Tag Archives: a321neo

Four Seasons Traveling in Style

A few years ago, I was doing a photo flight over LAX and, on the south side of the airfield at one of the FBOs, a black 757 was parked with marking of the Four Seasons hotel group.  This jet was used for some pretty high end tour operations.  Not the sort of thing I am likely to be on!  The 757 was aging and, in discussion with some friends online, I heard that they had switched to an Airbus A321neo.  Lo and behold, a few days later, it came to Seattle.

I wasn’t able to get it arriving (although it came back again another time and I did then) but the departure was on a day that I was free.  The jet is in a similar livery to the 757 looking black from a distance.  I am not sure whether it is actually black or a deep purple color but, when the sun glints off it, there is a colorful tinge to it.  Departures were to the north so it crossed the runway to taxi by me and then turned for the take off roll.  They were heading to Hawaii so I imagine the guests were looking forward to some fun in the islands.  The aircraft is actually operated by Titan out of the UK.  I wonder whether the crews like this gig or whether it is a bit of a drag?

Strangely The First AA A321neo Encounters

The launch of the 737 Max was heavily influenced by American Airlines agreeing to buy a bunch of A320neo family jets from Airbus.  American had inherited a bunch of Airbus aircraft from the combination with USAirways but buying the neos really caused Boeing to take note.  The order also included a bunch of the ceo versions of the jets and I have seen loads of them over the years.  However, for some reason, I had never shot an American neo until I got to LAX.

Los Angeles seems to be a popular destination for American’s neo fleet.  While I was there, I saw a load of them arriving and departing.  The larger engines are quite conspicuous on the neo although the A321neo seems better proportioned for that size of engine so they are less obvious than the smaller jets.  I think they do occasionally make it to Seattle but whether I shall catch one up here, I don’t know.

More To Love A321 Shot for Work!

I had a brief visit to Seattle Tacoma International to get some images for work.  These images were not of the aircraft but the configuration of the roadways in to the airport.  Not a great opportunity for photographing an aircraft.  However, you could just see some of the ramp area and, as the sun came out, the Alaska Airlines A321neo in the More To Love markings taxied in.  It was just visible above the terminal buildings so it would have been rude not to get a shot!

The Alaska 321neo Didn’t Keep the Special Colors Long

The merger of the Virgin America fleet into Alaska Airlines started off slowly at first.  With Virgin taking delivery of new jets, Alaska pondered how to mark them up.  The first of the A321neos came in Virgin America colors but then one arrived in a plain scheme with some outlines on it of west coast skylines under the tag line “Most West Coast”. It didn’t have obvious airline branding and I wrote about it here.  It turns out that jet did not stay in those colors for long.  It has now received the standard Alaska Airlines branding and I saw it operating out of SeaTac heading to Los Angeles.

Most West Coast??

The merger of the Virgin America operations into Alaska Airlines means combining the Airbus fleet with the Boeings.  Virgin America had ordered some A321neos and these are in the process of delivery just as things are being merged.  Alaska chose to change the livery on the next one off the line and adopted a scheme designed to reflect the number of flights they now operate on the west coast.  The Most West Coast jet has not been popular since it seems to lack branding of either airline.  It was at the gate when I landed in LA and I saw it taxiing out later that morning.  I wonder how long it will last in this form?