Dear readers,

Sometimes the best innovations in airlines have nothing to do with technology, personalization, or the conference buzzword of the moment. They’re simple advances that open up low-cost travel to more people while improving investor returns.

I was reminded of that last week when I interviewed Mike Szücs, CEO of Cebu Pacific Airlines. In the Americas or Europe, we may not think often of Cebu Pacific because it mostly flies cost-conscious customers within Asia. But until Covid temporarily rocked its model, Cebu was among the world’s most consistently profitable airlines. In 2019, it reported roughly $165 million U.S. in net income on revenues of $1.5 billion. Executives have predicted Cebu could return to profitability this year.

Cebu has a not-so-secret weapon, and it’s an innovation I love so much.