The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 20, 2025

Six stories from today’s travel and aviation landscape.

A round up of some interesting stuff. — Partnerships, acquisitions, and shifting strategies.

https://www.webintravel.com/agoda-x-saudi-tourism-authority-travelsoft-buys-travolution-satisfaction-isnt-loyalty-more/

iOS 26 has some good stuff for travellers. — Real-time boarding pass updates.

https://apple.gadgethacks.com/news/ios-26-boarding-passes-transform-travel-with-live-updates/

And Alexa, book me… — Amazon integrates AI trip planning.

https://www.phocuswire.com/amazon-alexa-ai-assistance-travel-uber-tripadvisor

Sabre’s PR is working overtime. — “Chat is the new influencer.”

https://www.travelmarketreport.com/canada/retail-strategies/articles/from-conversation-to-clicks-sabre-says-chat-is-the-new-influencer

AC still not coughing up. — Refund delays drag on months after disruptions.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/some-passengers-still-waiting-for-refunds-two-months-after-air-canada-flight-disruptions/

Quirky: — The vital art of talking to strangers.

https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/07/10/the-vital-art-of-talking-to-strangers

Sources:

• Web In Travel

• GadgetHacks

• PhocusWire

• Travel Market Report

• CTV News

• The Economist

Hashtags:

#PMM #Travel #Aviation #Agoda #Alexa #Sabre #AirCanada #iOS26 #Quirky #Tourism #Tech

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist collage: (1) angular handshake and globe representing partnerships and deals, (2) glowing digital boarding pass flowing like a ribbon, (3) Alexa speaker emitting travel icons, (4) a chat bubble morphing into a billboard for Sabre, (5) a stranded passenger at a ticket counter for Air Canada refunds, and (6) two abstract figures leaning toward each other for the quirky “talking to strangers” story. Painterly, surreal, witty. 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive at tumblr.com/professorsabena 

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 19, 2025

 

Six stories that prove aviation and tech can still surprise us.

Is Delta being the cool kid? — Delta shows off its AI and NDC chops at the Business Travel Show America 2025.

https://www.phocuswire.com/delta-ai-ndc-business-travel-show-america-2025

Carry-ons can kill. — How bad could it get when passengers grab their bags during an evacuation?

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/daily-memo-grabbing-carry-ons-during-evacuation-how-bad-could

But do we believe them? — Sabre claims to have shattered industry norms with its AI-native classless revenue engine.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sabre-shatters-industry-norms-with-first-ai-native-classless-revenue-engine-for-airlines-reshaping-airline-economics-and-closing-a-decades-old-industry-gap-302581622.html

Expedia’s great data dump. — The company unpacks its 2026 travel insights.

https://www.expedia.com/unpack26?brandcid=EXPEDIA-US.COMMS.SOCIAL.UNPACK26.GENERIC

This isn’t Herb’s WN. — Southwest embraces cabin changes as its brand evolution continues.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/southwest-airlines-embraces-cabin-changes-ongoing-brand-evolution

Quirky: — Gamma: the cool kids’ weapon of choice for sleek presentations.

https://gamma.app/

Sources:

• PhocusWire

• Aviation Week

• PR Newswire

• Expedia

• Aviation Week

• Gamma

Hashtags:

#PMM #Travel #Aviation #Delta #Sabre #AI #Expedia #Southwest #WN #Tech #Quirky

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist collage: a cool Delta figure with sunglasses leaning on an AI interface, passengers reaching for carry-ons as flames rise behind them, a Sabre logo cracking open with algorithms streaming out, Expedia’s suitcase spilling data like confetti, Southwest’s cabin silhouettes morphing mid-flight, and a sleek glowing “Gamma” shape floating above like a secret weapon. Surreal, witty.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive at tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 18, 2025

 

Six stories — some uplifting, some unsettling, and one a little weird.

Uh oh… Alaska Airlines back to court with you. — Antitrust suit heats up again.

https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/2399531

Bet you missed this one. — iOS 26 transforms boarding passes with real-time updates.

https://apple.gadgethacks.com/news/ios-26-boarding-passes-transform-travel-with-live-updates/

Where are they now (2022 Edition). — Revisiting the Hot 25 Travel Startups list.

https://www.phocuswire.com/hot-25-travel-startups-2022-revisit

Yes it is real and it could ground all air traffic. — Europe preps backup for satellite signal loss.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/europe-devises-continent-wide-backup-plan-satellite-signal-loss

Wizz is struggling with the wrong plane. — An aircraft mismatch that’s hurting operations.

https://platform.airfinanceglobal.com/Articles/3598186

Quirky: — Cholesterol and the brain: why almost everyone’s wrong.

https://www.vumedi.com/video/statins-your-brain-why-almost-everyone-is-wrong/

Sources:

• Law360

• GadgetHacks

• PhocusWire

• Aviation Week

• AirFinance Global

• VuMedi

Hashtags:

#PMM #Travel #Aviation #AlaskaAirlines #iOS26 #Startups #Wizz #Satellite #GNSS #Quirky #Health

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist collage: a gavel and airplane locked in a courtroom motif, a glowing boarding pass transforming into a digital stream, faded startup logos drifting like ghosts, satellites beaming signals across a cracked map of Europe, a misaligned aircraft silhouette for Wizz’s struggles, and a stylized brain with cholesterol droplets for the quirky element. Painterly, surreal, witty. 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive at tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 17, 2025

Six stories that say a lot about where aviation is heading.

Front or back. Push or Pull. GE’s take. — GE warns about durability challenges with its engines.

https://mailchi.mp/theaircurrent/ge-engine-durability-non-sub

OUCH! — Aviation’s $11 billion problem: a shortage of new aircraft.

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines-airports/aviations-11-billion-problem-a-lack-of-new-planes

This can only mean one thing. Higher prices. — Leasing industry consolidation looms.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/daily-memo-leasing-industry-consolidate-further

Airlink building for the future. — New E2s will boost regional connectivity.

https://aviationweek.com/special-topics/small-narrowbody-jets/airlinks-new-e2s-will-boost-regional-connectivity

The hidden cost. — Engine performance issues ripple down to increased A220 maintenance.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aero-crew-news_airbusa220-aviationnews-aircraftmaintenance-activity-7383893378297442304-t190

Quirky: — Gotta learn this word.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-175884229

Sources:

• The Air Current

• TravelPulse

• Aviation Week

• Aviation Week

• LinkedIn

• Substack

Hashtags:

#PMM #Aviation #Engines #GE #Leasing #Airlink #E2 #A220 #Maintenance #Travel #Quirky

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist collage: stylized jet engines in push-pull motion, a broken aircraft silhouette to depict supply shortages, stacking blocks representing leasing consolidation, a sleek E2 regional jet rising from angular forms, wrench and turbine shapes for hidden maintenance costs, and a quirky word floating like a speech bubble. Painterly, surreal, witty. 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive at tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 15, 2025

Six stories to make your day slightly more surreal.

That’s a big hit. — Québec writes off $400M of its investment in Airbus.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/quebec-writes-off-400-million-of-its-investment-in-airbus/

Fancy this job. — easyJet opens applications for its next generation of engineering apprentices.

https://www.easyjet.com/en/news/story/easyjet-opens-applications-for-next-generaton-of-engineering-apprentices

Super innovative. — Boeing, Southwest, and Aeroxchange pioneer secure electronic airworthiness certificates.

https://www.aviationbusinessnews.com/mro/latest-news-mro/boeing-southwest-and-aeroxchange-pioneer-secure-electronic-airworthiness-certificate/

Patent Trolls. — American Airlines faces new IP litigation from Intellectual Ventures.

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69338895/intellectual-ventures-i-llc-v-american-airlines-inc/

New Virgin CEO. — Shai Weiss steps aside after seven years.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/virgin-atlantic-names-new-ceo-weiss-steps-aside-after-seven-years

Quirky: — JetBlue passenger exercises in underwear at Boston Airport, strips naked, gets dragged off by police.

https://viewfromthewing.com/jetblue-passenger-exercises-in-underwear-at-boston-airport-strips-naked-gets-dragged-off-by-state-police/

Sources:

• CTV News

• easyJet

• Aviation Business News

• Court Listener

• Aviation Week

• View from the Wing

Hashtags:

#PMM #Travel #Aviation #Airbus #easyJet #Boeing #Innovation #VirginAtlantic #IP #Quirky #JetBlue

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist collage: a shattered investment block representing Québec’s Airbus write-off, a wrench-wielding apprentice in geometric silhouette, digital certificates floating above aircraft outlines, a shadowy legal figure as a patent troll, Virgin’s scarlet tail under new leadership, and a JetBlue passenger figure mid-chaos at an airport terminal. Painterly, surreal, angular. 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive at tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 16, 2025

 

Six stories to make you pause, reflect, and possibly raise an eyebrow.

A giant has passed. — Rossi Ralenkotter, the visionary who transformed Las Vegas tourism, has died.

https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Rossi-Ralenkotter-obit

The quirky model for paying flight attendants is unhealthy. — EVA Air attendant dies mid-air after being denied medical leave.

https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/10/14/eva-air-attendant-dies-mid-air-after-denied-medical-leave/

https://aviationweek.com/mro/supply-chain/first-electronic-8130-3-issued-markingdigital-records-milestone This is a very big deal.

How user behaviour changes, Part 1. — How AI actually weighs your links.

https://www.growth-memo.com/p/how-ai-really-weighs-your-links-analysis

How user behaviour changes, Part 2. — What the new AI mode means for engagement.

https://www.growth-memo.com/p/what-our-ai-mode-user-behavior-study

Quirky: — The NEOM mega-project collapse surprises no one.

https://www.intelligenceonline.com/international-dealmaking/2025/10/14/end-of-the-line-saudi-s-neom-mega-project-grinds-to-halt,110533731-eve

Sources:

• Travel Weekly

• Intelligence Online

• Aviation A2Z

• Growth Memo Part 1

• Growth Memo Part 2

Hashtags:

#PMM #Travel #Tourism #NEOM #Aviation #EVAair #AI #UserBehaviour #Quirky #LasVegas

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist collage: a memorial silhouette under desert lights for Rossi Ralenkotter, a collapsing futuristic cityscape for NEOM, an aircraft cabin with a lone attendant figure, shifting AI link graphs in angular motion, mirrored human silhouettes representing behavioural change, and an ironic, cracked NEOM logo for the quirky note. Painterly, surreal, witty. No text.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive at tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 14, 2025

 

Six things that might make you rethink your search history.

Romanians struggle with where to go. — Vola launches “flights for the undecided,” reinventing travel search.

https://www.romaniajournal.ro/travel/flights-for-the-undecided-vola-reinvents-travel-search/

WIT@20. — Three trailblazers talk about the next 20 years of travel. (Yes the Professor is there).

https://www.webintravel.com/the-next-20-years-of-travel-three-trailblazers-on-whats-coming-and-what-must-change/

The conference season is well in swing. — A few takeaways worth noting.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7382017211906883584/

Too bad if you are a QF flyer. — Qantas data released months after cyber breach.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/qantas-says-customer-data-released-by-cyber-criminals-months-after-cyber-breach-2025-10-12/

For major dorks/nerds. — Mainframes are still powering more than you think.

https://www.facebook.com/MainframeZone

Quirky: — PimEyes. Yes, that’s your face.

https://pimeyes.com/en

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Sources:

• Romania Journal

• Web In Travel

• LinkedIn

• Reuters

• Facebook

• PimEyes

Hashtags:

#PMM #Travel #Aviation #WIT20 #Qantas #Mainframe #AI #Tech #Cybersecurity #Quirky #Privacy

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist collage: fragmented flight maps with undecided arrows, a WIT20 anniversary flame, a conference hall geometry, broken Qantas kangaroo motif under digital rain, glowing vintage mainframes, and a floating human face fragment caught in a scanner beam. Surreal, angular, witty. 

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📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive at tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 13, 2025

 

Six stories to start the week with raised eyebrows.

This is something we should all get excited about (and not in a good way). — ICAO rejects IATA’s proposal to raise pilot age limits.

https://simpleflying.com/icao-rejects-iata-pilot-age-limit-proposal/

These are eye-watering numbers to make you click. — OTA marketing spend surges to new highs.

https://www.phocuswire.com/ota-marketing-spend-q2-2025

Flying is tough for Autism. Here is something we can do about it. — Autism Checked aims to make travel more inclusive.

https://autismchecked.com/

New airline in Canada! — A new carrier launches in Sudbury with direct flights to Ottawa and Quebec.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/new-commercial-airline-coming-to-sudbury-with-direct-flights-to-ottawa-and-quebec-1.7649831

WestJet hikes bag fees — again. — Someone has to pay for Onyx, apparently.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/westjet-airline-fees-1.7652824

Quirky: — Ever wanted to check a fact? Snopes is still the OG.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/

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Sources:

• Simple Flying

• PhocusWire

• Autism Checked

• CBC News – Sudbury

• CBC News – Business

• Snopes

Hashtags:

#PMM #Travel #Aviation #ICAO #IATA #AutismTravel #OTAs #WestJet #Canada #FactCheck #Quirky

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist collage: broken hourglass silhouettes for the pilot age decision, overflowing dollar signs swirling around OTA logos, a stylized autism symbol over a jetway, a small new Canadian carrier lifting off, luggage with rising price tags, and a magnifying glass shining on a fact icon. Surreal, witty, painterly. 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive at tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 12, 2025

Six things worth pausing over (some more than others).

Immigrants — we get the job done. — Where the world’s immigrants live and how they reshape economies.

https://killercharts.substack.com/p/where-are-the-worlds-immigrants

Germany is re-arming. — Lawmakers approve a €3.75B Eurofighter order.

https://aviationweek.com/defense/aircraft-propulsion/german-lawmakers-approve-eu375b-eurofighter-top-order

Get back to work or else. — FAA staffing woes spark air traffic control shutdown concerns.

https://mailchi.mp/theaircurrent/duffy-shutdown-atc-non-sub

New EU Border Controls. Watch out. — Biometric checks for non-EU travelers are about to get real.

https://www.reuters.com/world/what-eus-new-biometric-border-checks-mean-non-eu-citizens-2025-10-08/

Lucky! — A 13-year-old stowaway survives a Kabul–Delhi flight hidden in the landing gear.

https://aeroxplorer.com/articles/13-year-old-stowaway-found-in-the-landing-gear-of-kabuldelhi-flight.php

Quirky and dangerous. — Investigation after a plane left the gate with the door open.

https://www.travelmole.com/news/investigation-after-plane-leaves-gate-with-door-open/

Sources:

• Killer Charts

• Aviation Week

• The Air Current

• Reuters

• AeroXplorer

• TravelMole

Hashtags: #PMM #Travel #Immigration #Eurofighter #ATC #EU #Border #Stowaway #Safety #Quirky #Aviation

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist canvas: abstract migrant silhouettes crossing glowing borders, angular Eurofighters soaring, control tower figures under pressure, a digital fingerprint and border gates, a small silhouette crouched inside landing gear, and an aircraft door ajar mid-motion. Surreal, sharp, and ironic. 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive at tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 11, 2025

 

Six little gems (and some plastic).

Want to share your gems. — Google now lets users share their custom Gemini AI assistants.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/18/google-now-lets-you-share-your-custom-gemini-ai-assistants-known-as-gems/

Stablecoin Wars. — Stripe’s big move and Coinflows’ $25M bet show just how fast stablecoins are evolving.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/stablecoin-shake-up-stripes-big-move-coinflows-25m-bet-van-oost-ohqxf/

Boeing says it ain’t so. — Boeing denies shifting focus to a 737 replacement program.

https://www.flightglobal.com/aerospace/boeing-calls-misleading-a-report-it-has-shifted-more-focus-to-737-replacement/164749.article

India rejoice. — Biometric UPI payments go live; PayPal joins the party.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/biometric-upi-here-paypal-joins-party-marcel-van-oost-aojvf/

VC Update. — Carta’s Q2 2025 venture data gives a stark look at the investment climate.

https://carta.com/data/vc-fund-performance-q2-2025/

Quirky: — Plastics everywhere: from wristbands to wallets, phthalates are lurking.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/07/climate/chemicals-plastic-wristbands-phthalates-bisphenols

Sources:

• TechCrunch

• LinkedIn – van Oost

• FlightGlobal

• LinkedIn

• Carta

• CNN

Hashtags: #PMM #Travel #AI #Stablecoins #Boeing #India #UPI #VC #Plastics #Climate #Quirky

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist canvas with six motifs: glowing AI gems floating in a geometric network; stablecoins orbiting around a digital core; a fragmented 737 tail fading into future concepts; biometric UPI icons emerging from India’s map; VC capital streams flowing through angular grids; and a plastic wristband wrapping around the scene like a serpent. Painterly, surreal, witty. 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and watch for the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More musings: t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive: tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 10, 2025

Six things you didn’t know you needed to know today.

Southwest to the cold Northwest. — Southwest will launch flights to Alaska starting in 2026.

https://www.travelmole.com/news/southwest-announces-first-alaska-flights/

A Luxury report. We should be so lucky. — The 2026 Virtuoso Luxe Report maps where luxury travel is heading.

https://www.travelagewest.com/Industry-Insight/Opinion/2026-virtuoso-luxe-report

Meta just can’t seem to escape. — New abuse-of-dominance complaint filed against Meta in France.

https://globalcompetitionreview.com/article/meta-hit-new-abuse-of-dominance-complaint-in-france

Helping Autism enabled people navigate. — Toronto Pearson and Air Transat host an airport tour for neurodivergent travelers.

https://skiesmag.com/press-releases/toronto-pearson-air-transat-autism-ontario-host-airport-familiarization-tour-for-people-with-autism-and-neurodivergent-needs/

What new Google Trip Itineraries means for hotels. — Google’s new itinerary features could reshape hotel demand.

https://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/blog/beyond-seo-googles-trip-itineraries-signal-a-new-era-for-hospitality

Quirky — Solo women travellers’ rise: “I don’t need time off — just off time.”

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/oct/06/solo-trips-travel-women-break-work-family

Sources:

• TravelMole

• TravelAgeWest

• Global Competition Review

• SkiesMag

• Hospitality Upgrade

• The Guardian

Hashtags:

#PMM #Travel #Aviation #Alaska #LuxuryTravel #Meta #Accessibility #Hotels #Tech #SoloTravel #Quirky

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist collage: fragmented airplanes flying north, glittering luxury icons fading, Meta’s broken emblem over data shards, a streamlined tour path weaving through an airport terminal, hotel towers intersected by itinerary lines, and a lone woman journeying free. 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and watch for the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn & Instagram.

More at: t2impact.blogspot.com

Archive: tumblr.com/professorsabena 

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 9, 2025

 

Six signals worth your attention today.

Consider this warning. — US travel forecast signals turbulence ahead.

https://www.travelagewest.com/Industry-Insight/Business-Features/us-travel-forecast

Contrasts with the rosy picture from IATA. — Passenger demand climbs while air cargo tells a different story.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/passenger-demand-grows-air-cargo-shows-az2oe/

Good advice hacked. — “Find your passion” is worse than useless, argues The Atlantic.

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/07/find-your-passion-is-terrible-advice/564932/

VC Update. — Carta publishes its Q2 2025 VC fund performance data.

https://carta.com/data/vc-fund-performance-q2-2025/

The Corporate Travel 100. — A new cohort of companies setting travel benchmarks this year.

https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Corporate-Travel-100/2025

Quirky: — Good advice: can you practice what you preach in startup land?

https://www.thevccorner.com/p/build-a-billion-dollar-startup-with

Sources:

• TravelAgeWest

• LinkedIn pulse

• The Atlantic

• Carta

• Business Travel News

• The VC Corner

Hashtags: #PMM #Travel #Forecast #AirCargo #VC #Startup #CorporateTravel #Advice #Quirky

Image description:

A cubist, surreal collage: a darkening travel forecast map, cargo crates hovering amid bright passenger planes, fragmented motivational slogans breaking apart, lines of VC capital flowing into abstract fund shapes, corporate towers lined along runways, and a startup founder in silhouette staring at a giant “advice” text fracturing.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read The Professor’s longer takes at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive: tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 8, 2025

Six things to make you rethink the world of travel and tech (again).

Sobering stats on Agentic AI. — Not every agent is earning its keep; adoption remains sluggish.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/eordax_ai-agents-workflow-share-7380548720695611392-fYRf

Airline loyalty maybe should be like a car wash. — Subscription simplicity? Great idea. Implementation? Not going to happen.

https://substack.com/inbox/post/174743830

Notebook LM’s AI autopsy. — A podcast dissects Play’s failure—and the irony that AI narrates its own postmortem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ZK8WpNbfcW0

BA Holidays dumps OpenJaw. — Thoughtworks takes the wheel as BA Holidays modernizes its tech stack.

https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/british-airways-holidays-partners-with-thoughtworks/

Now they know how the rest of us feel. — Pilots discover coach class… and empathy.

https://viewfromthewing.com/pilots-start-to-sympathize-with-passengers-as-soon-as-theyre-forced-to-fly-in-coach-roundup/

Quirky — The self-driving car reimagined: fewer drivers, more philosophers behind the wheel.

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/themes/the-future-of-self-driving-cars-reinventing-the-road-ahead

Sources:

• LinkedIn – Eordax AI

• Substack

• YouTube – Notebook LM Podcast

• Breaking Travel News

• View from the Wing

• McKinsey & Company

Hashtags:

#PMM #AI #AgenticAI #Airlines #Loyalty #BAHolidays #Thoughtworks #Pilots #CoachClass #Quirky #TravelTech

Image description:

A Picasso-style cubist painting where technology and travel collide: geometric agent figures fading into code streams, a revolving loyalty card like a car wash wheel, an AI face reflected in podcast microphones, an aircraft tail labeled BA turning toward Thoughtworks’ abstract logo, a pilot squeezed into a cramped seat, and a ghostly self-driving car with an empty steering wheel. Surreal, vivid, and sly. 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and check the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read The Professor’s longer takes at t2impact.blogspot.com

Vintage archive: tumblr.com/professorsabena 

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 7, 2025

 

Six things you didn’t know you needed to know today.

More stats. — Global air travel will hit 9.8 billion passengers this year, almost back to pre-COVID highs.

https://aci.aero/2025/09/30/global-air-travel-forecasted-to-reach-9-8-billion-passengers-in-2025-nearing-the-historic-10-billion-milestone/

Free booze for high-priced tickets. Fair? — Air Canada reintroduces complimentary alcohol in economy on some routes.

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/air-canada-serves-free-alcohol-225618406.html

Bring us your poor and your Europeans. — Mark Cuban courts European AI founders for U.S. startup deals.

https://www.thevccorner.com/p/mark-cuban-ai-startups-interview-dealflow

Are you a U.S.-based WestJet passenger? Then pay attention. — WestJet discloses a data breach affecting U.S. customers.

https://westjet.mediaroom.com/2025-09-29-WestJet-Provides-Notice-of-Data-Incident-to-United-States-Residents

Here’s a thought. — Boeing’s next-gen jet design owes more to the 757-300 than you might think.

https://airinsight.com/boeings-next-jet-why-the-757-300-shapes-its-future/

Quirky: — WestJet unveils new “no-recline” seats; the lean-back tax is now literal.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11450528/westjet-new-seats-no-recline/

---

Sources:

• ACI World

• Yahoo Finance Canada

• The VC Corner

• WestJet Media Room

• AirInsight

• Global News

Hashtags:

#PMM #Travel #Aviation #Boeing #AirCanada #WestJet #MarkCuban #AI #Airports #Quirky #Ancillary

Image description:

A cubist, Picasso-style collage of the day’s themes: a rising graph shaped like a jet stream, a gleaming drink glass floating mid-air, geometric figures shaking hands across the Atlantic, data-bits pouring from a jet silhouette, a deconstructed 757-style fuselage, and a rigid seatback standing tall in protest. Playful, painterly, and ironic. No text.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Read more musings at t2impact.blogspot.com.

Old archive: tumblr.com/professorsabena.

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 6, 2025

 

Six jolts to see your assumptions differently.

Will this help or hurt travel? — Habits from WFH are now pulling travel trends either way.

https://killercharts.substack.com/p/the-death-of-working-from-home

Humans and AI. — In the era of LLMs, “experience” will be the new currency.

https://www.phocuswire.com/age-of-ai-experience-real-product?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily&oly_enc_id=1561H5098334D8F

The new face of warfare. — Northrop tests longer-range anti-drone rounds after Ukraine feedback.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/northrop-grumman-tests-longer-range-anti-drone-bullets-after-ukraine-feedback-2025-10-03/

So this is how to pronounce the name. — A TikTok guide surfaces for the proper way to say it.

https://www.tiktok.com/@pointsbyj/video/7553752238565494030

Sabre the target. — Investors probe Sabre over suspected securities failures.

https://www.wbtw.com/business/press-releases/accesswire/1081337/sabre-corporation-being-investigated-on-behalf-of-sabre-corporation-investors-contact-levi-korsinsky-for-details/

Quirky — Hollywood’s Best Times obituary reel gets meta: actors outliving their own films.

https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-best-times-film-obits-jkkzt87zh

Sources:

• Killer Charts

• PhocusWire

• Reuters

• TikTok

• WBTW / Accesswire

• The Times

Hashtags: #PMM #Travel #AI #Defense #Sabre #Warfare #Quirky #Culture #Obits

Image description: A Picasso-style collage: shifting silhouettes merging human and AI forms, elongating projectiles, a floating name with phonetic spikes, stock lines cracking over Sabre’s shape, and an actor’s silhouette inside a film reel apocalypse. 

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 5, 2025

 

Six slices of reality with a side of snark.

Travel is down. Another Trump victim. — US Travel warns a weak outlook could cost jobs.

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/impacting-travel/us-travel-association-releases-updated-travel-forecast-predicts-threats-to-economy-and-jobs

So where is that growth? — A look at the top 15 European airports for post-2019 gains.

https://airserviceone.com/air-service-one-bitesize-analysis-of-the-day-3rd-october-2025-top-15-european-airports-for-post-2019-growth/

The death of small airports. — Regional fields keep shrinking under relentless pressure.

https://airserviceone.com/ailevon-pacific-asia-pacific-air-service-development-insights-data-analysis-commentary-from-a-fresh-perspective-october-1st-2025/

And you wonder why prices are so high? — Slot scarcity keeps fares sticky.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/koenkarsbergen_airportslots-aviation-airlines-share-7379879359018602496-7ftj

For people like me this is a big ouch. — Delta selling first class for $26: status upgrades, RIP.

https://viewfromthewing.com/delta-now-sells-first-class-for-26-status-upgrades-are-dead/

Quirky — TSA to travelers: please stop hiding animals in “weird places” (yes, turtles in a bra).

https://people.com/tsa-busts-woman-bringing-2-turtles-stuffed-in-bra-through-security-11778681

Sources:

• TravelPulse

• AirServiceOne – Growth

• AirServiceOne – Small Airports

• Koen Karsbergen (LinkedIn)

• View from the Wing

• People.com

Hashtags: #PMM #Travel #Aviation #Airports #Slots #Regional #Europe #Delta #Loyalty #Fares #TSA #Quirky

Image description: Picasso-style cubist canvas: shrinking regional runway shards, a booming hub casting long shadows, tight slot “bars,” a tiny gilded seat beside a big price tag, and a mischievous turtle peeking from a traveler silhouette. 

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 4, 2025

 

Six glimpses that make regular seem weird.

Tremendous work. — Nanaimo Airport pays local Snuneymuxw community as profits soar.

https://cheknews.ca/tremendous-day-for-us-nanaimo-airport-shares-profits-with-snuneymuxw-1279833/

Not so fast if you think Boeing has free reign. — FAA is restoring Boeing’s power to issue some 737 and 787 airworthiness certifications.

https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers/faa-restores-boeing-authority-to-issue-some-737-and-787-airworthiness-certificates/164691.article

Chances are you have flown on this. — The Cessna 182 Skylane turns 70 and still flies in many fleets.

https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/aircraft-propulsion/cessna-182-skylane-turns-70

How’s it going? — Q3 funding and startup trends in travel show patterns worth watching.

https://www.phocuswire.com/travel-startup-funding-q3-2025

Vanity projects first? — NASA’s acting head suggests returning to the Moon is top priority over other exploration goals.

https://aviationweek.com/space/space-exploration/nasas-return-moon-top-priority-acting-administrator

Quirky: Back to the grindstone. — “The death of working from home” reminds us hybrid may be the new default.

https://killercharts.substack.com/p/the-death-of-working-from-home

Sources:

• ChekNews

• FlightGlobal

• Aviation Week

• PhocusWire

• Aviation Week (Space)

• Killer Charts

Hashtags: #PMM #Aviation #Travel #Boeing #FAA #Cessna182 #Startup #NASA #Moon #WFH #HybridWork #Quirky

Image description: A cubist, dreamlike canvas: a runway dividing earth and space, fragmented Cessna wings, a regulatory stamp breaking, lunar shapes rising, a community gathering under a profit beam, and hybrid work returning. No words.

So did you spot yesterday's deliberate error?

The Professor’s Minute Minute — 03 October 2025

 

Six flashes to keep you on your toes.

That must be annoying… — A Qantas flight from Sydney to Johannesburg made a mid-air U-turn.

https://travelweekly.com.au/qantas-sydney-johannesburg-flight-forced-to-make-mid-air-u-turn/

Work and get no pay. Thanks Republicans. — Over 11,000 FAA employees face furloughs amid political standoff.

https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/10/01/faa-to-furlough-over-11000-employees/#google_vignette

Fall out over Spirit’s challenges. — Spirit Airlines is preparing to reject certain aircraft leases amid financial strain.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/spirit-airlines-prepares-reject-certain-aircraft-leases

Hmmm I wonder if everyone in Dublin knows this? — A piece examines how citizens subsidize Ryanair and Aer Lingus.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2025/10/01/how-you-are-subsidising-ryanair-and-aer-lingus/

Is $2.5 Bil enough? — A new legal filing explores whether that sum is sufficient in a tech-litigation stake.

https://www.law360.com/technology/articles/2392522

Quirky: In the mind (or mouth) of Bryan Chesky — A doc invites you into the internal rhetoric and persona of the Airbnb cofounder.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fHZEv5JjxPTvTwmCH9s4waawX_Egu9s5Qoj9DmRL9rw/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.lmkpg1wsbpc5

Sources:

• Travel Weekly AU

• Aviation A2Z

• Aviation Week

• Irish Times

• Law360

• Google Doc

Hashtags: #PMM #Aviation #Travel #Airlines #Politics #FAA #Ryanair #SpiritAirlines #TechLaw #Chesky #Quirky

Image description: A stylized, semi-cubist scene: a looping jet making a U-turn, a chain of silhouettes behind an empty desk, broken airplane leases floating, Dublin’s skyline overlaid with airport tails, a stack of dollars fracturing, and a mouth speaking into a cloud. No text.

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 2, 2025

 

Six observations to sharpen your view before anyone else does.

Old folks flying? — Senior travel bookings are rising and tech is adapting to their needs.

https://www.phocuswire.com/senior-travel-booking-technology-trends

Is this new? I think so. — A fresh framework in that doc is quietly redefining how we think about travel demand.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t5kSXAR3hQaa0XsaaesFRgcrzMemkJs7X63usZTCm2g/edit

Top teams. — The 2025 Corporate Travel 100 list highlights which firms are setting the standard.

https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Corporate-Travel-100/2025

Did we forget the consumer? — A new “Offer → Order” blueprint dives into consumer buying in flight booking.

https://revman.substack.com/p/offer-order-blueprint-is-buying-plane

Agentic AI from McKinsey — McKinsey’s new report explores how “agentic AI” could reshape travel.

https://substack.com/redirect/ac9b1e12-3cdd-4e9a-b968-0190745b2107

Quirky: The true cost of ChatGPT? — Bloomberg graphs reveal how data centers’ electricity use is ballooning.

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-ai-data-centers-electricity-prices/

Sources:

• PhocusWire

• Google Doc

• Business Travel News

• RevMan / Substack

• McKinsey / Substack Redirect

• Bloomberg Graphics

Hashtags: #PMM #Travel #Aviation #SeniorTravel #TechTrends #Consumer #AI #DataCenters #Electricity #Innovation #Quirky

Image description: A cubist, Picasso-style canvas: an elderly traveler climbing stairs, fractured circuitry running skyward, angular corporate figures in motion, abstract AI robot heads floating above, two silhouetted consumers exchanging a ticket, and jagged electric currents feeding glowing data-center blocks. Bold, whimsical, surreal. No text anywhere.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at

https://t2ni.blogspot.com

And check out the Best of the Week on LinkedIn & Instagram.

Professor’s musings: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

Old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — October 1, 2025

Six quick hits to make you smarter before the kettle boils.

This was bound to happen — Office visits are rising as hybrid work becomes the norm.

https://killercharts.substack.com/p/the-death-of-working-from-home

Does crime pay? — US crime rates are nearly half of what they were in 2001.

https://usafacts.org/answers/what-is-the-crime-rate-in-the-us/country/united-states/

Sad story — A stowaway was found dead in an aircraft’s landing gear.

https://www.travelmole.com/news/stowaway-found-dead-in-planes-landing-gear/

A word to the wise when travelling — Insurance may not cover complications tied to Ozempic use.

https://travelweekly.com.au/agents-alert-the-ozempic-insurance-gap-your-clients-cant-afford-to-miss/

The Brazilian love match has been called off — Azul–GOL merger talks have ended.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/daily-memo-azul-gol-merger-talks-end-now

Quirky — A Ryanair passenger ate their passport mid-flight, forcing a diversion.

https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/09/30/ryanair-flight-diverted-after-passenger-eats-passport/

Sources:

• Killer Charts

• USAFacts

• TravelMole

• Travel Weekly AU

• Aviation Week

• Aviation A2Z

Hashtags: #PMM #Travel #Aviation #WFH #HybridWork #CrimeStats #TravelInsurance #Ozempic #Brazil #Azul #GOL #Ryanair #Quirky

Image description: A surreal artist collage: a glowing office turnstile, a crime-rate graph falling over a skyline, landing gear silhouette with ghostly figure, floating pill blister pack with a travel tag, Azul and GOL tails splitting apart, and a bitten passport drifting in the sky. Whimsical and slightly dark, no text included.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena