Cheap Flights to Mexico, Updates on Pan Am and Boeing’s 777X, Flying Blue Perks, and More Airline News

Welcome to this week’s airline roundup, where we take a look at Southwest passengers’ boarding woes, new routes from American and Delta, and updates to Flying Blue perks. There’s even news on the schedule for the Boeing 777X, and Pan Am’s return.

Let’s take a look.

American Airlines’ New Routes To Canada

American Airlines is expanding its short-haul, international network from New York’s JFK this summer.

Canada is the destination in focus, with seasonal services to Quebec (YQB) and Calgary (YYC) and starting on August 5 and 6, respectively. Both services end in October.

American will fly its Embraer E175s to Quebec and will be the only airline connecting the city pair. To Calgary, American will send its Boeing 737 MAX 8s.

Has Southwest Bagged Itself a Boarding Disaster?

Reports are flying around the internet that Southwest gate agents are forcing passengers to pre-check their carry-on wheelie suitcases before they even board the plane. This tactic, which has long been enforced by mainline carriers, appears to be being used to balance out the recent changes the ultra-low-cost carrier made to its boarding process.

More Low-Cost Flights to Mexico, Thanks to Volaris

There’ll be more options for cheap fares to Mexico this summer thanks to low-cost airline Volaris. There’ll be 8 new routes to the U.S. from Guadalajara (GDL), Puebla (PBC), and Querétaro (QRO).

Delta Adds More Flights to Austin and Asheville

On June 13, Delta will add 2 very nice leisure routes to its network. Boston (BOS) will get a new nonstop service to Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada (YHZ), and Austin (AUS) will be connected with a nonstop flight to Asheville (AVL) in the mountains of North Carolina.

Delta will operate its fleet of Embraer 175s on the route, flying once per week on Saturdays.

Starlux Announces First European Route

Taiwanese boutique airline Starlux has been gradually expanding its U.S.-based route network over the past few years. This week, we learned it will be dipping its nose gear into the European market for the first time, with service to Prague (PRG) starting in August.

The route will operate from Taipei (TPE) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays using the airline’s Airbus A350-900 fleet.

Flying Blue Elite Perks When Flying Low-Cost Subsidiary Transavia

Transavia is the low-cost subsidiary of both Air France and KLM. New perks, including access to a new lounge and priority throughout the airport, are exclusively for Flying Blue‘s top-level Platinum and Ultimate members.

However, the new perks will only apply to flights operated by the French subsidiary, mostly departing from Paris’ Orly (ORY) airport. Once again, this fits the narrative that KLM is Air France’s low-cost cling-on.

Boeing’s 777X Might Just Fly Before The End of The Decade

Now 7 years past its first test flight, there’s significant progress on the production of the Boeing 777X.

The exact date is still TBD, but a Reuters report says a production flight of the 777X will take place this April. It won’t be until later in 2027 when Lufthansa, the aircraft’s launch airline, will take delivery of the jet and make the first flight with paying passengers. Given the lengthy delays so far, I won’t hold my breath that 2027 timeline won’t get pushed back again.

Pan Am Takes Next Step To Return

Pan Am has signed a deal with Amadeus to be its partner for bookings and other technology solutions. We’re still a long way from its first flight, but this is proof that return efforts are underway in the background.

Final Thoughts

New routes are always welcome here, especially when they include Canada and Mexico. I wonder if Southwest will manage to keep its loyal frequent flyer base with everything going on, and I’m not sure whether Pan Am will take to the skies with passengers before Boeing’s 777X.