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Airlines Confidential Podcast

Scott McCartney
Southwest Airlines
Spirit Airlines
American Airlines
United Airlines
Delta Airlines
Air Traffic Control
Airline Pricing
Aviation Safety
Frontier Airlines
Jetblue Airways
Boeing
FAA
Aviation
Elliott Management
Loyalty Programs
Jetblue
Pittsburgh International Airport
Aviation Industry
Airlines
Delta Air Lines

Hosted by Scott McCartney, Fmr. Travel Editor/"Middle Seat" Columnist for The Wall Street Journal. Top Stories, C-Suite Guests, Listener Q's. The Leading Podcast Reaching Travel Industry Insiders, Frequent Flyers, & Aviation Geeks. Created by & Dedicated to Ben Baldanza.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes360Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

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Artwork for Airlines Confidential Podcast

Latest Episodes

Scott McCartney with Guest Co-Host Dave Hilfman. Topics: Earnings numbers, Big win for United; FAA certifies Boeing 737 MAX 10; Southwest shows growth; Alaska/Hawaiian challenges; Will jet fuel prices force more consolidation? Listener input on SWA's... more

Scott McCartney with Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis. Topics: Back to the Future Week; Airline stocks; Southwest Media Day announcements; A focus on JetBlue; Lufthansa to acquire large stake in TAP Air Portugal; Politico story on potential governmen... more

YouTube

This week: Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan. Guest Dave Emerson, CEO, Virgin Australia. Also: Delta reports lower earnings; Riyadh airport war disruptions; JetBlue financials; Gary Leff's View From The Wing reports change in American's bumping policy; Ho... more

YouTube

Scott McCartney with Guest Co-Host Henry Harteveldt. Topics: Terrorism by 1st officer on FlyDubai; A NASA SR-71 Blackbird revival? Scott Kirby envisions massive increase in United Chicago flights; United launches Base First fare and status match; Doe... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Christina Cassotis
Airport executive who led Pittsburgh International Airport's terminal redevelopment
Pittsburgh International Airport
Episode: 359 - Scott McCartney with Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis
Dave Emerson
CEO of Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia
Episode: 358 - Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan. Guest: Dave Emerson, CEO, Virgin Australia
Ben Minicucci
CEO and President of Alaska Air Group; CEO of Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Episode: 356 - Guest Co-Host Oscar Munoz. Guest: Ben Minicucci, CEO, Alaska Airlines
Jimmy Dempsey
President and CEO of Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines
Episode: 355 - Scott McCartney with Jimmy Dempsey, CEO, Frontier Airlines - From Denver, CO
Andrew Levy
Founder, chairman and CEO of Avelo Airlines
Avelo Airlines
Episode: 354 - Guest Co-Host Maya Leibman. Guest: Andrew Levy, CEO, Avelo Airlines
Doug Parker
Former CEO of America West / US Airways / American Airlines
American Airlines
Episode: 353 - 9/11 - 25th Remembrance - Scott McCartney, Doug Parker, Beverley Bass
Beverley Bass
First female captain at American Airlines; central figure in Come From Away
American Airlines
Episode: 353 - 9/11 - 25th Remembrance - Scott McCartney, Doug Parker, Beverley Bass
Chris Sloan
Media producer, entrepreneur, aviation journalist, and roving correspondent for Runway Girl Network
Runway Girl Network
Episode: 352 - Chris Sloan profiles Canadian North Airlines
Brett Burgess
President and CEO of ATPCO
ATPCO
Episode: 351 - Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis. Guest: Brett Burgess, CEO, ATPCO

Hosts

Scott McCartney
Host of the show with a background as Wall Street Journal travel editor and long-time aviation journalist.
Charles Duncan
Guest co-hosts and in-person host discussions.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 323 ratings
  • Lib boomers talking to Lib boomers

    Some of the commentary on here is so predictable: “Are slowed arrivals into SFO just a move by the Trump administration to punish SFO?” Give us a break- lots of turning over asinine comments in order to find information on this show.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Ayyyeeeeeeeeee
    United States6 months ago
  • Is Scott even a journalist?

    When Scott has all his buddies on this show for interviews it is nothing but an airline/CEO love fest. No hard reaching questions. Softball questions always. Paints all the airlines he likes in a positive light. Nothing but an ego booster.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    MattInKC
    United States9 months ago
  • Wishy-washy and pro-industry, not pro-consumer

    I like all things aviation so I enjoyed listening for 2 years, but the show tended toward wishy-washy chatter, especially when conservative guests rotated through. The last straw was the guy with the drawl who read and agreed with a letter about how the US has become an unwelcoming place to foreign travelers. Minutes earlier, he'd said there was no reason for the government shutdown and he was just happy it was over. (Even Oscar Muñoz, former United CEO, had acknowledged the other side of the sh... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    paul4792
    United Statesa year ago
  • WAY TOO POLITICAL WITH LITTLE INSIGHT

    11/28/25 update. Hyper political host Scott is an embarrassment to the industry. Interjects politics into every question and show to the point that it’s vomit inducing. Oscar couldn’t define revenue management if you handed him a dictionary so don’t look for much in terms of hard hitting insights from him.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Crazy192837
    United Statesa year ago
  • 5 star show

    I’ve listened to the show from the very beginning. The Richard Anderson/Doug Parker episode finally inspired me to write a review.

    This show is officially required listening for ANYONE interested in commercial aviation. This episode in particular should win a people’s choice award. So enjoyable from start to finish. Please more!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sidestep
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host delivers insightful, industry-focused aviation analysis with strong guest lineups.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#226
Argentina/Business

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

359 - Scott McCartney with Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis
Q: Passenger facility charges, should airlines embrace them within limit, Christina, rather than fight off any increase as they historically have done?
Cassotis says infrastructure must be paid for either through Passenger Facility Charges or airline rents and landing fees. Since those charges affect airlines' cost bases, she supports a modernized, indexed PFC cap with limits, oversight and accountability for approved projects.
359 - Scott McCartney with Guest Co-Host Christina Cassotis
Q: Maybe go back to Tom's original question and talk about the relationship between an airport and a contractor and what can make it challenging.
Cassotis explains that owners and contractors share the goal of completing a successful project, but manage different risks and priorities. She recommends planning for unexpected conditions, frequent senior-level reporting, owners' representatives to monitor schedules and dependencies, early disclosure of problems, and expert review of change orders.
358 - Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan. Guest: Dave Emerson, CEO, Virgin Australia
Q: Tell us about Virgin Australia's restructuring and Bain's investment that preceded the turnaround.
The restructuring began with Bain Capital stepping in during a rapid, three-month process during which Virgin Australia moved into administration and Bain acquired the company. Bain's diligence focused on a strategic pivot to a value-led, mid-market proposition, exiting loss-making segments and concentrating on a domestic narrow-body core while building alliances for international reach. The effort emphasized a strong brand, frontline culture, and disciplined capital management, setting the stage for Virgin 2.0 and a more sustainable cost structure.
357 - Scott McCartney with Guest Co-Host Henry Harteveldt
Q: Mike from Grapevine asks about Southwest's potential to introduce a competitive first-class product and what form it might take.
Henry discusses that Southwest may need a premium cabin to stay competitive with larger carriers, but the final shape could vary from a sub-fleet with a premium cabin to boxed or tray-based premium service, and that real progress hinges on delivering a compelling product with reliable service, even if it comes with operational challenges.
355 - Scott McCartney with Jimmy Dempsey, CEO, Frontier Airlines - From Denver, CO
Q: What are the core elements of Frontier's turnaround plan?
The core elements are right-sizing the fleet to match actual asset levels, reducing costs, fixing operational reliability, maturing the loyalty program to drive card revenue and repeat traffic, and growing with premium offerings in a disciplined way to stabilize the business before expanding capacity.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Airlines Confidential Podcast

What is Airlines Confidential Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show zeroes in on commercial aviation, airline leadership, pricing, technology, and industry strategy through in-depth interviews with top executives, policymakers, and analysts. Episodes often mix long-form conversations with data-driven analysis, operator perspectives, and real-world operating challenges—ranging from mergers, pricing evolution, and airport infrastructure to modernizing air traffic control and post-pandemic service models. A standout aspect is the mix of veteran industry hosts and high-profile guests who bring both management insight and practical field experience, along with occasional co-hosts and compelling listener Q&A segments. Potential listeners who want actionable industry context, leadership viewpoints, and a... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Airlines Confidential Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Airlines Confidential Podcast:

1. The Air Show
2. Airline Weekly Lounge
3. 21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
4. AvTalk - Aviation Podcast
5. The SWAPA Number

How many episodes of Airlines Confidential Podcast are there?

Airlines Confidential Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 360 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Airlines Confidential Podcast?

Recent guests on Airlines Confidential Podcast include:

1. Christina Cassotis
2. Dave Emerson
3. Ben Minicucci
4. Jimmy Dempsey
5. Andrew Levy
6. Doug Parker
7. Beverley Bass
8. Chris Sloan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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