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Reviewing Your 2019 Predictions and Making Your 2020 Picks
The year is almost done, and that means it’s time to go back and see how you did on your 2019 predictions. Some were right on, some were not, and some were truly ridiculous. (I’m talking to you,...
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2019 Flying Summary
It’s the last day of the year, so that means it’s time to look at the year in flying. Maps generated by the Great Circle Mapper – copyright © Karl L. Swartz. Miles: 33,378 (19,406 last year)Segments:...
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A Recipe for Coronavirus Panic That Is Very Bad News for Airlines
Coronavirus panic has reached a fever pitch as cases outside of China continue to tick upwards. We appear to be seeing a perfect storm of airlines, governments, and passengers all feeding off each...
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A Letter to New Airline Employees About This Industry We Love
Dear Newbie, I’m sure this has been a really challenging month for you. After all, since you were hired in the last decade, you’ve never seen anything like this before. Take a deep breath and get...
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All of a Sudden, The Airline Industry Disappears
Every post I had in the hopper suddenly seems irrelevant. I was working on a story about growing capacity in a small town, and I had been digging into Contour’s model. Now none of it matters thanks to...
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Subscribe to the New Cranky Coronavirus Daily Update
With the airline industry nearly grinding to a halt, Cranky Concierge has taken a hit as well. We’ve been working hard to help customers handle changes and refunds, and we’ve found a way to cut 20...
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Get Your Favorite Airports On a Cranky T-Shirt
If you’ve been following along on Twitter, you know I’ve been feverishly working on creating individual shirts for as many airports as I can. I’m proud to announce that the first round of The Airport...
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Vintage Airport Shirts Are Now Available… And We’re Taking Requests For More
For those of you who like to kick it old school — damn, I sound like an old guy trying to pretend to be cool — we now have vintage airport t-shirts available. It’s not a huge list yet, because it’s a...
View ArticleHonoring the Flight Crews That Died 19 Years Ago Today
It’s that day again, but this year it just feels different. The economic carnage that followed 9/11 now pales in comparison to what COVID-19 has wrought. And when you think about the 3,000 people who...
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Reviewing Your 2020 Predictions and Making Your 2021 Picks
Who’s excited for the annual tradition of seeing how you did with your predictions for the year? Anyone? ANYONE? No, you shouldn’t be excited, because they were nearly all wrong. I mean… seriously. I...
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2020 Flying Summary
Happy New Year everyone. Last year, shall we say, did not go as planned. But hey, at least I wasn’t shut out, and I squeaked past 10,000 miles on the year. We’ll call it a victory, and I’ll just have...
View ArticleHow to Watch Tonight’s Cranky Network Awards
At long last, the big day is here. Tonight is the Cranky Network Awards presented by Ontario International Airport, Southern California’s easiest airport. Join us for the YouTube Premiere tonight, or...
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How We Chose the Conrad Punta de Mita For a Pandemic Vacation (And Mostly...
Since this post isn’t about flights, I’m putting it up on a Wednesday. I will have a regular trip report on the flights themselves in the next couple weeks. The last time I took an actual vacation was...
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2022 Cranky Network Awards Are Coming to You Live on February 24
When the first Cranky Network Awards aired earlier this year, I promised we’d do it in person in 2022. And now, it’s happening… The 2022 Cranky Network Awards will be held on February 24, live with...
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2023 Flying Summary
I’m done for the year, so might as well get this party started. Another year, another weird-looking map. The multiple short haul trips are somewhat obscured by the Atlanta and Kahului runs. Maps...
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Reviewing Your 2023 Predictions and Making Your 2024 Picks
It’s the most wonderul time of the year… when we get to go over all your predictions from last year and see how you did. Of course, we need to remember that when you all wrote down your predictions...
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The Quiet Genius of ICAO Airport Codes
I usually have a couple of these kinds of evergreen posts ready to go in case I’m not able to finish a more newsy post in time, so, here we are…. I’ll have the currently-unfinished post ready for...
View ArticleHonoring the Flight Crews That Died 23 Years Ago Today
Some years, this just sneaks up on me, and this is one of those years. It’s September 11, and that means today we honor those who were killed when hijackers brought down four airplanes in an act of...
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Play Airlines Plans to Play in the Sand Instead of the States
Things don’t appear to be going all that well for Iceland-based Play Airlines, the heir to the WOW Air legacy. With results coming in worse than expected, the airline is shifting its plans away from...
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Czech Airlines is Not OK as It Fades Away
There aren’t all that many airlines that have been around for over 100 years, and now, that exclusive club has lost a member. Flight 767 from Paris to Prague marked the last flight of Czech Airlines —...
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