Brian Sumers

KLM has a powerful brand and should be able to withstand this crisis. But it is not a good time for legacy European airlines that usually rely on lucrative corporate travelers.

U.S. carriers had identified travelers visiting friends and relatives as a bright spot, even amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But as cases continue to rise, some travelers may change their minds and cancel their plans.

Just wear a mask on an airplane. It's not that hard, and it keeps everyone safer.

Airlines are highly competitive businesses. Usually, the routes announced Thursday would engender a massive competitive response. But is there an appetite for that now? Hard to say.

Legacy airlines are in trouble. Many deserve bailouts. But let's not take it too far. There's no reason to penalize low-cost airlines. If they can make money with cheap fares, let them.

United opened some of the books for its MileagePlus program. It's a highly lucrative operation, based mainly on sales of miles to third parties, including credit card companies.

Covid-19 will change the flying experience for a long time, as people take precautions to avoid getting sick. But it'll also change flying for another reason. Airlines are taking on considerable debt, and they'll need to cut costs as they try to repay it, at least until revenues improve.

Several airlines have extended the length of time passengers have to use travel credits. Are they trying to be nice? Or are they trying to make sure passengers use credits over time, and not all at once?

American and United are taking different approaches in the Covid-19 recovery. Each has valid reasons for their strategies, which seem rooted in how they view the U.S. market's potential.

Is this an airline issue? Or are airlines merely caught in the middle of a big geopolitical spat between two powerful countries?