American Airlines is stepping up to help fans follow every moment of FIFA World Cup 26™. As the Official North American Airline of the tournament, it's expanding its network, enhancing loyalty benefits, and launching exclusive experiences that bring travelers closer to the world’s biggest sporting event. To meet the surge in demand surrounding FIFA World Cup 26™, American is increasing flights across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Greetings from Tampa! This week saw me on seven flights while traveling between London for fun as well as Las Vegas and Boston on business before heading home to Florida. This week in travel news saw tons of new routes, Spirit cancel its pilot furlough, several meals tasted in flight, an even fancier St. Regis sub-brand, lounge openings and closings, and more.

We flew from Copenhagen Airport (CPH) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) on SAS earlier this week. The flight was around 90 minutes, but a full hot meal was served, the crew was attentive and friendly, and Wi-Fi worked well. Thankfully, SAS just brought Business Class back to its intra-Europe flights on October 1st to align with Air France and KLM. I had not flown SAS in some time and was happy to take this nonstop flight to London.

Spirit Airlines has scrapped its plans to furlough hundreds of pilots without pay, but the reversal has little to do with an improvement in the airline’s financial outlook. Instead, the decision reflects a sharp increase in voluntary resignations as pilots leave the low-cost carrier amid ongoing uncertainty tied to its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Earlier this year, Spirit shared plans to furlough as many as 365 pilots and downgrade 170 captains to first officers early next year.

Air France's La Première cabin is one of the most exclusive in the world. It's not widely open to award redemptions or upgrades and it includes access to Air France's amazing ground services. Air France is significantly expanding access to its most prestigious cabin by adding four new destinations to its growing First Class network. Beginning in late 2025 and continuing through 2026, passengers traveling to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), and Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) will be able to experience the airline’s flagship product on select Boeing 777-300ER aircraft operating daily service.

I'm in the home stretch of travel for the year and will clear Diamond Medallion with Delta Air Lines on December 26th. With most of my flying this month being on Delta, I'm getting the chance to eat a lot of the meals served in First Class. Today, I flew from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Tampa International Airport (TPA) and pre-ordered the Hot Smoked Salmon Salad.

Hilton is in the midst of rolling out major updates to its Honors loyalty program. Many of these changes have already been publicly detailed, but a new ultra-elite, secret tier appears to be quietly emerging in internal property systems. This tier, called The Honors Society, would sit above Hilton's new Diamond Reserve and represents Hilton’s entry into the realm of invitation-only status levels that are already offered by several other major hotel groups.

Frontier Airlines is gearing up for another big route expansion in 2026 with the announcement of 23 new routes across its network. The new options increase affordable flight choices for travelers heading across the United States and to Mexico. To celebrate, America’s "Low Fare Airline" is offering introductory fares starting as low as $39 on select routes. The 23 upcoming routes connect both new and existing Frontier cities.

The major US carriers are all getting into the holiday spirit in their own ways. On Wednesday, I wrote about United Airlines bringing joy to thousands of deserving children and their families through its Fantasy Flights to the North Pole. Yesterday, I covered Delta's 100,000 Acts of Kindness to Celebrate the Holidays and 100 Years of Service. Now, American has…

Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan, and Air Seoul are all set to have Starlink high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi installed across their fleets. This marks the first time a South Korean airline group will adopt the high-speed offering. The rollout represents a major upgrade to the passenger experience and comes as Korean Air and Asiana Airlines move toward full integration.

Delta Air Lines is closing its centennial year with a fun idea to focuses on people and how they care for one another. As travelers head into one of the busiest travel periods of the year, the airline is launching a holiday initiative designed to spotlight small but powerful moments of kindness that happen along the journey. To mark 100 years of flight, Delta is introducing Centennial Cheer, a program that aims to recognize 100,000 acts of kindness shared between customers and employees.

TAP Air Portugal is introducing a new Premium Economy cabin in summer 2026. The new product will be available on the airline’s Airbus A330neo and A321LR aircraft that are used for long-haul flights. This is a big addition to the Star Alliance carrier's onboard offerings and places the carrier among the growing number of airlines adopting a dedicated intermediate cabin between Business and Economy Class.

Last month, I wrote about Spirit Airlines adding flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Grand Cayman's Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM). The first of the 3x weekly flights (on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays) take off today. The new route reinforces Spirit’s position as the leading carrier for nonstop service to the Caribbean and Latin America from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

Back in August, I wrote about how JetBlue was expanding its Florida network with daily, year-round flights from New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB). Those flights take off for the first time today, December 4th. By adding Daytona Beach to its growing list of Florida destinations, JetBlue continues to deepen its footprint in one of its most important leisure markets.

American Airlines just introduced AAdvantage Pass™, a new offering that provides loyalty perks in exchange for a substantial $5,000 fee. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the airline creating an optional paid pathway to elite benefits, the overall value proposition is questionable and giving this as a gift is laughable. For $5,000, AAdvantage members will receive: Instant entry-level AAdvantage Gold® status…

In October, I wrote about Delta's new culinary partnership with chef and humanitarian, José Andrés. I love his restaurants and think he is just an incredibly kind soul. His meals are consistently delicious (whether that’s a restaurant like The Bazaar in Chicago or the Capital One Landing (review here) or his Las Vegas outposts). I was excited to try one of the new Delta dishes and my flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) gave me the opportunity yesterday.

JetBlue is continuing to strengthen its presence across Upstate and Western New York with the launch of three new nonstop routes beginning in March. The airline announced upcoming service from Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) to both Fort Myers' Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) (3x weekly; starts on March 26th) and San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) (3x weekly; starts on March 27th), as well as new service between Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts is my favorite brand in the Marriott Bonvoy® portfolio. The hotels are elegant, refined, and a pleasure to call home for a few days. The Ritz-Carlton brand (also part of Marriott Bonvoy®) released its own offshoot brand in 2008 with The Ritz-Carlton Reserve. There are nine of these properties around the globe. Now, St. Regis has introduced St.

Allegiant is introducing Altus Sol, a custom-crafted wine developed in partnership with Sonoma Bespoke, a Napa-based winemaker. With this debut, Allegiant becomes the first airline to design a wine from the ground up and create an inflight beverage tailored to the unique sensory environment of air travel. The flavors of food and beverages change as altitude increases. Enjoying wine in the air is notoriously challenging.

JetBlue is Puerto Rico’s largest airline. It's continuing to grow with the introduction of five new nonstop routes from San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU). Beginning in spring 2026, travelers will be able to fly year-round to/from Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), Norfolk International Airport (ORF), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and Richmond International Airport (RIC).

United is ushering in the holiday season with a heartwarming initiative designed to bring joy to thousands of children and their families. From December 2nd through December 19th, the airline is partnering with local organizations to host Fantasy Flights at 12 airports across the United States, plus three international cities. These events transform a typical day of travel into an immersive and magical holiday experience for deserving children.

Yesterday, I wrote about how the Chase Sapphire Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is closing in early January. That's sad to see the lounge network shrink, but Chase is back today with good news. The debut of the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is today. Las Vegas remains one of the most popular destinations for Chase travelers (ranking as the sixth-most booked domestic city in 2025 according to Chase Travel booking data) and this space will be a welcome addition.

In a sad development for frequent travelers, the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) will close on January 5th. The decision marks the end of an important chapter in the Sapphire Lounge story, as this location was the first to open in Chase's network of premium airport lounges. The Chase Sapphire Lounge website has been updated to reflect the upcoming closure, but neither Chase nor Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) has released further details.

Frontier Airlines has introduced a special Travel Tuesday promotion that provides an accelerated path to earning the highest tiers of status within the FRONTIER Miles loyalty program. For a limited time, travelers can secure Elite Gold Status through 2026 or even Elite Platinum through 2027 by booking and completing a several qualifying trips along with a small spend requirement.

Sun Country Airlines is expanding its footprint with plans to open a new operational base at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) in early 2026. The move supports the airline’s growing cargo operations and aligns with its long-term strategy to also broaden its scheduled passenger service network. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) was selected due to its role as a major Amazon Air hub and sorting facility, as well as its status as one of the fastest-growing cargo airports in the United States.