The Antonov An225 roars to life during a takeoff from Schipol

The biggest plane your average Joe off the street knows about is likely the Airbus A380 or some flavor of the Boeing 747. Relatively few people have every heard of or seen the Antonov An225 but what a sight it is. Mriya (Мрія in Ukranian) is perhaps the most impressive relic of the Soviet space program.  Originally designed to give piggyback lifts to Soviet space shuttles, in its post-perestroika life it has provided great utility as a freight hauler popping up in airports the world over and swallowing up gargantuan loads of cargo. Once loaded up its Ivchenko Progress D-18T turbofans do the rest. Just how big is big you ask?

Antonov An225 size comparison chart

There is only one An225 in operation (UR-82060) – compared to almost 60 An124s – ensuring that it is always in demand. Hardly surprising considering it hold the world record for the heaviest ever air lift.  So the next time you’re seated with your seatbelt securely fastened taxiing to the runway, keep your eyes open as you pass the cargo facilities, it may be the only chance you ever get to see this marvel of Soviet engineering.

Check out this landing at Gander:

Air France A320-100 bound for Nürnberg by Kevin Chan

This week saw the end of an aviation era with the retirement of the last A320-100 in service – F-GFKA operated by Air France. Airbus only produced 21 total -100 variants for three carriers Air Inter (7), British Caledonian (5) and Air France (8).

The arrival of the -200 with its greater range and efficiency killed off interest in the -100 right away. In fact the -100 was much maligned for its performance and there are even stories of BA operating payload restricted flights between Heathrow and Newcastle (< 218nm) due to Maximum Zero-Fuel Weight issues. [Unconfirmed]. Aesthetically the -100 and -200 only differ in that the -200 has wingtip fences. There is currently a Facebook petition in place to preserve an A320-100. To add you name to it please click here.

Below is a clip of an Air France -100 taking of from Paris (CDG), enjoy!

Overview

Terminal

Remote Parking

MX Area

Submit your guess here or via Twitter to @airceo.

Since I seem to spend a lot of time researching and booking flights I thought it was time to write a review. For the purposes of this review I have chosen to critique WestJet.com. In my estimation (as somebody who travels a lot and ALWAYS books online) I would have to say WestJet.com falls into the middle of the pack – not great, not terrible. Let’s go to the landing Page.

OK not a good start. I’m told that my browser (Google Chrome) is not optimal. Two points in response to this:

• If you have to display this message make it small and discrete. There’s no need to alarm surfers with a wordy message and an obfuscated screen.
• Chrome and Safari may both be relatively small players but they are not a huge departure from Firefox and Internet Explorer. Get compatible. The cost of doing so is tiny, the upside is not.

[Update: Wow! In the time since I started this review and now WetJet look to have switched to a new browser detection mechanism that makes the previous gripe redundant.

Update 2: The nag screen is back. Odd.]

Post-nag screen is a confusing landing page.

WestJet.com - current landing page

There needs to be some space between the regular passenger click path and everyone/everything else. Also why is it that not everything is in two languages? No French speaking business travelers? This click flow is broken. It should be 1) pick a language to reveal a second tier then 2) pick from options available based on language selection.

WestJet.com - suggest landing page layout

So far it’s been fairly smooth sailing but once we get to the main page things start to come apart.

WestJet.com - current home page

There is simply too much blue, too much text and too much clutter – can you even count the number of links on this page? There are over 150 links here in one place or another – that’s lunacy. Depending on whose research you believe, humans can handle 8 or less variables at a time when solving a problem. 150? Not so much.

Since this page should be driving business, the booking area and the special fares area should take prominence in that order, but they don’t. A quick use of the black and white test reveals that the most prominent areas of this page are…

WestJet.com - black and white test

two clunky blue bars containing links that take you away from the main page? These two bars are nested in blocks containing clouds but for some reason the sky is a different shade of blue in each. The lack of consistency doesn’t stop there. For instance some of the “[+]” symbols are clickable, some of them aren’t. That degree of oversight is amateur.

Then there’s the dead weight; the travel advisory is not eye catching enough and frankly looks like another oversight. Also the newest advisory is from May 1^st 2010 – three months ago. If there is no advisory to give, lose the advisory link. I wish the dead weight ended there but it doesn’t. Both the Firefox and IE icons link to the FAQ page. My question is why? Browser management is already handled upon entry making both links pointless. The Visa and MasterCard images are also pointless until a transaction is happening. These images mean nothing and only serve to further clutter the page.

If I had to specify the one thing about this site I would change first, it would without question be the behavior of the text boxes in which users are supposed to specify their origin and destination. When you click the “To” or “From” boxes a horrible wine list of destinations blankets the page.

WestJet.com - current booking textboxes

This is obviously a relic of the WestJet of old; the WestJet that didn’t fly to 71 destinations. Simply disabling this behavior would be a huge step forward. The boxes already use an AJAX subset search algorithm that displays possible matches based on typed text. That is the way forward. Oh and while you’re removing things let’s get rid of the country headers in the search results!

Beyond all of the above there are a number of other things I don’t get. For instance I have never, ever seen a vanity number follow its numeric representation. Why then does 1-888-westjet follow and not precede 1-888-937-8538? I think this oversight perfectly depicts the problem with this page it just hasn’t been thought through properly.

The good news for WestJet is that with just a few core changes this site could go from being a 6.5/10 to a 9/10. Get on it guys!

Needless to say the existence of many routes operating in and out of Africa are steeped in historical ties – Air France for instance is very strong in West Africa. However, such historical ties are only a small factor in the broader picture. The formation of global airline alliances, armed conflicts, the discovery of natural resources and a host of other factors make the picture far more complex.

If we compare the footprints of the alliances side-by-side we can see that the Star Alliance has the broadest reach. Notice in particular how the major centers that dot the coast of the continent are well served.

Not far behind the Star Alliance is SkyTeam. Air France and KLM’s long history in Africa coupled with Kenya Airways’ growth and success are the major factors behind this second place.

This leaves OneWorld in third but not by much.

Let’s not ignore non-alliance players. The collective presence Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad put forward is no longer negligible. You might argue that the gulf trio only affords three non-stop destinations outside Africa – Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi – but I would argue that one-stops at the right price are just as good or better than direct services.

With Ethiopian set to join the Star Alliance shortly, the list of African carriers ready to be rolled into major alliances drops to zero – either for lack of quality or lack of size. A lack of carriers however does not mean a lack a opportunities. The difference now is that anyone who wants a piece of the action will have to really put some skin in the game, not simply agree to a codeshare. Brussels Airlines is already doing this by setting up an operation in Lubumbashi (to be called Korongo) but they will not be the last. Numerous European and Middle Eastern carriers have half an eye on such joint ventures as do the new darlings of African politicians - the Chinese and the Indians.

While I’m on the subject of tails, if anyone knows what that thing Sri Lankan uses on its tails is I would love to know. At least the old bird was intelligible. That new thing is simply awful. Is it a jalapeno?

Emirates A380 coming into YYZ by BriYYZ on Flickr

Let’s be honest 58 A380s was never going to be enough for Dubai’s ambitions. In case you think I’m being sarcastic, I’m not. Once you get over the shock of such a massive order and start to think about it, 58 is not that many. Currently the ten strong A380 fleet serves London (LHR x2 daily), Paris (CDG), Bangkok, Toronto (x3 weekly), Sydney, Auckland (via SYD), Incheon as well as doing some intra-gulf flying mainly to Jeddah. Assuming that the current complement is well utilized that would leave (only!) 48 frames. Placing these 48 across EK’s currently served destinations will not be that difficult. Many of these destinations already enjoy multiple daily frequencies from DXB. Examining that list would be a good starting point.

Cape Town, Dhaka, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gatwick, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Male, Manchester, Manila, Mauritius, Melbourne, Moscow, Singapore and Shanghai are all strong candidates to become A380 destinations. Whether all of these spots are A380-ready and whether the authorities/treaties that govern these airports will just take this lying down remains to be seen but EK’s intentions should be clear. At this point it’s just a case of guessing in what order these will come online. Add the additional 32 frames into the mix and only then will you start to struggle to find routes for EK to put them on, but even then not really. At the current dismal delivery rate natural fleet renewal will mean that older 77W frames will be finding new homes and being replaced by A380s.

Beyond the additional 32 A380s the rumored/sort-of-announced intention to order more frames at Farnborough makes things interesting. In all likelihood it will be a modest (by EK standards) 777 renewal order (yes even they acknowledge not every city on earth can support a daily A380) and/or an additional 10 A380s to bring the fleet count there to 100. Say what you will about EK they understand PR!

This “better to have it and not need it” philosophy will work for EK. After all any spares can find homes with EK’s cousin organization DAE and even Senegal Airlines (aka Sri Lankan: the sequel) could probably take one or two for flights to Paris and Marseille in a pinch. Perhaps most importantly by jamming up the order books at Toulouse. EK’s competitors will not be able to get a meaningful A380 fleet put together any time soon.

To me EK’s biggest problem is not going to be finding places to fly the A380, it’s going to be getting foreign governments to yield to their will. I have no doubt that some governments will force addendums to existing bilaterals – replacing frequencies with seat capacities – or at the very least refuse to change existing agreements. If that happens things will get very messy indeed. The UAE-India bilateral is already restricted in this way but more countries will follow suit. Already in battles of attrition with Australia, Canada, Germany and India, Emirates might have to hire as many PR and lobbyist hands as they do pilots to get all those A380s in the air.

A tad heavy, no?

The Luggage Lunatic
In an age where seat pitch and width are shrinking, carry-on rules are getting stricter and free check-ins are quickly disappearing you still see the luggage lunatics the second you roll up to the curb. Unless you’re moving to Ouagadougou for good there is no reason to pack like this. Ever. You’re not Imelda Marcos, let’s tone down the luggage.

The Octopus Parent
You know who I’m talking about poor man/woman carrying two kids in the dual Koala-al-Qaeda configuration holding hands with yet more kids of walking age – multiple wheelie suitcases and back-packs in tow; at least one kid crying at all times almost acting as I siren warning you to get out of the way. I have nothing against this group of people and the only reason they make this list is that I want them get some relief.

The Muse
Lack of experience? Lack of knowledge? Lack of a clue. This species of traveler is fascinated and confused by everything. They usually stand around gawking at things – one hand scratching their head, while their heads bob up and down between airports signs and their travel documents. Hint: there are no directions to your gate on you boarding pass. Do not EVER line up behind one of these people and follow at a distance as they are known to perform Crazy Ivans at random.

The Voyageur Idiot Savant
I don’t know what it is about these people but they are everywhere. Usually they are men trying to impress their kids or the significant other with their wealth of aviation and travel knowledge. I recently overheard a guy telling his girlfriend/wife how revolutionary the 747 was “blah, blah, economies of scale, blah, blah hub to hub” and so on. When she asked which plane he was talking about he pointed and said that Air Canada one over there! Air Canada has not operated the 747 for AGES but the real kicker was that he was pointing at an A320 which wasn’t even the biggest plane in sight.

The Turnstiles
I’m not sure who created these jobs or why they are still around but you see them at every airport; people whose entire role it is to direct travelers to various line ups – be it customs, security or check-in. I’m baffled. Where does one even go to apply for such a job? Surely a well placed sign would do the trick… then again the patent lack of logic and flailing hand gestures some of these folks exhibit is worth the price of admission. On second thought let’s keep these people.

The Blackberry Ninjas
These lovely individuals spend every free second they have looking down at their mobile devices furiously thumbing away. Luckily half of this genus consists of business travelers so they at least know where they’re going and how to get there without obstructing other travelers. These folks look up occasionally and grunt when asked questions but beyond that are a waste of space. If you happen to be seated next to one on the plane there is a more than 50% chance that (s)he will still be hammering away during takeoff.

Why not?

It’s time airlines began rethinking the concepts of seasonality and charters. Currently, seasonal services rely on predicted or proven demand swells to justify a change in capacity for a fixed period of time – usually on a recurring basis, most commonly up-gauging around holidays. There can be no doubt that this practice makes sense. However, given the cutthroat nature of the current aviation market I am surprised no carrier has taken it a step further and pursued a more aggressive approach where seasons are in fact not even a season long. This would involve one (or two, or three) off services between city pairs designed to aggressively target pockets of new revenue. The haphazard nature of this approach would make it seem almost like a charter service – and in many respects it would be – but with one key difference; airlines would no longer be the suitors, waiting around for clients to pitch them. Rather they would become the aggressors and would take the fight pitch to prospective clients.

Let me offer an example. I am attending the Microsoft TechEd 2010 tradeshow in New Orleans next week. Attendance is rumored to be hovering between 8,000 and 9,000 people. Given that it’s a Microsoft show it will come as no surprise that a large contingent will be making their way down to New Orleans from the Redmond, WA area. While there are countless one-stop possibilities to New Orleans from Seattle (to suit any airline allegiance) there is no direct service. For a sizeable portion of the people making this journey a direct flight would be too good to pass up, frequent flier miles be damned. All it would take is for Alaska Airlines (or any other major player in the northwest) to recognize the needs of their market and react. For this particular example I’m sure a few services straddling the tradeshow’s timeline would sell out in minutes. The same issue exists for Canadian attendees of the show – there is no direct service from New Orleans to anywhere in Canada. Would this not then be the perfect time for a Canadian carrier to offer “seasonal” services around this event to New Orleans from Toronto and Calgary? I’m willing to bet it would work. Inevitably airlines would cannibalize some of their own routes by adopting this approach but it would at the same time attract passengers that would preliminarily favor another carrier.

Pursuing opportunities like this would be straightforward. Route Ops teams at carriers would simply have to contact the largest convention centers around their continent(s) and get their annual schedules. With that information and some research into their attendees and organizers, opportunities like this would light up any airline’s route map like a Christmas tree.

Qantas parking lot at LAX by Kim Davies

When planes are on the ground they don’t make money. Why then do numerous carriers the world over allow their precious metal to sit on remote stands gathering dust for hours at a time awaiting their return rotations? Simply put, I think nobody has bothered to challenge the status quo. Look at LAX for instance. It has a hugely impressive offering in terms of trans-Pacific flight possibilities. What’s less impressive is the aircraft utilization of some of the operators. Let’s put Qantas under the microscope for a second. On most days they offer five services into LAX:

Obviously an idea like this sounds simple on paper but requires a lot more thought to implement. In the example I have given – the QF-AA tie:

• AA would need to ready a stable of pilots rated on the 744/388.
• QF would need to be satisfied that their equipment and brand was being looked after.
• “Operated by” stickers would need to be in place to appease the DOT.
• Perhaps a ghastly OneWorld livery too.

These and a whole slew of other items must be addressed but in the end I think the possibility for this to happen is there. Beyond Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver have planes that sit on the ground for long periods. A similar deal could easily be struck up between say Air New Zealand and United who already fly the 744.

In my opinion if this type of short cycle leasing is ever going to happen the biggest possibility will be between the Virgin carriers. Virgin America are stable and expanding V Australia is making inroads on the US west coast. As both airlines take additional deliveries I think V Australia’s schedule will start to look more and more like Qantas’s which will create the perfect platform for Richard “fair dinkum” Branson’s Aussie carrier to short-cycle lease 777s to Richard “born on the fourth of July’ Branson’s American carrier. Of course such an action would set the “birthers” off and likely cause a ruckus on Capitol Hill, but guess what it would be a perfectly legal arrangement.