Gulf Airline Operations, Southwest Boarding Issues, United’s New Earphone Rule, and More Airline News

In this week’s roundup, we’ll take a look at which Gulf airlines are operating flights amid political tensions, United’s fight against noisy passengers, Spirit cutting even more routes, issues Southwest is facing with boarding, and more.

Let’s jump in.

Which Gulf Region Airlines Are Flying?

The political unrest in the Middle East continues to disrupt air travel to and from the region. Below is the latest from Middle East-based airlines that operate routes to the U.S.

• Emirates: Resumption of some flights.
  • U.S. routes in operation: Dubai (DXB) to/from Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), New York (JFK), and San Francisco (SFO), and between Newark (EWR) and Athens (ATH).
• Etihad Airways: Resumption of some flights between March 6 to 19.
  • U.S. routes in operation: Abu Dhabi (AUH) to/from Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago, JFK, and Washington, DC (IAD).
• Gulf Air: All flights are currently suspended.
• Oman Air: Most flights are operating, and there’s a flexible rebooking policy in place.
• Qatar Airways: Flights are currently suspended, other than repatriation from 5 European cities.
• Royal Jordanian: All U.S. routes are in operation
• Saudia: Resumption of most flights.
  • U.S. routes in operation: Riyadh (RUH) to/from JFK

The information was correct at the time of publishing on Saturday, March 7. We advise checking your airline’s website before you head to the airport in case anything has changed.

Make Sure You Don’t Forget Your Earphones When Flying United

United has updated its terms of carriage, specifically under Rule 12, Refusal of Transportation. From now on, when passengers buy a United ticket, they can legally be removed from the aircraft if they refuse to use earphones when listening to audio from a personal device.

Enforcing this when the plane is in the air will likely result in a flying ban rather than a diversion. I’d love to see more airlines adopt this approach, especially in South America, where nobody seems to wear earphones in public.

Southwest Set To Rethink New Boarding Process

The OG low-cost carrier, Southwest, made the most radical change in its history this year by completely scrapping its unique open seating policy. Since its introduction in late January, passengers have objected in droves, mainly due to space issues in overhead bins. Southwest has acknowledged the teething problems and is working on a solution.

Spirit Slashes International Route Network

Troubled Spirit Airlines has announced major changes to its international route network, effective from April 2026. A total of 11 routes to primarily vacation destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America will be canceled completely.

The airline will also reduce the number of weekly flights on dozens of routes. Fort Lauderdale (FLL) will be the worst-affected airport with routes to 19 destinations facing schedule cuts.

La Compagnie Adds More U.S. Routes

French all-business class airline La Compagnie will increase its U.S. frequencies this summer. The boutique carrier will introduce the Boeing 757 into its fleet to add more flights from Paris (CDG) and Milan (MXP) to Newark (EWR).

Additional frequencies are scheduled for June to offer more seats for fans heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, plus September as well. The ex-Icelandair 757 does not feature lie-flat seats, unlike the rest of La Compagnie’s fleet.

Iberia Quietly Increases Award Rates From Chicago

The Iberia Club redemption sweet spot from Chicago is disappearing. As confirmed by Thrifty Traveler, Avios rates from the Midwest have quietly crept up around 25% in all cabins. Economy bookings went up from 16,000 to 20,000 Avios, and the lowest business-class rate will now be 50,500 instead of 40,500.

American Airlines Expands Digital Wallet Offering

Samsung cell phone users can now add their American Airlines boarding pass to their digital wallet. The update is part of a wider tech improvement project that American started implementing in 2025.

Final Thoughts

With safety always the No. 1 priority for airlines, it could be a while before we see flight schedules in the Middle East return to normal. And it could be even longer before Spirit returns to its pre-financial-struggles flight operations.

On the other hand, United’s crackdown on non-earphone users is an excellent policy change. The employee who came up with that idea needs a raise!

We’ll see you again next week.