Airline News

Strategic and smart budget travelers could once keep up with the business class flyers in the rewards earning world. That world has changed now.

Willie Walsh is not afraid to make decisions that anger employee unions and disappoint some passengers. That may seem like poor strategy, but it's a big part of the reason that International Airlines Group is in better shape than most of Europe's other airlines. Sometimes, an executive must make unpopular decisions to ensure the long-term success of a business.

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

Jeff Smisek has been gone from United for a long time, but the airline is finally starting to change its strategy in meaningful ways. That's definitely good news for investors, and probably for consumers too.

Watch this video to learn about how various airlines created iconic designs in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Some carriers, such as Lufthansa, still use design elements made popular decades ago.

During Jeff Smisek's reign, industry insiders used to poke fun at United for copying Delta on key decisions. But with its new Basic Economy product, United is thinking outside the box. United's new fare may not be great news for flyers, but investors should be happy.

Alaska is changing its loyalty program to add revenue considerations to its upgrade process. Beyond the immediate impact, that move may foreshadow a dark future for its loyalty program.

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

IBM has come a long, long way in rebuilding its brand thanks to all of the cool factor surrounding Watson. But it could do more to showcase the consumer appeal around cognitive travel in 2017, including the benefits of machine learning to better connect us with travel destinations.

The good news is that Internet speeds on American Airlines will improve markedly. The bad? This will take "years," according to an airline spokesman. So travelers should be patient.