JetBlue shared the first renderings of its long-awaited New York JFK lounge at the Skift Aviation Forum, revealing a compact 8,000-square-foot space with a Grand Central–inspired ceiling and a residential design aesthetic. A photo booth sits in the back, though it may not be active on day one. Fort Lauderdale could follow!
Porter Airlines says it’s actively evaluating a possible move into the oneworld alliance, with President Kevin Jackson acknowledging that Porter would be the “obvious answer” for a Canadian member. The carrier has already built partnerships with American, Alaska, Qatar Airways, and British Airways, but hasn’t yet decided whether full alliance membership makes more sense than bilateral agreements.
American’s Chief Customer Officer confirmed at Skift’s aviation forum that mattress pads will roll out to all long-haul business class flights next week — a move I first reported in October. She also argued that American’s premium long-haul experience is now better than its competitors’, even as the airline continues to lag Delta and United in lounges, network breadth, and overall investment.
Turkish Airlines just wiped out the last meaningful value in its Miles & Smiles program. After raising United domestic awards last year, Turkish has hit them again: mainland–Hawaii business class jumps to 40,000 miles each way when two years ago it was 12,500.
A Louisiana man got stuck at the exit of New Orleans airport’s short-term parking garage when his payment card was declined. Unable to pay—and refusing to move—he allegedly called the airport operations center twice with bomb threats, hoping an evacuation would open the gates. Now he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The new Chase Sapphire Lounge Las Vegas opens today in Terminal 1, a compact two-level space anchored by a champagne parlor upstairs and seating for just 87 guests downstairs. It’s the first Sapphire Lounge with a dedicated champagne welcome, and the most convenient option for Southwest flyers at the airport — but its small footprint means it’s likely to fill up fast once travelers realize it’s there.
British Airways will raise the cost of award travel on December 15, increasing both the Avios required and the surcharges you’ll pay — but the airline won’t publish the new prices in advance. The limited examples they’ve shared point to roughly 10% higher points and surcharges rising anywhere from a few percent to potentially doubling on some routes. The full extent of the devaluation won’t be known until it’s already live.
President Trump announced a sweeping overhaul of Washington Dulles — including a plan to replace the airport’s aging mobile lounges — but the airport authority wasn’t told about any of it in advance. The Department of Transportation now plans to take bids for the project even as Dulles continues operating out of 1980s “temporary” concourses and 1960s people movers that were never modernized.
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The Citi Strata Elite got a major boost — a 100,000-point welcome offer after $6,000 spend in three months, plus earning rates up to 12X and the only transferable link to American AAdvantage. Add credits that can be double dipped in the first cardmember year, Admirals Club passes, and full travel protections, and Citi’s new flagship card is suddenly a must-watch player in the premium rewards space.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
