Some major announcements from United Airlines have us intrigued this week, plus security and capacity shifts and Austin back in the spotlight.
DLD 574: Crushing the Craving
- February 19, 2026
- Tagged as: A350, Air Canada, AirAsiaX, Avianca, Brazil, CCS, Delta Air Lines, dining, El Paso, ELP, Eva, Hawaii, IAD, Rolls Royce, routes, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines
Terrible airport dining, a mess in El Paso, and some interesting A350 action.
DLD 572: Will They Ever Shut Up?
- February 5, 2026
- Tagged as: A220, Aer Lingus UK, Air India, Airbus, Bilt Rewards, Bombardier, Breeze Airways, Canada, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, Dubai, elite status, Global Services, Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, ICN, jetblue, routes, SAS, Seoul, Southwest Airlines, special guest, Thailand, Transatlantic, transcon, United Airlines, WizzAir
A longer than normal episode this week, thanks to special guest Ed and lots of wayward story lines.
DLD 566: Slid(er)ing into the Holidays
- December 25, 2025
- Tagged as: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, ANC, Anchorage, bankruptcy, Basic Economy, Brightline, Delta Air Lines, elite status, Emirates, frequent flier, frequent flyer, JSX, Korean Air, PDX, Portland, routes, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Viva, Volaris
Snacks and routes and retirements and mergers and more!
DLD 565: A Power Play
- December 18, 2025
- Tagged as: 747-8i, Aer Lingus, AUS, Austin, Beond, Boom Supersonic, CSA Czech Air, Hawaiian Airlines, ITA Airlines, Italy, jetblue, lawsuit, Lufthansa, merger, New Zealand, Oneworld, Pegasus, PIT, Pittsburgh, Qantas, routes, Ryanair, SmartWings, Southwest Airlines
There are lots of ways to flex power in this industry. Two moderately incoherent ones cropped up this week.
DLD 564: Longing for COBOL
- December 11, 2025
- Tagged as: A320, A320neo, A350-900ULR, Airbus, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, ANA, argentina, business class, Cabotage, CDG, Emirates, Flybondi, GulfAir, Heathrow, Houston, IAH, IndiGo, ITA Airlines, Korea, LHR, Paris, premium cabin, Premium Economy, Qatar Airways, Real ID, routes, seating, seats, slots, Sri Lankan, TAP, TAP Air Portugal, Trip Report
Technology and travel are intimately intertwined these days. And that’s not always good news. But we’re making the best of it where we can.
DLD 562: Dubai Dealing
- November 27, 2025
- Tagged as: 777-10, 777X, A321XLR, A330neo, A350, A380, Air Canada, Air Europa, British Airways, Buraq Air, business class, China Southern, Collins Aerospace, Dubai Air Show, elite status, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad, flyDubai, HHonors, hilton, hotels, jetblue, LATAM, lie-flat beds, premium cabin, Rouge, routes, United Airlines, WestJet
The Dubai Air Show proved its worth last week, with plenty of deals (though also a few expected ones unrealized). New interiors and route changes for next summer, too.
DLD 561: Unexpected Inquiries
- November 20, 2025
- Tagged as: 787-9, A380, Air Astana, Air Lao, Beond, Boom, Boom Supersonic, C919, COMAC, Dreamliner, elite status, Emirates, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Global Entry, Laos, lifetime, LOT, New Pacific Airways, Northern Pacific, Northern Pacific Airways, routes, San Antonio, San Francisco, SAT, SFO, Southwest Airlines, supersonic, Virgin Atlantic
Sometimes the best questions come from unexpected quarters. Plus, lifetime status of a different sort, some ultra premium silliness, and A380s flying even longer.
DLD 559: Messy at the Border
- November 6, 2025
- Tagged as: A321XLR, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, bankruptcy, Bonvoy, Condor, Connect Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Department of Transportation, DOT, Eastern Airways, HNL, Honolulu, lawsuit, lounges, Marriott Rewards, MEX, Mexico, Mexico City, Orlando, routes, Southwest Airlines, Tokyo, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, ZipAir
Does Mexico City really need more than one airport? Plus, unexpected lounge operators, Connect again, and some lawsuit hijinks.
DLD 558: Diversions and Distractions
- October 30, 2025
- Tagged as: A321XLR, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, ARJ21, Billy Bishop, C909, co-brand, cobrand, COMAC, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, diversion, jetblue, Korean Airlines, O'Hare, ORD, PDX, Portland, Riyadh, Riyadh Air, routes, SEA, Seattle, Toronto, Transborder, Trip Report, United Airlines
The adventure of getting there is part of the fun, right? Plus lots of new routes and a new terminal on the horizon.
