Inflight Call Ban, AA’s A321XLR Doors, Southwest Lounge Update, and More Airline News

From American Airlines’ latest Airbus A321XLR developments and a surprising possibility for a new U.S.-Kazakhstan route to a potential outright ban on inflight calls and Emirates CEO Tim Clark’s rejection of the Boeing 777X, there’s a lot to talk about this week.

American’s A321XLR Doors Will Soon Unlock

American launched its all-new Airbus A321XLRs last year before the doors of its Flagship Suites were certified to be closed during flight. After finally receiving approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), slow activation of these doors has begun and will continue into the fall. At the time of writing, the only aircraft where the Flagship Suite doors can be closed is registered N302NY.

Inflight Call Ban Could Soon Be Enforced

Despite being passed back in 2018, the law banning inflight calls is not officially enforced. As it stands, airlines are allowed to set their own rules. This week, however, a new bipartisan bill, the Quiet Skies Act, has been introduced, calling on the FAA to complete the ban and make inflight calls of any kind illegal.

I think inflight calls should be allowed, as long as they can be done so without disturbing any other passengers. There’s a huge difference between being on FaceTime without headphones and listening to a conference call, making no more noise than someone listening to music. How that would be policed is the problem.

Southwest CEO Confirms Lounges Are Coming

Some official word about Southwest‘s not-so-secret lounge “secret” came from CEO Bob Jordan this week. During the airline’s quarterly earnings call, he teased the lounges, then said, “There’s work underway. We’re not ready to formally announce that yet.” While we’re happy to take that as a formal confirmation, the first location and its opening date remain top secret.

If I were to guess, it would be at Honolulu (HNL), where confirmed work is underway.

Boeing 777X Rejected by Emirates CEO

With a 270-strong order, Emirates is set to be the biggest customer of the long-awaited Boeing 777X. However, the plane has faced constant delays and setbacks since 2019, and the first delivery to the airline isn’t getting any closer. As such, Tim Clark, Emirates CEO, has lost his patience and refused delivery of 10 airframes, which are now several years old due to constant modifications.

Clark is widely reported to have suggested that Heinz might be interested, insinuating that the planes might be better suited as baked bean cans.

Lufthansa Airbus A350-1000

There’s good news if you’re a Lufthansa frequent flyer, especially if you’re based on the East Coast. With the turn of the IATA winter season at the end of October, Lufthansa will start flying its soon-to-be-delivered Airbus A350-1000s.

The jets feature the airline’s newest Allegris cabins from first and business class through to premium and economy. The jets will be based at the airline’s Munich (MUC) hub, and Newark (EWR) will be one of its first routes.

WestJet’s New Winter Escapes

Canada’s second-largest airline is expanding its leisure focus this winter with 5 new seasonal routes. Launching in November and December, weekly services from Calgary (YYC) to Merida (MID), Regina (YQR) to San José del Cabo (SJD), Winnipeg (YWG) to Belize City, Winnipeg to Punta Cana (PUJ), and Ottawa (YOW) to Liberia (LIR) will give Canadians more opportunities to escape the country’s harsh winters.

Route News

An application to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) from Air Astana could result in the first nonstop flight from Kazakhstan to the U.S. Before this can happen, the airline would need to score an IASA Category 1 rating from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Alaska Airlines has confirmed a new route between Portland (PDX) and Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN), Colorado. The service will operate twice weekly from February 11 to March 28, 2027, to connect skiers with Steamboat Springs during peak season.

Breeze Airways continues to invest in Tampa (TPA) with the addition of 2 new routes. A daily service to Las Vegas (LAS) starts on January 5, 2027, followed by a twice-weekly service to Islip (ISP) on January 6.

Final Thoughts

American and Lufthansa’s aircraft updates are certainly worth getting excited about. As for the Boeing 777X, should we just start again from the beginning?

We’ll be back with a full update once more news is revealed about Southwest’s pending lounges and the Quiet Skies Act.