We used to joke about such things, but Airbus and Zodiac Aerospace—the global aerospace equipment and systems supplier—are planning on creating sleeping pods, lounges and meeting space to put in the cargo holds of aircraft by 2020.How? Carriers will be able to include pre-constructed beds that will be separate from the main economy and business class seating areas.

There will also be bookable meeting roomspace, lounges and areas for children to play. Instead of taking space from established seating spaces, Airbus and supplier Zodiac Aerospace will put the areas below the usual seating classes—in the cargo hold. For more on this possibility, which was first announced last week in travel trade publications in Europe and elsewhere, read here:

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/airbus-sleeping-pods-naps-cargo-hold-zodiac-330

—Air China has launched twice-weekly service from Beijing to Panama City via HoustonIntercontinental. The Chinese carrier was already operating direct to Houston Intercontinental from Beijing, a route it currently serves with five weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. On Thursdays and Sundays, the aircraft will now operate Beijing-Houston-Panama City-Houston-Beijing, with seats also available to purchase on the sector to and from Houston Intercontinental and Panama City

—Just prior to IPW next month (May 19-23) in Denver, Norwegian on April 9 launched service connecting Paris and Denver. The new service will operate twice-weekly, (Mondays and Fridays) between Paris De Gaulle.

—Delta Air Lines began a daily service between Orlando (MCO) and Amsterdam on March 30th. The route is Delta’s only transatlantic service from the Florida airport. TUI Airlines Netherlandscurrently provides a twice-weekly (Mondays and Fridays) service between Amsterdam and Orlando Sanford.

—Beginning June 1st, Canada’s Westjet will, for the first time, provide service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Halifax, Nova Scotia . The Paris-Halifax line then continues to Calgary, Alberta. For its first year of operation, it will be seasonal, from June 1 to October 27.

—On March 27, British Airways launched service from London Gatwick to Las Vegas. The flight from Gatwick to Las Vegas marks a return to a route that the airline last operated in 2016. It faces direct competition from Virgin Atlantic Airways which provides daily flights between the two airports.

—Norwegian began non-stop service on 27 March from London Gatwick to Austin. The new route to the U.S. launched just two days after the airline launched flights to Chicago O’Hare. The new service to Austin will operate year-round, three times weekly.

The end of March marks the beginning of the peak airline travel season (S18) and a number of carriers last month began new international services—some of which had been announced before. Some of the new routes include the following:

• Southwest Airlinesbegan new flights from Sacramento, to o San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; Fort Lauderdale to Aruba; Indianapolis to Cancún; and San Diego to Puerto Vallarta.
• Aer Lingus began its much=heralded non-stop service between Philadelphia International Airport and Dublin Airport on March 25, 2018. Service will be operated four times weekly from Dublin, which offers pre-clearance for U.S. Customs and Immigration.
• Also, on March 25, American Airlines began year-round, non-stop service between Zurich and Philadelphia International Airport.
• Hong Kong Airlinesbegan service on March 25 to from Hong Kong to San Francisco. This is the airline’s third destination in North America, following the successful launch of services to Vancouver and Los Angeles in 2017.
• Lufthansahas begun service from its Frankfurthub to San Diego.
• Norwegianhas introduced a route from London Gatwick Airport to Chicago O’Hare (ORD). The new service will operate daily.
• Spirit Airlineshas begun daily flights between Fort Lauderdaleand Guayaquil, Ecuador
• United Airlinesbegan flights between Denver and London HeathrowMarch 24, marking a return to the route for which has not served the connection since October 2010. This is currently the carrier’s only direct link to Europe from its Colorado hub.

(The above are from anna.aero and other sources)

• United Airlinesis now offering a daily service between Houston Intercontinentaland Sydney. Patrick Quayle, United’s vice president of international network, said the airline was thrilled to launch the service. United is the largest U.S. carrier offering the most seats between Sydney and the U.S. and we look forward to continuing to serve as Sydney’s airline of choice.” United has no direct competition on this route, although Qantas, Australia’s flag carrier, does offer a daily A380 link between Sydney and Dallas/Fort Worth. United already serves Australia’s largest city from its Californian hubs at Los Angeles and San Francisco.

• Aeromexicohas introduced service between Salt Lake Cityand Guadalajara.  Launched on January 15th, the airline replaces fellow Delta Air Lines on the route. It is the carrier’s eighth US route from the Mexican city. Aeromexico is already operates a weekly service, on Saturday, between Salt Lake City and Mexico City, a seasonal route that is scheduled to run until March 31st.

• Icelandair will launch three new flights to the US this summer, all operating to and from the carrier’s Reykjavik hub. The carrier now operates 23 destinations in North America and 20 European destinations from Reykjavik’s hub.

  —A new flight to Kansas City will start on May 25. It will operate three times a week.

   

  —A connection to San Francisco will begin June 1st. Operating four times weekly, it is a re-start of a route that ended more than a decade ago.

   

  —A new flight to Baltimore from begins May 28. The service will operate four times a week, and is also a re-start of a route served more than 10 years ago.

• Cathay Pacific will open a connection between Hong Kong and Washington D.C.on Sept. 15. The new service will be operated four times a week. Flights depart from Hong Kong at 6:35 p.m. for arrivals at 10:20 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in Washington D.C. Flights depart Washington DC on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 01:15 a.m. to land in Hong Kong at 5:10 a.m. the next day.