Airlines tips

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, December 15. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Airlines in the United States are expecting very busy, and even record-breaking, holiday traffic this year as the Christmas and New Year’s holidays approach.

Alaska Airlines has launched a new partnership with a Canadian airline, soon benefitting passengers across both sides of the border. 

Southwest Airlines is committed to providing travelers a positive, money-friendly, and safe experience. Travelers can check up to two free checked bags and choose their seating. The airline is also being praised for its policy for customers of size.

From lost baggage to late refunds, passenger complaints against airlines skyrocketed earlier this year. 

Frontier Airlines announced seven new routes on Thursday, with Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Dallas-Fort Worth emerging as big winners in the news.

Aviation investors will have to wait a little bit longer to get a piece of TAP Air Portugal. The carrier’s long-awaited privatization is delayed up to a year following the recent sudden resignation of Portugal’s prime minister.

Flight attendants at Southwest Airlines overwhelmingly rejected a new contract over the weekend. The move is the latest in the mounting tensions between cabin crew and U.S. airline management that could result in the industry’s first labor action in more than a decade.

In case you missed the memo, it's almost National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day (yes, really), and Alaska Airlines is planning to celebrate yet again.

Alaska Airlines is overhauling four major parts of its Mileage Plan loyalty program.

Air travel contributes to 2.5 percent of our global carbon emissions, often getting named as one of the biggest contributors to climate change. So it’s no surprise that airlines are all upping their sustainability efforts, especially in the race to find jet fuel alternatives in the form of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Passengers aboard a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit spent the night in a military barracks in eastern Canada after the plane was forced to land because of a mechanical failure.

In addition to its potential merger with Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines is gobbling up partnerships.

Alaska Airlines’ proposed $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, announced earlier this week, has the potential to alter the existing U.S. air travel landscape significantly. Whether that would prove to be for better or worse remains to be seen, but plenty of experts are already weighing in with predictions.

The Norse Atlantic Airways inaugural flight from London Gatwick arrived on 1st December 2023 into Montego Bay with hundreds of excited holidaymakers on board. The much-anticipated flight was given an auspicious welcome amidst a press fanfare at the Sangster International Airport.  The arrival of the historic flight introduced the beginning of a new chapter in travel between the United Kingdom and Jamaica.  The occasion reflects the commitment of both nations to foster mutual growth in the tourism industry, creating boundless opportunities for both Jamaican and British travellers alike. 

Qatar Airways has launched twice-weekly flights to Neom, the $500 billion anchor of Saudi Arabia’s tourism push. The first of Neom’s destinations – Sindalalah – is expected to open partially next year. For now, these two flights are intended to connect Neom staff with their families outside of Saudi Arabia.

American Airlines will fly as many as 40 daily routes to Cancun and the Riviera Maya this winter, perfect for travelers plotting their winter escape.

It's official: Japan Airlines' new flagship aircraft will take to the skies just a few weeks after the new year.

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines recently announced it plans to buy Hawaiian Airlines for the sum of about $1.9 billion—a historic deal that, if finalized, could create both benefits and setbacks for the flying public.

Seven travel startups have announced fundraises of more than $305 million over the past week.

Start-up airlines like Avelo Airlines don’t get the press coverage that larger ones do. Big airlines make splashy billion dollar deals like the announced $1.9 billion purchase of Hawaiian Airlines by Alaska Air.