Delta’s Rewards for Top Spenders, Brazilian Bankruptcy, 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 developments in the Americas and Europe, some negative and some positive, and fly to the Middle East and beyond.

Here’s what you need to know.

American, Delta, United Begin Charging Solo Travelers More

There’s a new development among U.S. airlines, as reported by Thrifty Traveler and confirmed by searches for tickets. The 3 legacy carriers are now charging more on some routes when booking for 1 person versus booking for 2 or more.

Take, for example, Delta Air Lines. One-way airfare for 1 passenger from Minneapolis (MSP) to Miami (MIA) on October 4 was $244 in economy, $329 in Delta Comfort with more legroom, and $494 in first class.

But search for 2 (or more) passengers and the fare drops, except for first class. It’s $183 in main cabin and $268 in Comfort — or 25% and 18.5% less, respectively.

The quirk doesn’t appear on all routes. Thrifty Traveler reported more cases of this difference in pricing on American and United, as well. It may be due to pricing algorithms being adjusted to charge more for people who are likely to be traveling for business, which is often the case for solo flyers.

Delta’s Top-Spending Diamonds Get More Choice Benefits

Delta flyers who earn more than the $28,000 in Medallion Qualification Dollars required to hit Diamond Medallion, the highest published tier of elite status, have long complained that there was little incentive to keep flying Delta once they were past the Diamond threshold.

The airline has now made it more attractive to stay in the Delta fold after reaching the $28,000 level.

Eye of the Flyer reported that earning more than $28,000 MQDs in a calendar year means you can now pick more of the Choice Benefits that help make Delta Diamond status attractive. But you have to earn significantly more: Even dropping more than $40,000 on Delta won’t get you extra Choice Benefits.

According to Delta, “Diamond Medallions are eligible to earn up to 3 additional Choice Benefits upon earning $50K, $75K, and $100K MQDs.” That seems to indicate that you’ll get 1 extra Choice Benefit at $50,000, then another at $75,000, and a third and final at $100,000.

The extra Choice Benefits to pick from are:

• 4 Regional Upgrade Certificates
• 2 Global Upgrade Certificates
• 50,000 bonus SkyMiles, which also can be gifted to other SkyMiles members or donated
• $5,000 MQD Accelerator for the 2027 Medallion Year
• Gift Platinum Medallion status to up to 2 recipients
• Gift Diamond Medallion status to 1 recipient (this is only available after earning $100K MQDs)

Brazil’s Azul in Bankruptcy Protection, Gets Investment From American and United

Azul, the Brazilian airline started by JetBlue founder David Neeleman, has declared bankruptcy in the U.S. but continues flying as it restructures to become financially viable. This matters to U.S.-based flyers not only because Azul is the largest airline by departures in the largest Latin American economy but also because it serves destinations in Brazil from Florida.

Azul flies from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Belem (BEL); Belo Horizonte (CNF) via Curaçao (CUR) in the Dutch Caribbean; Manaus (MAO); and São Paulo-Campinas (VCP). From Orlando (MCO), it flies to Belo Horizonte, Recife (REC), and São Paulo.

Azul said in a statement that American Airlines and United Airlines are taking part in the process. According to Brazilian financial newspaper Valor Econômico, American and United are expected to invest up to $300 million in Azul once the restructuring is finalized. United already owns 2% of Azul, while American owns 5% of Azul’s direct domestic rival Gol, and “Gol remains a key partner,” American’s chief strategy officer Stephen Johnson was quoted as saying by Valor.

American’s intention to invest in Azul as well as Gol is an indicator of how much U.S. airlines are betting on the Brazilian market, which grew 6.6% last year in domestic passengers, well above the global average.

Also according to Valor, talks between Azul and Gol shareholders about a possible merger are on hold while Azul — and Gol itself, which plans to exit Chapter 11 this year — are both in bankruptcy protection.

By using the U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings, Azul plans to eliminate more than $2 billion in debt and raise $1.6 billion in financing, plus potentially $950 million more after it emerges from bankruptcy.

Want To Win 5 Million Etihad Miles?

Etihad Airways is launching a contest to win up to 5 million miles called the Extraordinary Challenge. Extraordinary is not a misnomer: It really is quite a challenge, since it involves traveling within a year to the 15 newest Etihad destinations, spread across 4 continents. The prizes are as big as the challenge, though, with the first prize being 5 million Etihad Guest miles, the second 3 million, and the third 1 million.

Etihad Guest miles are worth 1.4 cents each in our valuations, so even third prize yields $14,000 worth of miles. The top prize would net you a staggering $70,000 in miles.

To participate, you have to be an Etihad Guest member, register to join the challenge, and start flying. To be honest, the challenge is unfair to the citizens of many nations who can’t travel to Russia easily, since the list includes Sochi (AER) in the Russian Federation, as well as these other 14 destinations:

• Atlanta (ATL)
• Chiang Mai (CNX), Thailand
• Hanoi (HAN), Vietnam
• Hong Kong (HKG)
• Krabi (KBV), Thailand
• Medan (KNO), Indonesia
• Peshawar (PEW), Pakistan
• Phnom Penh (PNH), Cambodia
• Taipei (TPE), Taiwan
• Tunis (TUN), Tunisia
• Addis Ababa (ADD), Ethiopia
• Prague (PRG), Czech Republic
• Warsaw (WAW), Poland

You have until May 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. GMT +4, to fly to or from all the specified 15 destinations in the shortest cumulative time. And those have to be Etihad flights, so you can’t take shortcuts like flying from Hong Kong to Hanoi on Cathay Pacific. The airline says that criteria for judging include not only time taken but also an unspecified, and intriguing, “creative merit and skill.”

Eurowings Plans Better Single-Aisle Business Class Than Parent Lufthansa

Eurowings is the low-cost, short- and medium-haul airline of the Lufthansa Group. Like Vueling for British Airways and Iberia or Transavia for Air France and KLM, it functions as the low-fares member of a larger group headed by legacy, full-service carriers. As such, it flies single-aisle jets with all economy class and no frills to compete with Europe’s low-fare giants like Ryanair.

Now, Eurowings is upsetting that concept with a business class that, on paper, blows out of the water the European business seats of parent company Lufthansa (and pretty much everybody else). Business class within Europe is normally just coach seats with the middle one blocked, better meal service, and lounge access.

But just one look at the new Eurowings biz seats says they are very different — basically the same as domestic first class in the U.S.

Eurowings said in a statement that 8 seats per aircraft will be installed in a 2-2 layout on its Airbus A320neo jets, which will begin flying this year on longer routes. The first will be Berlin (BER) to Dubai (DXB), but the airline didn’t say which routes will get it next.

This new seat will be called “Premium BIZ” and will be bookable beginning in August. According to our experience of Lufthansa’s disappointing short-haul business class, Eurowings Premium BIZ will have a low bar to clear in order to beat it.

Sun Country Adds First New Route in More Than a Year

Minneapolis-based Sun Country Airlines, the smallest of the U.S. low-cost carriers, is starting its first new route in more than a year. As reported by The Bukhead Seat, it will begin flying next winter, from January 30 to April 13, between Appleton (ATW) in Wisconsin and Fort Myers (RSW), Florida, consistent with its longtime mission of flying tourists from the cold Midwest to Florida in winter.

The reason this is relevant is that Sun Country is a name to follow among low-cost carriers. It offers an arguably better onboard experience than rivals Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant, thanks to reclining, better-padded seats, power, and no Wi-Fi but an inflight network offering free entertainment. Also unlike its rivals, Sun Country is profitable, with a net income of $52.9 million last year.

Türkiye Will Fine Passengers Who Stand Up Early

Disembarking passengers are an impatient lot. But passengers who stand up before the plane has come to a stop may soon learn a lesson, at least when landing in Türkiye.

Many international media, including the BBC, are reporting that the country’s civil aviation authority has introduced a fine for passengers who stand up before the seat belt sign has been turned off. Turkish media say the fine is up to $70 and that airlines must both make an announcement saying as much and report people who break the rule. Turkish Airlines has already changed its onboard announcements to warn of the fine, Euronews said.

The Turkish aviation authority said the phenomenon is increasing. It can be seen frequently when flying to or from countries where air travel is still relatively uncommon — which are also many of the countries that Turkish Airlines, which has the most destinations in the world, serves.

Final Thoughts

Among airline news this week, there may be negative changes afoot for domestic passengers in the U.S., where airlines are giving signs of charging more for solo flyers (the trend hasn’t appeared on international flights yet). There are better tidings instead for passengers in Europe, where a low-fare carrier is installing a business class that might just be among the best on the continent.

And, wherever you may be in the world, don’t get up before the seat belt sign is off — especially in Türkiye.