Airlines Reduce Flights to U.S., Free Flights in Thailand, and Other News You Might Have Missed

August tends to be perhaps the quietest month of the year when it comes to updates from airlines, especially in Europe.

However, in this final week of the month (and maybe summer), we learned of a regional carrier launching international flights, new noise-canceling headphones coming to United’s premium cabins, the effects of fewer inbound tourists to the U.S. on airline frequencies, and more.

U.S. Regional Airline Sets Up New Caribbean Base

Contour Airlines is a regional airline that you might not have heard of. It’s headquartered in Tennessee and operates short regional routes connecting small airports with large hubs like Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), Denver (DEN), Phoenix (PHX), and Washington Dulles (IAD).

This week, the independent carrier announced new routes in the Caribbean connecting the island of Dominica (DOM) with San Juan (SJU) in Puerto Rico and St Thomas (STT) in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Service to St. Thomas will start on September 24 and to San Juan on September 25.

Not only will Contour’s arrival in the Caribbean be its first and only international routes, it will also be the only airline to operate the 2 routes it’s launching.

Airlines Around the World Cut Back on Flights to the U.S.

It’s been widely reported that international visitor numbers to the U.S. have fallen significantly over the course of 2025. In light of cross-border political tensions, the number of Canadian visitors arriving at U.S. airports is said to be down by 7.4%, the Economist reports.

However, the desire to travel to the U.S. is clearly waning in other parts of the world as airlines from several countries across Europe and even Australia have recently announced significant service reductions to their U.S.-bound services.

British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Lufthansa, and Qantas are among the airlines that confirmed reduced flights to the U.S. this week. While many of the affected routes will see a reduction of 1-2 weekly flights, Lufthansa’s Frankfurt (FRA) to New York (JFK) service will be slashed from 14 to 7 weekly flights between January 11 and February 24, 2026.

Some services will be temporarily suspended or even permanently cancelled. For example, British Airways’ route from London Gatwick (LGW) to Las Vegas will end on March 31, 2026, and its service from Gatwick to New York (JFK) will end on May 1.

New Noise-Cancelling Headphones for United

The quality of some airlines’ so-called “noise-canceling” headphones can leave a lot to be desired.

United is leveling up its amenity game with the introduction of improved noise-canceling headphones in business class and premium economy. The custom Meridian headphones have been designed with advanced noise cancellation that will mean passengers can enjoy clearer audio without cranking up the volume.

“Whether customers watch their favorite movie onboard or listen to their preferred podcast, the new headphones will provide an elevated experience for travelers,” said Mark Muren, managing director of product, identity, loyalty, and research at United.

From September 1, the new headphones will be available for passengers to enjoy in United’s Polaris (business class) and Premium Plus (premium economy) cabins.

WestJet and Copa Airlines Announce Interline Agreement

WestJet is already building on its recent announcement of the addition of several destinations in Central America and the Caribbean with a new interline agreement with Panama-based Copa Airlines.

On December 13, WestJet’s new nonstop service between Calgary (YYC) and Panama City (PTY) will take to the skies. Thanks to this new interline agreement, passengers looking to travel elsewhere in Latin America will be able to book this service and connect seamlessly in Panama City onto a Copa Airlines flight to 37 destinations.

“We remain focused on connecting guests to the world’s most popular sun and leisure destinations this winter, while also meeting the needs of business travellers by continuing to provide convenient access to some of South America’s largest markets,” said John Weatherill, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at WestJet.

The new interline agreement will provide Canadians who would prefer not to transit in the U.S. with more options when booking their winter escapes.

Free Domestic Flights in Thailand

The old adage of “nothing in life is free” doesn’t apply in Thailand. The government of the popular vacation destination hopes to incentivize even more would-be visitors by offering free domestic flights around the nation.

The current proposal by the Thai Tourism Ministry wants to give free round-trip domestic flights to up to 200,000 visitors arriving from abroad. According to the Bangkok Post, the scheme will cost the Thai government roughly $22 million.

Visitors to Thailand will be eligible for the free round-trip flights when they book an international flight to Thailand directly with an airline or travel agent. Airlines included in the scheme for onward domestic tickets will be Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, Thai Airways, Thai Lion Air, and Thai Vietjet. Specifics around how the scheme will work exactly are still unknown.

Final Thoughts

From free flights around Thailand to new United headphones and Contour Airlines launching routes in the Caribbean, this week’s news has been about as varied as it gets. However, with fewer international tourists arriving in the U.S., it’s a wonder which airlines will be next to suspend or cancel yet more flights to the U.S.

We’ll be back next week with more.