Alaska Airlines Dominates in Portland: Airline Pulse News and Notes for Feb. 23, 2016

by Josh Lew
Last updated: 10:00 AM ET, Tue February 23, 2016

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

Hawaiian Airlines Lauds Haneda Deal While Eyeing Narita Slot
Hawaiian Airlines already flies daily between Tokyo Haneda and Honolulu. Nonetheless, it was quick to praise the new deal that will allow more U.S. carriers to fly into the Downtown Tokyo hub. Meanwhile, Hawaiian is planning on beginning daily service from Tokyo's other hub, Narita, to Honolulu this summer.

Alaska Airlines Adds Routes in Portland
Alaska Airlines added three new routes to its Portland menu last week. The West Coast carrier now flies daily service to Kansas City, Omaha and Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Alaska is deeply embedded in Portland, where it offers three times as many direct flights as any other carrier.

Lufthansa Says Start of 2016 Was "Satisfactory"
Lufthansa CFO Simone Menne has told Reuters that the beginning of 2016 has brought satisfactory numbers. Lufthansa has not yet announced its final 2015 profits, but will do so next month.

British Airways Is The U.K.'s Most Popular Brand
For the third year in a row, British Airways came out on top of Great Britain's Superbrands survey. Watchmaker Rolex was the second most well-known brand, while Lego came in third. Superbrands is a nationwide survey that asks 2,500 adults to rank brands based on quality, reliability and distinction.

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Qantas will begin offering in-flight Wi-Fi on domestic flights early next year. The Australian flag carrier will partner with a company called ViaSat to offer the service. Fliers will be able to connect for free.

TAP Portugal will increase its presence in the U.S. The Portuguese airline will begin daily service to Lisbon from Boston Logan on June 11. Daily flights from New York JFK to Lisbon will take off on July 1.

Some travelers stranded in Fiji after the the island nation was hit by Cyclone Winston can soon head home. Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand have announced that they are resuming service. Jetstar will begin flying again today.

Interjet has returned to California after a two-year absence. The Mexican carrier now operates daily flights from Guadalajara to LAX. Competition will be quite stiff because Volaris, Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines also fly the route.

The British subsidiary of Norwegian Air is trying to convince U.S. regulators to allow it to fly to American airports. The move is opposed by unions and some U.S. based airlines, who would not welcome a new competitor who could offer low international fares.