The Battle for Italy, Newark Runway Reopening, and Other Airline News This Week

In this week’s roundup of airline-related stories from the past 7 days that didn’t get their own article, we look at a German airline fight that might affect U.S. routes, a bit of good news from Newark airport, and more developments from all over the globe.

Here’s what you need to know.

Condor vs. Lufthansa: Germans Battle for Italy

German airline Condor is going big in its legal fight against Lufthansa, and the latest chapter of the saga could have implications for U.S. flyers. First, Condor, which is much smaller than flag carrier Lufthansa, successfully sued to get the bigger airline to keep providing feeder flights for Condor’s long-haul services. The European Union agreed with Condor’s request in January, done in the name of protecting competition. That allowed Condor to keep its flights to the U.S.

Now, Condor is asking the European Union for nothing less than overturning Lufthansa’s purchase of Italy’s flag carrier ITA Airways. Condor CEO Peter Berger said in a LinkedIn post that the company sued in the European Union’s General Court to annul the decision to allow the merger because it reduces competition.

The European Commission, the Union’s executive, had already imposed conditions on Lufthansa and ITA to approve their merger, but Condor now says they are insufficient to guarantee fairness to smaller airlines — such as itself.

Condor is building its own European network to feed passengers to long-haul flights, which is Lufthansa’s bread and butter. In Italy, Condor has just 2 destinations, Milan and Rome, but it has ambitious goals. In another LinkedIn post, the CEO said Italy “plays an increasingly important role in Condor’s international strategy.” For Lufthansa, it’s the largest market by revenue after Germany itself and the U.S.

It’s unlikely that the court will overturn the decision to let Lufthansa buy ITA. If it does, the Italian airline will probably find it hard to survive on its own. And that would have an impact in North America, where ITA serves 8 destinations from Rome (FCO).

Newark Runway Reopens Ahead of Schedule

It’s not all bad news at Newark (EWR), the United hub that’s been hit by delays and air traffic control staff shortages. The airport is back to full runway capacity after the longer of its 2 main runways reopened ahead of schedule on June 2.

Runway 4L-22R was scheduled to be closed for maintenance until June 15, but the work was finished 13 days early. Passengers at Newark are not out of the woods yet, though. Additional work on the runway still needs to happen and will be carried out after the summer travel season. The runway will be closed on weekends from September 1 to December 31, starting Friday at 11 p.m. through 5 a.m. on Sunday.

Expect a Better Airport Soon in Male, Maldives

The Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives is a top destination for points and miles travelers, but getting there isn’t as fun as staying in the famous overwater villas. The Male (MLE) airport, the islands’ main international gateway, is bursting at the seams — with far more passengers than it was designed for and a bleak passenger experience. Now, a new terminal is about to open and alleviate the congestion. It’s about time, since it’s been under construction for almost a decade and encountered repeated delays.

According to Maldivian media citing the Male airport company, the new terminal will open partially on July 26 when flag carrier Maldivian moves from the current terminal. Smaller airlines — including Chongjin Airlines, BeOnd, Xiamen Air, Oman Air, Fits Air, US-Bangla Airlines, Air Arabia, Bangkok Airways, and Batik Air — will move by mid-August. The big international carriers like Emirates, Etihad, and British Airways are expected to begin moving in September.

Earn and Spend Qantas Miles on Hawaiian

Qantas announced that its partnership with Hawaiian Airlines is now operational, letting flyers earn and redeem Qantas Frequent Flyer points on Hawaiian flights. These include a nonstop from Honolulu (HNL) to Sydney (SYD).

Unfortunately for most American flyers, the opposite is not true: You can’t earn HawaiianMiles on Qantas flights. That is a bummer since Hawaiian miles are now very valuable after the airline merged with Alaska Airlines and its miles became transferable 1:1 to Alaska’s Mileage Plan loyalty program.

After Delta, Air France-KLM Gets Close With Riyadh Air

Saudi Arabia’s new airline Riyadh Air is making more friends among airlines in the SkyTeam alliance. Last year, Riyadh Air formed a strategic partnership with Delta, which was a bit surprising since Delta already has a partner in Saudi Arabia’s fellow SkyTeam member Saudia. Then Riyadh Air made a similar deal with another SkyTeam member, Virgin Atlantic, which is half owned by Delta itself.

And now, the Saudi airline has signed a memorandum of understanding with another SkyTeam bigwig, Air France-KLM. It seems clear that Riyadh Air wants to get close to the alliance’s ecosystem, if not become a member, which would take years anyway.

Most interestingly for passengers, the deal means the airlines will be “exploring opportunities in reciprocal loyalty program rewards … and lounge access.” That means it’s likely that, at some point, you’ll be able to earn and/or redeem Flying Blue miles on Riyadh Air, and the same may be true for SkyMiles and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points.

When Riyadh Air launches long-haul flights later this year, reciprocal lounge access for SkyTeam elites may also happen.

This approach by Riyadh Air may appear to be in competition with Saudia, but the Saudi government, which owns both airlines, may be pursuing a dual-hub strategy: Saudia takes Jeddah (JED), and Riyadh Air focuses on the capital Riyadh (RUH). The government is likely betting that there is enough traffic to run 2 airlines.

Good News About Emirates First Class

Emirates first class, with its shower and exceptional service, is coveted by many points and miles travelers. As of last month, it became a lot harder to book. That’s because first-class award seats became bookable only by passengers who have elite status with Emirates. When we reported on that unwelcome change, we also noted that there was a tactic to get around it: booking Emirates business class with miles, then upgrading a step to first class, also using miles.

Now, we have confirmation that this works. Frequent Miler reported that on May 31 they were able to upgrade an Emirates flight using exactly this method. The caveat is that you must have booked your original business ticket with Emirates itself; partner awards don’t qualify for upgrades using miles.

American’s Limited-Edition Amenity Kits

To go with American Airlines’ new Flagship Suites, the airline now has limited-edition amenity kits from designer Brandon Blackwood, differentiated by class of service.

Blackwood’s amenity kits will be available on international and select transcontinental flights beginning later in June until early September, American said. There are 3 different kits:

• Flagship First and Flagship Suite Preferred: A compact travel version of Blackwood’s Portmore handbag with a wraparound zip closure
• Flagship Business and Flagship Suite: A travel pouch with red accents along the zip closure and Blackwood’s recognizable checkered pattern on the interior
• Premium Economy: Features Blackwood’s checkered pattern on the exterior in blue and white

Like all airline amenity kits, these are yours to take home and repurpose as you wish, from donating them to charity with their contents to using them on future travels.

JetBlue Lands in Traverse City

JetBlue had started flying to Traverse City (TVC) in Michigan, a popular summer destination, from Boston (BOS). The flights operate on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays through October 25, JetBlue said, and give Northern Michigan access to JetBlue’s hub in Boston, from which the airline serves more destinations than any other. JetBlue is clearly making a play to compete with American, United, and Delta, which route most connecting passengers out of TVC via their own hubs in Chicago (ORD) and Detroit (DTW).

Also starting this June, JetBlue passengers can start sipping rosé, as befits the warmer months. In Mint — JetBlue’s take on flat-bed business class — this includes the 2024 Cellars in the Sky silver medal winner for best business class rosé, Scribe Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir 2022 from Sonoma. In Core, JetBlue’s name for economy, passengers get the first canned wine available for purchase on JetBlue (Wine is free in Mint). That’s an Archer Roose Rosé, made with organically grown grapes from the Pays d’Oc region in France.

Final Thoughts

This week, we’ve seen a bit of good news from 2 congested airports in 2 very different places: New Jersey and the Maldives. Also this week, news has come of a battle brewing between German airlines for lucrative flights to Italy, plus Saudi Arabia’s new airline Riyadh Air is getting close to the SkyTeam alliance. The latter is especially good news for Delta flyers, who may soon gain a new way to earn and spend SkyMiles.