United's Pricey Labor Deal and 12 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.

>>Business class fares are becoming so reasonable that it often makes sense to book the tickets for the mileage bonuses: Frugal Travelers Turn to Business Class Fares to Earn Elite Status

>>Although Anderson may not be missed by his rivals, his impact on the industry will be felt for years: The Curious Exit and Strong Legacy of Delta’s Chairman — Skift Business Traveler

>>Give credit to United CEO Oscar Munoz for reaching new labor deals with many of United's employee groups. But buying labor peace is expensive: United Needs More Revenue to Help Pay for Its New Labor Deals

>>While an expected profit of almost $1.5 billion is still mighty impressive, the warning signs are there: Ryanair Is the Latest Airline to Suffer Brexit-Induced Turbulence

>>The steps outlined this week by the Obama Administration are relatively minor: 6 Highlights From the DOT’s New Passenger-Friendly Airline Guidelines

>>United's new international flights, especially those to secondary cities in China, could be massively profitable some day: United Turns Its Focus From International to Domestic Growth

>>Although on the surface its departure might look worrying, it is actually reassuring that it is now able to start behaving like other airlines: Monarch’s Flights Will Soon Lose Protection From UK Licensing Scheme

>>A move to increase transparency in airfares and schedules would effectively empower online booking sites and metasearch providers while removing a powerful revenue management tool: New U.S. Rules Could Bring Unprecedented Change to Booking Flights Online

>>Norwegian continues to succeed where other airlines had failed before. It's fuel-efficient fleet and strong cost controls mean that it is making low-cost long-haul flying a reality: Norwegian Air Has Its Best Quarterly Results Ever

>>American Airlines was hit by both rising costs and declining revenue in its third quarter. It will need to keep a close eye on both in the winter months if it is going to end the year on a high: American Airlines Earnings Hurt by Too Many Empty Seats and Pricey Labor

>>Alaska executives remain publicly confident that they will get their prize: Alaska Air CEO: The Deal for Virgin America is Still on Despite Delay

>>For the next couple of months, they can buy the cheapest tickets on American and United and still get all the perks: American and United Aren’t Yet Ready to Compete With Spirit Air on Price

>>If Iceland wants to do a better job spreading its massive influx of visitors around the country, it's going to need to more than one domestic flight out of Keflavik: Iceland’s Main Airport Finally Gets Its First Domestic Route