Alaska’s New Loyalty Scheme

Alaska must have gotten a 2-for-1 deal with its consultants that come up with its new livery for long-haul flying because where else could Atmos Rewards come from? Or maybe we’re just sour that our suggestions of MileageMiles or Hawaiian Plan were not selected. Either way, the general consensus is that since Alaska didn’t gut its program in this revamp, it’s a big win for consumers. Yes, that’s where we’re at now.

This new choose-your-own adventure might feel more like a board game and less like a loyalty program as Atmos Rewards will allow you, the traveling public, to pick whether you earn points by miles flown, dollars spent, or segments flown. It’s like a buffet for frequent fliers — except you can only switch your meal plan once a year, and no matter what you choose, the house still wins. It’s being sold as “flexibility,” but in reality, it’s just three different ways to realize you don’t fly enough to matter.

Of course, there’s also a shiny new $395 premium credit card, because no loyalty program is complete without one. But should you get it? Nobody knows. Maybe a blogger or two will post about it so you can make an informed decision.

It comes with lounge passes, some companion perks, and the opportunity to pool points with ten of your closest frenemies—perfect for that awkward group chat where no one can agree on dates. Alaska also promises free Starlink Wi-Fi by 2026 for members, which is nice, since you’ll need fast internet to calculate out how many points you could and should earn on that flight you’re on.

For more on why this choice may not be the best for travelers, please visit Thursday’s post on crankyflier.com.

Delta Turns to Crowdstrikedsourced Network Planning

This week, Delta launched its first-ever Route Race, (although not its first marathon) daring SkyMiles members (and employees!) to pick the airline’s next European destination for summer 2026. The contenders? Party-happy Ibiza, history-rich Malta, or rugged Sardinia — none of which has direct U.S. service today.  Voting runs next week from August 25 to 29 via the Delta app, with results dropping about 30 days later. It’s immersive engagement — or brilliant marketing — depending on whether you’re casting a vote or suspecting the route’s already pre-decided.

We know think hope network planning is usually a spreadsheet riff of demand metrics, airplane economics, slot availability, and airport politics… not a popularity contest. So let’s not pretend this is a wide-open process. The winner will almost certainly be whichever city (or all three, which is our bet) Delta already quietly filed paperwork on, but hey — why not make everyone feel like a junior route planner for a week? If nothing else, it’s a clever way to pump app engagement while distracting us from the latest SkyMiles devaluation, which is probably the real prize here.

The route might be new, but the playbook — make the customers do your marketing for you — is as old as SkyMiles inflation.

In other news, Delta announced three new nonstop destinations from Austin today — Columbus, Denver, and Kansas City — and managed to do so without polling any of us.

Air Canada FAs Return to Work

After grounding Air Canada for nearly four days and shaking up the summer travel scramble, flight attendants ended their strike on Tuesday, beginning the process to return to work. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) secured a victory: boarding pay, because turns out that roaming the cabin and calming aisle toddlers on the ground is work too. They’ll get 50% hourly pay for that stretch in the first year, rising to 70% by year four. In union-speak, this “transformational change” is not just lip service — it’s actual, paid work for time not spent in the air. The strike was declared illegal by the labor board, but a resolute group of FAs did get a deal and maybe some respect — though whether the vote passes remains to be seen.

Roughly half a million passengers got stranded, rerouted, or rebooked onto flights they’ll be telling horror stories about for years, and each story will get more dramatic and harrowing on each telling. The Canadian government stepped in with arbitration, because nothing says “efficient labor relations” like Ottawa refereeing your summer vacation. Air Canada is promising to restore normal service “soon,” which in airline-speak could mean this week, or sometime before the Leafs win a Stanley Cup. Either way, boarding is now billable, so at least the crews will be cashing in while passengers are still fighting over bin space.

Frontier Puts Elite on Clearance Rack: $69 and You Too Can Board Before the Herd

Remember a few years ago when Delta said ‘if everyone is elite then nobody is elite?’ Yeah it doesn’t seem like Frontier is on the same page. Why spend years grinding for status when Frontier will just sell it to you for the cost of dinner at Chili’s? For $69, anyone with a loyalty card from Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska, or Spirit can become Elite Gold through 2026. What does Elite Gold get you on Frontier? Fair question. It’ll score you a carry-on (just the right to bring one on the plane, you don’t actually get a free piece of luggage), seat selection, and the chance to score an “UpFront Plus” seat (because there’s nothing loyalty programs like more than pimping the possibility of an upgrade you’ll never actually get).

It’s loyalty, Frontier-style: all the perks, none of the dignity.

On one hand though, you have to hand it to Frontier, as it doesn’t even pretend anymore. Loyalty isn’t about flying its planes — it’s about buying into the illusion that you’re special because you ponied up $69. In reality, it’s a glorified Groupon (remember those, boy, 2014 was an amazing time to be alive) for travelers tired of gate lice. Still, it’s low-key brilliant: Frontier gets your data, your cash, and maybe your soul… and you get to tell your friends you’re “elite” while fighting for overhead bin space with six other elites who also paid less than a tank of gas for the privilege.

On the bright side, you can always hold out hope that other airlines will do a status match at some point next year so you can truly feel important… but we wouldn’t count on it.

Delta and United Accused of Shady Business

Two federal class‑action lawsuits just landed, alleging Delta and United charged premium fees for “window seats” that, spoiler alert, don’t actually have windows. Instead of gazing at clouds, travelers found themselves with a real pane in the glass — squished against a solid wall hiding ducts or wiring with no view to speak of. The suits point out that competitors like Alaska and American flag these voids in their seat maps — unlike Delta and United, which seem fine making “window” mean “any seat next to the fuselage” Although we aren’t sure Alaska is the one you want to point to as an example here, as everyone remembers its flight last year where “window seat” gave the most realistic connection with the outside world that nobody ever wanted.

The plaintiffs say they’d skip the window fee if they’d known they were getting a wall-mounted seat instead of a view. The estimated class includes millions of affected travelers per airline, with some paying up to $100 extra for a dud seat. Delta and United have thus far stayed silent, likely too busy counting seat upgrade fees to consider settling. So to help the airlines out, here’s a few settlement ideas:

• A complimentary roll of wallpaper so you can paste your own “view.”
• A streaming subscription to Bob Ross reruns available in-flight only, so at least you can picture “happy little clouds.”
• Lifetime priority boarding into Group 9 — because nothing says compensation like boarding last, but slightly before the other last people.
• A commemorative eye mask with a window decal printed on it, so you can DIY the view in your imagination.
• 5,000 SkyPesos — because throwing a small handful of SkyMiles usually fixes everything.

• Air Botswana picked up $64 million worth of state aid.
• airBaltic named Erno Hildén its new CEO.
• Bamboo Airways is developing a strategy to add investors that reportedly does not include offering them bamboo.
• British Airways will fly to several worldwide destinations next summer.
• Edelweiss will add its first A320neo early next year.
• HK Express is growing.
• Icelandair wants more A321-200LRs.
• Jeju Air might be for sale. Of course it also might not be.
• LAM faced a $13 million lawsuit over rent on a Dash-8 that’s on the lam.
• Norse Atlantic earned a small Q2 profit.
• PSA announced in a PSA that it named Chris McCartney its COO.
• Qatar will move its New York/JFK operation to the new Terminal One.
• Ravn Alaska lived a full life.
• Southwest met with its unions to discuss an international expansion.
• Spirit will be able to take your credit cards for the foreseeable future as it got its processing deal extended, but it was costly.
• SWISS will offer a new first class suite that most of us will spend far more time reading reviews of than we will actually fly in.
• Turkish was the last airline standing winner in the Air Europa sweepstakes.
• Uganda Airlines needs to get it together.
• Wizz Air is opening a base in Tuzla later this year.

Fun Fact:

If you cut off your left arm, your right arm would be left.