American Airlines produced record revenue in the second quarter and showed genuine progress in premium, corporate, and international demand. But after generating nearly $17 billion in revenue, it kept only $71 million. Fuel explains much of that collapse, but...
Inside The Secret Market Where United Flight Attendants Sell Coveted Trips
Jen is a junior flight attendant at LAX. She flies reserve and has little say over her schedule, awaiting a phone call on duty days to find out where she is flying. But when she noticed her colleague Mona...
United Airlines Employee Tells Mexican American Passenger “Maybe We Should Call ICE On You”
A United Airlines employee at San Francisco International Airport was caught on video threatening to call ICE on a Mexican American passenger during a heated ticketing dispute. The passenger was not blameless in the escalation, but as the dust...
American Airlines’ Chicago-Tokyo Return Has A Big Catch, Highlighting Its Strategic Dilemma
American Airlines is returning to Chicago-Tokyo flying, but there is a catch: it is not really adding service so much as replacing Japan Airlines on the route. That may help AAdvantage members looking to use systemwide upgrades, but for...
Fuel Prices May Drop After U.S.–Iran Deal, But Your Airfare Probably Won’t
A preliminary U.S.–Iran deal may eventually lower jet fuel prices, but travelers should not expect airlines to rush out and lower fares. Funny how that works… Airfares May Stay High Even If Jet Fuel Prices Fall After U.S.–Iran Deal...
Newark Airport Is Beating Rivals In On-Time Performance. Did The FAA Do United Airlines A Favor?
Newark Liberty International Airport has long been a difficult airport to love, which leads me to revisit a question I asked last year: was the federal government’s forced capacity discipline actually a blessing for United Airlines and its passengers?...
Air India’s Turnaround Dream Hits A $2.8 Billion Reality Check
Air India’s grand turnaround is running into a familiar airline reality: growth is easy to announce, but losses are harder to absorb. Air India Hits The Brakes As Tata Group Pushes Cost Cutting Amid Mounting Losses Air India is...
Scott Kirby Mocks An “Idiotic” United–JetBlue Merger, But The Math Could Change
An increasingly bold Scott Kirby says United Airlines has no interest in buying JetBlue, dismissing the idea as “idiotic.” I believe him…but only if we are talking about JetBlue as it exists today. Scott Kirby Says United Won’t Buy...
Delta Air Lines Is Still Winning, But Is It Getting Too Comfortable?
The New York Times profiles Delta Air Lines as a carrier content to keep gently refining a winning formula. That may be wise, but it also raises a fair question: will Delta eventually run into the same problem Southwest...
Final Call: Hyatt Just Blew Up The World Of Hyatt Award Chart
UPDATE: The new pricing has gone into effect. Stay tuned for analysis as we survey the pricing changes. My original story from February 25, 2026 is below. Today Hyatt announced a significant update to its World of Hyatt loyalty...
JetBlue Retreats From Newark, Making A United Merger Even More Likely
JetBlue is pulling down even more Newark flying, and the message is clear: Newark does not work for JetBlue any more than JFK worked for United. That has implications far beyond a few leisure routes that JetBlue is axing:...
Delta Air Lines Passed On Starlink For A Reason More Valuable Than Wi-Fi
Delta chose Amazon Leo over Starlink for its next-generation onboard Wi-Fi, and Elon Musk now claims the deal fell apart over something as mundane, and yet potentially very important, as the login portal. But there’s something more going on...
Budget Airlines Demand $2.5 Billion Bailout From Trump Administration
First it was Spirit Airlines. Now a wider group of budget carriers reportedly wants billions in federal relief. The White House and Congress should flatly reject this. Budget Airlines Want A $2.5 Billion Bailout According to The Wall Street...
Delta Says No To “Business Class Plus” And That’s A Smart Move
Airlines keep finding new ways to carve up premium cabins. Delta, at least for now, is not playing that game. I think that could give it a strong competitive advantage in the years ahead. Winning Strategy? Delta Says No...
United Thinks It Can Pull A “Concorde Moment” And Keep Airfares High, Even If Fuel Prices Drop
United Airlines is having its “Concorde” moment, speculating that even if fuel prices retreat, it can raise fares and keep them higher. United Thinks Higher Airfares May Be Here To Stay, Even If Fuel Prices Retreat United CEO Scott...
JetBlue CEO Says No Bankruptcy In 2026 But Warns “Decks Are Stacked” Against Small Airlines
JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty raised eyebrows with a memo addressing bankruptcy rumors, but I think the important takeaway is that she JetBlue CEO Says Bankruptcy Off The Table In 2026, But “Decks Are Stacked” Against Small Carriers Like JetBlue...
Lufthansa Slashes A340 And 747 Fleet, Outsources Flying As Labor Fight Intensifies
Lufthansa just made a series of fleet and structural moves that, on the surface, look like logical cost-cutting in the face of high oil prices. But taken together, they reveal something much bigger: a carrier trying to fundamentally reshape...
Delta Air Lines Signals Permanently Higher Fares, Fewer Flights, And A New Wave Of Airline Mergers
Delta Air Lines just offered a candid look at how it is thinking about pricing, capacity, and competition…and none of it points toward cheaper travel anytime soon, regardless of oil prices. Several comments were made in its latest earning...
TSA Quietly Sharing Passenger Data With ICE, Leading To Arrests At U.S. Airports
If you think airport security screening in the United States is only about keeping flights safe, think again: the mission has secretly expanded. TSA Quietly Feeding Passenger Data To ICE, Leading To Hundreds Of Arrests A Reuters report reveals...
United’s New “Basic” Business Class Won’t Lower Prices, It Only Cuts Benefits
United Airlines is introducing a new tiered fare structure for its premium cabins, including what amounts to “basic” business class and premium economy. It’s exactly what I warned about last year, though we now have more details. UPDATE: These...
