Greetings from Shreveport! No I haven’t fallen off of the face of the earth but, between work and personal travel, this week has been a grind. I wasn’t able to get as many articles and reviews out as I would have liked but, I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to return to a normal cadence next week.
With that being said, it has been a busy week in the travel space, highlighted by American Express unveiling the new benefits, and an increased annual fee, on its popular Platinum Card. You can expect my full writeup on that next week. The (abbreviated) weekly recap for the week ended September 20, 2025 is below.
China Eastern is Launching 29 Hour Flights Between Shanghai and Buenos Aires
Beginning December 4, 2025, China Eastern will launch the world’s longest direct flight connecting Shanghai and Buenos Aires. The flight will operate 2x weekly and is blocked at 26 hours eastbound and 29 hours westbound. The schedule isn’t particularly passenger friendly and I wonder how much success the airline will have on this route.
Delta is Launching Flights Between Austin and Miami
Delta Air Lines will launch service between Austin and Miami as of November 22, 2025. The carrier will go up against American and Southwest on the route as it works to build out a hub operation in the Texas capital.
Marriott Bonvoy and Lufthansa Miles & More Announce Partnership
Lufthansa Miles & More and Marriott Bonvoy have announced a new partnership which will allow Lufthansa frequent flyers to status match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold status. In addition, Miles & More members can earn 120 status points for three stays at Marriott properties.
While these aren’t game changing earning opportunities for either program, there is some value here if you’re chasing status with Miles & More or have a few upcoming stays at Marriott properties.
Delta Announces Sardinia and Malta as Newest International Destinations
Delta Air Lines has just announced its two newest international routes. The carrier will begin flying from New York-JFK to both Sardinia and Malta, for Summer 2026. These new routes are unique in the fact that they were selected by the airline’s passengers and crew.
Summary
This is the fourth of five straight travel weeks for me so I appreciate your patience with some of the delayed reviews and news. As always, thank you for checking out the weekly recap for the week ended September 20, 2025!