Senators Ask About Airline IT Fail and 7 Other Aviation Trends This Week

Every week we post hundreds of stories across various sectors in travel, connecting the dots across various global trends, and in these weekend posts we highlight the stories that tackle these trends. This one looks at top aviation trends.

For all of our trends roundups, go here.

>>With American Airlines capitulating, in-flight entertainment on all three legacy carriers is now completely free. The next phase of competition will likely revolve around the quality of that content: Domestic In-Flight Entertainment Is Now Free on American, Delta and United

>>Few airlines focus as much on passenger experience as Virgin Australia. But unfortunately for investors, that approach has not produced recent profits: Virgin Australia CEO Interview: Seats, Innovation and the Chinese Market

>>The new flight attendants’ contract at United, coupled with other steps CEO Oscar Munoz is taking, could finally enable United to make up some serious ground against its competitors: United Flight Attendants’ Contract Could Help the Airline Advance — Skift Business Traveler

>>Southwest has made money for more than 40 years. But that consistency does not satisfy many Wall Street analysts, who keep pushing the airline to increase profits: Why Wall Street Isn’t Happy With Southwest’s 43 Straight Years of Profits

>>Many airlines spin new products as industry-leading. But this is the real deal. Delta’s new suite looks about as good as business class can get: Delta’s New Business Class Suites Put It Ahead of Its Competitors, Again

>>This letter should get Sens. Markey and Blumenthal some attention. But beyond that, it is not likely to have much of an influence on the nation’s airlines: Two U.S. Senators Want to Know Why Airline IT Fails so Often

>>Airlines like to strike a delicate balance with on-time performance. They want to be reliable, but they don’t necessarily want sky-high on-time rates. An always-punctual operation is expensive: American Airlines Is Struggling With On-Time Performance

>>Airlines have cut many of the perks of the frequent flier game, but for knowledgable travelers, many opportunities remain to beat the system: Skift Global Forum Preview: The Points Guy on the Changing Miles Game