A recent study by Ookla discovered the three airlines had the best in-flight Wi-Fi speed and latency performance among 30 airlines measured.

Hawaiian Airlines, Spirit Airlines Fastest in North America

What set Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways apart from the competition is their use of Starlink technology for internet connectivity. The median download and upload speed with both carriers was significantly higher compared to other international carriers.

Among all other carriers not using Starlink technology, Spirit Airlines had the highest median internet speed, beating out legacy carriers Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines (in that order). Air Canada was ranked fourth worldwide, above Delta and ultra-low-cost-carrier Breeze Airlines.

At the bottom of the chart was German flag carrier Lufthansa, followed by Cathay Pacific and Turkish Airlines. Zipair Tokyo and Japan Airlines rounded out the airlines with the slowest internet connection.

“Lufthansa…is limited by the Deutsche Telekom LTE ground-to-air network. While Lufthansa may offer other connectivity options, our data shows a significant number of its passengers are still connecting via this poorer-performing service,” the study notes. “Likewise, given the premium brand reputation of carriers like Japan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Cathay Pacific, they likely offer better-performing connectivity services on other aircraft.”

The results are optimistic for other airlines planning to install Starlink technology across their airline fleet. United – which ranked 11th and the worst among the U.S. legacy carriers – plans to install Starlink across their aircraft by the end of 2025, while Air France and SAS are currently working on rolling out Starlink across their fleet. Air New Zealand, which ranked the sixth lowest on the list, will install the internet connectivity hardware on two aircraft as a test before making a further decision on adding it across their fleet. 

Feature image courtesy: Spirit Airlines

The Fort Worth-based airline announced new winter Flagship Suite routes to international cities including London, Auckland, and Brisbane.

New Service Begins July 5, Starting with Chicago

Flyers traveling from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) will have their pick of Flagship Suites. Starting July 5, all flights between the two cities will be serviced with aircraft equipped with the new premium cabin.

Those flying from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) will have four international winter routes with Flagship Suites service. Starting October 25, 2025, through March 28, 2026, travelers from DFW will get daily service to Brisbane Airport (BNE) with Flagship Suites.

On the next day, luxury flyers will be able to experience the new premium product on flights from Dallas to Buenos Aires, Argentina through January 5, 2026. Also starting on October 26, 2025 will be once-a-day service between Dallas and London Heathrow Airport through January 5, 2026. From December 5, 2025, to January 5, 2026, the airline will expand Flagship Suites service to twice daily, just in time for the holiday season.

As Flagship Suites Dallas service ends for Buenos Aires and London, American’s home airport will get one more international route. The airline will begin service between DFW and Auckland, New Zealand from January 5 through March 28, 2026.

The final international route will connect Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) with London Heathrow Airport. The carrier will offer daily service between October 25, 2025, and January 5, 2026.

American’s enhancements come as the carrier reintroduces new flyer-friendly rules for standby flights. The Street reports American will once again allow all travelers to sign up for same-day standby on all flights up to 45 minutes before departure – a change from just elite flyers getting the benefit.   

Share your thoughts about the expanded winter schedule on the FlyerTalk forums. 

CBS News reports the board reported their findings on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

“The Safety Deficiencies…Should Have Been Evident”

The door plug blowout happened aboard the Alaska flight departing from Portland International Airport (PDX) on January 5, 2024. After climbing to around 16,000 feet, the door plug blew out from the fuselage, leading to an emergency landing and minor injuries to eight flyers.

During the investigation, it was determined that four bolts were missing in the door plug panel. The bolts were intended to keep the plug secured to the aircraft.

At the board’s meeting, chair Jennifer Homendy said: “An accident like this only happens when there are multiple system failures.” She specifically called out Boeing and the FAA, stating: “The safety deficiencies that led to this accident should have been evident … and were therefore preventable.”

The board said Boeing failed “to provide adequate training, guidance, and oversight necessary to ensure that manufacturing personnel could consistently and correctly comply with its parts removal process,” which included documenting the plug being secured by bolts. In terms of the FAA, the board said that the “ineffective compliance enforcement surveillance and audit planning activities” contributed to the accident.

Some of the recommendations handed down to the FAA includes revising compliance enforcement surveillance systems, retaining historical compliance enforcement and audit records for more than five years, and starting a third-party panel to review Boeing’s safety culture.

In a statement, the FAA said they have “fundamentally changed how it oversees Boeing since the Alaska Airlines door-plug accident,” and will continue to work towards implementing changes with the manufacturer. In separate statements, both Alaska Airlines and Boeing said they would review the full report. 

Feature image courtesy: National Transportation Safety Board

Reuters reports the ultra-low-cost-carrier is asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to block the proposed “Blue Sky” partnership between JetBlue and United Airlines.

Spirit Claims New Partnership Would Be Anticompetitive

The “Blue Sky” partnership was announced at the end of May 2025. Under the agreement, JetBlue and United flyers would be able to book flights on each other’s websites, use frequent flyer miles for award travel across the carriers, and enjoy interline luggage handling from one airline to another. Although there would be no codesharing or co-marketing between the carriers, United would use JetBlue’s Paisley platform for booking hotels, rental cars, and vacations.

In filings with the Transportation Department, Spirit opposed the partnership on claims it would be anticompetitive for the U.S. aviation space. Spirit warned in their brief that the agreement would effectively mean JetBlue “will become a de facto vassal of United.” Furthermore, Spirit leadership argued allowing the “Blue Sky” partnership would embolden the other two legacy carriers to form similar partnerships with smaller airlines.

JetBlue countered the allegations by noting outside of the loyalty and interline agreements, both airlines would continue to independently price their flights and remain competitors in all other operational spaces. JetBlue said in public comments that the agreement “misrepresents Blue Sky and twists the facts about how JetBlue and United plan to deliver for customers.”

Spirit likened the agreement to the failed “Northeast Alliance” between JetBlue and American Airlines. In addition to the alignment of airport slots and loyalty programs, the Northeast Alliance included codeshare flights between the two airlines. It was ultimately struck down by a federal court in 2023, followed by the blocking of a proposed merger between JetBlue and Spirit in 2024.

The financial institution announced the increase of the Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee to $795, while unveiling many new benefits and points bonus categories.

New Benefits Include IHG Status and Lifestyle Benefits

The new annual fee will be effective immediately for new card members, while existing holders will see their fee increase on their anniversary date. In turn, the company says the card will come with up to $2,700 in value.

One of the major changes comes from earning and using points on travel. Card holders will now get 8x points on all Chase Travel Purchases – a decrease from 10x points on hotels and car rentals, and an increase from 5x points on flights. Travelers will continue to get a $300 travel credit each year, as well as a $500 credit for The Edit: A collection of over 1,100 hotels available to Chase Sapphire Reserve customers.

When it comes time to use those points, card holders will be able to take advantage of Points Boost offers. With Points Boost, cardmembers points will be worth 2x on select flights and hotels when booked through Chase Travel. For booking itineraries not available on Points Boost promotions, travelers can redeem points at a 1:1 rate on Chase Travel, replacing the 1.5x on all Chase Travel purchases.

At airports, flyers with the card will still get access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club, as well as Priority Pass Select lounges. Those traveling with a Star Alliance carrier can get access to over 20 select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés.

Other lifestyle benefits include complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, a $250 annual credit to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a $300 annual StubHub credit, and $300 annually in monthly DoorDash promotions and a complimentary DashPass membership worth $120 annually.

Card members who spend over $75,000 in one calendar can also unlock additional benefits, including IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite Status, Southwest Airlines A-List status, and a $500 Southwest credit when booked through Chase Travel. Meeting the spending threshold also comes with a $250 credit to The Shops at Chase, a online shopping portal which allows members to use their card or points to pay for merchandise. 

Share your thoughts on the Chase Sapphire Reserve changes on the FlyerTalk forums.

Feature image courtesy: Consumerist.com/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

The 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards bestowed their top honor on the Middle East Carrier for the second consecutive year, with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airlines rounding out the top three.

Qatar Earns Ten Awards, Including Best Business Class

The awards began in 1999 with the goal of honoring airlines based on a global passenger satisfaction survey. For the 2024-2025 survey year, Skytrax says flyers from over 100 customer nationalities participated.

Qatar Airways not only walked away with the top award, but earned nine additional trophies. Some of their honors include best business class in the world, best business class seat, and best airline in the Middle East.

In North America, Delta Air Lines took seven awards, including the best economy class and best business class in the region. However, the Atlanta-based carrier fell short of being named the best airline in North America. That honor went to Air Canada, which also earned trophies as the most family friendly airline in North America and the best cabin crew in North America.

Among the major U.S. carriers, United Airlines was named fourth best in North America, while JetBlue earned a fifth place finish. Alaska Airlines came in sixth, while low cost carrier Allegiant Air rounded out the top ten. American Airlines was not rated in the North America top 10, but came in 83rd place in the Top 100, rating above Allegiant, Sun Country Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines.

In individual honors, Allegiant earned marks for best low-cost airline in both the United States and North America, beating Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines for the honor. Alaska, American, Southwest Airlines, and United did not earn any individual awards. 

Both Delta Air Lines and Hilton Hotels have new limited-time offers for their American Express credit cards, offering up to 100,000 SkyMiles or 150,000 Hilton Honors points.

Limited-Time Offers Available on All Card Tiers

Through July 16, eligible new Delta SkyMiles American Express card members can take advantage of limited-time offers to earn additional miles towards free travel. The offers are:

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

• Gold: Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after spending $3,000 in purchases on the new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership*.
• Gold Business: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on the new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

• Platinum: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on the new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership*.
• Platinum Business: Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after spending $8,000 in purchases on the new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

• Reserve: Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on the new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Reserve Business: Earn 110,000 Bonus Miles after spending $12,000 in purchases on the new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.

As with all credit card applications, terms apply. Learn more about the offers at the American Express website.

For those looking to earn bonuses towards hotel stays, the Hilton Honors American Express cards are offering their own separate offers. Through August 13, 2025, eligible new Card Members who apply and are approved can take advantage of the following offers:

• Hilton Honors American Express Card: Card Members can earn 100K Bonus Points and a $100 Statement Credit after spending $2K on eligible purchases within the first six months of Card Membership. Terms apply.
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card: Card Members can earn 130K Bonus Points after spending $3K on eligible purchases within the first six months of Card Membership. Plus, Card Members can enjoya $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 annually.  Terms apply.
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Card Members can earn 175K Bonus Points after spending $6K on eligible purchases within the first six months of Card Membership. Terms apply.
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Card Members can earn 150K Bonus Points after spending $8K on eligible purchases within the first six months of Card Membership – plus an additional 25K Bonus Points after spending another $2K within that same period. Terms apply.

Each set of credit cards come with benefits specific to Delta or Hilton. However, there are no crossover benefits between the two cards. Learn more about the offers by visiting the Delta and Hilton websites.

Ed. Note: FlyerTalk does not have a business relationship with American Express, Delta, or Hilton, and does not earn a commission on any credit card links.

The airline confirmed the crash of Air India Flight 171, scheduled for service from Ahmedabad Airport (AMD) to London Gatwick Airport (LGW). 

Over 200 Dead After Plane Crashes at Medical College

Citing local officials, The New York Times reports over 200 people have died in the crash. It is unknown at this time how many were from the flight carrying 242 passengers and crew members, and those on the ground at a local medical college. Reports say there is at least one survivor of the incident, with Reuters reporting the individual escaped using an emergency exit. 

Video verified by media outlets shows the Boeing 787-8 taking off from the airport, before slowly losing altitude and crashing into a fireball. Investigators have no preliminary information as to why the aircraft failed to successfully take off.

The full sequence from take-off to crash—final moments of Air India 171 captured on CCTV. Clear catastrophic lack of lift just seconds after liftoff. pic.twitter.com/l6UAzZ3wtJ

— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) June 12, 2025

Of those aboard the flight, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 7 are Portuguese Nationals, and one is a Canadian national. 

In a statement, Boeing offered their condolences, stating a team of investigators would travel to India to provide assistance in the accident. President Donald Trump has also offered the help of the National Transportation Safety Board, who he says will be dispatched to the accident site. 

In a video posted to the Air India website, chief executive officer Campbell Wilson offered his condolences on the incident, but stood short of giving any information on a cause. The airline says a team of the airline’s caregivers are on their way to support ground teams. Air India is also launching relief flights to Ahmedabad for families of those affected by the crash. 

This is a breaking news story. Additional information will be provided as it develops. 

Ed. Note: The image above depicts the aircraft involved in the accident as seen in December 2024. Image courtesy: ZhangerAviation/CC BY-SA 4.0

Share your discussion about the incident on the FlyerTalk forums.

The prices are part of Alaska’s Global Getaway sale, celebrating a “Taste the World” theme of culinary destinations.

Europe Flights Start at 20,000 Miles, While Asia Starts at 30,000 Miles

The sale will run through June 30, 2025, valid for travel between August 1 and November 15, 2025. Seats are available in both economy and premium cabins.

Travelers can snag a flight from the U.S. to Monterrey, Mexico for as low as 10,000 miles one way, while flights to destinations including Naples, Italy and Buenos Aires, Argentina start at 20,000 miles one way. For as little as 25,000 miles one way, Mileage Plan flyers can escape to Tbilisi, Georgia, while flights to as far away as Bangkok start at 30,000 miles.

This sale comes at the same time Alaska Airlines is working to integrate the loyalty programs of Hawaiian Airlines into Mileage Plan. Alaska announced its purchase of Hawaiian in December of 2023. While flyers with HawaiianMiles can transfer points to Alaska Mileage Plan to take advantage of the award sale, the Hawaiian Airlines loyalty program will soon come to an end.

Beat of Hawaii reports the last day to book award flights using HawaiianMiles will be June 30, 2025, for travel through Feburary 28, 2026. In addition, earning Hawiian miles with airline partners including Virgin Australia and Korean Air, retail partners on the islands, and transfers from American Express Membership Rewards to HawaiianMiles will all end on the same date.

Share your thoughts on the future of the combined Alaska-Hawaiian loyalty program on the FlyerTalk forums. 

Feature image courtesy: Alaska Airlines

404 Media reports the law enforcement agency purchased data from Airlines Reporting Corporation at a price of $11,025, with the flyer data company asking CBP to not identify them as the data source.

Data Purchased to “Track People of Interest” Flying in the United States

The information was revealed after 404 Media made Freedom of Information Act requests from the federal government regarding their dealings with ARC. The documents have not been independently reviewed by FlyerTalk.

According to 404 Media, selling flyer data to CBP and other federal agencies is part of the larger Travel Intelligence Program, or TIP. In a previous statement to media, ARC said TIP was created in the wake of the September 11 attacks “to provide certain data to law enforcement… for the purpose of national security matters.”

Under the deal with CBP, ARC would agree to sell TIP data to CBP for $11,025, with options to extend the contract through 2029. 404 Media reported that CBP provided an additional $6,847.50 payment to ARC to exercise “Option Year 1.”

While the documents did not detail exactly what data was collected by federal officials, a privacy impact assessment obtained by 404 Media shows TIP data has daily updates with ticket sales, and can include flyer’s names, credit cards, and airlines they are traveling on. A statement of work obtained by 404 Media states that CBP purchased TIP data “to support federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify persons of interest’s U.S. domestic air travel ticketing information.” Moreover, the agreement stipulated that CBP did not identify ARC as the source of the procured data.

ARC or their member airlines have not provided a public statement on the documents. In a statement to 404 Media, a CBP spokesperson defended the purchase policy as one necessary to protect the public against illegal activity, while protecting their data.

“CBP is committed to protecting individuals’ privacy during the execution of its mission to protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity,” the statement to 404 Media reads. “CBP follows a robust privacy policy as we protect the homeland through the air, land and maritime environments against illegal entry, illicit activity or other threats to national sovereignty and economic security.”