Southwest Airlines continues to align with the rest of the industry, adding checked bag fees for most passengers starting this summer.
fees
Norse pushes carrot of free carry-on bags, dropping the stick of higher fees
Chalk up another unbundled airline offering bailing on a key ancillary revenue generating option: Norse Atlantic will no longer charge passengers for a carry-on bag when they purchase a “basic” fare.
Frontier rebundles, shifts to (slightly) more passenger-friendly processes
The era of drip pricing through the booking process is (mostly) over at Frontier, thanks to a new approach to amenity bundling.
Mediocre name, benefits as Southwest launches new fare family
The new Wanna Get Away Plus fares from Southwest Airlines (re)open a nice benefit for some travelers, though the overall offering does not appear especially compelling for most travelers.
Carry-on bags now cost more with Aer Lingus basic economy fares
The cheapest fares on Aer Lingus no longer include a carry-on bag allowance. The carrier will now charge passengers flying intra-Europe on Saver fares to bring a bag into the cabin; a smaller personal item remains free.
JetBlue to eliminate change fees, adjust carry-on rules
JetBlue is eliminating change fees from most fares and also removing the option for its Blue Basic passengers to bring a carry-on bag into the cabin as part of its latest fare families update.
Holding the line: Intelsat sees minimal near-term change with Gogo Commercial Aviation acquisition
We’re just a couple weeks into the formal transition process of the Gogo Commercial Aviation division into the Intelsat operation, but the teams involved have never been more optimistic about the future of in-flight connectivity and the value they can deliver to airlines and passengers.
Reciprocal upgrades coming to American, Alaska Airlines
As the west-coast alliance between Alaska Airlines and American Airlines continues to evolve some frequent flyers got good news this week: upgrades will be available to top tier elites across both loyalty programs.
American Airlines drops change fees for long-haul flights
Earlier this year the US carriers went through a round of cuts to change fees, but they focused mostly on domestic or regional routes. American Airlines took that a step further today, announcing that the new policy would also apply to First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Main Cabin (except Basic Economy) tickets for all long-haul international flying when travel originates in North or South America. Typically those changes cost $200.
JetBlue to stop blocking seats in January
JetBlue was one of the last carriers to keep seats blocked on board. Headed into the new year, however, that era will come to a close. As of 8 January 2021 all seats on board will be available for sale.