New Routes to Europe, JetBlue’s Financial Woes, More Flying Blue Benefits, and More Airline News

Dominating our weekly roundup this week are routes, routes, and more routes. Some are new, some are getting axed, and some are part of an airline’s huge network expansion with 11 new destinations.

We’ll also take a look at an interesting update for Delta’s Seoul passengers, new perks for Flying Blue members, the new U.S. destinations that Lufthansa will send Allegris to, and worrying comments about the future of JetBlue.

3 Routes to Europe Launch This Week

This week sees the launch of 3 interesting nonstop new routes to Europe. First to kick off was Air France‘s nonstop seasonal service between Las Vegas (LAS) and Paris (CDG), which operates 3 times weekly until October 24. Y

esterday, April 16, was JetBlue’s turn with its daily seasonal service from Boston (BOS) to Barcelona (BCN). And on Sunday, April 19, St. Louis (STL) will welcome British Airways, the U.K. flag carrier, as it starts a seasonal, 4-times-weekly service from London Heathrow (LHR).

Los Angeles Loses Only Low-Cost Flights to Europe

In the same week the U.S. gained 3 new nonstop routes to Europe, we learned that a low-cost carrier is cutting its 3 routes to Europe from Los Angeles (LAX). Norse’s seasonal services to London Gatwick (LGW), Paris (CDG), and Rome (FCO) that were due to start in time for summer are no longer available to book.

Affected passengers are entitled to full refunds. Norse cites rising jet fuel costs as the cause.

Delta’s Seamless U.S. Arrivals for Flights From Seoul

Delta is giving travelers from Seoul a reason to choose them over other airlines, especially when domestic connecting flights are involved. Delta passengers arriving at Detroit (DTW) and Minneapolis (MSP) on a Delta flight from the Korean capital can now connect seamlessly onto a domestic flight without having to claim and recheck their bags.

The Seamless Baggage Transfer service started in Atlanta (ATL) last year and is planned to expand to LAX and Seattle (SEA) soon.

JetBlue’s Founder Concerned Over Its Future

Airline tycoon David Neeleman, the current CEO of Breeze Airways, has expressed concerns about the shaky future of JetBlue — one of the 5 airlines he has founded. When speaking with Breeze pilots, he said “JetBlue’s in a really tough spot” regarding the airline’s mounting debt and rising interest payments.

Flying Blue Makes Earning a Higher Status More Desirable

Status in Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue loyalty program is the gift that keeps on giving. Winners of this latest update are those very frequent Platinum members who earn 300 status-earning Experience Points (XPs) or more. Rather than having to earn 600 additional XPs to earn Ultimate status with no incremental incentive, Flying Blue will reward its loyal members with new Choice Benefits at 450, 600, and 750 XPs.

Benefits include bonus miles, bonus XPs, increased miles overdraft, and the ability to gift status to a colleague, friend, or family member.

Etihad’s Huge Chinese and African Expansion

Etihad is continuing strong in its “new route” era, adding no fewer than 11 new routes this week. After expanding its reach in Southeast Asia in the last year, these new destinations are located in China and Africa.

Toward the end of the year, Etihad will start flying to Shanghai (PVG) and Asmara, Eritrea (ASM). Then in March, 2027, Etihad will add service to Accra, Ghana (ACC); Harare, Zimbabwe HRE); Kinshasa (KIH) and Lumbumbashi (FMB) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (FIH); Lagos, Nigeria (LOS); and the Chinese cities of Chengdu (TFU), Guangzhou (CAN), Hangzhou (HGH), and Shenzhen (SZX).

Lufthansa Allegris Coming to More U.S. Airports

Lufthansa has confirmed Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU) as the next U.S. airports to welcome its headline-stealing Allegris aircraft. The Frankfurt-based Boeing 787-9 planes with Allegris will start flying to Dallas on September 2, followed by Raleigh-Durham on October 1.

Final Thoughts

As the summer travel season officially gets underway, it’s common to see airlines trimming and expanding their networks to respond to changes in demand.

Despite Neeleman’s worries about JetBlue, it still went ahead with launching its Barcelona route this week. The positive news of more Allegris planes coming to the U.S. and more Flying Blue benefits will also be welcome by some. And finally, Delta’s expanded Seamless Baggage Transfer service has me wondering why we still need to go through the rigmarole of collecting and rechecking bags in 2026.