John Walton
@thatjohn.bsky.social
Editor in chief of @theupfront.media: in-depth independent aviation journalism for the digital age. Subscribe today!
Journo, Japan travel expert, bon vivant, lover of gardens, fan of 22°C, crocheter, Champagne enthusiast.
Big 🏳️🌈 w/the 🏳️⚧️, 🇪🇺 in 🇫🇷, he/him.
Journo, Japan travel expert, bon vivant, lover of gardens, fan of 22°C, crocheter, Champagne enthusiast.
Big 🏳️🌈 w/the 🏳️⚧️, 🇪🇺 in 🇫🇷, he/him.
Pinned
John Walton
@thatjohn.bsky.social
· May 26
Hello and welcome to The Up Front — in-depth, independent aviation journalism on the topics that matter for the people who live and breathe the passenger experience in aviation: airlines, passengers, designers, manufacturers, and the supply chain and ecosystem that surround it all.
theupfront.media
theupfront.media
The Up Front
In-depth independent aviation journalism for the digital age
theupfront.media
I couldn't be more excited to bring you my newest exciting challenge: The Up Front.
Creating, designing and building the site — and over 15,000 words of content at launch — with @garius.bsky.social has been nothing short of incredible.
Join us for a fresh new approach to aviation journalism.
Creating, designing and building the site — and over 15,000 words of content at launch — with @garius.bsky.social has been nothing short of incredible.
Join us for a fresh new approach to aviation journalism.
Reposted by John Walton
Beyond just the "Safran to build seats for Emirates in UAE" press release rewrites you read last week: I spent some time on the phone with Safran's EVP sales to figure out what's actually going on, including the relationship with Safran's new S-Lounge seat and its previous Skylounge…
JUST OUT: our in-depth analysis of @safran-group.com's plans to offshore the manufacturing of thousands of seats a year from France and the US to the new D33 aviation manufacturing cluster in Dubai.
What's going on, why — and what will Safran's French unions think?
theupfront.media/safran-plans...
What's going on, why — and what will Safran's French unions think?
theupfront.media/safran-plans...
Safran plans to outsource Emirates seat production from France, US to Dubai as part of UAE manufacturing cluster push
Outsourcing 1000+ seats a year to a new line in Dubai’s aviation manufacturing cluster is a big move — and a risky one — for Safran
theupfront.media
November 24, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Beyond just the "Safran to build seats for Emirates in UAE" press release rewrites you read last week: I spent some time on the phone with Safran's EVP sales to figure out what's actually going on, including the relationship with Safran's new S-Lounge seat and its previous Skylounge…
Reposted by John Walton
Aviation is an international business. But all politics is local.
So some of Safran's upcoming productions plans are brave, from the perspective of French political observers.
Or, at least — and not to mix any Angevin metaphors — that's what Sir Humphrey would say.
So some of Safran's upcoming productions plans are brave, from the perspective of French political observers.
Or, at least — and not to mix any Angevin metaphors — that's what Sir Humphrey would say.
November 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Aviation is an international business. But all politics is local.
So some of Safran's upcoming productions plans are brave, from the perspective of French political observers.
Or, at least — and not to mix any Angevin metaphors — that's what Sir Humphrey would say.
So some of Safran's upcoming productions plans are brave, from the perspective of French political observers.
Or, at least — and not to mix any Angevin metaphors — that's what Sir Humphrey would say.
Beyond just the "Safran to build seats for Emirates in UAE" press release rewrites you read last week: I spent some time on the phone with Safran's EVP sales to figure out what's actually going on, including the relationship with Safran's new S-Lounge seat and its previous Skylounge…
JUST OUT: our in-depth analysis of @safran-group.com's plans to offshore the manufacturing of thousands of seats a year from France and the US to the new D33 aviation manufacturing cluster in Dubai.
What's going on, why — and what will Safran's French unions think?
theupfront.media/safran-plans...
What's going on, why — and what will Safran's French unions think?
theupfront.media/safran-plans...
Safran plans to outsource Emirates seat production from France, US to Dubai as part of UAE manufacturing cluster push
Outsourcing 1000+ seats a year to a new line in Dubai’s aviation manufacturing cluster is a big move — and a risky one — for Safran
theupfront.media
November 24, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Beyond just the "Safran to build seats for Emirates in UAE" press release rewrites you read last week: I spent some time on the phone with Safran's EVP sales to figure out what's actually going on, including the relationship with Safran's new S-Lounge seat and its previous Skylounge…
I'm a fan.
@theupfront.media coming in hot with some truly dad-joke level puns by @thatjohn.bsky.social and I'm loving it.
November 24, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I'm a fan.
Reposted by John Walton
Although, noting the press release: "The most important sub-fleets of Lufthansa will receive their own special livery" — got to say, if I happened to work on some of the *other* sub-fleets of Lufthansa, I might a bit left-out.
theupfront.media/how-do-you-s...
theupfront.media/how-do-you-s...
How do you solve a problem like Lufthansa? Airline, brand and passenger insights from its group Capital Markets Day, Part 1
Lufthansa is consolidating its 12–14 airlines, leaking out a new Lufthansa Group Lounge and brand concept, growing in longhaul and leisure — and there are passenger experience implications throughout
theupfront.media
November 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Although, noting the press release: "The most important sub-fleets of Lufthansa will receive their own special livery" — got to say, if I happened to work on some of the *other* sub-fleets of Lufthansa, I might a bit left-out.
theupfront.media/how-do-you-s...
theupfront.media/how-do-you-s...
this tweet definitely not written by an A340-600
Although, noting the press release: "The most important sub-fleets of Lufthansa will receive their own special livery" — got to say, if I happened to work on some of the *other* sub-fleets of Lufthansa, I might a bit left-out.
theupfront.media/how-do-you-s...
theupfront.media/how-do-you-s...
How do you solve a problem like Lufthansa? Airline, brand and passenger insights from its group Capital Markets Day, Part 1
Lufthansa is consolidating its 12–14 airlines, leaking out a new Lufthansa Group Lounge and brand concept, growing in longhaul and leisure — and there are passenger experience implications throughout
theupfront.media
November 24, 2025 at 2:27 PM
this tweet definitely not written by an A340-600
Reposted by John Walton
JA BITTE.
Lufthansa's fantastic 100th anniversary livery will be painted on SIX aircraft types — the 787, 747-8, A380, A350-1000, A350-900 and A320neo.
More of this please.
Lufthansa's fantastic 100th anniversary livery will be painted on SIX aircraft types — the 787, 747-8, A380, A350-1000, A350-900 and A320neo.
More of this please.
November 24, 2025 at 2:11 PM
JA BITTE.
Lufthansa's fantastic 100th anniversary livery will be painted on SIX aircraft types — the 787, 747-8, A380, A350-1000, A350-900 and A320neo.
More of this please.
Lufthansa's fantastic 100th anniversary livery will be painted on SIX aircraft types — the 787, 747-8, A380, A350-1000, A350-900 and A320neo.
More of this please.
Reposted by John Walton
In an internal document I obtained, Avelo’s head of flight ops said they had to bank a lot of cash this quarter, may be seeing that with this NWSL charter. He also indicated the ICE flights haven’t been as profitable as they’d hoped, and they may not make it through the first quarter of 2026.
November 23, 2025 at 11:24 PM
In an internal document I obtained, Avelo’s head of flight ops said they had to bank a lot of cash this quarter, may be seeing that with this NWSL charter. He also indicated the ICE flights haven’t been as profitable as they’d hoped, and they may not make it through the first quarter of 2026.
Excellent thread!
An #avgeek 🧵
If you fly people around for a living then one of the most common emergencies you deal with is passengers in medical distress.
When someone is having a serious issue it becomes a team effort for the crew and our support staff on the ground.
If you fly people around for a living then one of the most common emergencies you deal with is passengers in medical distress.
When someone is having a serious issue it becomes a team effort for the crew and our support staff on the ground.
November 24, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Excellent thread!
Reposted by John Walton
Also out today: part 4 of 5 of @garius.bsky.social's remarkable history of the California Clipper, the feat of commercial aviation that brought a Pan Am flying boat the wrong way around the world from Auckland to LaGuardia.
This time: it's Christmas in Sri Lanka.
theupfront.media/christmas-in...
This time: it's Christmas in Sri Lanka.
theupfront.media/christmas-in...
Christmas in Sri Lanka: The remarkable journey of the California Clipper, Part 4
The crew of the California Clipper are forced to spend Christmas in Sri Lanka. While there, their thoughts turn naturally to home.
theupfront.media
November 21, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Also out today: part 4 of 5 of @garius.bsky.social's remarkable history of the California Clipper, the feat of commercial aviation that brought a Pan Am flying boat the wrong way around the world from Auckland to LaGuardia.
This time: it's Christmas in Sri Lanka.
theupfront.media/christmas-in...
This time: it's Christmas in Sri Lanka.
theupfront.media/christmas-in...
For ages, "Korean Air" was the answer for the world's best economy class experience. Really pleasing to see — despite the now older cabin, and acknowledging that KE's 787 and 777 are much narrower down back — that it's still good.
(Still not a fan of the new brand and livery, though.)
(Still not a fan of the new brand and livery, though.)
Yikes that really was a long flight, but I was pleasantly surprised by Korean! The food was quite good and plentiful, and the old IFE system held its own. The huge A380 seats and legroom really sealed the deal.
I also enjoyed loitering in the always empty duty free shop area in the back.
I also enjoyed loitering in the always empty duty free shop area in the back.
November 23, 2025 at 10:01 AM
For ages, "Korean Air" was the answer for the world's best economy class experience. Really pleasing to see — despite the now older cabin, and acknowledging that KE's 787 and 777 are much narrower down back — that it's still good.
(Still not a fan of the new brand and livery, though.)
(Still not a fan of the new brand and livery, though.)
Excited to bring you the first of our new-look roundups, @theupfront.media Update!
I love writing the Update each week, and our new format was just described to me by a subscriber and industry wag who I am NOT naming (yet!) as, and I quote, “five other articles in a trenchcoat (complimentary)”.
I love writing the Update each week, and our new format was just described to me by a subscriber and industry wag who I am NOT naming (yet!) as, and I quote, “five other articles in a trenchcoat (complimentary)”.
OUT NOW: our weekly roundup, The Up Front Update, where we explore the context and implications of what's going on in business class, premium and luxury travel — and the world of passenger experience.
Also, we ask: what on earth is going on in this photo?
theupfront.media/update-23-du...
Also, we ask: what on earth is going on in this photo?
theupfront.media/update-23-du...
Update #23: Dubai orders, Ethiopian's Diamond, China Southern interiors, Qantas' new lounges, and LEVEL curtain questions…
What went down in Dubai, what's going on in the recliner-plus world, what's inspiring China Southern and tangerine, Qantas' lounge Cathayfication, and an odd curtain/tent/crew rest on LEVEL…
theupfront.media
November 22, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Excited to bring you the first of our new-look roundups, @theupfront.media Update!
I love writing the Update each week, and our new format was just described to me by a subscriber and industry wag who I am NOT naming (yet!) as, and I quote, “five other articles in a trenchcoat (complimentary)”.
I love writing the Update each week, and our new format was just described to me by a subscriber and industry wag who I am NOT naming (yet!) as, and I quote, “five other articles in a trenchcoat (complimentary)”.
Reposted by John Walton
And if you're only just coming to the amazing story of the California Clipper, we are genuinely so excited for you — it is, as we say here in The Up Front Towers, an absolute bloody ripper.
Start here: theupfront.media/the-long-way... #avgeek
Start here: theupfront.media/the-long-way... #avgeek
The Long Way Round: The remarkable journey of the California Clipper, Part 1
In 1941, the Japanese attacked Hawaii, leaving Pan Am flight 18602 trapped the wrong side of Pearl Harbor, To get home, its civilian crew would have to do something incredible: circumnavigate the worl...
theupfront.media
November 21, 2025 at 5:20 PM
And if you're only just coming to the amazing story of the California Clipper, we are genuinely so excited for you — it is, as we say here in The Up Front Towers, an absolute bloody ripper.
Start here: theupfront.media/the-long-way... #avgeek
Start here: theupfront.media/the-long-way... #avgeek
Reposted by John Walton
Incredibly, it's six months since we launched The Up Front!
Editor in chief @thatjohn.bsky.social and Publisher @garius.bsky.social reflect on how far we've come — and explain why we're renaming our paid subscriptions to Premium and Business, plus what's coming up:
theupfront.media/six-months-o...
Editor in chief @thatjohn.bsky.social and Publisher @garius.bsky.social reflect on how far we've come — and explain why we're renaming our paid subscriptions to Premium and Business, plus what's coming up:
theupfront.media/six-months-o...
Six months on: reflections from The Up Front editor in chief
Reviewing our first six months, renaming our subscription tiers, a new look for the Update, and a heads-up for what's next for the rest of the year
theupfront.media
November 21, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Incredibly, it's six months since we launched The Up Front!
Editor in chief @thatjohn.bsky.social and Publisher @garius.bsky.social reflect on how far we've come — and explain why we're renaming our paid subscriptions to Premium and Business, plus what's coming up:
theupfront.media/six-months-o...
Editor in chief @thatjohn.bsky.social and Publisher @garius.bsky.social reflect on how far we've come — and explain why we're renaming our paid subscriptions to Premium and Business, plus what's coming up:
theupfront.media/six-months-o...
Truly it is a personal and professional delight that my love for my #faveplane is this well known and appreciated with such good humour by friends who I hold in high regard.
#4engines4longhaul
#longerlargerfart
#4engines4longhaul
#longerlargerfart
On this week’s AvTalk episode 346, we discuss the substantial order book from this week’s Dubai Airshow and we’re joined by @theupfront.media’s @thatjohn.bsky.social for a celebration of the Airbus A340-600. www.flightradar24.com/blog/avtalk-...
November 21, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Truly it is a personal and professional delight that my love for my #faveplane is this well known and appreciated with such good humour by friends who I hold in high regard.
#4engines4longhaul
#longerlargerfart
#4engines4longhaul
#longerlargerfart
If you've not read this stunning piece of history yet, you should start here. The final part drops next week.
And if you're only just coming to the amazing story of the California Clipper, we are genuinely so excited for you — it is, as we say here in The Up Front Towers, an absolute bloody ripper.
Start here: theupfront.media/the-long-way... #avgeek
Start here: theupfront.media/the-long-way... #avgeek
The Long Way Round: The remarkable journey of the California Clipper, Part 1
In 1941, the Japanese attacked Hawaii, leaving Pan Am flight 18602 trapped the wrong side of Pearl Harbor, To get home, its civilian crew would have to do something incredible: circumnavigate the worl...
theupfront.media
November 21, 2025 at 5:25 PM
If you've not read this stunning piece of history yet, you should start here. The final part drops next week.
Boo to Austrian Airlines for using AI slop as the main image of its latest campaign.
Extra boo for PRs celebrating lazy use of thieving plagiarism machines that kill (their own!) creative livelihoods.
(also love* the flower stamen hallucination under structurally broken Drinkbrolly Sixfingers)
Extra boo for PRs celebrating lazy use of thieving plagiarism machines that kill (their own!) creative livelihoods.
(also love* the flower stamen hallucination under structurally broken Drinkbrolly Sixfingers)
November 21, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Boo to Austrian Airlines for using AI slop as the main image of its latest campaign.
Extra boo for PRs celebrating lazy use of thieving plagiarism machines that kill (their own!) creative livelihoods.
(also love* the flower stamen hallucination under structurally broken Drinkbrolly Sixfingers)
Extra boo for PRs celebrating lazy use of thieving plagiarism machines that kill (their own!) creative livelihoods.
(also love* the flower stamen hallucination under structurally broken Drinkbrolly Sixfingers)
Reposted by John Walton
Tomorrow we continue our series on the true story of Pan Am California Clipper's remarkable, forced circumnavigation of the globe in WW2.
In India, with Christmas looming, it's hard for the crew's thoughts not to turn to the families waiting for them at home. theupfront.media/the-long-way...
In India, with Christmas looming, it's hard for the crew's thoughts not to turn to the families waiting for them at home. theupfront.media/the-long-way...
November 20, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Tomorrow we continue our series on the true story of Pan Am California Clipper's remarkable, forced circumnavigation of the globe in WW2.
In India, with Christmas looming, it's hard for the crew's thoughts not to turn to the families waiting for them at home. theupfront.media/the-long-way...
In India, with Christmas looming, it's hard for the crew's thoughts not to turn to the families waiting for them at home. theupfront.media/the-long-way...
Flying Ryanair in a couple of weeks (to the RedCabin Aircraft Cabin Innovation Summit, no less).
Happened across their incredibly creepy talking AI head video explaining their new demand for digital boarding passes.
Cannot wait for this bubble to burst, get thee behind me Becky Six-Fingers…
Happened across their incredibly creepy talking AI head video explaining their new demand for digital boarding passes.
Cannot wait for this bubble to burst, get thee behind me Becky Six-Fingers…
November 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Flying Ryanair in a couple of weeks (to the RedCabin Aircraft Cabin Innovation Summit, no less).
Happened across their incredibly creepy talking AI head video explaining their new demand for digital boarding passes.
Cannot wait for this bubble to burst, get thee behind me Becky Six-Fingers…
Happened across their incredibly creepy talking AI head video explaining their new demand for digital boarding passes.
Cannot wait for this bubble to burst, get thee behind me Becky Six-Fingers…
Reposted by John Walton
Since I can’t help myself, my holiday included this, which… wow, I have never seen an airline tent off an entire side of a business cabin for crew rest for an 8-hour transatlantic flight.
November 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Since I can’t help myself, my holiday included this, which… wow, I have never seen an airline tent off an entire side of a business cabin for crew rest for an 8-hour transatlantic flight.
Reposted by John Walton
Back from a few weeks of blessedly mostly disconnected time away, and enormous thanks to @garius.bsky.social for keeping @theupfront.media on course while I recharged — his ongoing series about the Pan Am California Clipper is SUCH a great read.
theupfront.media/the-long-way...
theupfront.media/the-long-way...
The Long Way Round: The remarkable journey of the California Clipper, Part 1
In 1941, the Japanese attacked Hawaii, leaving Pan Am flight 18602 trapped the wrong side of Pearl Harbor, To get home, its civilian crew would have to do something incredible: circumnavigate the worl...
theupfront.media
November 17, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Back from a few weeks of blessedly mostly disconnected time away, and enormous thanks to @garius.bsky.social for keeping @theupfront.media on course while I recharged — his ongoing series about the Pan Am California Clipper is SUCH a great read.
theupfront.media/the-long-way...
theupfront.media/the-long-way...
Back from a few weeks of blessedly mostly disconnected time away, and enormous thanks to @garius.bsky.social for keeping @theupfront.media on course while I recharged — his ongoing series about the Pan Am California Clipper is SUCH a great read.
theupfront.media/the-long-way...
theupfront.media/the-long-way...
The Long Way Round: The remarkable journey of the California Clipper, Part 1
In 1941, the Japanese attacked Hawaii, leaving Pan Am flight 18602 trapped the wrong side of Pearl Harbor, To get home, its civilian crew would have to do something incredible: circumnavigate the worl...
theupfront.media
November 17, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Back from a few weeks of blessedly mostly disconnected time away, and enormous thanks to @garius.bsky.social for keeping @theupfront.media on course while I recharged — his ongoing series about the Pan Am California Clipper is SUCH a great read.
theupfront.media/the-long-way...
theupfront.media/the-long-way...
Reposted by John Walton
Don't miss the latest edition of The Up Front Update — fascinating news on Eurostar, WestJet, American (and Collins' Aurora seat), Emirates, Finnair and more!
theupfront.media/update-22-eu...
theupfront.media/update-22-eu...
Update #22: Eurostar’s new trains, WestJet’s new owners, American’s new A321XLRs, Emirates’ new accessibility options, Finnair’s new seat covers, and more…
What’s behind Eurostar’s small order for big TGV trains, the Delta-Korean-Air France-KLM purchase of a chunk of WestJet, American’s A321XLRs (and Collins Aurora) arrive, plus more on those Finnair air...
theupfront.media
October 25, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Don't miss the latest edition of The Up Front Update — fascinating news on Eurostar, WestJet, American (and Collins' Aurora seat), Emirates, Finnair and more!
theupfront.media/update-22-eu...
theupfront.media/update-22-eu...
Reposted by John Walton
all this omg if you use these words ppl will think you use chatgpt! Omg stop using emdashes. Excuse, I will use whatever the hell I want. Writers wrote whatever they wanted and this machine gobbled it all up and now we can't use words and punctuation because the machine spits it out? Absurd.
October 23, 2025 at 10:12 PM
all this omg if you use these words ppl will think you use chatgpt! Omg stop using emdashes. Excuse, I will use whatever the hell I want. Writers wrote whatever they wanted and this machine gobbled it all up and now we can't use words and punctuation because the machine spits it out? Absurd.
Reposted by John Walton
"Why is the governor who is old running in this Senate seat when there's already an excellent-looking progressive candidate running?"
(3-7 days later)
"I regret to inform you that progressive guy hangs out with milkshake duck"
(3-7 days later)
"I regret to inform you that progressive guy hangs out with milkshake duck"
October 21, 2025 at 2:47 PM
"Why is the governor who is old running in this Senate seat when there's already an excellent-looking progressive candidate running?"
(3-7 days later)
"I regret to inform you that progressive guy hangs out with milkshake duck"
(3-7 days later)
"I regret to inform you that progressive guy hangs out with milkshake duck"