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3 Links I Love: JetBlue’s New Coach, Delta’s Cancels, Rear-Engine Jets

This week’s featured link

JetBlue Reveals Plans to Reinvent What It’s Like to Fly in ‘Coach’ Across the Atlantic – JetBlue News
JetBlue is starting to trickle out more details of its Transatlantic plan, and while the spin is thick — this is most definitely not a reinvention of flying coach — it does sound like a really nice way to go. Seatback screens and wifi are basic requirements for entry into the market now, but free wifi is not. And the meal program sounds good, though I don’t know how many people care for “vegetable-forward options.” I’m sure it’ll taste good. But the question is… if American or Delta is cheaper and/or more conveniently-timed, does any of that JetBlue stuff matter? We will find out.

Delta Mainline Daily Flight Cancellations

Chart of the Week: Delta ran into more trouble this week as it canceled a bunch of Easter holiday flights because it couldn’t properly manage its schedule. I turned to masFlight to find out just how bad things were. The chart above shows the number of Delta mainline cancels per day since the beginning of 2019. Ignore that giant clump of lines in the middle that doesn’t even fit. Those were COVID cancels when demand disappeared overnight. You do see a big chunk of cancels at Thanksgiving 2020, then Christmas, then some weather action in February, but then there’s Easter creeping in. If you look at the first 95 days of 2019, Delta canceled 672 flights. But if you look at the first 95 days of 2021, Delta canceled more than double at 1411 flights. Keep in mind, Delta had scheduled 36% fewer flights in 2021, so it’s actually an even bigger increase.

Two for the road

Interview: Reflecting on One Year of COVID-19 with Etihad Airways – Airways
Once again, I am a sucker for an interview.

Rear-engine jets: Why airlines no longer use rear-engine planes – Traveller
Thanks to reader Eric for sending this on over. The perspective in Australia is a little different since the article doesn’t even include the CRJ family which is ubiquitous in the US but non-existent down under. But that’s just a silly quibble. The content itself is still a good read.