Etihad announces 10 new international routes (one is a new US route)
A few weeks ago, Etihad told us that a series of new route announcements were on the way and over the past few days, the airline has been dropping hints as to what these new routes will be. Today, the new routes have been announced with Asia being the main beneficiary but with the US getting a new route too.
British Airways elites now get benefits on Aer Lingus
It has been a long time coming (considering BA and Aer Lingus share a parent company), but as of today, British Airways Bronze, Silver, and Gold card holders now get to enjoy select benefits when they fly with Aer Lingus.
A new London Hyatt will have rooms that are just 96 square feet in...
The Hyatt Place London Paddington was originally scheduled to open earlier this year and as I was really looking forward to seeing what the new property would offer, I was a little disappointed when I discovered (back in April) that the property wouldn't be opening its doors until 2025.
Finnair is adding more flights to four US cities in 2025 (Business Class awards...
Finnair has confirmed that it plans to add more flights to a number of its international destinations in 2025 and four of those destinations are cities in the United States. Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle will all be getting more flights from Helsinki than were originally scheduled as the airline looks to feed more passengers into the American Airlines domestic network.
United Airlines opens up reservations on 8 new transatlantic routes
Around two weeks ago, United Airlines announced a series of new routes for the northern hemisphere summer season next year. At the time of the announcement, the flights had yet to be loaded into the booking system and we didn't have all the details surrounding the flight timings and aircraft that United plans to use on these routes. Now, for eight of the new routes, bookings are open, and the schedules have been published.
You can now use Qantas Points to book awards on Oman Air
Oman Air may now not be expected to join the Oneworld Alliance before the middle of 2025, but that doesn't appear to be preventing the airline from expanding its partnerships to include more airlines from within the alliance.
Update on US CBP preclearance in Abu Dhabi (good news)
A little over two weeks ago, we wrote about the news that passengers on two of Etihad’s US bound flights would, for a transitional period, not be able to use the US CBP preclearance facility in Abu Dhabi and would have to clear immigration upon arrival in the United States just as passengers on most other flights have to do. Well, there's now some good news to share.
Aer Lingus will add flights to Indianapolis from 2025
In the past month, we've seen Aer Lingus confirm that it's adding more flights to Denver and Minneapolis/St Paul next year and that it will launch a new route to Nashville from April 2025. Now we have confirmation that the Irish flag carrier will add yet another US destination to its route map in 2025 - Indianapolis.
Hyatt is losing one (possibly two) of its properties in Los Angeles
Even though we have a home in Los Angeles, a need to get some work done to our home means that I have to move out for a few days, and because hotel loyalty programs can still make me do irrational things, those few days were meant to see me staying at two of Hyatt properties in the city.
Marriott Bonvoy and Aeroplan now offer reciprocal elite status
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Alaska Airlines is now operating four new California routes
Alaska Airlines has recent history of bolstering its presence in California and that presence is soon going to be bolstered even further when the airline introduces three new SoCal routes later this year.
Aer Lingus will fly to Nashville from April 2025
In the past couple of years, Aer Lingus has been making a concerted effort to boost its transatlantic presence with new routes to the US, more flights to the US, and closer ties to its biggest US airline partner, and now its continuing that trend with the announcement that from April 2025, Nashville will appear on its route map.
Air France is the latest airline to sign-up for Starlink wifi
Recently, we had Hawaiian Airlines confirm that it now offers a 'fast and free' Starlink wifi service across all of its aircraft and we've seen United Airlines announce that it will start rolling out free Starlink wifi to its customers from next year, and now Air France says that it will be joining in.
SkyTeam & Eurostar have announced a partnership (will we earn & burn miles/points on...
SkyTeam (the alliance which includes the likes of Delta, Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic) and Eurostar (the European high-speed train operator) have announced that they have signed a partnership agreement that will see the airlines of SkyTeam and Eurostar working closely together.
British Airways delays the introduction of Club Suites on its Singapore route
At 6,765 miles, the London - Singapore route is one of BA's longer routes and the schedules have, up until now, told us that the airline was planning to swap out the A380 that currently operates one of this route's two daily flights for a Boeing 777-300ER (complete with the new Club Suites) from the end of March next year.
Hyatt has plans for a new property in the Maldives
Hyatt currently has two hotels in the Maldives. There's the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa (a name that never fails to make me think of someone laughing) and the Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, but going forward, there may be a third.
SAS makes cuts on select routes to/from the United States
SAS has recently joined the SkyTeam alliance and since then, we've started to see the airline building up a hub in Copenhagen and we've seen it bringing back routes between Europe and the United States that haven't operated for years. It's not, however, all expansion, expansion, expansion, at SAS HQ
Hyatt is bringing the Andaz brand to Australia
Australia doesn't really offer World of Hyatt fans a lot of options as at the time of writing, there are just nine open Hyatt properties across the whole country, there are no Hyatt's west of Melbourne, and because Mr & Mrs Smith properties offer minimal benefits to guests with Hyatt status, they're not much help either.
Cathay Pacific will add Dallas Fort Worth its route network next year
Cathay Pacific has announced that it will fly to eight North American cities next year after it adds another US city to its route map in April 2025.
These are Delta’s five new summer routes to Europe (+ two route resumptions)
Over the weekend, Delta Air Lines updated its schedules for summer 2025 to include five new routes to four different countries and the resumption of two European routes that the airline hasn't operates since 2016 and 2020 respectively. This is what all of those routes look like (including the newly published schedules).
Hyatt’s newest Los Angeles property is now part of the World of Hyatt
The newest Hyatt in LA county is the Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica and while the property has been bookable through Hyatt for a few weeks, it was only added to the World of Hyatt on Wednesday 18 September. Don't, however, rush to book the property just yet. It's a Hyatt in name, but it probably has a little way to go before it's a Hyatt in the way that most Hyatt fans would expect and want it to be.
SAS will bring back two routes between Europe and the United States
When it comes to its US routes, it looks like SAS is keen to feed traffic to SkyTeam's biggest North American Airline (Delta) as a recent set of schedule updates have seen the Scandinavian carrier bring back two routes that it hasn't operated for years, and both routes are to key Delta hubs.
JetBlue will introduce airport lounges and some new frequent flyer perks
JetBlue has just announced that in an attempt to offer a more premium offering, it plans to open airport lounges at New York JFK and at Boston Logan, and that alongside a soon-to-be-released new premium credit card, it will also boost some perks that it offers to its more frequent flyers.
Emirates adds Premium Economy and new Business Class to six US routes
Since August, Emirates has been gradually rolling out its reconfigured 777s on several of its routes, but up until now, its transatlantic routes have missed out. Not, however, for much longer as the airline has now confirmed that it plans to bring the upgraded aircraft to six of its transatlantic routes starting in November.
Norse Atlantic will bring back its New York – Athens route in 2025
In many ways, Norse Atlantic was created in the image of the Norwegian Airlines that we remember before the pandemic, so it's no surprise to find the airline offering a low-cost transatlantic product out of a variety of European cities.
Etihad’s expansion continues with 3 more weekly flights to Sydney
Towards the middle of last week, Sydney Airport broke the news that Turkish Airlines is launching a new service to New South Wales (which will go non-stop in 2026), and it has now broken the news that Etihad will be adding more daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Sydney from next year.
Hilton is adding the final 102 SLH properties to its booking engine
Back in July, Hilton confirmed the rumors that had been circulating for some time when it announced that it would be adding almost 400 SLH properties (Small Luxury Hotels of the World) to the Hilton Honors program and that in time, all these properties would be bookable via Hilton.com.
Qatar Airways is the latest Gulf carrier to add more flights to Europe
Last week we read about Etihad bringing back First Class to Paris and adding more flights to the French capital, and we read about Etihad adding two new routes to Europe and increasing flights to Zurich. Now, we're hearing that Qatar Airways is about to add more flights to one of its European routes for winter 2024/25.
British Airways boosts flights to the US. These are the new schedules
British Airways has announced that it will operate more flights across the Atlantic next summer than it has ever operated before with cities like Miami, Austin, Las Vegas, and Vancouver amongst those getting boosted service. Here's what you need to know about BA's plans for North America in summer 2025.
United Airlines confirms Starlink will supply its passengers with free inflight wifi
While this has been rumored for some time, we now have official confirmation from United Airlines that it had signed a deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX for the provision of inflight wifi across its entire fleet.
Etihad brings back First Class to Paris and adds flights
It was only a few days ago that we heard that Air France was suspending its service between Paris and Abu Dhabi from the end of October, and yet we're already seeing Etihad responding to this schedule change and it's responding strongly.
This is the new Turkish Airlines Sydney service (it will go non-stop from 2026)
Sydney Airport has confirmed that Turkish Airlines will launch a new service between Istanbul and New South Wales from this winter (northern hemisphere) to compliment its existing route between Istanbul and Melbourne. What's a little more interesting, however, is that this new route is expected to operate non-stop from 2026.
IHG is adding a new boutique property in Spain
IHG (the hotel chain that includes the Crowne Plaza, InterContinental, Holiday Inn, and Kimpton brands) has announced that it will be adding a new boutique hotel to its Spanish collection following the signing of a new agreement with Prevario Banyols.
The American Airlines route cuts the airline forgot to mention (check your bookings)
Last week, American Airlines proudly announced that it planned to launch five new seasonal routes to Europe next summer and that it was expanding the season on four of its other European routes 'to give customers more time to see the sights'. What American Airlines failed to mention was that the changes it was making to its schedules weren't all positive, so the news that it was also making cuts to some routes didn't make the press release.
Etihad adds two new European routes and add flights to Zurich
Compared to what it was (and what it aimed to be) five or six years ago, Etihad is now a much smaller airline, but the past couple of years has seen the airline adding more routes and growing its network and we now know to expect two new routes to Europe from summer 2025.
Cathay Pacific now offers complimentary wifi in Business Class
Cathay Pacific has offered free wifi to First Class passengers since 2022, but as it doesn't really fly very many First Class passengers any more, that hasn't been much of a concession from the airline. I'm sure its income statement has been able to handle the hit with relative ease.
American Airlines new routes to Europe are now bookable (schedules added)
Towards the end of last week, American Airlines announced that it would add five new routes to its transatlantic schedule for summer 2025, but the airline didn't let us know what the flight times would look like, and the routes weren't yet open for bookings. Well, now the routes have been loaded to aa.com and we can see what the schedules look like.
American Airlines schedules a 787 on Los Angeles – Honolulu for the holidays (very...
American Airlines may have had to cut back on a number of routes due to the ongoing delivery issues with a number of Boeing aircraft, but it has managed to dig around its fleet and find a 787-8 Dreamliner to schedule on its Los Angeles - Honolulu route over Christmas and New Year.
Qantas will fly between Melbourne and Hawaii in 2025
Qantas has announced that it plans to operate a new service between Melbourne and Honolulu from next year which will see the airline adding over 40,000 seats/year to its operations between Australia and Hawaii.
JetBlue delays the return of five seasonal transatlantic routes
Back in May, JetBlue's schedule was updated to show that the airline was removing almost a third of its transatlantic capacity for the winter season to allow it to concentrate on routes to the Caribbean and on a few premium domestic routes.
In a more recent set of schedule changes, JetBlue has now pushed back the expected re-start date of five of its transatlantic routes, and this means that some routes will now not return until deep into 2025
IHG Rewards is adding a new hotel in the Maldives
IHG has confirmed that an existing Maldivian resort will be coming under the wing of one of its brands by the end of the year and if the images and online reviews are to be believed, this could be a very nice addition to IHG Rewards.
This is Delta’s timetable for providing free wifi on international routes
In July, Delta Air Lines began to roll out free T-Mobile wi-fi on select long-haul international routes, and it has now confirmed that the rollout is being expanded and it has published an expected timeline for the whole of its international network.
Etihad keeps London A380 reductions deep into 2025
At the end of last month, the Etihad schedules were updated to show the A380 dropping from 14 to 12 weekly frequencies on the London route for part of winter 2024/25 and now, following a further schedule update, it looks like Etihad plans to keep that reduction in place for considerably longer.
ITA Airways cuts winter service to San Francisco
Unfortunately, recent schedule updates have seen ITA trimming some of its routes, and one bit of trimming that may affect West coasters is the complete elimination of the airline's Rome - San Francisco route for winter 2024/25.
A look at the newest British Airways short-haul cabin
Recently and unexpectedly, I found myself traveling on a new British Airways A320neo aircraft which had been fitted with the airline's new short-haul cabins, so I took the opportunity to take a few pictures and a few notes.
Aer Lingus is adding new routes to Europe and North Africa
This week, we've had some good news from Aer Lingus as we're told that three new routes will launch this coming winter. All three routes are short-haul routes, all three will start in Dublin, and all three are to destinations that should be popular with people connecting from transatlantic flights.
Delta has changed some of its plans for its European routes in summer 2025
Delta is in the spotlight today as it has pushed through several changes to its European route plans for the summer 2025 season. Some changes appear positive, while others may disappoint, so if you're planning to cross the pond with Delta next year, now would be the time to check your bookings.
Texas has got a new upscale hotel – the InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk
With the opening of the InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk on 1 August 2024, Texas finds itself with a new high-end property at which miles & points enthusiasts can put their elite status to good use (especially if they hold Ambassador status) and where they can use their hard-earned points.
Delta will return to flying ex-LATAM A350s on its Los Angeles – Auckland route...
Since the launch of its LA - Auckland route, Delta has been using the A350-900s that it acquired from LATAM to fly between Los Angeles and Auckland but up until recently, the schedules showed Delta's original A350s taking over the route from 20 May and continuing to operate the route through the summer and through the next winter season. This is no longer the case.
Heathrow T5 First Wing security has reopened (liquid restrictions lifted)
In the first week of January, the First Wing security lanes at Heathrow T5 were closed to allow the airport to upgrade the scanners in line with the UK government's requirements and, at the time, it was believed that the upgrades would take 3 to 4 months. Amazingly, however, a little over 10 weeks after the security lanes were closed they're now up and running again complete with all the shiny new equipment that should make life a lot easier for passengers fortunate enough to have access to the First Wing.
Delta adds more flights to Shanghai from Detroit
A little over a weeks ago we had United Airlines announcing that it would be re-launching its route between Los Angeles and Shanghai and increasing capacity to Hong Kong and now, in a recent schedule update, Delta has added more flights to Shanghai out of Detroit.
Air France news: More US flights & more US routes to get new Business...
Air France has issued a reminder of its network plans and things are looking good for transatlantic flyers. We have a new route, a restarted route and more flights on the way (all previously announced), and the airline is promising to roll out its newest Business Class product on more North American routes this summer.
Delta confirms that it will restart its New York – Tel Aviv route (albeit...
All three of the major US carriers suspended their routes Tel Aviv following the horrendous incidents we saw in Israel in October last year, but now these routes are starting to come back.
IHG will soon offer EV charging at all its properties in the US &...
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Air New Zealand ‘pauses’ its Chicago flights from the end of March
Throughout the winter 2023/24 season, Air New Zealand has been flying between Auckland and Chicago three times per week, and the same thrice weekly service was expected to be offered though the Northern Hemisphere summer. That plan has just gone out of the window.
Big Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan award chart changes now in progress
Last week, we covered the changes that Alaska Airlines has made (and is still to make) to how Mileage Plan elite status is earned and the benefits that elite status offers, but the really big changes that the airline is making to its frequent flyer program come in the form of the changes to its partner award charts.
United brings back Los Angeles – Shanghai & boosts Los Angeles – Hong Kong
The main route news out of United Airlines yesterday was the announcement that the airline would launch new services to Marrakesh, Cebu, and Medellin, but there was other promising route news too as the airline confirmed its plans to bring back its route between LA and Shanghai and told us that it would boost capacity on its route between LA and Hong Kong.
Marriott will get a new hotel in Hong Kong next year (and Accor will...
Marriott has today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Victoria Park Hotels to bring the Autograph Collection brand to Hong Kong in 2025 and if I'm reading things right, this move will see an Accor hotel rebranded as a Marriott Autograph Collection property at some point next year.
United Airlines launches new routes to Africa, South America & Asia Pacific
Yesterday, United Airlines used its various social media accounts to tease its audiences about three new routes that the airline is launching in 2023 and in the past hour, we've finally had confirmation of what those new routes will be.
British Airways will return to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok
British Airways has still not quite restored all of the routes it operated before the pandemic (primarily because it still hasn't replaced all of the 747s that it retired), but a recent update from the airline has told us that two of its Asia routes will be returning before the end of the year.
Delta has scheduled its new Los Angeles – Brisbane route
United Airlines serves Brisbane from San Francisco, American Airlines has announced a new route to Brisbane that will launch in October, and now we know that Delta will start giving Brisbane a little more attention by launching a new seasonal route between the West Coast and the capital of Queensland.
The Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas joins the World of Hyatt
Hyatt has now confirmed that effective 1 March 2024, the Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas has joined the World of Hyatt while it's still in the middle of its renovations, and it has been added to the program as a Category 3 property costing 9,000/12,000/15,000 points per night on off-peak/standard/peak dates.
Delta is bringing back its 3rd daily flight between Atlanta and London
As things stand, Delta offers a double daily service between Atlanta and London using its Boeing 767-400 aircraft, but once the summer season rolls along, not only will one of these flights be upgraded to a larger aircraft, the route will get back its 3rd daily flight that hasn't operated in seven years.
The Etihad Guest program devaluation in summary
Etihad has announced a number of significant changes to its Etihad Guest loyalty program and on the whole, the news is bad. Most of the changes that have been announced will kick in later this year and these include things like adjustments to mileage expiry rules, increased award booking cancellation fees, and a devaluation in the lounge access benefit for elite members.
New York gets a new route to the heart of Tokyo with American Airlines...
Back in November, both United and American applied to the Department of Transport for the right to use the slot at Tokyo's Haneda Airport that had become vacant after Delta decided that its proposed Portland - Haneda route wasn't viable after all, and after a couple of months of lobbying, American Airlines has won the day.
United Airlines to resume Tel Aviv service next month
Following the horrific incidents in October of last year, the three major US carriers as well as most European carriers took the decision to suspend their services to Israel. Since then, we've started to see some European carriers resume their Tel Aviv operations, but up until now, we haven't had any solid indication as to when the US carriers will follow suit.
Hyatt has opened a new all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean [Updated with new WoH...
Hyatt has announced the opening of Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres making it the latest resort to join the World of Hyatt's 'Inclusive Collection'. The adults only all-inclusive property sits on the northeast corner of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and is being opened across three phases.
The latest Qantas schedules confirm reduction in US flights from Australia
Back in December Qantas gave an indication that it would be reducing the amount of flying that it planned to do to/from the US for the Northern hemisphere winter, so we already had a heads up that there would be cuts on the routes between Australia and the US. The latest schedules, however, show that the cuts to capacity are going to be slightly deeper than we first thought.
Delta delays the resumption of its Los Angeles – Shanghai route (again!)
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Delta operated over 300 flights across multiple routes to two cities in China - Beijing and Shanghai - but since the world began getting back to normal, Delta has been taking its time getting its old routes to China back up and running.
Emirates will finally resume service to Adelaide this year
It's easy to forget that the fallout the airline industry felt from the coronavirus pandemic is, to some degree, still with us, but the fact is that a significant number of routes that were operating before the pandemic have not yet been restarted, so it's always nice to hear when one such route returns.
BIG NEWS: Hilton & Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) agree a new...
Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) have announced a new partnership which as the press release puts it, will 'dramatically expand the luxury experiences offered by Hilton' and will see SLH properties participating in the Hilton Honors program.
American Airlines will offer a new service to Brisbane later this year [Updated for...
American Airlines has announced that it plans to operate a seasonal service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Brisbane from later this year signalling the arrival of a new longest non-stop route for the airline, and over the weekend, the airline added the flights to its schedule.
British Airways has pulled its third daily service to/from Newark
Coming up to two years' ago, British Airways announced that it would add a third daily flight to its Heathrow - Newark route and give New York flyers a 'daytime' transatlantic option that doesn't involve JFK.
Aer Lingus has moved in with American Airlines in Chicago
Historically, Aer Lingus has operated out of Terminal 5 at Chicago O'Hare but as of 24 January, the airline has moved out of the international terminal and is now sharing a terminal with American Airlines.
UK now won’t lift airport liquids restrictions until 2025
By June of this this year, all the UK's major airports were meant to have new scanners which would have meant the end on the liquid restrictions that have been in place since 2006 (yes, we've been putting up with this nonsense for nearly 2 decades). That deadline is now in tatters.
A big issue that I have with Hyatt’s US expansion plans
Nowadays, an easy, almost lazy, way to criticise Hyatt is to complain about the size of its footprint compared to the large footprints enjoyed by Marriott, Hilton, and IHG. But that overlooks the fact that Hyatt has been working hard to add more and more properties to the World of Hyatt program, and that overall, it has been doing a pretty good job of expanding its footprint where it can.
The BA First Wing security lanes are closed. This is what it’s like now.
As we reported last week, British Airways has, without any real warning, closed the two security lanes that are attached to the First Wing at London Heathrow T5 while works are done to install new scanners. Since then, I’ve had a chance to try out the alternative arrangement and as promised in last week’s article, here’s an update on what eligible passengers can expect.
Connecting through Heathrow with British Airways? Check your bookings!
If you're traveling with British Airways and connecting at Heathrow Terminal 5, you may need to check your booking to make sure that everything is still in order because thanks to a small change that the airline has made, some passengers will need to be rebooked on to an alternative connecting flight.
British Airways closes its top-tier elite security lines at Heathrow (temporarily)
Access to the 'First Wing' at London Heathrow Terminal 5 is one of the big perks of British Airways top-tier status as it offers First Class travelers, Executive Club Gold members, and Oneworld Emeralds a sea of tranquillity amidst, what can be, an ocean of stressed-out passengers, screaming children and security lines that go on for miles.
American Airlines applies for a new Tokyo Haneda route
Following United's announcement (yesterday) that it has applied to the DoT to operate a service between Houston and Tokyo Haneda, American Airlines has now stepped up and confirmed that it has applied to operate a new service between New York JFK and Haneda.
ITA Airways will fly between Rome and Chicago in 2024 (Business Class awards available)
ITA Airways (Italy's Alitalia in a new guise) will be operating between Rome and Chicago from April next year and seats for this new route are already on sale. From a miles & points perspective, it's good to see that Business Class awards are also now available with surcharges starting at just $5.60.
United Airlines slightly improves schedules on select summer 2024 transatlantic routes
In the past few days, United Airlines has pushed through a number of updates to its schedules which have seen the airline make (mostly) positive changes to a number of the transatlantic routes that it plans to operate during summer 2024.
Multiple changes made to Qatar Airways & Emirates schedules/aircraft for winter season
Qatar Airways and, to a much lesser extent, Emirates have both made updates to their winter 2023/24 schedules. These updates include flights being added and removed and changes to the aircraft that are set to operate select routes, so if you have a booking with either carrier, this would be a good time to check your bookings and your seat selections.
United Airlines announces new/refreshed Polaris amenities from Therabody & Saks
United Airlines has said that it is undertaking "the largest overhaul since 2016" of United Polaris Business Class. Sadly, this only appears to refer to the amenities offered in the Lounges and in its Business Class cabins and doesn't refer to a much needed return to what Polaris was like when it was first rolled out.
United Airlines delays the return of three transpacific routes
United Airlines probably has the strongest international route network out of all the US carriers and that network was due to get even stronger with the reinstatement of a transpacific route that fell by the wayside when the Covid pandemic hit and two other transpacific routes that were suspended last year. With the latest schedule changes, however, that all changed.
Emirates is bringing Premium Economy to São Paulo & Tokyo
It was only earlier this year that Emirates celebrated its first full year of offering a Premium Economy cabin on select routes (it came late to the game), but the rollout has been pretty steady and now we're told that two more of its routes will offer the airline's newest product by the end of 2023.
Lufthansa confirms new A320 cabins are coming in 2025
Lufthansa operates somewhere in the region of 80 Airbus A320 aircraft on its short- and medium-haul routes and today, the airline has confirmed (it has been rumored for a while) that a sub-set of these aircraft will be retrofitted with new cabins starting in 2025.
Now JetBlue is courting disgruntled Delta SkyMiles members
The radical changes to Delta's SkyMiles program were only made public a couple of weeks ago, but already the vultures are circling. On Monday, Alaska Airlines was the first to offer SkyMiles members an alternative home and now JetBlue has joined the fray with what appears to be a very generous status match offer to Delta flyers looking for a more appropriate frequent flyer program.
Alaska Airlines is tempting Delta flyers with a new route & a generous status...
The dust may not have yet settled on the remains of the old Delta Skymiles program, but with details of the new Skymiles program already angering, upsetting or annoying what appears to be a significant number of people, Alaska Airlines is making moves to capitalize on Delta's disenchanted flyers.
The Lufthansa A380’s are making their comeback on routes to the US
In 2021, Lufthansa's CEO told the world that the airline's A380 would not return from their pandemic-induced grounding and in April 2022, the same CEO reiterated that Lufthansa's A380s were gone for good. Just 3 months later, however, the narrative suddenly changed and the largest passenger aircraft around found itself with a new lease of life within the Lufthansa fleet.
Lufthansa will operate three new routes to the US in 2024
Business travel may not be back to pre-pandemic levels, but that doesn't appear to be a major issue for Lufthansa with the airline announcing three new routes to the US from summer next year (two of which include destinations that the airline has not served in the past).
Emirates will offer an ‘all A380’ service to/from Sydney
In the past few hours, Emirates has announced that it will be moving to offer an all-A380 service on its route between Dubai and Sydney before the end of the year. It has also confirmed that it is in talks with Adelaide airport with the aim of restarting service to South Australia once the airline's new Airbus A350s begin to arrive.
British Airways extends its double Tier Points offer through 2024
Following on from Tuesday's news that British Airways will be moving, in part, to a revenue based loyalty program, the airline has now also announced that it is again extending its offer of double tier points on bookings made through its British Airways Holidays subsidiary.
Alaska Airlines announces two new coast-to-coast routes
Alaska Airlines is probably best known for being a West Coast carrier specializing in flights out of the Pacific Northwest, but it has some transcontinental routes too and starting this winter, two new coast to coast routes will be added to the airline's schedules.
British Airways announces five more ‘Avios only’ flights for 2023/24
In recent times, Qantas is probably the best known airline to publish flights on which all seats can only be purchased using miles or points (rather than cash), but in April this year, British Airways joined in the fun when it announced 'Avios only' flights to/from Sharm El Sheikh and Geneva.
The InterContinental Carlton Cannes will reopen as the Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, on...
The final months of 2022 brought bad news for members of the InterContinental Ambassador program. In November, IHG confirmed that Ambassador benefits will no longer be offered at Regent Hotels & Resorts and that the programs free weekend night certificate will no longer be useable at Kimpton properties. And in December, we were told that the InterContinental Carlton Cannes would be reflagged as the Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, following refurbishment works.
The very odd booking issue with JetBlue’s new Paris route
Yesterday was the day that JetBlue opened up bookings on its new route between New York JFK and Paris and while it was nice to see the airline offering special discounted rates to publicize its new flights, it was a little odd to find that JetBlue had failed to highlight one key issue that some customers will face when trying to book.
Etihad will offer double daily service to New York starting this summer
Etihad has announced that with advanced bookings looking strong and with demand for travel not really showing much sign of waning (despite the economic outlook), it will increase its frequencies between Abu Dhabi and New York to offer flyers in those cities a double daily service.
British Airways is now permitting fee-free flight changes for Heathrow & Gatwick arrivals (Border...
A couple of days ago, British Airways announced that because Heathrow Airport was suffering significant delays and issues due to weather, it would permit some passengers to change their outbound flights. Now, the airline is saying that some passengers whose arrival dates coincide with the UK Border Force's strike days later this month, can make select fee-free changes to their bookings.
British Airways is offering limited free flight changes for Heathrow departures
In the past few days, southern England has seen a light dusting of snow and because most of the UK's transport infrastructure is utterly incapable of dealing with any kind of weather that isn't light rain, various services have been disrupted.
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