Airline News

Frequent flier programs have a lot of value for airlines. Is it better to raise cash by selling them or to retain them and tap the resource for short-term cash needs? Either way, it's clear that loyalty is poised to enter a new era for creative approaches.

Good morning from Skift. It's Monday, February 14, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.

One of the most popular airline-industry parlor games (yes, we've heard there are such things) is which two airlines would be the next dominoes to fall in U.S. airline consolidation.…

So many Super Bowl ads strive for this level of emotion, to tap into deeply felt, pent-up or even repressed sentiments during a certain moment in history. The Turkish Airlines ad, getting aired during the tumult of a pandemic, will connect with people, and is so on point for the airline.

In Skift's top stories this week, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines unveil plans to merge in a massive deal, Philippines Airlines makes a tumultuous leadership change, and European officials implement new metrics for measuring tourism success.

Norse Atlantic Airways CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen insists the startup airline is not simply aping Norwegian Air's now-defunct low-cost, long-haul business model. But with its plans to fly U.S.-UK routes, Norse increasingly is looking like its predecessor, no matter what Larsen says.

This new “field evidence” based on a European airline's bookings is a reality check: passengers might say they'd pay a small amount to offset their flight, but they’re clearly not.

Christine Ourmières-Widener suggests that airplane mask mandates could be a forever thing — which would be certain to keep the unruly passenger factor stoked on board flights.

Mesa Airlines CEO Jonathan Ornstein sees a clear villain in the U.S. pilot shortage, and it's not low wages or the high cost of flight schools. Regulators' onerous training requirements created the shortage as he sees it, and more small cities are likely to lose air service as a result.

Finnair is the latest airline to cash in on the growing premium leisure travelers market. The carrier is will add lucrative premium economy seats to its long-haul jets to tap into what CEO Topi Manner has called an "increasingly important" passenger segment.