Low-Cost to Europe, New Routes, Special La Première Flights, New Cabins, and More Airline News

In this week’s roundup, we’ve got potential new low-cost flights to Europe, an update on Alaska’s Companion Fare, several new routes, special La Première flights to Nice, and a look at Air India’s lovely new Dreamliners.

Let’s get started.

Wizz Air Plans Flights to Europe

European ultra-low-cost airline Wizz Air has plans to start flights to the U.S.

The U.K. brand of the Hungary-based carrier has applied for permission to start flying between the U.K. and the U.S. as soon as possible.

Following failed attempts by Iceland Express, Primera Air, WOW, and PLAY, Wizz Air hopes to be the first airline to crack the lucrative-yet-challenging market.

Alaska Airlines Removes Companion Fare Restriction

Holders of certain Alaska co-branded credit cards can use the Companion Fare voucher once a year to book a second passenger on their flight for just $99 (plus taxes and fees).

In a recent update, Alaska has made it possible to use the Companion Fare voucher on multi-city itineraries. For example, you can book several one-way flights on 1 booking, including transcontinentals, on a single ticket and still only pay the $99 base fare for the second person. This could save hundreds of dollars, depending on the itinerary.

New Routes to Canada Thanks to Porter

Porter Airlines is adding more cross-border routes to its summer schedule.

Nashville (BNA) will be an entirely new destination for Porter when daily flights from Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) start on May 11, 2026.

And as of May 14, Boston (BOS) will also welcome new nonstop routes, with a daily flight from Montréal (YUL) and a double daily flight from Toronto (YYZ). Porter already connects Boston with Ottawa (YOW) and Toronto’s Billy Bishop (YTZ).

Calgary Gets First and Only Nonstop Flight to the Middle East

Etihad has chosen Calgary (YYC), rather than Vancouver (YVR), as its second destination in Canada and eighth nonstop route to North America.

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier will launch its first flight to Western Canada on November 3, 2026, in time for the start of the ski season in the nearby Rocky Mountains.

Etihad’s fleet of Boeing 787-9 jets will operate the service on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Breeze Adds Fort Lauderdale Routes

Breeze Airways continues to grow its network from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) with 2 new nonstop services to Huntsville, Alabama (HSV), and Pensacola, Florida (PNS).

Flights to Huntsville will operate on Mondays and Fridays starting June 12. Service to Pensacola will be on Thursdays and Sundays starting May 7.

San Fran Gets New Seasonal Service to Guatemala City

Avianca will operate the only nonstop service between Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA), and San Francisco (SFO) starting on May 31.

The seasonal service will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays until August 31, 2026.

Air France Adds Special Flights (With La Première) From LA and JFK to Nice

Air France is once again adding special round-trip flights to France this summer, this time with its new La Première cabins. The first of 3 sets of flights is in May to facilitate travel to Nice (NCE) for the Cannes Film Festival. Special flights will depart Los Angeles (LAX) for Nice on May 11 and return on May 25.

The second and third set of round-trip flights is for the Cannes Lions Festival in June, this time from New York (JFK). Flights will depart JFK for Nice on June 20 and 21st and return on June 25 and 26.

Air India Reveals New Dreamliner Cabins

No airline better understands the need for a fresh new look than Air India.

The Indian flag carrier will enter its new era of flying when its first Dreamliner 787-9 with custom interiors carries passengers for the first time on Sunday, February 1, from Delhi (DEL) to Frankfurt (FRA).

The updated cabins in economy, premium, and business class set a new standard of comfort and design, with all future Boeing 787-9s and current 787-8s set to feature the new cabins.

Final Thoughts

Wizz Air’s arrival in the U.S. could be a game-changer. I’m more curious than ever to try Air India, and there are so many new routes on the horizon that are worth booking. It’s been yet another exciting week in the world of airlines and aviation.