A Centurion Lounge Closes, American’s Retrofit Update, Bag Recheck Rules Ease, and More Airline News

Save for losing yet another Amex Centurion Lounge, it’s mainly good news this week. We take a look at American Airlines’ new interiors, more growth for Delta at Austin (AUS), notable network additions and updates from Avelo, news from Air France, British Airways, and more.

American Airlines’ Progressing on A319 and A320 Updates

As some of the oldest planes in its fleet, American‘s 32 Airbus A319s’ top-to-tail refresh should be complete by the end of summer, with the A320s following closely behind. There’ll be more first class seats, featuring privacy wings and additional storage.

In Main Cabin, there’ll be USB-C power at every seat, and all passengers should have complimentary access to Starlink from 2027. The design of both cabins will be similar to that of American’s new Airbus A321XLRs and Boeing 787-9s.

Delta’s Austin Growth: New Route and Increased Frequencies

Austin Bergstrom Airport (AUS) is a strategic focus airport for Delta, which will add another new service connecting the Texan city with San Jose (SJC), California from October 6, 2026. Southwest is currently the only airline that connects the cities. Additionally, Delta will add a third daily service from Austin to Orlando (MCO).

Nothing confirms the importance of Austin for Delta more than its plans for a new Sky Club and a Delta One Lounge at the airport.

Taiwan and D.C. Link Up

EVA started its new Washington Dulles (IAD) flights on June 26. The route operates 4x weekly. This is the first time the cities have been connected with nonstop service.

Avelo Airlines Makes 3 Major Network Changes

A trio of announcements came from low-cost Avelo this week. The biggest news is that Aguadilla (BQN), Puerto Rico, will be added to its route network. Twice-weekly flights from its main hub at New Haven (HVN), Connecticut, and Lakeland (LAL) in Florida will start in November.

Also starting in November, Concorde Airport (USA), North Carolina, will get 3 new nonstop services to Florida: Fort Myers (RSW), Orlando (MCO), and Tampa (TPA).

Finally, as of September 21, Avelo will alter its New Haven to Houston Hobby (HOU) flight, flying instead to Houston’s George Bush International (IAH).

British Airways Partners With Porter Airlines

A new partnership between British Airways and Canada’s Porter Airlines adds an interesting new way to travel between North America and the U.K. British Airways passengers flying to or from Montreal (YUL) and Toronto (YYZ) will now be able to connect seamlessly to or from 17 Canadian cities served by Porter Airlines.

Members of the British Airways Club will also earn both Avios and status-earning Tier Points when flying Porter.

Delta and Korean Airlines Flights Exempt From Baggage Recheck

If you’re traveling from South Korea back to Los Angeles (LAX) and Seattle (SEA) on some Delta and Korean Airlines flights, you’ll no longer have to collect and recheck your bags. The seamless baggage transfer program is made possible by International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) technology, which enables U.S. customes officers to check the incoming bags while they’re in the air rather than when they’re offloaded. This now applies to Korean flights 11 and 17 to LAX, plus Delta flight 196 and Korean flight 41 to Seattle.

New Meals at Air France’s Long-Haul Lounges

Taking a long-haul flight from Paris with Air France? You’ll want to factor in some lounge time to try out some new dishes by french chef Yves Camdeborde. When departing from Termain 2E, from the K, L, and M halls, new lunch and dinner dishes include free range chicken with candied lemon, accompanied by ratatouille; a savory celeriac cake with code, hake, and smoked trout, and a creamy spinach, mozzarella, and walnut lasagne.

Amex Will Close Another Centurion Lounge

Cardholders of the Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Centurion^® Card from American Express will lose another Centurion outside of the U.S. as of July 1, 2025 — this time in Mumbai (BOM), India. Guests will be directed to use the Adani Business Class lounge instead.

This closure will leave just 3 Asian airports with Centurion lounges: Delhi (DEL), Hong Kong (HKG), and Tokyo Haneda (HND). The news comes after the Centurion Lounge location in São Paulo (GRU) was quietly shuttered in February 2025.

Final Thoughts

The progress in American’s retrofit program is great news, providing a positive impact for customers. I’m also left wondering why all bags can’t be checked while they’re flying, not just those from certain destinations like Seoul. And Amex, please stop closing lounges.