The second full week of 2025 is behind us and while things were fairly calm on the aviation and travel news front, there was one topic that got the comments section fired up. That and more top stories below in the Weekly Recap for January 18, 2025.
A New Commercial Airport is Coming to the Dallas Area
Soon Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field (DAL) won’t be the only commercial airports serving the DFW Metroplex. The McKinney City Council has approved the site plan for a new, 48,000 square foot commercial terminal building at McKinney National Airport (TKI).
While the new airport won’t become a major hub, I can see airlines like Delta and United connecting the new airport with its hubs in Atlanta and Houston along with low cost and ultra-low-cost carriers like Avelo and Breeze adding service to the airport. The new terminal is expected to open in late 2026.
Flying Blue Rolls Out a No-Notice Devaluation
Flying Blue, the loyalty program for Air France, KLM, and a handful of other airlines, rolled out a no-notice devaluation to its award rates earlier this week. Increases between 15-25% appear to have been applied to flights across the board, regardless of class of service or route.
Flying Blue has been one of my go-to frequent flyer programs for transatlantic business class awards the last few years and while any devaluation stings, this one may have a silver lining. While prices have gone up, Flying Blue states that more award availability will be available with the changes. Time will tell whether that is actually the case.
Delta Unveils Lounge Plans for 2025
Delta unveiled plans for its Delta One Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs for 2025. 2024 was a banner year for the airline as it opened three, premium focused, Delta One Lounges in Boston, Los Angeles, and New York, along with more Sky Clubs at outstations.
For 2025, the airline plans to continue opening Delta One lounges as well as upgrading and expanding its existing lounges at some of its hubs.
Southwest Airlines Sued by the Department of Transportation Over Delayed Flights
Though we’re in the last few days of the current administration, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is staying busy. This week, the DOT announced it had filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines over its operation of chronically delayed flights.
This is the latest action by the DOT in recent months after it issued fines to Frontier and JetBlue for their respective issues with operating chronically delayed flights.
Review: Delta Sky Club New York-LaGuardia (LGA)
On a recent visit to New York, I had a chance to check out the massive Delta Sky Club at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA). The LaGuardia club spans roughly 35,000 square feet, making it one of the largest Sky Clubs in the system. Though it was crowded during my visit, it was a very nice lounge and I look forward to visiting again when things are calmer.
Summary
While there wasn’t a ton of news this week, the news we did cover was big. From a new airport coming to DFW to Southwest being sued by the Department of Transportation, I hope you all enjoyed the January 18, 2025 weekly recap.