Greetings from Austin! I just returned from dropping Mrs. ATX’s parents off at the airport for their trip to Peru. Something odd about the fact that it’s February and I still haven’t stepped foot on an airplane. Thankfully, that changes later this month as I’ll finally get airborne for the first time in 2025. Now, without further adieu, here’s our weekly recap for February 8, 2025.
ITA Airways Leaves SkyTeam, Moving to Star Alliance
In what came as a surprise to absolutely nobody, ITA Airways announced that it was leaving SkyTeam in favor of Star Alliance. Italy’s flag carrier recently sold 41% of itself to Lufthansa Group and has quickly moved to integrate the airline into its network.
Strangely, while the carrier has left SkyTeam, it isn’t expected to officially join Star Alliance until the first half of 2026. Which means, unfortunately, my ITA Volare Executive status won’t give me Star Alliance Gold for another year.
United Airlines is Restarting Flights to Tel Aviv
United Airlines announced this week that it is restarting service to Be Gurion Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv. While the news comes after Delta’s announcement, United will be the first U.S. carrier to resume service to Israel when flights begin in March.
The airline will operate 2x daily service between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Tel Aviv using Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft.
JetBlue is Abandoning the New York-LaGuardia to Boston Route
JetBlue has been undergoing a transition period as of late and part of that means a reshuffle of its route network. However, the airline surprised everyone this week by deciding to eliminate its route between New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
This essentially cedes the lucrative business route to Delta Air Lines which operates up to 15x daily flights on the route.
Marriott Appears to Devalue Rewards Earnings Before Backtracking
Marriott mistakenly updated its earnings chart for the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program earlier this week. The company quickly reversed this update and blamed the initial release on an IT issue. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a devaluation in the near future based on what we’ve seen.
Air Wisconsin is Preparing to Layoff More Than 500 Employees
Air Wisconsin is preparing to layoff more than 500 employees as its contract with American Airlines comes to an end. The carrier operates a fleet of CRJ-200 aircraft and planned to focus on Essential Air Service routes and charter operations after its American Eagle contract expired.
Unfortunately, it appears the airline is struggling with its new business model and will have to cut multiple positions in an effort to stay afloat.
Summary
This week featured a mix of route adjustments, alliance shifts, and a potential loyalty devaluation. As always, thanks for checking out the ATX Jetsetter weekly recap for February 8, 2025.