Category Archives for Airlines.
American Airlines is basically break-even for the year—despite a loyalty program that throws off enormous profit. The paradox is the story: AAdvantage prints money, but the airline’s core flying operation has been bleeding it away, reflecting years of wrong-market focus, fleet decisions, and a pivot away from premium just as the industry moved the other direction.
American just made Wi-Fi free on most planes — but if you’re on the $50-a-month subscription, the charges keep coming unless you cancel. The monthly plan still bills even though it covers the same aircraft that now offer free access (the only difference is you can skip the AT&T ad), so it’s worth emailing subscription.wifi@aa.com right away.
Southwest’s recent Rapid Rewards devaluation wasn’t just a random squeeze—it appears tied directly to the airline’s new bag and seat fees and a renegotiated Chase co-brand deal. By allocating more of Chase’s partnership payments to “benefits” like checked bags and seat assignments (instead of future travel liability for points), Southwest can recognize more revenue immediately—and the points become worth less because less of that money is being “spent” on things other than flights.
American’s CEO Robert Isom looks more vulnerable than ever: the airline is barely profitable, its strategy has lagged rivals for years, and a winter-storm meltdown exposed deep operational fragility—enough that flight attendants are openly calling for his ouster. But American’s board has a long history of sticking with leadership through failure, which may be the strongest reason he survives even if the case for change is obvious.
United is escalating its Chicago fight with American on every front—capacity, Wall Street messaging, and now a fresh set of ads that openly taunt AAdvantage. The new “AAdvantage, United” line is the kind of not-even-trying-to-be-subtle jab that only makes the rivalry louder as ORD turns into a full-blown marketing and schedule war.
A Southwest 737 in San Antonio began its takeoff roll after being cleared for departure when a private Pilatus PC-12 inadvertently turned onto the same runway. Tower audio captures the controller urgently canceling the takeoff clearance—“Oh sh*t”—and the Southwest crew rejecting the takeoff at speed, avoiding a runway collision as another aircraft was sent around.
Southwest’s full-year results are out, and the “turnaround” isn’t showing up where it should: revenue barely grew while net profit slipped versus 2024. The airline stayed in the black largely thanks to cheaper jet fuel (and cost cuts), not because bag fees and other changes delivered the revenue lift Wall Street was promised.
I didn’t plan to be a guinea pig for Southwest’s first day of assigned seating, but after American’s storm cancellations and operational meltdown I rebooked—and got a front-row seat to the new boarding reality. Seats may now be assigned, but the gate process still forces early queuing while carry-on bin space turns the aisle into a traffic jam, with passengers backtracking to stow bags and flight attendants trying to manage the pile-ups
American Airlines flight attendants called for the ouster of its CEO in a new letter on Tuesday. The airline’s operations have been melting down for days, with significant consequences to flight attendants. But the union’s focus is on the poor financial performance of the airline – and what that means for profit sharing. They complain about “a pattern of failure under the leadership of CEO Robert Isom” and call for “new leadership.”
Delta’s widebody buying spree didn’t end with its recent Boeing 787-10 order. The airline has now signed for 16 Airbus A330-900s and 15 Airbus A350-900s (with options for more), with deliveries beginning in 2029—giving Delta earlier lift than the 787s and adding longer-range capability for future international growth.
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 »
