Southwest Airlines is lowering the requirements to qualify for the top levels of its frequent-flyer program, a move aimed at travelers who are unhappy with other airlines that are making it harder to reach elite status. Southwest said Monday that it will reduce by 20% the number of flights needed to qualify for its “A-List” and “A-List Preferred” levels in its Rapid Rewards program. The airline said it won’t change the number of spending-based points that customers can also use to qualify for either level, and it will make it easier to get those points using a Southwest-branded credit card. The changes will start next year for travelers aiming to hit elite status for 2025. Southwest’s moves contrast with Delta Air Lines, which drew criticism on social media last month after announcing changes that make it harder to reach elite status in its SkyMiles program and gain entry to its airport lounges. CEO Ed Bastian says Delta is reconsidering those changes. Under Southwest’s announced changes, which start Jan. 1, it’ll take 20 one-way qualifying flights instead of 25 to hit the A-List, and 40 such flights instead of 50 to make A-List Preferred. The alternate path of qualifying points based on spending will remain 35,000 and 70,000 points. The airline will also throw in two free premium drinks per flight for A-List Preferred passengers starting Nov. 6.<br/>
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The world’s first premium leisure airline, Beond, took off following the unveiling of its sophisticated and unique aircraft livery at events in Male and Dubai. At the event in Malé, Maldives, attended by dignitaries, investors, supporters and employees, and the global media event broadcast online and in-person in Dubai, the airline showcased its first aircraft, an Airbus A319 seating 44 passengers in a luxurious all lay-flat configuration. “Welcome to Beond. Our aim is simple: to fly our customers to the most unique and unspoiled destinations where they can release their inner explorer on the most memorable vacation of their lives,” said Tero Taskila, CEO of Beond, and a founder. “Today is but the beginning of our vision for our customers, embodied by this beautiful aircraft — inside and out. We could not be more pleased to showcase it in Maldives, our home, and Dubai. We wish especially to thank the government of Maldives and our supporters there, the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority, and SIMDI Group — each of whom believed in our vision for a new airline in Maldives. Our team will do its best to bring tourists to this beautiful nation.” Beond’s inaugural flights are scheduled for November 2023, with the Riyadh inaugural departing November 9, the Munich inaugural departing November 15, and the Zurich inaugural departing November 17.<br/>
The Curia of Hungary, the country’s supreme court, has upheld an earlier decision of the Budapest municipal government office, according to which Ryanair must pay a HUF200m forint (US$545,000) fine due to an alleged violation of consumer protection laws, the municipality said in a statement on October 15. An “official consumer protection procedure” the Budapest municipal government office launched in April 2020 found that the low-cost carrier had “failed to provide and inform” passengers about the delay of a flight from Budapest to Gran Canaria on February 18 of the same year, committing “an unfair commercial practice.” The government office underlined in its short statement that its task as a consumer protection authority is to protect passengers who have been treated unfairly by an airline. Ryanair has also been facing a separate consumer protection fine in Hungary, for HUF300m (US$818,000), related to a departure tax the national government imposed last year. However, in early June 2023, a ruling by the Metropolitan Court of Budapest annulled this fine, confirming that the airline could lawfully pass the tax on to consumers in line with European Union regulations, a judgement Ryanair welcomed.<br/>
South Korean low-cost carrier Jeju Air has successfully bounced back from the coronavirus pandemic, as it prepares to induct the Boeing 737 Max 8. During the first half of 2023, the Seoul Gimpo-based carrier flew 2.5m passengers on domestic and 3.3m passengers on international routes, surpassing the number flown in the first six months of 2018, according to CE E-Bae Kim. He adds that the carrier’s domestic network has fully rebounded compared with 2019, but that international traffic is just 75-80% of pre-pandemic levels. “With the exception of the South Korea-China route, which experienced a delayed recovery due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most of our major routes from 2018-2019, which were profitable, have largely regained their pre-pandemic performance,” says Kim. “We continuously adapt our route portfolio with a focus on both profitability and growth.” Domestically, Jeju Air is focused on retaining its strong market share on the key Seoul-Jeju route, while on the international front it recently resumed services to Hong Kong, as well as leisure destinations such as Boracay in the Philippines and Phu Quoc in Vietnam. Kim says these routes are adding additional revenue and operating profit. Kim believes that if current trends hold, the carrier is on track to achieve recover revenues and operating profits. In the first half of 2023, revenue more than tripled to W792b ($585m), as the carrier swung to an operating profit of W93.9b. The carrier operates about 40 737-800s as well as a pair of 737-800BCF freighters. Next month will see it introduce its first two 737 Max 8s from its orderbook of 40 examples. The updated 737 variant will allow Jeju Air to contemplate longer range routes, specifically Indonesia and Central Asia.<br/>
Malaysia is suspending the licence and air operator’s certificate (AOC) of MYAirline, after the low-cost carrier’s financial woes left passengers stranded at the airport. The airline drew flak when it suddenly announced on Oct 12 that it was halting its operations with immediate effect due to “significant financial pressures”, leaving dozens of its passengers waiting at the budget airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur with no flights out. “The company still exists; it is suspending operations while looking for investors. It’s a commercial issue but... we will be suspending their licence temporarily,” Transport Minister Anthony Loke told reporters after an event at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre on Monday. The airline’s air service licence from the Malaysian Aviation Commission was due to expire on Nov 14. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) recently extended MYAirline’s AOC, which had expired on Sept 30, allowing it to operate scheduled commercial flights for another two years. But CAAM CE Norazman Mahmud said the AOC has been suspended, effective from Monday. He added that a safety audit had been carried out on MYAirline from May 29 to June 1 for its AOC renewal, but there were no findings that indicated financial distress.<br/>