Thanks for bearing with us for this week’s Update after developments around Lufthansa’s Future Onboard Experience soft product announcement, as well as the airline’s capital markets day — read our semi-livestream on Bluesky while we work up that news in a more digestible form for a Pro Readout, and keep an eye on your inbox, Pros.
Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, this edition of The Up Front Update brings us: new cabins at an increasingly premiumising WestJet, a new way of thinking about amenity kits at Fiji Airways, Boeing is able to self-certify the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner again (but only in alternate weeks), Ryanair tries to end paper boarding passes, and Delta is making an ultra-high premium layout A321neo lemonade out of uncertified business class suite lemons.
What you should note this week: WestJet continues sensible premiumisation with new narrowbody standard, including Premium recliner seats, on 737 refits
here’s a lot to admire about — and learn from — how Canadian challenger WestJet is going about its transformation from low-cost carrier to hybrid airline.
The latest step is a very sensible set of refurbishments for the narrowbody 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft that the airline currently operates in an all-economy configuration, which come from a variety of sources including the recently acquired Sunwing, the former Lynx Air, and its own shutdown low-cost carrier Swoop.
