DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Richard Branson says this decision helped build his $2.5B net worth: 'I don't think I would have gone to space' otherwise
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

He's referring to selling record label Virgin Records to Thorn EMI for nearly $1 billion in 1992. Branson needed the money to focus on a newer venture, Virgin Atlantic. CNBC Make It: How did you make the decision to sell Virgin Records? What I decided was: If I sold Virgin Records, all the people's jobs would be secure. I could then use that money to build and protect Virgin Atlantic.

Persons: Richard Branson, He's, —, Branson, Richard, Virgin, We'd, Janet Jackson Organizations: CNBC, Virgin Records, Thorn EMI, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Virgin Group, Forbes, Virgin Locations: London, Branson

☆ A British Airways flight to nowhere circled in the air for 4 hours after its weather monitoring system collapsed
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewAn already delayed British Airways plane that took off from Singapore landed back at the same airport five hours later after a technical fault forced it to turn back. British Airways Flight 12 circled Singapore for around four hours before landing back where it started. Advertisement"Planes are designed to land below certain weights," Business Insider previously reported. Advertisement"We currently do not have a revised departure time for your flight," British Airways said in an email to passengers at about 9:15 a.m. local time. However, that flight had to be canceled, as British Airways did not have any other aircraft available.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, British Airways, London Heathrow, Business, Airbus, Flightradar24 Aircraft, Passengers, Singapore Changi Airport, Heathrow Locations: British, Singapore, Singapore Changi, London, Malaysia, Heathrow, Los Angeles

☆ Ex-JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes to run Airbus North America
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Robin Hayes, chief executive officer of JetBlue Airways Corp., speaks during an Economic Club of New York event in New York, US, on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Former JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes will run Airbus' North America arm, replacing Jeffrey Knittel, the airplane maker said Monday. Hayes, a longtime airline executive who has also held senior leadership roles at British Airways, will start in June. He will be managing Airbus' business in the region, where it has expanded production of narrow-body jets in Mobile, Alabama. It has customers including Delta Air Lines , his former employer JetBlue and the carrier's acquisition target Spirit.

Persons: Robin Hayes, Jeffrey Knittel, Hayes Organizations: JetBlue Airways Corp, Economic, of New, Former JetBlue Airways, Airbus, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Justice Department, British Airways, Delta Air Lines Locations: of New York, New York, North America, Mobile , Alabama

The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Here's how I combined rewards credit card points, benefits, and a free night certificate to take a $7,000 trip for less than $350 per person. Both my husband and I have the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card from American Express, and we had each gotten a free night certificate with that card. I transferred some American Express Membership Rewards points to British Airways to complete the transaction. The main reason was that our Aspire card came with up to $400 in resort credits a year, meaning our Waldorf charges were ultimately reimbursed.

Persons: you've, that's, Hilton, PlusPoints Organizations: Business, Hilton, Hyatt, Chase, Waldorf, Hilton Honors, American Express, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Aspire Locations: Maui, Portland , Oregon, Hawaii, Portland, Alaska, West Coast, San Francisco

☆ World's busiest airports show surge in international travel. Here are the rankings
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Dubai International Airport ranked as the second busiest in 2023, up from fifth place in 2022 and fourth place in 2019, according to Airports Council International's preliminary ranking, which was released on Monday. The resurgence of international travel has been a bright spot for airlines with big international networks, while ultra-low-cost, domestic-focused U.S. airlines have struggled in recent months. Domestic U.S. airports continued to post big gains in passenger counts, but some slipped in the rankings compared with the middle of the pandemic, when international travel restrictions limited long-haul trips abroad. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta Air Lines ' biggest hub, once again topped the list of the busiest airports, serving 104.7 million passengers, ACI said. Here are the 2023 rankings (with 2022 rankings in parentheses):

Organizations: British Airways Airbus, Heathrow Airport, Dubai International Airport, International Airport, Global, ACI, Domestic U.S, Airport, United Airlines, Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta Air Lines Locations: London, Britain, Tokyo, Denver, United, ACI's

☆ Boeing is betting big on its upcoming $442 million 777X to compete with the popular Airbus A350. Here's how the jets compare.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Boeing's upcoming 777X airliner is set to compete with the Airbus A350 widebody family. The 777-9 has better capacity than the biggest A350 variant, but it has less range and costs more. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementThe upcoming Boeing 777X is the world's largest twin-engine commercial aircraft in production. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Airbus, Service, Boeing 777X, British Airways, Emirates, Business

☆ Help! Japan Airlines Downgraded Us From First Class and Skimped on the Refund.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Seth Kugel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dear Tripped Up,Last year, my husband and I splurged on round-trip first-class tickets on Japan Airlines from San Francisco to Tokyo for $13,474 each. On the same day, I also bought business class tickets for a couple who was traveling with us at $8,429 apiece. In September, Amex notified me that we had been downgraded to business class for the return flight. I contested this with Amex Travel, but they rejected our claim. All three airlines I contacted delayed, obfuscated or otherwise dillydallied before getting me answers, but let’s start with your travel agent, American Express.

Persons: Amex, Teri, I’ve, ”, Emily Vicker Organizations: Japan Airlines, American Express, Amex, British Airways Locations: San Francisco, Tokyo

☆ A startup wants to fly passengers in its supersonic plane by 2029, but high costs and unproven technology have some experts raising their eyebrows
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewColorado aerospace company Boom Supersonic is building the world's latest faster-than-sound passenger plane, called the Overture. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Related storiesBragg said a supersonic plane would be much more effective if it could be used on cross-country flights rather than just transoceanic. Boom told Business Insider it has seen a market appeal for the Overture as a corporate plane for sports teams. According to Boom, Overture will be able to fly Mach 0.94 over land, which is "20% faster than subsonic flight."

Persons: —, Boom, Michael Bragg, I'm, Bragg, There's, Henry Hardevelt Organizations: Service, Concorde, Business, Boom's, American Airlines, Japan Airlines, United Airlines, University of Illinois, Air, British Airways, Royce, Pratt & Whitney, Aviation Locations: Colorado, Air France

☆ A British Airways jet came 'extremely close' to a drone that was flying 24 times above its legal maximum altitude, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A British Airways pilot said a drone flew "extremely close" to their aircraft at 9,600 feet. The Airbus A321 was flying at 250 mph when the drone was spotted, the MailOnline reported. An Airprox report said it was categorized as a high-risk incident. AdvertisementA British Airways jet had a close call with a drone flying more than 9,000 feet above its legal limit, safety investigators have said. In 2018, flights were halted at London's Gatwick Airport after drones were spotted close to a runway.

Persons: —, David Dunn Organizations: British Airways, Airbus, Service, London Heathrow Airport, Civil Aviation Authority, University of Dayton, Birmingham University, Gatwick Locations: London, Athens, Heathrow

☆ I flew 2 European airlines across the Atlantic in economy. The seats were similar, but the food was night and day.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I recently took long-haul flights on European flag carriers British Airways and Finnair in economy. The coach seats were comparable, with good space and comfort, but I liked my Finnair flights better. Still, British Airways was decent, and I'd book again if the price were right. AdvertisementI recently flew back-to-back on two countries' flag carriers in Europe: British Airways and Finnair. The closeness of the flights made it easy to see how Finnair has an edge over British Airways.

Persons: —, Finnair Organizations: British Airways, Service, Finnair Locations: Europe, London, Helsinki

☆ A passenger had to sit with an exposed bolt digging into his head for a 7-hour flight because his seat had no headrest
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Alexandra Bacon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A British Airways passenger says he had to sit in a seat with no headrest for seven hours. AdvertisementA British man said British Airways left him to sit in a seat with a missing headrest, leaving a one-inch bolt exposed, for a seven-hour flight, UK-based Kennedy News first reported. Last year, it was reported that British Airways was testing out not loading flights with meals for every passenger to avoid food waste. Previous catering issues have meant that one British Airways flight took off on a 12-hour journey without any meals and had to serve passengers KFC. A spokesperson for British Airways told Business Insider: "We are sorry for our customers' experience and have been in touch with them to apologise and resolve the matter."

Persons: headrest, —, Kennedy Organizations: British Airways, Service, Kennedy News, Heathrow Airport, KFC, Business Locations: London, Toronto

☆ I flew in economy on British Airways' Boeing 777 from New York to London. It was a fine option for crossing the Atlantic, but the food needs work.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

British Airways ranked third to last of 17 airlines in a recent customer satisfaction survey. I flew the airline for the first time since 2018 to see how it compares to other long-haul options. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The investment comes as British Airways struggles with poor reliability, dated cabins, and faltering customer service. The latter landed it third-to-last in a ranking of 17 airlines' customer satisfaction on long-haul flights from a British consumer advocacy group published in February.

Persons: — Organizations: British Airways, Service, Airbus, Business

Bilt, the company that awards points when you pay rent, adds Alaska Airlines as a transfer partner. However, Bilt will lose American Airlines as a points transfer partner in June 2024. Noteworthy Alaska Airlines partners include oneworld alliance partners American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas, and Qatar. In addition to Alaska Airlines, Bilt partners with American Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Air France-KLM, Hawaiian AIrlines, Iberia, IHG, Marriott, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines and Hyatt. Bilt and American Airlines will part ways in June, three years after their partnership initially began.

Persons: Bilt, — Organizations: Alaska Airlines, Alaska Airlines cardholders, American Airlines, Service, oneworld, British Airways, Cathay, Japan Airlines, Qantas, luxe, Air, Singapore Airlines, Mastercard, Aer Lingus, Air France, KLM, Hawaiian AIrlines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Hyatt Locations: Alaska, Cathay Pacific, Qatar, Air Canada, Emirates, Air, Iberia, IHG, Marriott

☆ Supersonic Concorde airplane floats down New York’s Hudson River
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Jeff Winter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Concorde, the world’s fastest commercial aircraft, has been making a rare journey – floating down New York’s Hudson River. The British Airways Concorde, one of only 20 of the supersonic aircraft to ever fly, has been en route back to NYC’s Intrepid Museum after being sanded and recoated during several months of restoration. The last ever flight by a Concorde was made on November 26, 2003. That aircraft, known as Delta Foxtrot, is now housed in Aerospace Bristol, an aviation museum in the west of England. Tours of Intrepid’s Concorde will resume on April 4, the museum says.

Persons: CNN’s Barry Neild Organizations: CNN, Concorde, British Airways Concorde, NYC’s Intrepid Museum, Intrepid, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Intrepid’s Concorde Locations: Hudson, Jersey City , New Jersey, New York, London, Concordes, Paris, Aerospace Bristol, England

FoundersCard is an exclusive membership for startup founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and innovators. FoundersCard members can gain access to private, exclusive networking events. Benefits of FoundersCard MembershipFoundersCard offers a wide range of benefits that can be loosely broken into three categories: savings and discounts, VIP treatment and perks, and exclusive events. British Airways offers FoundersCard members up to 10% off most round-trip fares between the US or Canada and the UK. FoundersCard is a private membership club offering access to exclusive benefits and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and business professionals.

Persons: —, — there's, FoundersCard, Eric Kuhn, it's, MOO, General Assembly —, isn't Organizations: Service, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, . Alaska Airlines, Continental, JetBlue, Mint, American Airlines, Qantas, Australian, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, UPS, Apple, General Assembly, Business, Chevron Locations: Austin, Canada, Continental US, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, East, Asia, Africa, LegalZoom, Chevron

☆ British Airways is upgrading its long-haul fleet to Club Suite business class. Here's what customers can expect from the new pod-like seats.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

British Airways introduced the Club Suite in 2019 as a major upgrade to its dated business class. The cabin has so far been deployed on Airbus A350, Boeing 787-10, and some Boeing 777 aircraft. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementBritish Airways announced its newest business-class seat — dubbed the Club Suite — in March 2019 as part of a multi-billion investment, and now it's being deployed across more of the airline's fleet. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: British Airways, Airbus, Boeing, Service, Business

☆ Why Day Flight to Europe Is Better Transatlantic Option Over Red-Eye
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I recently took a day flight from New York to London to see if it helps jet lag. However, until last week, I had exclusively taken overnight flights — known as red-eye flights — when flying eastbound across the Atlantic. They depart in the morning in the US and land in the evening on the same day in Europe. Curious about how the daytime flight compared to a red-eye, I specifically booked a morning departure for my recent trip from New York to London. Because I was up at 4 a.m. in New York to catch the morning flight, I figured I'd be tired enough to sleep.

Persons: —, I've, ., Taylor Rains, John F Organizations: Service, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Norse Atlantic Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, British Airways Boeing, New, Kennedy International Airport, London Heathrow, Google, JFK, Heathrow Locations: New York, London, New York City, Europe

☆ Meet the heavy metal-drumming CEO bringing back cheap transatlantic travel, and learning from the mistakes of his airline's failed predecessors
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Birgir Jónsson is the CEO of Play, an Icelandic airline offering cheap transatlantic flights. Jónsson told BI how Play keeps costs low, and how important volcanoes are to Icelandic tourism. From 2014 to 2015, he was the deputy CEO of Wow Air, an Icelandic ultra-low-cost carrier that went bankrupt in 2019. AdvertisementHis foray into the sector began as CEO of Iceland Express, which was acquired by Wow. While other airlines had to avoid the country's airspace — lengthening journey times — Play got planes at discount prices.

Persons: —, Jónsson, Icelandair, it's, York's, New Orleans —, Etienne De Malglaive, Los Angeles —, They're Organizations: Jónsson, Service, Wow, Iceland Express, Icelandic Post, Southwest, Ryanair, York's Stewart, Airbus, North, British Airways Flight, Nasdaq, Russia Locations: Icelandic, Europe, New York, London, Reykjavík, Romanian, Manhattan, Iceland, New Orleans, Eyjafjallajökull, India, Los Angeles, California, Dubai, Russia

☆ How an airplane toilet works at 40,000 feet: The extraordinary science behind everyday flying
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

And most important of all, how does a toilet work at 40,000 feet? Matthias Balk/dpa/picture alliance/Getty ImagesUsing water to flush airplane toilets is a no go because of aircraft weight restrictions. When you press the flush button, a valve opens at the bottom of the toilet bowl, connecting it to a pipe below. Airplanes have never deliberately shot their toilet waste into the atmosphere, not even in the old days, says Jones. The onboard air circulation of today isn’t just about keeping healthy – it also controls how passengers feel, especially on longhaul flights.

Persons: Al St, Germain, who’s, James Kemper, Matthias Balk, biggie, ”, Nigel Jones, Jones, it’s, that’s, “, Martin Leissl, Nik Sennhauser, Jones –, bev, ” Kris Major, he’s, Don Buchman, – Buchman, Buchman, “ It’s, St Organizations: CNN, Delta, “, Kingston University, UK’s Royal Aeronautical Society, Airlines, JAL, Al Nippon Airways, Oman Air, Boeing, Airplanes, British Airways, Bloomberg, Getty, European Transport Workers ’ Federation Joint, Viasat, Netflix, Pilots, JetBlue, Germain . British Airways, US, American Airlines, Environmental Protection Agency, Airbus Locations: St, London, It’s, Japanese, Oman, Antarctica, London’s Heathrow, Europe, what’s, North America, New York City, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Iberia, Southwest

☆ I flew on British Airways' Club Suite from New York to London. It's a huge improvement from the carrier's old and cramped business class seat.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

British Airways first unveiled its Club Suite business class cabin in March 2019. AdvertisementBritish Airways unveiled its "Club Suite" business-class cabin in March 2019 as part of a nearly $9 billion investment in the customer experience. The product first deployed on British Airways' Airbus A350-1000 planes starting in mid-2019 and quickly earned props for its improvement in space and privacy compared to the old business-class layout. And all Heathrow-based long-haul aircraft will be retrofitted with the Club Suite by the end of 2026, the carrier said during the IAG Capital Markets Day late last year. IAG is the parent company of British Airways.

Persons: —, IAG Organizations: British Airways, Service, Airbus, Boeing Locations: London, New York

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card. The new Point Transfer program launches April 4, and is available to all points-earning Wells Fargo credit cards, including the current Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card will be available for in-person applications at select Wells Fargo bank locations on March 9. Be the first to read our full Wells Fargo Autograph Journey credit card review here, or check out Business Insider's guide to the best travel credit cards, the best Wells Fargo credit cards, and other Wells Fargo products.

Persons: lifemiles, —, Wells, Wells Fargo Organizations: Business, Air France, KLM, British Airways Executive Club, AerClub, Read, Service, Airlines, British Airways Executive Club Iberia, Sapphire, Capital Locations: Iberia, Wells Fargo, Wells

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card. The new Points Transfer program launches April 4, and is available to all points-earning Wells Fargo credit cards, including the current Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card will be available for in-person applications at select Wells Fargo bank locations on March 9. Be the first to read our full Wells Fargo Autograph Journey credit card review here, or check out Business Insider's guide to the best travel credit cards, the best Wells Fargo credit cards, and other Wells Fargo products.

☆ British Airways is spending $9 billion to help make it the world's favorite airline once again after years of slumping popularity
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Pete Syme | Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewBritish Airways unveiled a host of new initiatives at a media event in London on Monday, as part of a $9 billion "transformation." The UK flag carrier was named the world's best airline by Skytrax in 2006, but its reputation has since faltered. With a new seat design, new routes, and upgrades to the Airbus A380, here's how BA is changing. British Airways is rolling out the new seat design to its Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets, used on its short-haul flights. The business-class configuration on BA's new short-haul seats.

Persons: —, Sean Doyle, Pete Syme, it's, There's, that's, Neil Chernoff, Francisco —, Chernoff Organizations: Service, British Airways, Skytrax, Business, Airbus, Delta Air Lines, Boeing, Washington Dulles, Dubai Airport, Beta Locations: London, Dallas , Los Angeles, Miami, Dubai, Johannesburg, South Africa, Boston, Washington, Singapore, London Heathrow, Malaysian, Kuala Lumpur, London Gatwick, Bangkok

☆ I paid $500 to upgrade from business to first class on British Airways. I was blown away by luxury perks like a private suite and massages.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Paul Oswell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

British Airways' first-class cabin is more luxurious than its business-class section, but I'm not sure I'd pay the full price to experience it again. The upgrade was worth $500, but I probably wouldn't spend thousands on a first-class seat in the future. The difference between business class and first class comes down to details and individual preferences. Arriving at my final destination well-rested and refreshed was worth the $500 upgrade. And though I think my $500 was well-spent on my first-class experience, I don't know if I would be willing to pay full price.

Persons: I'm, Paul Oswell Organizations: British Airways

☆ A man managed to board a flight at a London airport without a ticket by tailgating through checkpoints, the 2nd similar incident in 2 months
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA man boarded a plane without a ticket at the UK's second-busiest airport, a second such incident in under two months at London airports. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. In a statement shared with Business Insider, Sussex Police, which has jurisdiction over Gatwick, described the event as a "medical incident." The incident is the second time in under two months that a passenger has managed to board a plane at a London airport without a ticket. In December, a British man managed to fly without a passport from London Heathrow Airport to New York.

Persons: —, Craig Sturt, Sturt wasn't, Sturt Organizations: Service, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Business, Gatwick Airport, Police, Passengers, BI, Boeing, Sussex Police, Gatwick, Airport, British Airways, Sun, London's Metropolitan Police Locations: London, London Gatwick, Copenhagen, Denmark, Flightradar24, British, New York

Search resuls for: "British Airways"

25 mentions found