Cranky Talk

We kick off the new year with the topic dominating all the headlines: the Omicron variant. Brett and Dave talk about how this new strain is spreading like wildfire and causing all kinds of staffing problems for airlines.    CDC links:  https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/burden.html

It's the holidays! Brett and Dave look back on a very turbulent year and speculate a bit on what's ahead in 2022. Happy New Year to all our listeners!  Stay tuned until the end of the episode a holiday gift from us to you: the 2021 blooper reel! 

An episode all about travel and aviation in the time of COVID! Dave went to Europe, so join us for all the detailed breakdowns of exquisite lunches in the rolling hills of  Tuscany, vespa tours through Italy....just kidding. This is all about what it was like to travel abroad during this moment in time, featuring the Omicron variant! 

I sat down with United CEO Scott Kirby to talk about Omicron, how the airline industry is looking at operational performance all wrong, and the future of regionals. Scott is never afraid to speak his mind, so it's always great to talk to him. This interview was recorded at the APEX Expo in Long Beach, CA on November 30, 2021.

If you've never heard of Current Aviation, you are not alone. Current is going to be an airline that flies no airplanes... but it has a lot of partners that will. Have a listen to CEO Brad Beakley talk about the venture which just came out into public view.

Airlines are melting down all over, with three in October alone. Why is this happening? When will it stop? Listen to find out!    Flight attendant union memo    Want to sponsor the Cranky Network Awards? Send a note to cna-sponsor@crankyflier.com and we'll be in touch! 

Brett and Dave speculate on what may stick from all the COVID related changes to travel. Voluntary masking? Permanent touch less airports? Biometrics? Airplane cleaning? All of these and more.     

The world changed after 9/11, but this week Brett focuses in specifically on what changed for air travelers here in the US. Next time, Brett and Dave will speculate on what permanent changes may be in store for air travelers once COVID is under control.     

We're talking about Jetblue and American's partnership and why DOJ is suing them!    DOT agreement    Want to sponsor the Cranky Network Awards? Email cna-sponsor@crankyflier.com

It's a different kind of interview as I sit down with Jillian Johnson, United flight attendant and Artemis Bayandor, United corporate safety employee turned translator to discuss what it was like to work the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) flights carrying Afghan evacuees to the US.   We've all seen the news stories, but there is nothing like hearing these first person accounts to really understand what was happening and just how difficult it was for the people fleeing the country.