JetBlue’s New Payment Option, Miles & More Rebrand, New Regional Routes, and More Airline News

Welcome back to this week’s roundup, which is about as varied as it gets.

Headlines include JetBlue’s new payment option, a rebrand for European loyalty program Miles & More, an update on the quickly evolving situation regarding flights to Venezuela, and much more.

You Can Now Pay in Installments for JetBlue Flights

JetBlue has partnered with ClarityPay to offer its passengers the opportunity to “book now, pay later.” On the payment screen, a new ClarityPay option appears that shows the lowest installment plan. To check a passenger’s eligibility to pay this way, ClarityPay requires a mobile number and the last 4 digits of their social security number.

In addition to already being able to earn TrueBlue points when using ClarityPay, by the end of the year, it should be possible to earn those points incrementally with the payment installments.

Miles & More Loyalty Program Gets a Rebrand

By the end of 2026, the Miles & More loyalty program will be renamed as Lufthansa Group Miles & More. It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but it’s a logical next step in the Lufthansa Group’s complete rebranding. The end goal is to have each of the group’s member airlines, including newcomer ITA Airways, easily recognizable as airlines within the single unified umbrella brand of Lufthansa Group.

Venezuela Travel Updates

Originally scheduled to launch on July 22, Qatar Airways‘ headline-grabbing route connecting Doha (DOH) with Caracas (CCS) via Bogotá (BOG) has been delayed until September 2. According to Simple Flying, the delay is due to the recent earthquake that devastated Venezuela.

Meanwhile, American Airlines launched its second nonstop route to Venezuela this week. On Tuesday, 14 July, after only recently restarting Venezuela flights for the first time in almost 7 years, the Dallas-headquartered airline launched a second route to Maracaibo (MAR). The daily service from Miami (MIA) is operated by an Embraer E175.

Air New Zealand’s New Boeing 777 Business Class

The Kiwi flag carrier has unveiled a much-needed refurbishment plan for its aging Boeing 777-300s. The project will start with the first updated aircraft scheduled to fly in May 2027, followed by the completion of all 7 planes by December 2027. In business class, the outdated 1-1-1 “coffin” configuration will be replaced with Collins Elevation seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, each with direct aisle access and privacy doors.

Air New Zealand operates this aircraft on several short- and long-haul routes, including to Houston (IAH) and Los Angeles (LAX).

Route Announcements and Route Cuts

Alaska Connects More Regional Airports to Hawaii

Starting in December, Alaska Airlines will launch 2 unique nonstop services to Honolulu (HNL). A daily flight from Boise (BOI), Idaho, will start on December 17, followed by a 1x weekly flight from Spokane (GEG), Washington, on December 19.

Aer Lingus Cuts U.S. Routes

Despite its best efforts to diversify its U.S. route network, some of Aer Lingus‘ newest routes will be axed as the airline is forced to tighten its purse strings. Though several outlets state that Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), and Minneapolis (MSP) will not operate after December 2026, nonstop flights connecting Dublin with LAS and MSP in 2027 are still available to book via the Aer Lingus website on some dates.

Delta and United Will Start Flying to Moab Canyonlands Airport (CNY)

The tiny regional airport of Moab Canyonlands in the middle of the Utah desert will welcome new flights from Delta and United on October 6. The SkyWest Airlines-operated flights will be from Denver (DEN) with United and from Salt Lake City (SLC) with Delta.

American Rumored To Be Returning to Iceland

After AA teased 5 new routes earlier this week, industry insider JonNYC expects Reykjavik (KEF), Iceland, could also be on the table for American. This is one to watch, especially since American is the only Big 3 carrier that doesn’t fly there.

Final Thoughts

JetBlue’s new “book now, pay later” option is likely to attract customers who might not have the means to pay for a flight at the time of booking. Air New Zealand could have invested more in its new business class, but given its monopoly on several of the routes this aircraft serves, it didn’t need a revolutionary product to dissuade competition.

We’ll be back next week with more.