Airline News

Given some of the misplaced comments made by UK ministers tasked with leading the country's exit from the European Union, Ryanair's comments might be a touch optimistic. Still, the importance of aviation to both sides means that some form of deal will likely be done by March 2019 to avoid a worst-case scenario of grounded aircraft.

The to-be-delivered Delta One cabin eked out a victory over United's Polaris product in this year's crystal cabin awards. United's team must be fuming.

Did you think Basic Economy fares would be good for consumers? Ha. Airlines are in the business to make money, and this is one more tool to maximize their ability to increase revenues. For shareholders, that's good news.

It's rarely a great deal to buy miles directly from an airline. But several carriers in the Americas are offering big discounts, so it's no longer such a bad move to top off your account. Just remember: Miles almost always lose value with time.

Large hub airports like Singapore's Changi have tens of millions of connecting travelers each year. While it makes passengers happy, it hasn't been able to turn them into tourists.

These are the aviation trends we were talking about this week.

It's hard to consistently make money in the airline industry. But Indigo Partners, led by former America West Airlines CEO Bill Franke, has an excellent track record. Once again, he is poised to make a big profit after buying an airline cheaply and taking it public.

Alaska's frequent flyers should love this decision. No, they won't get flatbed business class seats to New York, but they'll keep plentiful free upgrades. For most road warriors, that's a big deal.

Is Level a legitimate attempt by International Airlines Group to build a long-haul, low-cost carrier? Or is it a "fighting brand" designed to make Norwegian Air's expansion more challenging? Time will tell.

Most airline CEOs have avoided harshly criticizing the U.S. and UK electronics bans. That makes sense, because airlines do not want to anger their security regulators. But IATA's CEO has no such concerns, so he can speak more honestly.