Why are airlines flying to EBL (Erbil, Iraq)?

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=osm-ebl EBL is Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. OSM is Mosul, the de facto capital of ISIS. The airports are 44 miles apart. Lufthansa flies to EBL twice a week, and Austrian flies daily. Other major airlines include QR, RJ, TK, ME. Emirates and Etihad no longer fl...

Re: Catcalling Flight Attendants a No-No at Alaska

Please help me to understand your thoughts. What was "escalated" and by whom? Can you describe "role reversal" as you mean it? Catcalling -> booted off the flight = escalated Woman catcalling a male attendant = role reversal. Are you also going to start bringing up double standa...

Re: YVR Thread

Vancouver (YVR) – Zhengzhou (CGO)
Sichuan 8502

What the hell is Zhengzhou?? Why does this route exist?

Re: YVR Thread

RL777 wrote:

KLM will be using the 787-9 to YVR beginning in September of 2017.

Re: YVR Thread

Another new route that came up this year was YVR FCO by air transit albeit only one-weekly and seasonal but apparently is coming back next summer. Unfortunately TK has seen better days and is in the middle of a cutting spree so I doubt they will fly to YVR any time soon. Too bad it's not all good n...

Re: Possible Avianca To Boston Logan

Do they fly SAL-BOS? El Salvador seems to be their preferred hub for North America. No. I do not believe there is any significant traffic that would justify this route. Salvadorans are #3 in Hispanic Populations (excludes Brazilian) in Massachusetts and the route was served by TACA in the past. Top...

Re: Why do leisure only airports get pre-check?

Because Precheck costs almost next to nothing to implement.

Re: YVR Thread

AC flights between YYZ and IST is doing very well actually and I do not think that AC will terminate IST. I use these flights very often and loads are always high, in fact other than once (July this year due to political unrest in Turkey) I have never seen a flight other than full board on all thre...

Re: Inflight meals of yesteryear versus today

I understand ancillary revenue from fees and unbundling airfare products have led to cutting back airline meals. What I don't understand is why at least some airlines don't make an investment into food in economy class as a distinguishing feature. Instead, these days, it's all the same awful product...

Re: DOH-DXB market

Qatar is a pretty dead place in terms of nightlife and activities. Many people go to Dubai for leisure instead. And of course, it lives off of non-GCC foreign traffic that cannot drive through Saudi Arabia, so their only option is to fly.

Re: Multi-stop International Flights

I love this thread. I have such fond memories of the UA Island Hopper.

Re: When Will BA Replace Their Horrible Widebody Business Class?

BA continues to have First class on most of their wide body aircraft. While many airlines are going with 1-2-1 business the trade off is those airlines have no first class sections, or restrict it to certain aircraft. My standard for business class is lie flat seat and aisle access. The BA business...

Re: No direct USA flights to and from Budapest?

You could always just fly to Toronto.

Re: Air Berlin restructuring announced, to wet lease aircraft to LH Group (EW), more job cuts announced

If they want to focus on long-haul connecting traffic then they'd better start fixing their sad excuse of a lounge for oneworld at DUS and the "waiting areas" at TXL.

Re: Turkish Announces Havana and Caracas

Why don't they start service to Pyongyang while they're at it?

Re: Delta Launch Boston-Dublin

Delta is going to fight for Boston. Come on B6!!!

Re: SAS Launches MIA

I'll be flying the inaugural from MIA.

Re: SQ to launch SIN-CGK-SYD

Not so sure it's a good idea. Low-cost traffic from Indonesia will fly Malaysia and Air Asia X via KUL. Corporate traffic will just continue to fly GA. And GA is a very good carrier. You're clearly not aware just how big the population of Indonesian-wealthy are! And just like the wealthy in other p...

Re: British Airways and Qatar Airways form Join Business Agreement

Presumably this is to fight QF/EK's growing presence in the UK. Does this mean that BA will no longer use SIN as their transit hub enroute to Australia?

Re: SQ to launch SIN-CGK-SYD

Very interesting, now that Garuda is getting bigger and stronger they decide to start this flight, looks like they are feeling that GA is becoming a real competitor and they need to start fighting them more. If they do codeshare with VA it will be good, otherwise it'll only rely basically in O&...

Re: SQ to launch SIN-CGK-SYD

Not so sure it's a good idea. Low-cost traffic from Indonesia will fly Malaysia and Air Asia X via KUL. Corporate traffic will just continue to fly GA. And GA is a very good carrier.