Brian Sumers

Travelers are entitled to their own opinions, and it makes sense that Emirates is the overall No. 1. But does Aeroflot truly have the world's best business class product?

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.

The Internet has more information about destinations than any traveler could possibly need. Do consumers really need tour operators to have retail stores? It seems unnecessary, but travelers in some markets still like the model.

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.

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.

When others said low-cost, long-haul air travel might not work, Norwegian Air CEO Bjørn Kjos thought differently. So far he has been right — Norwegian's long-haul flights are popular with passengers — but legacy carriers are starting to fight back. It'll be interesting to watch Norwegian battle with them over the coming years.

The big surprise would have been if Alaska Airlines kept the Virgin America brand. This isn't a big deal, and it's nice that Alaska will be upgrading many of its products in the next three years. New Wi-Fi can't come soon enough.