United Airlines announced a deal to buy 15 supersonic jets, planning to carry passengers on the ultra-fast planes by 2029.
If the airline can follow through with its plan, these would be the first commercial supersonic flights since the grounding of the Concorde jet in 2003. The economics of that fuel-guzzling supersonic jet and restrictions on flying it over land at speeds that would produce a sonic boom doomed the Concorde. Airlines had to try to fill the plane with passengers willing to pay a substantial premium over a first-class ticket on traditional aircraft.
United is buying the supersonic jet from Boom Supersonic, a privately held upstart aircraft maker based in Denver. The plane, dubbed the "Overture," is slated to be completed by 2025, start test flights by 2026 and carry passengers by 2029. United has agreed to buy 15 of the jets, with options for 35 more.
People are also reading…
The plane is slated to fly at Mach 1.7, or roughly twice as fast as today's commercial jets. It will be able to fly from United's hub in Newark, New Jersey, to London in just three-and-a-half hours. It could make the Newark to Frankfurt trip in four hours and San Francisco to Tokyo in just six hours.
United Airlines announced a deal to buy 15 supersonic jets, planning to carry passengers on the ultra-fast planes by 2029.
Another lofty, but unproven, goal for Boom's Overture: It plans to fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which would allow it to be the first aircraft to begin with net-zero carbon flights.
"United continues on its trajectory to build a more innovative, sustainable airline and today's advancements in technology are making it more viable for that to include supersonic planes," said United CEO Scott Kirby.
But experts expressed doubts that there will ever be a way for commercial supersonic flights to make economic sense for airlines
"You need to find enough full-fare premium passengers to justify the aircraft. Good luck with that," said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with the Teal Group.
Airlines have slammed the brakes on their purchases of planes in the last year as the COVID-19 pandemic slashed demand for air travel. Losses mounted.
But airlines are seeing signs of recovery in demand for air travel. So there's limited financial risk to United ordering a plane that — if it is approved to fly — would not be delivered until the end of the decade.
"This is the best form of free advertising," said Aboulafia. "It likely doesn't cost anything. It's gets them free publicity as a forward looking airline with, bizarrely, a concern about the environment."
After the economic failure of the Concorde, both airlines and aircraft makers have generally concentrated on greater efficiency, not speed.
Boeing dropped plans for a near-supersonic jet, the Sonic Cruiser, and instead developed a lightweight fuel-efficient jumbo jet, the 787 Dreamliner. Rival Airbus attempted to answer airlines' desire for efficiency with a super-jumbo jet, the A380, which never lived up the promised sales. Airbus stopped building it last fall.
Plans for supersonic passenger flights have usually been limited to corporate jets, although those plans have encountered trouble coming to fruition.
One of the leaders in that field, Aerion Supersonic, announced last month that it would shut down because of the difficult economics of making a supersonic business jet. Aboulafia thinks that that the case for developing a supersonic commercial jet is far more difficult than the case for a supersonic business jet.
"If Aerion can't do it with a promising business case, who the hell can?" he said.
Has it been a while? Here are some simple reminders for smooth traveling
Up in the air
—If you’re flying a once-daily international nonstop, it’s a good idea to get to the airport as early as possible to avoid traffic delays. In Atlanta, for example, the once-dailies include Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, Korean Air to Seoul, and Qatar Airways to Doha. Atlanta’s traffic is notorious, with dead standstills being not uncommon. Allow an extra hour or so for traffic, or your once-daily may be taking off while you’re stuck on the interstate.
—Turbulence happens. Wear dark colors for flying in case that glass of tomato juice or red wine or cup of coffee goes awry. That cute pink outfit covered with a nice cabernet sauvignon suddenly becomes not so cute anymore.
—Flying with a companion? Try to book opposing aisle seats. You're still close enough to talk, and neither of you is stuck in the dreaded middle seat or crammed into a tiny window seat.
—Southerners are often the savviest fliers. We can practically set our watches by late afternoon spring and summer thunderstorms, the ones that often shut down airports for hours at a stretch and delay flights for what seems like infinity. Try booking flights as early in the morning as possible to avoid weather-related delays.
Across the ocean
—Bonjour! Jambo! Hola! Ciao! If you’re traveling overseas, learn a few words or key phrases of the language of the country you’re visiting, if nothing but hello, goodbye, please, thank you, I’m sorry, and excuse me. And smile. A little international friendliness goes a long way.
—This one is especially for country-hoppers who like to cram visiting a dozen European nations into three days’ time. Always look both ways before you cross the street or road. Driving is on the left side in some countries and on the right in others. A few extra moments of caution can prevent you from being mowed down by a speeding car based on the assumption everyone drives American-style on the right-hand side of the road.
—Flight delays happen, so take enough prescription medications to last one or even two more days longer than you originally plan. That’s to avoid what could turn into a real medical emergency because of not having enough medicine. If you're in the U.S., you could get your pharmacy to call another pharmacy in the city in which you're stranded, but if you're overseas, you may not be as fortunate and end up in trouble.
—You're off on that dream trip to Paris or London or any city with fine restaurants that you've read about and have been salivating to visit. Dinner prices can be prohibitively budget-busting, but you can still get the experience of dining at a renowned restaurant for much less money by checking to see if the restaurant has a separate lunch menu. Entrees with all the fixings can be half the price of the dinner menu.
On the road
—Take an extra car key and keep it in a place separate from your own, perhaps in your traveling mate’s purse or pocket. If your keys are lost or stolen, then you have an extra to get home again.
—We all love Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze and those other GPS gizmos, but sometimes long stretches of rural road have no cell service. An old-fashioned paper road map comes in handy for those moments. While getting lost can be half the fun of travel, be aware that technology may fail in remote areas.
—Keep a small, collapsible cooler in the trunk of your car. You never know what you might need it for leftovers from a meal, flower cuttings from a beautiful vine, or some to-die-for cheese or butter from a local market.
—A slow tour aboard a horse-drawn carriage is often the way to learn about a city. Think Savannah and Charleston. Instead of just barreling off blindly on your own when you get to a historic city, first take a tour and hear what the well-trained guides have to say. After that, you'll have more knowledge of sites worth exploring, plus excellent restaurant recommendations.
—Check your spare tire before a road trip. Just because you have one hiding in the trunk doesn't mean it's in working order. Give it a good look before hitting the road.
—Renting a car for your travels? Before driving off the lot, find out where the gas tank is located on the outside of the car and where the release is on the inside of the car. That knowledge will come in handy when it’s time to refuel.
In the suitcase
—When it comes to packing, if it can leak, spill or break, put it in a plastic storage bag with a strong zipper. Nothing can ruin a vacation more than opening a suitcase to clothes covered with lotion, shampoo or mouthwash.
—If you can't carry your suitcase up one flight of stairs on your own, you've packed way too much. There is no need for a new outfit every day of your trip, and it's perfectly fine to wear the same things over and over. Heavy luggage is no one's friend, especially if you're traveling to an old, wonderful inn or hotel in Europe where elevators don’t exist.
—Pick out one basic color when planning your travel wardrobe. Gray or black works well, as does red. One pair of black pants does it all from pairing with a tee-shirt during the day to a fancy top at night.
—Most older hotels don't have nearly enough electrical outlets to charge your electronic gadgets such as your phone and tablet, so take along at least a three-outlet plug. They're lightweight and inexpensive enough to always leave one in each piece of your luggage so you’re never caught without one.
—If you find yourself on an extended trip or on a flight with severe weight limits and can’t take many clothes, then consider spray deodorant over stick. Lightly spritz the inside of your clothes to keep them fresher and smelling nicer for longer stretches of time.
In the hotel
—Cities have myriad name-brand hotels like Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Holiday Inn, but be aware that places like New York and London may have dozens of properties of one name. When you check in, pick up a card with the hotel’s name, address and phone number. If you get lost, don’t speak the language, or just need to call the hotel, the information is at your fingertips to give to a cabdriver.
—Always request two key cards, even if you're by yourself. Keep one away from the other, not only in case you lose one, but also if your cell phone zaps it clean. You then have a spare without having to go all the way back to reception, which can sometimes be a long walk along endless hallways and wings of places like Opryland Hotel or the MGM Grand.
—Save a ton of money by opting for a room without a view. Just get a regular room and enjoy spending the extra money you save, sometimes hundreds of dollars for a room sans view, for activities and dining options. After all, you're only in the room for a short time, and at night it's too dark to see the view anyway.
—Ask for a hotel room away from the elevator or stairwell, both of which can be noisy sleep thieves, or one that’s in the middle of the hallway and not facing the street. Stuck in one anyway? There's an app for that. Search for terms like white noise, sound machine or nature sounds, then it’s on to sweet, quiet dreams and an all-around better vacation experience.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
