for sponsoring this week's episode. SHOW NOTES: GAO's report, "AIRLINE COMPETITION: Indicators Suggest Increased Competition in the Past Two Decades, but Lower-Cost Airlines Face Challenges" - https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-26-107740.pdf
#103
July 9 · 32 min
Is There Room For An All-Premium Airline?
A listener asked why can’t an airline be successful doing either a premium or, at least, an elevated experience? Something like a resurrected Midwest Express? Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder explain how the economics – from segmentation to upselling – make it pretty hard for that to be viable. Thanks to SkyGo for sponsoring this episode. Got your own question? Send it to info@theairshowpodcast.com
#102
June 26 · 36 min
The Unique Hawaiian Interisland Market
Hawaiʻi is more than paradise, it's also home to the unique and complex interisland market. Between the dramatically shifting demand and the nature of the flying that limits the choice of fleet, Jon Ostrower and Brett Snyder talk about how airlines like Hawaiian and Southwest have to successfully navigate this important market. Thanks to SkyGo for sponsoring this episode. The Air Show will be taking a break for the July 4th weekend. We'll be back the following week.
#101
June 18 · 31 min
Gossip, Hot Topics, and Jumpseats at IATA
Brian Sumers and Jon Ostrower are back from the IATA annual general meeting in Rio. They tell Brett Snyder about what they saw and heard, from how US airlines aren't worried about the price of fuel to the way fares are moving differently in the US compared to Europe. Thank you to Points, a Plusgrade company, for sponsoring this week's episode. SHOW NOTES: The number of times Scott Kirby has been mentioned on the show
#100
June 5 · 32 min
Jon Says U.S. Airlines Are Going In Reverse
U.S. aviation, the world’s original air travel marketplace, is going backwards rapidly. That's what Jon Ostrower argues, and he says there are signs in things like premium, capacity and airports. He'll try to convince Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder that America's aviation industry is on the verge of a major structural shift. Thank you to Points, a Plusgrade company, for sponsoring this week's episode.
#99
May 21 · 26 min
Fort Lauderdale: The Most Interesting Airport in America
With its largest airline – Spirit – out of business, FLL has become a fascinating airport where airlines are all jockeying for position. Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder talk about which airlines are trying to get a leg up in Fort Lauderdale and, for that matter, all of South Florida. Thank you to Points, a Plusgrade company, for sponsoring this week's episode.
#98
May 14 · 31 min
Allegiant Drops The Drama
Just a few months after selling its ill-fated hotel in Florida, Allegiant completed one of its most profitable quarters in recent memory. Now, it needs to focus on how it can make its acquisition of Sun Country a winner. With the deal now closed, Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers, and Brett Snyder explain how the acquisition fits into Allegiant's strategy for growth.
#97
May 7 · 27 min
The Government’s Role In Spirit’s Demise
Spirit is the first major airline to have abruptly shut down in the U.S. since 1991. Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder explain how the government, from the Obama Administration to now, all had a role in the company's demise. Thanks to Plusgrade for sponsoring this episode.
#96
April 30 · 29 min
The A220-500, An Airplane Palate Cleanser
The Airbus A220 Stretch, aka the A220-500, is a plane that's stalked the industry since the C Series was launched in 2008. But it sure looks like Airbus is getting closer to bringing it to reality. Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder talk about why it was a threat to Boeing then, but not to Boeing now. We would like to thank Delight.ai for supporting The Air Show.
#95
April 22 · 29 min
The Government is Making Things Worse
There’s been overwhelming weirdness in the decisions coming out of the federal government, and it is creating real harm in this industry. Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder talk about the President weighing in about a rumored United-American merger, Trump's suggestion that the government bail out Spirit, and the heated transcripts of an FAA meeting around who could fly what at O'Hare. We would like to thank Plusgrade for supporting The Air Show. Show Notes: U.S. DOT/FAA - Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) Scheduling Reduction Meeting Transcripts – https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2004-16944-0165
#94
April 16 · 25 min
We Have to Talk About Mergers
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said recently that the administration would like to see one of the larger airlines buy one of the smaller ones. At around the same time, Bloomberg reported that United talked about buying American. Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss how real any of this is, and what it would look like if any of the U.S. airlines merged.
April 9 · 41 min
Breeze's Lukas Johnson Sounds Off
Brian Sumers talks with Lukas Johnson, Breeze Airways' opinionated chief commercial officer, to get his views on demand, fuel costs, credit card revenues and the power of an airline's brand. He also tells us who he thinks should replace Robert Isom (if Isom is let go) and why he's happy to be known as the industry's second-most arrogant commercial mind. Thanks to Gilat Stellar Blu for sponsoring this episode.
#92
April 2 · 27 min
Oil, and the Rest of the World
U.S. airlines may be cautiously optimistic about the effect that high oil prices will have on their bottom line, but not so much executives at non-U.S. airlines. Fuel is really expensive out there for them. Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder talk about the real concerns those companies have about covering their costs. Thanks to Flagstaff Pulliam Airport for sponsoring this episode.
#91
March 26 · 28 min
United’s Media Day Extravaganza
Jon Ostrower and Brett Snyder report back from United's media day where new hard products were shown off on several different aircraft. It was also on full display that the airline has been preparing for the next downturn with strategies that allow it to move forward with long term plans even when things don’t look good in the short term. We would like to thank Plusgrade for supporting The Air Show.

Showing 1–20 of 24 episodes