An internal American Airlines update says the carrier will now surface paid first class offers to customers who are in the process of trying to confirm an elite upgrade certificate. In other words, while you’re using the upgrade instrument you earned through loyalty, American will simultaneously try to sell you the seat—another step in the industry’s shift toward monetizing premium cabins even at the expense of elite benefits.
Internal Doc: American Says Booking Window Is Now 331 Days — And Made Prepaid Bags Transferable When Plans Change [Roundup]
Dec
14
2025
An internal American Airlines document says customers can now book online up to 331 days in advance, with the longer window currently shown to 50% of customers as it rolls out. The same doc also claims a real quality-of-life improvement: in most cases, prepaid checked bags can now transfer if travel plans change, making it easier to pay for bags online without worrying you’ll lose the purchase if you rebook.
TSA Is Feeding ICE Lists Of Every Airline Passenger — Turning Airports Into Chokepoints For Law Enforcement
Dec
14
2025
TSA is sending ICE airline passenger lists multiple times a week, running everyone who flies through an immigration-enforcement match using the Secure Flight pipeline that was built for aviation security. It turns airports into chokepoints for law enforcement: broad roster surveillance first, detain-and-sort-out-later in the terminal, and a structure that invites mission creep beyond immigration.
SkyWest Labor Fight Goes “Computer Fraud”: Judge Greenlights Conspiracy Claim Against Flight Attendant Union AFA-CWA
Dec
14
2025
A SkyWest labor battle just swerved into “computer fraud” territory. A federal judge let a conspiracy theory under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act move forward against AFA-CWA.
American’s New A321XLR Debuts JFK–LAX This Week — Insider Says JFK–San Francisco Starts In Spring
Dec
14
2025
American’s new Airbus A321XLR enters service this week on JFK–Los Angeles, bringing its new premium-heavy cabin to the airline’s flagship transcon run. An insider report says JFK–San Francisco is next, with the A321XLR expected to begin flying that route in the spring as American starts replacing the A321T on premium cross-country routes ahead of its longer-haul missions to Europe and South America.
Passenger Rips The Wheels Off His Carry-On To Beat The Gate Bag Sizer — Then Can’t Get It Back Out
Dec
13
2025
A low-cost carrier passenger got called out at the gate for a carry-on that was just a bit too big, and instead of paying to check it he ripped the wheels off on the spot. The bag technically makes it into the gate sizer — but then he struggles to pull it back out, turning a fee-avoidance “hack” into a perfect live demo of why these rules drive people insane.
Hilary Swank Apologizes After Going Off On Make-A-Wish Family At LAX Over A Photo They Took [Roundup]
Dec
13
2025
News and notes from around the interweb: Hilary Swank freaks out on family at LAX doing Make-a-Wish trip, because she thought they were tasking her picture and maybe they were? My daughter had her first Etihad First Apartment trips at age 4. It had to wait until then because they’d grounded their Airbus A380s during the pandemic. But by that age she was fine in her own enclosed suite (and flying back-to-back long haul, Austin – London Heathrow – Abu Dhabi). At age 3 she would probably have been fine, but I was much more comfortable in more open settings like British Airways club suite and business class on United, Air Canada, Air France, KLM et al. It took me my whole life to sit in first class. She did it before kindergarten pic.twitter.com/hTARKa0wqM —…
How I Justify Paying $2,680 A Year In Premium Card Fees — And Why I Keep Amex Platinum, Sapphire Reserve, Venture X And Citi Strata Elite
Dec
13
2025
Four premium cards, all with $600+ annual fees, might sound crazy — but they more than pay for themselves. Between stacked credits, lounge access, and reward strategies, here’s exactly how I turn those fees into profit every year.
Video Shows Airport Security Patting Down A Baby In A Parent’s Arms — Why Risk-Based Security Wouldn’t Treat Infants Like This
Dec
13
2025
A viral video shows airport security using a handheld wand and patting down a baby while the parent holds them during secondary screening. Once you accept blanket screening powers, officials argue they can’t exempt infants without creating an obvious hiding place — but a truly risk-based system would treat this as a vanishingly small aviation threat, not something worth normalizing.
71% Of United Flight Attendants Rejected Their Contract — Now Algorithm-Assigned Work Schedules Are Back On The Table
Dec
13
2025
United flight attendants haven’t had a raise in five years, and 71% voted down a union-backed contract many saw as inadequate. Now, as talks resume, United is putting a major flashpoint back on the table: algorithm-assigned work schedules that replace traditional trip picking with “preference bidding,” a system crews say is opaque and strips them of control.
