A Southwest 737-800 on final approach to Los Angeles. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Southwest expects to be the first major U.S. airline to have its entire fleet equipped with Starlink.
The Dallas-based airline partnered earlier this year with Starlink to offer satellite-based wireless internet service on its aircraft.
The first Starlink-equipped aircraft entered service this summer. Tony Roach, Southwest’s chief customer and brand officer, told AirlineGeeks on Thursday that 47 aircraft are now connected.
“The response we’ve gotten from customers flying on Starlink aircraft has been overwhelmingly positive, so our mission is, let’s get it out to everybody quickly,” Roach said. “The consistency is something we really want to focus on, so if you’re flying to El Paso, if you’re flying to Honolulu, we want you to be able to count on having this type of Wi-Fi on every aircraft. Retrofitting it quickly was in our mission.”
The carrier said earlier this year it was aiming to have the technology installed on over 300 aircraft by the end of 2026. Southwest expects to have its entire fleet equipped with Starlink by fall 2027.
Wi-Fi is free for Rapid Rewards members via T-Mobile.
Matt is the Social Media Editor for aviation brands. Previously, Matt worked in television news and spent the last decade working and interning in newsrooms across New England. He is excited to bridge his two passions of aviation and storytelling in this role.
An American Eagle E175. (Photo: Shutterstock | Ryken Papy)
American Airlines will add a new nonstop connection to Latin America early next year.
Starting Jan. 15, 2027, the carrier will connect Miami and Barcelona, Venezuela. Service will operate three times weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, using Embraer E175 aircraft.
Barcelona will be American’s third destination in Venezuela, after Caracas and Maracaibo. The airline has not served Barcelona before.
“American is proud of the robust service we’re providing to Venezuela and prouder still that we are the only U.S. airline serving Venezuela,” American Senior Vice President and Chief Government Affairs Officer Stephen Neuman said in a news release. “The addition of Barcelona further strengthens our long-standing commitment to the country.”
American resumed service to Venezuela in April after a roughly seven-year pause.
Barcelona and nearby Puerto La Cruz are major commercial and industrial centers in eastern Venezuela, the carrier said, and the new route should help foster new business ties between the two countries.
American is the only U.S. airline currently flying to Venezuela, though both United and JetBlue have announced plans to serve Caracas in the near future.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
Livery of the Week: Aegean Airlines
The carrier's streamlined design uses colors closely associated with Greece.
Aegean's first A321neo at Athens International Airport. (Photo: Konstantinos Chatzigeorgiadis)
Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is proud to present our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result.
Have an idea for a livery that we should highlight? Drop us a line.
Aegean Airlines’ standard livery combines two shades of blue with a predominantly white fuselage, reflecting the colors closely associated with Greece. Introduced in 2020, the design marked the carrier’s first major rebranding in roughly two decades and coincided with the arrival of its first Airbus A320neo aircraft.
The new livery was officially unveiled in February 2020, during a ceremony in Athens attended by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Three newly delivered A320neos were presented in the updated colors, marking the beginning of a broader fleet modernization program.
Developed by London-based design firm PriestmanGoode, the redesign replaced Aegean’s previous white, blue, and red scheme with a more streamlined appearance. The new color palette incorporates Aegean Blue, Silver Blue, and white, drawing inspiration from the Aegean Sea and the Greek sky.
An Aegean Airlines A320neo on final approach for Athens. (Photo: Konstantinos Chatzigeorgiadis)
The most prominent change appears on the aircraft’s vertical stabilizer. A deep blue tail features sweeping white and lighter-blue elements that extend toward the rear fuselage. The design creates a continuous appearance between the tail and the rest of the aircraft.
Large dark-blue “AEGEAN” titles appear above the forward cabin windows, while the engines are also painted blue. The remainder of the fuselage is primarily white, eliminating the red cheatline and gray lower fuselage found on the airline’s previous livery.
The redesign also updated Aegean’s longtime twin-seagull logo. The birds had been part of the carrier’s earlier branding, but the new version introduced more geometric shapes and a symmetrical arrangement. According to PriestmanGoode, the updated emblem draws inspiration from classical Greek architecture while retaining a connection to the airline’s original identity.
Aegean’s previous livery had featured two seagulls flying in front of a yellow sun on a dark-blue tail. That scheme appeared on several generations of aircraft, including Boeing 737s operated during the carrier’s early years and the Airbus A320-family aircraft that later became the backbone of its fleet.
The 2020 redesign was introduced alongside Aegean’s investment in new-generation Airbus aircraft. The airline initially ordered 30 A320neo-family jets in 2018 before expanding its commitments, with the updated livery appearing on both A320neos and A321neos.
The new branding extended beyond the aircraft exterior. Aegean also introduced redesigned cabin interiors, uniforms, and other customer-facing elements incorporating the same colors and geometric patterns.
Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries.
Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
A Delta 757-200 (Photo: Shutterstock |
Markus Mainka)
Delta is bringing back a transatlantic route next spring, adding to the carrier’s international schedule for summer 2027.
The Atlanta-based airline announced Friday that flights between Boston and Reykjavik, Iceland, will begin April 12, 2027. Service will operate through Oct. 30, with tickets going on sale this weekend.
The daily service will be operated by a Boeing 757-200. Delta briefly served the market in 2021, according to Cirium Diio schedule data.
According to the airline, Reykjavik will become its 14th unique long-haul destination and 16th international destination from Boston during the peak summer season.
The move follows Delta’s recently announced Boston–Venice service, which begins May 7, 2027. That route will operate four times weekly through Oct. 29 using Airbus A330-300s. The carrier is also increasing Boston–Milan flights to daily in 2027
Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
The aircraft will be flown from Airbus’ facility in Toulouse, France, to Munich some time in mid-November. It is expected to enter service on Dec. 3, with a nonstop flight from Munich to Tokyo-Haneda.
In the following weeks, the A350-1000 will also serve Shanghai and Singapore, Lufthansa said.
“The introduction of the new A350-1000 is part of the largest fleet modernization in the history of the Lufthansa Group and a key driver on the path to more sustainability,” Heiko Reitz, Lufthansa’s Munich hub manager, said in a news release. “Our new flagship features 40 percent more Business and Premium Economy seats. To put it simply: the A350-1000 strengthens our premium hub in Munich.”
Lufthansa’s first A350-1000 is nicknamed “Deutschland” and has already been painted in the carrier’s special 100th anniversary livery. The same design was applied to several other aircraft this year to mark the centennial of Deutsche Luft Hansa.
Lufthansa has ordered 15 -1000s. The first 10 will join Lufthansa’s mainline fleet and be based at Munich.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
TSA Pauses ‘Gateside’ Expansion
The program was apparently scaled back to 13 airports.
A TSA checkpoint. (Photo: Shutterstock | Jim Lambert)
A program that lets specially screened visitors pass through airport security to see off loved ones at the gate is apparently being scaled back.
TSA’s “Gateside,” announced in September, was initially available at 13 U.S. airports. It expanded to hundreds more in recent weeks, according to TSA news releases.
But as of this week, the program has apparently been scaled back to the original 13 airports. TSA has not yet commented on the reversal, but some affected airports have.
“TSA recently returned Gateside by TSA PreCheck operations to the original 13 participating airports, at least for the time being,” Denver International Airport, one of the expansion airports, told CNN on Thursday.
Officials at Norfolk International Airport in Virginia, another expansion airport, told the outlet that they learned of the change through complaints and messages from customers, not from TSA directly.
Gateside allows TSA PreCheck members and those with Known Traveler Numbers to clear security without a ticket for a departing flight. This enables members of the public to greet or say goodbye to family and friends at the gate, visit a traveler during a layover, or access airport shops and restaurants.
Such visits have generally not been permitted since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The original 13 airports, where Gateside remains in effect, are Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Las Vegas, Mesa Gateway in Arizona, Los Angeles, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Arkansas, Indianapolis, Omaha, Nebraska, Wichita, Kansas, and Columbus, Ohio.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
Avelo Adds New Routes, Flights at McKinney
Two more connections to Florida will come online in December.
The ultra-low-cost carrier said Thursday that it will connect McKinney with Sarasota/Bradenton and West Palm Beach, both in Florida. Service to Sarasota will begin Dec. 16; flights to West Palm Beach will launch one day later, on Dec. 17. Both routes will operate twice weekly.
Avelo will launch service at McKinney on Nov. 11, when the airport officially transitions from a general aviation-only airport to a commercial one. Avelo is so far the only airline set to offer scheduled passenger service there, though that could change as traffic picks up.
Flights to Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa will commence Nov. 11. In mid-December, four more routes will come online – Denver, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Nashville, Tennessee.
To accommodate an expected surge in holiday demand, Avelo said it will temporarily add two more weekly flights between McKinney and Las Vegas for the season, bringing the total to six flights per week.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
A Southwest 737 MAX 8. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
Big changes are coming for Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program starting next year.
The airline is introducing a new program structure beginning Jan. 1, 2027, with Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers replacing A-List and A-List Preferred.
A-List will become Silver and A-List Preferred will become Gold. The new level, Platinum, will have unlimited Companion Pass trips.
With the introduction of Milestone Rewards, members will no longer have to wait to reach a new tier to receive certain benefits. Before members reach Silver, they will be able to select rewards like points or seat certificates, and between Gold and Platinum, members can qualify to receive three Companion Pass trips.
In the spring of 2027, members can earn and redeem points for travel through partner airlines Icelandair, Etihad Airways, and China Airlines.
Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan. (Credit: AirlineGeeks | Matt Leighton)
Customers with a Rapid Rewards Credit Card will earn one TQP for every dollar spent on purchases starting in January. Later in the year, members will be able to use points for seat selection on Southwest flights.
In November of this year, members will be able to redeem points for rental cars through rental car partners.
Lounge Update
Southwest plans to open airport lounges next year in Nashville, Austin, Baltimore, and Honolulu, in partnership with Chase.
On Thursday, the airline announced the network will be known as the Southwest Icon Lounge network.
Rendering of the Southwest Icon Lounge at Nashville’s airport. (Credit: Southwest Airlines)
“Our approach to these lounges is really to try to meet the needs of what customers really want in these lounge experiences now,” said Tony Roach, chief customer and brand officer.
Each lounge will have a local feel to it.
“It was important to us to have things that were staples in each lounge, but then also localize it with local flare, a local element,” Roach said.
Access to the lounges will be available through a new credit card issued by Chase next year.
Matt is the Social Media Editor for aviation brands. Previously, Matt worked in television news and spent the last decade working and interning in newsrooms across New England. He is excited to bridge his two passions of aviation and storytelling in this role.
JetBlue’s BlueFirst Now Available for Booking
The domestic first class offering will debut Dec. 8.
As of Thursday, customers can book BlueFirst seats on select flights across more than 30 routes, the carrier said.
BlueFirst will debut Dec. 8 on flights between Boston and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Within days, the product will become available on select New York-LaGuardia-Fort Lauderdale flights; more routes will follow “in the weeks and months ahead,” the airline said.
“We designed BlueFirst to deliver a more accessible first-class experience that combines the thoughtful hospitality and service customers expect from JetBlue with exceptional value and comfort,” JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said in a news release. “We’re excited that customers can now start making BlueFirst part of their travel plans.”
First announced over the summer, BlueFirst will come with plush, specially engineered seats, 13.3-inch seatback screens with Bluetooth, bento box-style meals, and sommelier-selected wines. Seats will be arranged in a two-by-two configuration, with five inches of recline and up to seven inches of additional legroom compared to JetBlue’s Main seating.
BlueFirst cabins will eventually be added to all aircraft without Mint, JetBlue’s business-class offering. The carrier has never had a traditional first-class product before.
The BlueFirst flights now available for booking are:
Fort Lauderdale-Boston; starting December
Fort Lauderdale-Buffalo, New York; starting December
Fort-Lauderdale-Liberia, Costa Rica; starting December
Fort Lauderdale-LaGuardia; starting December
Fort Lauderdale-Reagan National; starting December
Boston-Austin, Texas; starting January
Boston-Houston; starting January
Fort Lauderdale-Aruba; starting January
Fort Lauderdale-Austin; starting January
Fort Lauderdale-Cartagena, Colombia; starting January
Fort Lauderdale-Charlotte, North Carolina; starting January
Fort Lauderdale-Nashville, Tennessee; starting January
Fort Lauderdale-San Jose, Costa Rica; starting January
Fort Lauderdale-San Juan, Puerto Rico; starting January
New York-JFK-Cancun; starting January
JFK-Liberia; starting January
JFK-San Juan; starting January
LaGuardia-Orlando, Florida; starting January
LaGuardia-West Palm Beach, Florida; starting January
Boston-Fort Myers, Florida; starting February
Fort Lauderdale-Cancun; starting February
Fort Lauderdale-Dallas/Fort Worth; starting February
Fort Lauderdale-New Orleans; starting February
Fort Lauderdale-Hartford, Connecticut; starting February
Fort Lauderdale-Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; starting February
JFK-Aruba; starting February
JFK-Fort Myers; starting February
JFK-Providenciales, Turks and Caicos; starting February
Fort Lauderdale-Medellín, Colombia; starting March
Fort Lauderdale-Westchester County, New York; starting March
Westchester County-Fort Myers; starting March
Westchester County-West Palm Beach; starting March
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
Air Canada will launch a new nonstop route to Europe next summer.
The carrier announced Wednesday that it will serve Seville, Spain, from Montreal.
The connection will launch Sept. 8, 2027, and operate three times weekly until Oct. 1, when it switches to four times weekly. The service will pause Jan. 9, 2028, then restart about one month later, on Feb. 18, and run through June 4.
Air Canada will operate the route using Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
Seville will be Air Canada’s fifth destination in Spain, behind Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife.
“The addition of Seville further bolsters Air Canada’s growing global network and cements Air Canada as the largest airline by seats offered between Canada and Spain,” Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s executive vice president, chief commercial officer, and president of cargo, said in a news release. “As the only nonstop service between the city and North America, Air Canada’s new service will unlock more of Andalusia and the world for our customers and Aeroplan members while delivering a step-change in global connectivity for Seville.”
The airline said Montreal-Seville arrivals and departures will be timed to help travelers catch connecting flights to and from other destinations in North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Air Canada announced last month that it will add connections from Montreal to Basel, Switzerland, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, in 2027.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
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