Airline Stocks Could Get a Boost From an Unexpected Source

With climate change becoming an increasing threat to the world, it’s no wonder that many consumers and investors are looking at industries’ carbon footprints. Airlines are squarely in the crosshairs on this issue given their dependence on fossil fuels, but Cowen & Co. argues that the companies are taking steps to reduce their emissions.

The back story. Cowen analyst Helane Becker writes that on a recent marketing trip in Europe, investors were clearly focused on airlines’ energy use and efficiency. Of course, airlines are taking steps in this direction—on Earth Day this year, Delta Air Lines (DAL) offset the emissions of more than 300,000 customers—but it’s more than just a concern for the planet that’s driving this move, she notes. “As airlines reduce their carbon footprint, they reduce their costs.”

What’s new. On Wednesday, Becker, reviewed the airlines’ progress, writing that while she doesn’t expect airlines’ huge consumption of fossil fuels to change anytime soon (the U.S. industry alone uses 17 billion gallons of jet fuel a year), the industry is working toward being more sustainable. 

She noted that replacing older planes with newer, more efficient ones leads to fuel savings, fewer maintenance breaks, increased aircraft reliability, and reduction in noise pollution. While it might not reduce fuel use as much as many would like, it has made a noticeable difference in airlines’ consumption, and given that at the moment there’s no renewable energy resource to replace jet fuel, it’s a compromise that seems necessary for now.

Looking ahead. Becker writes that she is still “cautiously optimistic about the 2019 outlook for the airlines. We believe the second quarter and third quarter are likely to be the best two quarters of this year with the first quarter the toughest.” She also thinks that airlines have plenty of economic incentive to reduce their fossil fuel use, and “continue to focus on addressing climate change and reducing their carbon footprint for the foreseeable future.”

Airlines could use a boost. While individual stocks have been all over the map year to date, even some of the best performing stocks like Delta andSouthwest Airlines (LUV) haven’t been able to keep pace with the S&P 500, including the recent market decline. 

A number of companies have delivered upbeat earnings, but the impact of the Boeing (BA) 737 Max grounding has taken a toll on others, and even with many analysts convinced that the industry is stronger than ever, the recent trade war woes have taken their toll as investors worry that tariffs could crimp the global economy and business and leisure travel along with it.  

While there’s still reason to believe there’s value in airline stocks, it’s been tough going in light of the macro backdrop dominated by trade, and while carbon footprints may not be front of mind for some of the U.S., airlines’ lowered emissions could not only help profits via efficiency savings but improve investor sentiment around the world.

Source:https://www.barrons.com/articles/take-two-stock-videogame-earnings-guidance-51557842637

American Airlines Passengers Were Stunned: Their Pilot Was Just Arrested at the Airport, Taken Away in Handcuffs, and Charged With Murder

This is a story about a terrible crime that you’d probably never hear about outside of the state where it happened, except for the occupation of the person who’s been arrested: a pilot for American Airlines.

It’s also about just how complete your trust as a passenger has to be in the competence, character, and health of the people flying your plane.

First Officer Christian Richard Martin was arrested at the airport in Louisville early Saturday and charged with three counts of murder.

Martin, who American said had been working for its wholly owned subsidiary, PSA Airlines, since January 2018, was reportedly being held without bail in a jail in Kentucky Saturday night.

The circumstances are hard to summarize. In a statement Saturday, the Kentucky attorney general said Martin was responsible for the November 2015 deaths of husband and wife Calvin and Pamela Phillips, and Edward Dansereau, all of whom were his neighbors at the time.

Although officials didn’t provide a motive, news reports say that Martin, while serving in the U.S. Army, had been tried by court-martial for child sexual abuse among other charges, and that the Phillipses were scheduled to be witnesses against him.

Martin actually gave a 29-minute television interview in 2016 about their deaths, denying any involvement and saying that he’d actually expected Calvin Phillips to be the star witness for his defense.

He was later acquitted of the most serious charges in his military court-martial, although he was convicted of two counts of mishandling classified information and two counts of simple assault.

American Airlines told me Saturday that Martin had undergone a background check, which would apparently would have been handled by the Transportation Security Administration, and that there hadn’t been anything that came up that would have disqualified him from being a pilot.

Here’s the airline’s statement.

“All of us at American Airlines and PSA Airlines are deeply saddened to have learned about these allegations from 2015. Our team was made aware of the indictment this morning after his arrest at Louisville International Airport. 

We have an unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members, and we will provide any investigative assistance possible to law enforcement throughout their investigation.”

Passengers who were in the airport at the time of Martin’s arrest described a tense scene, with lots of police and the arrested pilot marched away in handcuffs from an airport gate, apparently just before he was set to be the first officer on Flight 5523 from Louisville to Charlotte.

In a mugshot widely disseminated on media sites, Martin is seen wearing his airline uniform, with the three stripes of a first officer visible on each shoulder. 

One passenger described the scene to a local television station as being like out of a movie. Other passengers took to Twitter both to describe the bizarre scene of a commercial airline pilot being arrested and accused of murder — along with complaints about the resulting delay.

Flight 5523 took off a little under three hours late, once American was able to find a replacement first officer.

This is truly one of the more disturbing and unusual airline-related stories I’ve seen. Of course, we have the presumption of innocence in criminal matters in this country.

But the idea that Martin had been flying passengers for going on a year and a half is perplexing to say the least. Even if he were 100 percent innocent, he had to have been concerned about being implicated in these killings, if for no other reason that at least one of the victims was supposed to testify at his court-martial.

All I can say is that if I were about to board a flight, and somebody told me that one of the pilots had a criminal record, and that there was any possibility at all that he might have committed murder (let alone three), I’d be very hesitant to fly.

Source: https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/american-airlines-passengers-were-stunned-their-pilot-was-just-arrested-at-airport-taken-away-in-handcuffs-charged-with-murder.html

Passengers could face 50p charge to cover airline collapses

Airlines should pay up to 50p for every passenger they fly to a flight protection scheme to protect stranded travellers in case a carrier goes bust, a review has recommended.

The Airline Insolvency Review’s final report, which was published today, says the new scheme is needed to protect every passenger who has a return ticket from the UK if they become stranded abroad, as currently only about 80% of passengers leaving the UK have some form of protection.

It estimates that the scheme would cost less than 50p for each passenger on average, but acknowledges this fee may be passed on to passengers by the airlines.

Several air carriers have gone bust within the past 18 months including Monarch Airlines and Flybmi.

What does the review recommend?

The review was launched following the collapse of Monarch Airlines in October 2017, during which 85,000 passengers were repatriated – in the UK’s largest peacetime repatriation operation – by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The Government asked the airline regulator to repatriate all passengers, regardless of whether or not they had protection (see below for more details), as it said there were too few seats available on other airlines flying the same routes, meaning passengers could be stranded for days or even weeks. 

Following the Monarch failure, the Airline Insolvency Review was launched. Its key recommendations are:

• Proposals for a new flight protection scheme costing up to 50p per person on average. This would protect passengers if an airline became insolvent while they were abroad.
  
  
• Allow an airline’s own aircraft to be used to repatriate its passengers. A new law would need to be passed by Parliament to allow an airline to keep flying, so it can get passengers home, for a short period after it goes into administration.
  
  
• Improve awareness and take up of safeguards which protect customers with future bookings when airlines collapse. This includes travel insurance and credit and debit card protection.

How can I protect myself if an airline goes bust?

The review’s recommendations will now be considered by the Government, but here’s what you can do to protect yourself in case your airline goes bust:

• Ticket cost more than £100? Pay on credit card. If each individual ticket you’re purchasing costs £100 or more, and you pay for it, or even just the deposit, by credit card, then your credit card company is as equally liable (as the retailer) under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
  
  So you may be able to claim from your credit card firm. See our Section 75 guide.
  
  
• Flight less than £100 or paying on a debit card? Try chargeback. Unlike Section 75, the chargeback scheme isn’t a legal requirement, it’s just a customer service promise.
  
  But it’s worth trying and when other travel firms have collapsed previously, we’ve seen successful claims from people using this. You may be covered by the Visa, Mastercard or American Express protection schemes. See our Chargeback guide for details of how to claim.
  
  
• Get travel insurance with scheduled airline failure cover. Not all policies will cover you if your airline goes bust, so check if your policy does.
  
  As always, buy the insurance as soon as you’ve booked the travel. See our Travel Insurance guides.
  
  
• Check if you’re ATOL-protected. Package holidays with flights have ATOL protection. ATOL is the name of the protection scheme run by the CAA. All UK firms selling holidays with air travel must be signed up to ATOL (look for the logo) to protect you if a travel firm goes bust.
  
  If the worst happens, under ATOL you’ll get a refund for your holiday or an alternative holiday/transport.
  
  
• For cruises and package holidays without a flight, look for ABTA protection or similar. If the package you book doesn’t include a flight, you’ll get a different kind of protection.
  
  If the firm you book with is a member of a travel association such as ABTA (look for the logo), in a similar way to ATOL it provides financial protection if you make a booking and the travel company goes bust. See our Holiday Rights guide for more.

What does the Government say?

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “We will now consider the range of options put forward by the review, and will work to swiftly introduce the reforms needed to secure the right balance between strong consumer protection and the interests of taxpayers.”

Source: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2019/05/air-passengers-could-face-extra-50p-charge-to-cover-for-potentia/

These Are the Airlines Most Likely to Lose Your Luggage

After getting to the airport on time, making it through security, and enduring your flight, there’s one more hurdle you have to clear before starting your trip: Collecting your checked baggage. Normally bags arrive on the carousel with no problems, but on rare occasions, they get lost in transit, effectively ruining your vacation before it begins. Short of cramming everything into a carry-on, one way to reduce your chances of losing a checked bag is to choose the right airline.

As Airfarewatchdog reports, the luggage storage service Luggageherorecently looked at Department of Transportation stats from 2012 to 2018 to determine which airlines are leastlikely to misplace your property. Delta came in at No. 1 with only 1.55 bags lost per 1000 passengers. It’s followed by the budget airlines Frontier, with 1.8 lost bags per 1000 passengers, and Spirit, with 1.9 out of 1000.

At the other end of the list, Envoy Air came out as the airline least likely to deliver bags to passengers, losing 6.76 out of every 1000. Skywest lost an average of six bags per thousand and Expressjet lost 5.9. Fortunately, the situation is improving at most airlines: According to the report, American Airlines was the only airline that saw more lost or mishandled luggage complaints between 2012 and 2018.

Here’s the rundown, from most likely to least likely:

• Envoy Air: 6.76 bags bags lost 1000 passengers
• Skywest Airlines: 6 bags bags lost 1000 passengers
• Expressjet Airlines: 5.9 bags lost per 1000 passengers
• American Airlines: 4.3 bags lost per 1000 passengers
• Southwest Airlines: 3.6 bags lost per 1000 passengers
• Alaska Airlines: 3 bags lost per 1000 passengers
• United Airlines: 2.9 bags lost per 1000 passengers
• JetBlue Airways: 2 bags lost per 1000 passengers
• Hawaiian Airlines: 2 bags lost per 1000 passengers
• Spirit Airlines: 1.9 bags lost per 1000 passengers
• Frontier Airlines: 1.8 bags lost per 1000 passengers
• Delta Air Lines: 1.55 bags lost per 1000 passengers

When you hand off your luggage to an airport employee, there’s no way to completely guarantee it will arrive at your destination with you. Losing checked bags is rare, but it when happens, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of reuniting with your stuff as quickly as possible.

Source:http://mentalfloss.com/article/582803/airlines-most-likely-to-lose-your-luggage

Lufthansa to bid for Thomas Cook’s airline business

HOLIDAY firm Thomas Cook’s shares surged more than 10 per cent after Lufthansa said it would make a bid for its airlines business.

The move by Carsten Spohr, chief executive and chairman of the German airline, to highlight its intention to bid for part or all of the travel agency’s airlines business was seen as significant after a series of .more speculative reports of interest.

Thomas Cook put its profitable airlines business up for sale earlier this year after a string of warnings last year.

It was claimed last week that Thomas Cook Group had moved to secure a £400 million back-up from its lenders as it prepares to report results it is feared will hit home the extent of the challenges facing the wider package tour industry.

Lufthansa has now said it will make an offer for Thomas Cook’s German airline Condor with an option to acquire the remaining airlines of the British travel group.

Mr Spohr added, however, that it was unlikely a single buyer could acquire all Thomas Cook airlines due to competition regulations and declined to comment on the offer price.

He said: “We decided yesterday in the meeting of the management board to bid for all of Condor with the option to be able to extend this (bid) to all Thomas Cook airlines.”

Thomas Cook put its airlines business up for sale in February after profit warnings in 2018 put it in the position of potentially seeking funding.

The travel group’s airlines business consists of Germany’s Condor, as well as British, Scandinavian and Spanish operations.

It was reported earlier this month that Indigo Partners and Lufthansa were those most interested in the business, with a deadline of May 7 set for expressions of interest.

Mr Spohr said earlier that the company will be an active player in consolidation among European airlines.

Lufthansa, which owns airlines including Swiss and Austrian Airlines, has also expressed its interest in Italian flagship carrier Alitalia. Mr Spohr said that Lufthansa would only be interested in the loss-making company if it were restructured and the Italian government left out.
Thomas Cook shares also responded positively on the announcement of the review in February, and a number of potential suitors were said to be considering a takeover of the company.

It was reported that several potential bidders had been circling the package holiday provider regarding a takeover of its tour operating unit and the entire company.

Thomas Cook said at the time it was exploring options to potentially sell its airline business amid concerns over the company’s future.

The travel giant said that in its strategic review of its airlines arm it will look at “all options to enhance value to shareholders”.

Its airlines in the UK, Scandinavia and Germany were all placed under review.

Thomas Cook was hammered by charges related to flight disruptions, write-downs on money owed by hotels and business change costs.

It was also hit by a change in demand for its tour holidays due to the summer heatwave.

Thomas Cook operates 103 aircraft, carrying more than 20 million passengers, and generated £3.5 billion in revenue last year, with underlying operating profits growing 37% to £129m.

As the review was announced Thomas Cook reported a 1% rise in first-quarter revenue to £1.65bn, which had been led by strong demand for Turkish and North African destinations, in turn offsetting weaker demand for Spain.

Condor employs more than 4,000 people and currently operates a fleet of 50 aircraft from seven operating bases.

Fresh reports suggested the firm was in negotiations with its bankers for £400m to help create room for maneouvre ahead of half-year results which are due later this month.

Thomas Cook shares rose 10% at one stage and closed up 6% at 23.01p.

Source: https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/17623809.lufthansa-to-bid-for-holiday-firm-thomas-cooks-airline-business/

Delta ranks 2nd among nation’s best airlines in latest ranking

Airlines are required to report data on everything from mishandled baggage to complaints about discrimination to animal injuries and deaths to the federal government.

The data is then published by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics and made available to the public, with year-end statistics released a few months after the year actually ends.

That gives researchers and others a bevy of data to draw from for rankings of airlines based on a formula of their choosing.

A recent ranking by WalletHub included an even broader array of statistics, and put Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines in the No. 2 position among the nation’s best airlines. Alaska Airlines took the No. 1 spot.

Delta had the lowest rate of cancellations, delays, mishandled baggage and denied boardings, WalletHub noted, making it the most reliable airline.

That’s also what put Delta in the No. 1 spot in another recent ranking, the Airline Quality Rating by researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Wichita State University.

But WalletHub called Alaska Airlines the safest airline. Its analysis included data on aviation incidents and accidents, fatal injuries and other injuries in those incidents and accidents.

Southwest Airlines, the second-largest carrier at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, came in 9th in the WalletHub ranking of the best airlines.

Ultra low-cost carriers Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines were crowned the cheapest airlines. But in the overall ranking, Spirit came in 4th, while Frontier Airlines came in last place among the 12 carriers ranked.

JetBlue was deemed the most comfortable airline in the report, based on free amenities such as wi-fi, legroom and complimentary snacks and beverages.

WalletHub said it assigned points to each metric “based on our subjective view of its importance.”

“We generally allocated points based on common sense,” the personal finance website said in the report.

Source:https://www.ajc.com/blog/airport/delta-ranks-2nd-among-nation-best-airlines-latest-ranking/Ovl6kNrKENffr5W33sr4vN/

The Best And Worst Airlines In America In 2019

It’s been another headline-making year in aviation, with airlines having passengers arrested, Boeing facing a major crisis after multiple crashes, a budget carrier stranding passengers after going out of business and pets dying on planes. With all eyes on the airlines, the personal-finance website Wallethub has just announced its fourth annual list of the best and worst airlines in America.  In addition to comparing 12 U.S. carriers (including the nine largest airlines plus three regional ones), Wallethub also revealed the most reliable airline, the most comfortable airline, the best airline for pets, the least-complained-about airline and the safest airline. Compare this to 2018’s best and worst airlines, which ranked the airlines based on a similar report.

For its 2019 list, Wallethub collected and analyzed 2018 flight data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and compiled the list using a strategic methodology that compared 15 key metrics across four major categories, including baggage, departures and complaints; animal incidents; in-flight comfort and cost; and safety.

“It’s easy to rank airlines by cost. But we ranked the best airlines in terms of overall service quality and functional performance,” says Wallethub analyst Jill Gonzalez. “We also shared our findings with the airlines prior to publishing them, to make sure all information collected was accurate.”

Some airlines such as Allegiant or Sun Country were not included on the list because of their size, according to Gonzalez. “We evaluated the nine largest national airlines and three regional carriers that report to the Department of Transportation because they have at least 1% of total domestic scheduled service passenger revenues,” says Gonzalez. “Any airline with less of a share typically won’t have the same incident and accident report data, which would lead to data limitations and an incomplete ranking.”

Topping the list: Alaska Airlines , which had a score of 63.52 out of 100, thanks to high rankings in areas like complaints and delays. “Alaska Airlines came out on top in many categories,” says Gonzalez. “For example, all of its flights provide at least 30 inches of legroom in economy class. The airline also provides some form of entertainment on most of its flights and free food and drinks on all domestic flights that are over two hours. Aside from in-flight comfort, the airline is very safe. It has no fatalities reported due to aircraft-related issues, and the average fleet age is under ten years old.”

The worst airline on the list was Frontier Airlines, which had a score of just 30.42. “Frontier has the highest share of canceled flights and the largest number of involuntary denied boardings,” says Gonzalez. “Additionally, the airline has the highest number of aviation incidents and accidents per total number of flight operations.”

In terms of other key findings, Delta Air Lines was named the most reliable airline, with the lowest rate of cancellations, delays, mishandled luggage and denied boardings. The least reliable was Frontier Airlines.

JetBlue was named the most comfortable airline, thanks to things like free Wi-Fi, extra legroom and complimentary snacks and beverages. The least comfortable: Spirit Airlines.

For the most pet-friendly airline, two carriers airlines tied: ExpressJet and Envoy. The least pet-friendly was Delta Air Lines.

The airline with the lowest consumer complaint rate was Southwest Airlines, while Frontier had the most consumer complaints.

The safest airline in America was Alaska Airlines. The least safe: Southwest

The cheapest airline was Frontier Airlines, though in this case cheaper is not necessarily better, given that Frontier Airlines also ranked worst overall. The most expensive was Envoy Air.

Read on for the overall list of the best and worst airlines in America.

Source:https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2019/05/02/ranked-the-best-and-worst-airlines-in-america-in-2019/#5c4b004e5342

Airlines urged to offer vegan meal choices

Campaigners are urging airlines to offer vegan in-flight meals as standard.

The Vegan Society and Humane Society International have created a website to provide consumers with an online rating system for vegan in-flight meals.

The FlyVe site is the centrepiece of a campaign to encourage carriers to offer vegan meals as one of their default options and to improve the quality in both taste and nutrition.

The options provided by most airlines are dominated by meat, dairy and eggs, meaning that passengers have to proactively request a vegan meal in advance.

The Vegan Society senior campaigns officer Elena Orde said: “Adding vegan options to every standard in-flight menu would mean that all passengers can opt for a more environmentally-friendly meal.

“It would be fantastic to see airlines really embrace the variety and creativity that is possible with vegan food, and to create options which are suitable for vegans but appeal to everyone.”

She added: “We have launched FlyVe to allow us to see which airlines are flying ahead of the curve, and which could do with some extra support when it comes to embracing plant-based options. We encourage any airline to get in touch for advice and training.”

Providing vegan options can be a way of offsetting the environmental impact of flying.

Campaign groups argue that animal agriculture produces around a fifth of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions and meat, egg and dairy production is a bigger contributor to global warming than all forms of transportation combined, including aviation.

Airlines serve an estimated one billion in-flight meals a year, so actively encouraging passengers to choose plant-based options could help reduce the industry’s carbon emissions, they say.

Charlie Huson, forward food programme manager at Humane Society International UK, said: “In an era of climate crisis, we all need to be making more planet-friendly lifestyle choices.

“Reducing how often we fly is of course key, but so too is making sure that when we do fly we’re not further increasing our carbon footprint with our food choices.

“Despite the compelling need for change, the ubiquitous ‘chicken or beef’ remains the unimaginative default choice on most airlines.

“If everyone flying out of Heathrow in just one day chose a vegan meal it could save around 33,592 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of driving 112,695,851 miles in an average UK petrol car.”

By: Phil Davies – Source: http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/330680/airlines-urged-to-offer-vegan-meal-choices

Airlines Turn to Doctors With Goal of Limiting Long Flights’ Negative Effects

Turkish Airlines brought in Dr. Mehmet Oz, host and producer of “The Dr. Oz Show.” Singapore Airlines turned to Dr. Richard Carmona, a former United States surgeon general who is now chief of health innovation at the resort spa Canyon Ranch. Air France works with its own medical aviation doctor and psychologist.

Airlines have long vied to offer the most front-of-plane amenities. More recently, the competition has moved to a new area: in-flight wellness programs meant to help passengers ward off the effects of air travel, especially on nonstop long-haul and the newer ultra-long-haul flights, with meditation apps, exercises, better blankets and bedding, herbal teas and healthier meals.

Some carriers have gone further, hiring doctors and other health professionals to prescribe what they say are programs based in science.

But are these programs helping? Or are they public relations campaigns that sound good without being particularly effective?

The answer to both questions is a qualified yes.

“These are positive gestures toward healthier cabin environments and experiences, though somewhat behind the times,” said Charles Platkin, the executive director of the Hunter College New York Food Policy Center and the editor of DietDetective.com, a website that rates and ranks the healthiness of in-flight snacks and meals. “But I wonder if the airlines are just jumping on the P.R. bandwagon to earn bragging rights and stay competitive.”

As for successful outcomes and results, Stephen Simpson, the academic director of the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Center, who oversees Qantas Airways’ wellness efforts, echoes other doctors involved with airlines.You have 4 free articles remaining.Subscribe to The Times

“We don’t have enough scientifically rigorous evidence yet to submit to peer review for professional journals,” Professor Simpson said. He expects the results of a 2,000-passenger Qantas study, currently underway, in less than six months.

Although several websites rate airline meals, seats and on-time records, none rate in-flight health and wellness programs. Nor are there studies or published reports that correlate the availability of such programs to increases in bookings. Airlines do not release their own passenger satisfaction surveys to the public.

Geoffrey Thomas, the editor in chief of AirlineRatings.com, said, “We have been looking to add a separate rating for wellness offerings, as it’s an important and emerging issue” that will affect travelers’ choices.

Each of the doctors who consult for airlines uses his own criteria to deal with the ills associated with air travel, but they all say their research shows that, as Professor Simpson put it, “the biggest elephant in the cabin still is the circadian clock.” An off-time body clock leads to what is commonly known as jet lag. “The human body was not designed to cross several time zones in such a short time, so we are basically trying to trick it into believing it’s not,” Professor Simpson added.

Dr. Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon of Turkish descent, said he approached the task of working with Turkish Airlines as a scientist. “I considered the impact of air travel on all five senses, plus on one’s state of mind,” he said, “and then applied my collected medical knowledge and experience to develop remedies and coping options.”

Some airlines promote a selection of herbal teas, but Dr. Oz sought out herbs with specific potential health benefits for people sitting in airplanes. Teas on Turkish Airlines now include rooibos (an African shrub that contains calcium and magnesium, which can help reduce stress), roselle (a species of hibiscus that reportedly relieves bloating by contributing to the fluid and electrolyte balance) and a blend of green tea, cinnamon, ginger, corn silk and garam masala (to aid the excretion of excessive fluid).

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Catch up and prep for the week ahead with this newsletter of the most important business insights, delivered Sundays.SIGN UPA line of wellness-oriented herbal teas developed for Turkish Airlines by Dr. Oz, who sought out herbs that he believed had specific potential health benefits for people sitting on airplanes.CreditJens Mortensen for The New York Times

He said he also drew on his own experience growing up in Turkey. “Naturally, I introduced more food items from the Mediterranean diet, which has proved to be among the world’s healthiest.”

In addition, Dr. Oz said he prescribed a series of head-to-toe exercises to offset the effects of being sedentary for many hours in uncomfortable seating in small spaces, all made worse by being enclosed in a low-moisture compartment with limited ventilation.

Dr. Carmona said Singapore Airlines had asked him and his Canyon Ranch colleagues to develop personalized wellness programs that incorporated exercise, better food choices and improved sleep strategies “to replicate at 30,000 feet what we do on the ground” at Canyon Ranch’s two resort spas. The airline now flies the world’s longest commercial route, a 10,400-mile flight of nearly 19 hours from Singapore to Newark Liberty International Airport.

Dr. Carmona said the personalization of in-flight wellness raised a question. “How can we democratize air travel?” he asked. “How can we make sure passengers in economy get the same wellness amenities as those in higher classes of seating?”

One answer, he said, might involve exploring how to make use of new genetic findings.

“If we could identify genes that code for circadian dysrhythmia, we could make dietary and environmental recommendations on a passenger-by-passenger basis,” he said, adding, “Five to 10 years from now, we may be able to use people’s genomic footprint — their DNA profile — to improve not only their flight but their lives.”

Professor Simpson said his team at the Perkins Center was taking a cross-disciplinary approach for Qantas, building a wellness program on four pillars: cardio-metabolic health, sleep, immune functions, and cognition and mood. He is working with circadian biologists, sleep physicians, biochemical engineers, immunologists and researchers who study cognitive behavior.

The Perkins Center is examining data collected from medical-grade monitors that Qantas attached to travelers that recorded their sleep, activity and posture in flight. A second phase of that study is underway.

The medical team working for Air France, directed by the airline’s medical aviation physician, Dr. Vincent Feuillie, has focused on offsetting the anxieties associated with air travel. Philippe Goeury, a psychologist for Air France, cited a long list of stress-inducing conditions, including “drastic security rules and longer lines, air traffic congestion, more waiting time in the airports before boarding, more and more people sharing less and less space in the economy seating environment.”

“Stress exacerbates existing conditions and can lead to multiple comorbidities,” so that one condition aggravates another, Dr. Goeury said.

Drawing on a survey that Dr. Goeury conducted involving more than 1,500 Air France passengers who took its fear of flying course, “Taming the Plane,” the airline now offers a meditation program in partnership with Mind, an app on the airline’s entertainment screens.

“The classical in-flight programs are supposed to entertain you during the flight,” Dr. Goeury said. “The relaxation and/or meditation channels have another purpose: to literally distract you from the noises, the moves of the plane, the never-ending duration of your flight.”

Still, no matter how well intentioned these programs, are airlines’ investments worth it? Not necessarily, said Sean Mullen, associate professor and director of the Exercise, Technology and Cognition Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Professor Mullen, an expert in brain training who takes about six domestic business trips a year, said he had tried various airline onscreen programs that were supposed to improve mental and physical well-being in flight. He was not impressed.

“You’d get just as much bang for your buck by standing in the aisle and walking to the restroom even if you didn’t have to go,” he said. “Physical activity and reducing sedentary time are likely the best ways to improve your mental state in such a confined space. Alternatively, buy some noise cancellation speakers or use an app to facilitate rhythmic breathing and mindfulness.”

Source:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/business/airlines-long-haul-flights-wellness.html

Airline SAS cancels 1,200 more flights as pilot strike drags on

TOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Scandinavian airline SAS canceled more than 1,200 flights scheduled for Monday and Tuesday as a pilot strike that has disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers entered its third day on Sunday. 

SAS pilots went out on strike on Friday as wage talks broke down, grounding around 70 percent of the airline’s flights and impacting about 280,000 passengers including the latest cancellations. 

“We deeply regret that our customers are affected by the ongoing pilot strike when SAS now cancels flights on Monday and Tuesday,” the airline said in a statement. 

“The strike will affect an additional 61,000 passengers on Monday when 667 flights are canceled across Scandinavia. On Tuesday 49,000 passengers and 546 departures will be affected.” 

The deadlock in the dispute showed no sign of being broken early on Sunday with both SAS, Swedish and Danish pilots unions and Norway’s employers association NHO saying no renewed contacts between the parties had been initiated. 

The carrier created after World War 2, which remains part-owned by the Swedish and Danish governments, has said it was prepared to return to negotiations but warned that agreeing to pilots’ demands would seriously damage the company. 

The airline industry’s employer body in Sweden has said pilots sought a 13 percent wage hike despite what it called already high average wages of 93,000 Swedish crowns ($9,777) a month, demands it labeled as “extreme”. FILE PHOTO: Empty seats are seen as SAS pilots go on strike at Oslo Airport in Gardermoen, Norway April 26, 2019. NTB Scanpix/Ole Berg-Rusten via REUTERS 

The SAS Pilot Group, a union body representing 95 percent of the airline’s pilots in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, has said the dispute concerns more than wages, pointing to demands for more predictable working hours. 

Having flirted with bankruptcy in 2012, SAS has run a net profit in each of the last four years. But rising fuel costs, volatile currencies and overcapacity among European airlines has put pressure on carriers, including SAS. 

Sydbank analysts have estimated the strike costs the airline 60-80 million Swedish crowns per day, a rate which would wipe out the expected net profit this year in just two weeks. 

The strike at SAS does not affect flights operated by its partners, which make up roughly 30 percent of all departures. 

Source:https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sas-strike/airline-sas-cancels-1200-more-flights-as-pilot-strike-drags-on-idUSKCN1S409Z