Airline Pulse: News and Notes for Dec. 22, 2015

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Eurowings Launches Long-Haul Flights to Southeast Asia Lufthansa’s low-cost brand, Eurowings, has started flying between Cologne, Germany and Phuket, Thailand. The route marks the airline’s first foray into Southeast Asia. It plans to have more routes in the region in the near future.

Which Airlines Will Get the Best Deal on Fuel in 2016? Southwest Airlines buys fuel hedges to protect against high gas costs. Now that oil prices are falling, however, this strategy is backfiring. Airlines that took a shorter term approach, like Delta, United and JetBlue, have lost a bit of money on hedges this year, but will be able to take full advantage of low fuel prices next year.

Delta Latest Airline To Give Long-Haul Travelers Pajamas Business class fliers on Delta’s LA-Sydney and LA-Shanghai flights will be given sleepwear to make the overnight portion of the journey more comfortable. Passengers will also get to enjoy lie-flat beds, comforters and faux-down pillows.

More Airlines And Hotels Welcoming Pets New websites like “Bring Fido” provide information for people who want to travel with their pets. Airlines and hotels are responding as well, offering special (albeit more expensive) travel packages for people with animals.

JUST THE LINKS

Southwest Airlines will pay $2.8 million to settle a lawsuit that said it violated FAA safety regulations. The settlement requires Southwest to change the way it oversees third-contractors who work on maintaining aircraft.  

Two major European carriers, KLM and Lufthansa's low-cost subsidiary Eurowings, have started service to Dubai. The airlines will fly from Amsterdam and Cologne, Germany respectively. 

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines has announced that it will start non-stop service to Los Angeles from Mainland China next month. The flight will not originate in Shanghai and Beijing, but in the city of Changsha, a hub in Hunan Province.  

American Airlines will begin to offer flights to Cuba in 2016. The flight plans have already been in the works for months and officials expect the maiden Cuba voyage by an AA jet to take place “soon.”    

American won’t just be flying to Cuba. The airline has also announced service from Charlotte, North Carolina to the island of Curacao. AA already flies to Aruba's sister island from Miami.  

Seattle Tacoma International is the first airport in the U.S. to make infrastructure plans that will eventually provide airlines access to biofuels. Different biofuels have been used successfully in test flights over the past few years.  

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