2025 Weekly Review: October 4th Greetings from Chicago. I spent last week getting over Covid. I'm home for the weekend and will be away on business in Cincinnati all of this coming week. In travel news, Hilton opened its 9,000th property, Southwest added Alaska to its map, Spirit continues to…

Promo: Earn a $100 Travel When Booking a Trip to Europe on Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines launched a new promo today. Passengers can earn a $100 eCredit when they book a trip to select European cities this winter. This is a great way to pick up a travel certificate and the only catch is that you…

You Won’t Believe How Odd This Passenger Was on My American Airlines Flight Yesterday, I flew from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) on American Airlines and sat next to one of the oddest people I have ever flown in the millions of miles…

EVA Air’s Inaugural Nonstop Dallas-Fort Worth Flight Took Off Yesterday As I wrote about back in April, EVA Air began a new route between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) yesterday. The Taiwanese airline, known for its Hello Kitty jets…

Spirit Airlines Moves to Slash Fleet by More Than 50% and Lose 114 Planes Spirit Airlines is taking drastic steps to restructure its business as it works through its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in less than a year. The Florida-based low-cost carrier has asked a bankruptcy court for…

STARLUX Airlines Expands US Reach With Alaska Airlines Codeshare Expansion Taiwan-based STARLUX Airlines has announced a major expansion of its codeshare partnership with Alaska Airlines. This significantly increases connectivity across the United States. With the addition of 12 new US cities,…

Man Charged After Biting Girlfriend on United Airlines Flight A male passenger has been charged with assault after allegedly attacking his girlfriend during a United Airlines flight from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) on September 30th. The…

Icelandair Selects Terminal 6 at JFK For Its Future Operations Icelandair announced today that it will move its operations to the upcoming Terminal 6 at New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK). It is the 15th carrier to sign on (and the first from Latin America). It joins most Star…

EGYPTAIR Wants to Launch Nonstop Flights to Los Angeles and Chicago Next Year EGYPTAIR has formally submitted a request to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) seeking approval to launch two new long-haul services to the United States. The airline plans to begin flights from Cairo…

Southwest Airlines Launches Service to Its 43rd State With New Flights to Anchorage Southwest Airlines is preparing to extend its network to Alaska with the planned launch of service at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) from both Denver International Airport (DEN) and Las Vegas…

Frontier Airlines Introduces New Boarding Process With Expanded Boarding Groups Frontier Airlines has announced a new, streamlined boarding process as part of its broader initiative to redefine ultra-low-cost air travel. Effective today, the carrier has expanded its boarding structure from four to…

Spirit Airlines Launches More Fly Points Promotion Offering Up to 7,500 Bonus Points Per Roundtrip Spirit Airlines is giving travelers more reasons to fly this fall with the launch of its most lucrative Free Spirit promotion to date. The new "More Fly Points Promotion" allows members of the Free…

The Votes Are In: JetBlue Unveils Isla del Bluencanto Livery to Celebrate Puerto Rican Heritage Back in February, I wrote about JetBlue opening up voting to customers to decide on its next custom livery. Today, Puerto Rico’s largest airline has unveiled Isla del Bluencanto, a vibrant new Airbus…

Two Delta Connection Aircraft Collide at New York LaGuardia Airport Last night around 10:00 PM, two Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ-900s operated by Endeavor Air were involved in a ground accident at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA). The incident involved flights DL5155, which was bound for…

The Laurus Joins The Luxury Collection as Brand’s First Resort in Singapore The Luxury Collection, one of my favorite brands in Marriott's vast hotel portfolio, has officially debuted in Singapore with the opening of The Laurus, a Luxury Collection Resort. It's located within Resorts World Sentosa…

Porter Airlines Expands Winter Schedule With New Routes and More Sun Flights Porter Airlines unveiled its 2025-2026 winter schedule today. It boosts flights to warm-weather destinations by up to 25% during peak travel periods and adds four new routes. For the first time, Porter will operate…

SAS Brings Business Class Back Across European Routes Starting Today SAS is rolling out a new Business Class on all intra-Europe flights, including routes within Scandinavia, starting today. The launch has been met with strong bookings, confirming demand for a clearly defined premium product on…

Hilton Celebrates the Opening of Its 9,000th Hotel Hilton has reached a major milestone with the opening of its 9,000th hotel worldwide. This was achieved just one year after surpassing the 8,000 mark. The luxury conversion of Signia by Hilton La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio, TX, marked the…

Check In: Q3 2025 Elite Status Pacing Today is October 1st and we're just three months away from 2026. I've been happy with the way that I have been pacing this year for both my airline and hotel status goals. My travel this year has been busy and it's about to be even more so in the coming…

Frontier Launches Platinum Challenge With First Class Upgrades and Companion Perks Frontier Airlines has introduced a new Platinum Status Challenge. This gives travelers an accelerated path to Elite Platinum Status through the end of 2026. For a $99 enrollment fee and by earning 12,500 Elite…

Meet Me in St. Louis: British Airways Adds Its 27th US Destination British Airways is continuing to grow its transatlantic footprint with the launch of a new route between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL). This marks the airline’s 27th US destination.…

Air Canada Elevates Economy Class Experience with Free Drinks and Snacks Air Canada is making it nicer to travel in the back of the plane by offering complimentary beer, wine, and Canadian-made snacks to all customers on every flight (including routes to Mexico and the Caribbean). The initiative,…

Government Shutdown Looms: What Those Flying Need to Know If lawmakers fail to agree on a new federal spending package by 12:01 AM tonight (October 1st), parts of the government could shut down with serious consequences for air travel and tourism. While planes will still fly, travelers may face…

Spirit Advances Restructuring with New Financing, Fleet Optimization, and Lease Rejections Spirit Airlines entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in 12 months back in August. Since then it has dropped routes, cut airports from its map altogether, and announced plans to furlough around…

Marriott Launches Marriott Bonvoy Outdoors and New Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy™ The outdoor lodging segment continues to boom. Hilton launched a partnership last year with AutoCamp to offer guests the ability to stay in custom Airstreams and luxury tents. Then, World of Hyatt®…

Taste Test: Classic American Sliders & Fries on American Airlines If a burger is an option, there is a good chance that I am going to choose it. I've recently tried Delta's Shake Shack collaboration, the Ultimate Cheeseburger that United is serving in its Bistro on Board, and finally this week I…

American Airlines Elevates Regional Flying with Upgraded Cabins, Free Wi-Fi, and More American Airlines operates the largest regional fleet of any US carrier. Today it announced that it's rolling out significant upgrades to transform the short-haul travel experience. The initiative aims to align…

Register Now: Hilton’s the Season to Stay Promotion Announced Hilton announced its latest global hotel promotion today. This one is called "The Season to Stay" and it runs between October 1st and December 31st. Hilton Honors members can earn 1,500 bonus points on all stays between these dates.…

Bally’s Unveils New Resort and Entertainment Destination on the Las Vegas Strip Bally's Corporation has unveiled plans for Bally's Las Vegas. This resort and entertainment destination is set to rise on the former site of the Tropicana Las Vegas. It will share a 35-acre campus with the upcoming Las…

Park Hyatt Celebrates 45 Years of Personalized Luxury with Global Expansion and New Campaign Hyatt is celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Park Hyatt brand in 2025, marking more than four decades of redefining luxury hospitality since the opening of Park Hyatt Chicago (review here) in 1980.…

United Launches New International Remote Baggage Screening to Simplify Connections United Airlines has announced the adoption of a new US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) initiative known International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS). It's aimed at making international connections smoother and…

Icelandic Airline PLAY Ceases Operations and Cancels All Flights as Airline Collapses Icelandic low-cost carrier Fly Play hf., known simply as PLAY, announced today that it will cease all operations immediately while canceling all scheduled flights. The decision comes after months of financial…

Stowaway Found Dead in Landing Gear of American Airlines Aircraft in Charlotte The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) has launched a homicide investigation following the discovery of a deceased stowaway in the landing gear of an American Airlines aircraft at Charlotte Douglas…

Delta Partners with YouTube to Expand In-Flight Entertainment Options Delta Air Lines has announced a partnership with YouTube that will bring ad-free access to a selection of videos, podcasts, and music playlists directly to passengers. This collaboration combines Delta’s industry-leading…

The Best Haunted Attractions in the US (2025) I am a huge fan of Halloween. Haunted houses, dressing up, and all of that is as much fun for me as an adult as it was when I was a child. America Haunts, the association of premier haunted attractions, has once again announced its picks for the best…

American Airlines Sued After Passenger Wrongly Jailed for Drug Smuggling in Bahamas An American Airlines passenger is suing the carrier after enduring a harrowing week in a Bahamian jail when she was wrongly accused of smuggling drugs despite the fact that she never checked a bag. A lawsuit was…

2025 Weekly Review: September 27th Greetings from Tampa! We're spending the weekend in Florida. This week in travel news Ryanair cut paper boarding passes, Spirit shrunk further, I reviewed an American Airlines' lounge and much more. Airlines HiSky is coming to Chicago, Lufthansa is celebrating…

Taste Test: Chicken Parmesan on American Airlines While flying from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Tampa International Airport (TPA) last night. I had the chance to try American's Chicken Parmesan (the spelling is killing me as I always spell it "parmigiana"). My Italian…

Lufthansa Group Prepares for Major Job Cuts Amid Push for Efficiency The Lufthansa Group is preparing to announce sweeping job cuts across its European operations as part of a massive cost-cutting and centralization strategy, according to a Reuters report that was released ahead of the company’s…

Flight Review: American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Flagship Suites – ORD-DFW I had a change of plans today and that found me switching my itinerary to go from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Tampa International Airport (TPA) with a connection in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport…

Sorry, American: United Gains Five More Gates at Chicago O’Hare International Airport United Airlines has scored a major win in the ongoing battle for dominance at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) after a Cook County judge rejected American Airlines’ attempt to block United from taking…

United Announces Upgrades at Guam Hub with New Boeing 737 MAX 8 Fleet and Airport Refresh United Airlines revealed plans to transform both the inflight and ground experience at its Guam hub yesterday. The airline announced that it will replace its entire Boeing 737-800 fleet with Boeing 737 MAX 8…

United Becomes First Airline to Receive FAA Certification for Starlink on Mainline Aircraft United Airlines today announced a major milestone in its partnership with SpaceX’ Starlink, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officially certified the airline’s first mainline aircraft equipped…

Delta Air Lines Adding New York to Porto Route in May 2026 Delta Air Lines has announced the launch of its first-ever daily nonstop service from New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Porto's Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO). This will expand its transatlantic network with even…

Avelo Airlines Launches Avelo Plus Membership Program Avelo Airlines has introduced a new subscription-based membership program called Avelo Plus. It offers travelers perks, discounted fares, and the ability to stack benefits with the airline’s frequent promotions. The launch comes at a pivotal…

Now a Flag Carrier: Breeze Airways Begins Flights to Three Countries Outside of the US Breeze Airways is a low-cost airline that offers point-to-point flights to underserved markets across the United States using a fleet of modern Airbus A220 aircraft. I’ve flown Breeze several times and enjoyed…

Lounge Review: Admirals Club® (LAX – Terminal 4, Near Gate 41) On a recent business trip to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), I had a layover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the opportunity to check out one of the three Admirals Clubs® found in the airport. I've been flying…

Ryanair Confirms November 12th End for Paper Boarding Passes Ryanair announced today that it will transition to 100% digital boarding passes starting Wednesday, November 12th. The decision moves the launch date back by nine days (from its original November 3rd target) to ensure a seamless…

Delta Drops Geneva From Its Map as the Latest Business Route Cut Delta Air Lines currently flies between New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Geneva Airport (GVA). This route was brought back in summer 2023 as a seasonal service and it does not look like it's coming back when…

Lufthansa Unveils FOX: A Future Onboard Experience Ahead of Its 100th Anniversary As Lufthansa approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026 (American is also hitting 100 then), the airline is preparing to celebrate this milestone by completely redefining the onboard experience for long-haul travelers.…