The Craziest Claims That Airlines Made at ITB Berlin
Sunday was the last day of ITB Berlin, the "World's Leading Travel Trade Show" (which, yes, is a registered trademark). While at the show, I stopped by all 100 airline booths to ask about new routes, products and developments. One of the most entertaining bits of talking with so many airlines is hearing some of the interesting claims they have. These four were the ones I found most surprising.
Qatar Airways: "World's Fastest Growing Airline"
Qatar's press conference was quite entertaining, as I wrote about earlier this week. But, it was one of the first few sentences from that press conference that's still bugging me: Qatar called itself the "world's fastest growing airline." I'm still trying to figure out how it got to that claim.
Routes Online has a comprehensive look at airline capacity growth from 2016 to 2017 and Chinese airline Lucky Air had the largest gain in that study, growing by 35.3%. But Qatar didn't even crack the top 10 — which would have required at least 16.1% growth.
The airline isn't publicly traded, so it can't be referencing stock price. What about the size of its route network? According to its website, the airline launched 11 new routes in that time period, but that was more than offset by the 19 destinations it lost due to the blockade.
Air New Zealand: Fitting Four Passengers on the SkyCouch
After reading about it for years, it was fun to finally try out the Air New Zealand SkyCouch — even if it was on the ground. As I suspected, just three seats across doesn't leave much room to lie down. Especially with the two of us in there, there's only so much scrunching I could do to get my 71-inch frame inside the bounds of the seats. I'm pretty sure my feet would be hit by service carts if Katie and I actually tried to sleep sideways on a flight...
So, with that in mind, check out what positions Air New Zealand suggests for the SkyCouch:
That's right. In seats that measure about 60 inches (5 feet) from end to end, Air New Zealand suggests a family of 3-4 should be able to fit. Or, two adults should be able to lie flat side-by-side. That's going to require some very small adults — less than five feet tall and less than 15 inches wide (since the seat pitch is only 33 inches). Maybe it's designed for hobbits?
Himalaya Airlines: Plans to Launch Flights to America
Ever heard of Himalaya Airlines? I hadn't either. Turns out it's a new, small airline with some big plans. Flipping through its materials, I saw that the airline, which started operations in 2016, "plans to acquire 15 aircrafts [sic] in the next 5 years." That's a 500% increase from its current fleet of three aircraft, but that's not the unreasonable part.
What's crazy are the routes it's hoping to launch to/from its hub at Kathmandu, Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM):
"The airline also plans to introduce longhaul wide body A330 aircraft for direct flights to Japan, Korea, Europe, Australia and America."
There are around 30 commercial airlines that operate to Kathmandu — but all fly intra-Asia or from the Middle East. It looks like this new player expects to have quite the impact. Himalaya Airlines claims to be not only expanding to Europe and Australia, but also America. Not only that, but using Airbus A330s — which aren't exactly known for their operational efficiency on long routes. And that's going to be from an airport which has a single runway which doesn't have an instrument landing system. Good luck to them on that!
Cobalt Airlines: Larnaca, Cyprus as the Next Global Airport Hub
Another small airline has big expansion plans. Cyprus-based Cobalt Airlines currently has just six narrow-body Airbus aircraft (four A320s and two A319s), but it's also looking to the A330 to begin global operations. I'm guessing that it plans to buy a lot more than two wide-body aircraft, since the CAPA 2017 "Start-Up Airline of the Year" says it will...
"...establish Larnaca as a true hub airport, offering connections from the Middle East & Asia to Europe & beyond; and vice versa. Our geographical position and political situation as a safe, non-Schengen EU country will add to the attractiveness of the hub."
In this case, the airport might be a limiting factor in these growth plans. The airport's sole runway is long enough (9,823 feet) for most aircraft types, but the newly opened airport terminal has just 16 jetbridge gates. Yet, according to the airline's CAPA profile, it's planning to squeeze a lot of flights into those 16 gates.
"During the initial stages, Cobalt operates short-haul services to Northern European, Middle Eastern and North African destinations, with long-haul flights to South Africa, North America, China and India to be considered."
I certainly wish them the best of luck — just let me know when Amex puts in a Centurion Lounge.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees