Emirates Makes Changes, Alaska Adds 5 Seattle Routes, and More Airline News

Lots happened this week in aviation news. Emirates is reworking Skywards, new 2027 routes keep popping up, and Starlink Wi-Fi keeps spreading.

Here’s what you missed.

Emirates Pauses Pooling, Changes Miles Expiration

Emirates Skywards will pause its My Family pooling program in January 2027 until a new version arrives in the future. Pooled miles will move to the family head’s account. The new version will let members keep miles in their own accounts and combine them only when redeeming. Family heads who close their account before the pause forfeit any pooled miles.

Miles earned on or after June 1, 2027, will expire 3 years after they’re earned, rounded to the month’s end, instead of the member’s birth month.

New Alaska Airlines and Aeromexico Routes

Alaska is adding 5 nonstops from Seattle (SEA), including first-ever nonstops to Jacksonville (JAX), Florida; Norfolk (ORF), Virginia; and Des Moines (DSM), Iowa.

Aeromexico will fly from Mexico City (MEX) to Nashville (BNA), Tennessee, starting June 13, 2027, and New Orleans (MSY) starting June 17. Both fly 4x weekly on Embraer E190s.

Atmos Rewards Adds GOL, Expands American Codeshare

Atmos Rewards members can now earn points on certain GOL flights booked through Alaska Airlines channels, and points redemptions should come in early 2027. From March 28, 2027, West Coast travelers can fly Alaska or Hawaiian to New York City (JFK) and connect to Rio de Janeiro (GIG) on GOL.

Plus, an expanded American codeshare will add Rio and São Paulo (GRU) connections via JFK, Dallas (DFW), and Miami (MIA).

AA Plans LAX Growth

American plans to fly more in Los Angeles (LAX). The airline is flying 32% fewer Southern California flights than in 2019 and serves just 4 long-haul cities from LAX. The airline plans for gradual growth until the rebuilt Terminal 5 at LAX is ready in late 2028.

United’s 757-300s Get Seatback Screens

United will retrofit its 21 Boeing 757-300s with seatback screens. These planes are 24 years old on average, and they’ll also get larger overhead bins and refreshed seats, according to JonNYC. None of United’s 61 757s have Starlink yet, though that’s on the airline’s to-do list.

Starlink Expansion Continues

Speaking of Starlink…

• Lufthansa received its 700th Airbus, an A350-1000 named Deutschland. It’s the group’s first long-haul jet with Starlink, which is free for Miles & More members. It debuts between Munich and Tokyo Haneda on December 3.
• On December 3, Slate Aviation will start installing Starlink fleetwide, hoping for completion in early 2027.
• Qatar Executive finished installing Starlink on its entire Gulfstream G700 and G650ER fleet.
• Southwest hosted a live gaming tournament (including livestreaming on Twitch) on a Starlink-equipped flight from Austin (AUS) to San Diego (SAN).

Hong Kong’s New Arrivals Lounge

Plaza Premium will add a landside arrivals lounge, Rhythms, in Terminal 2 at Hong Kong (HKG) later this month. It promises live music, wellness experiences, dining, and private resting spaces. This will be the airport’s only arrivals lounge.

Google’s Spirit Data Deal Gets Limits

Google is buying the defunct Spirit Airlines’ enterprise data for $10 million to train its Gemini AI model. Responding to an objection from the Association of Flight Attendants, Google will exclude 20 data categories, including medical records and fatigue reports.

Another Setback for TSA’s Gateside Program

Gateside, which lets approved PreCheck members pass security even when they’re not flying, briefly expanded from 13 to more than 300 airports in October. Now, it’s shrinking back to 13. Moreover, applicants are experiencing errors, and TSA hasn’t publicly said when they’ll be fixed.

Other Airline News This Week

• Maldives-based BeOnd suspended all scheduled flights for the second time this year. They’re now paused through November 30.
• The FAA is updating air traffic control systems that relied on floppy disks. The systems will now using a new digital display system planned for 435 locations by the end of 2028.
• Qatar Airways now offers preordered meals in first and business on flights of 2 or more hours.
• An Airbus A350-1000ULR built for Qantas’ Project Sunrise was confirmed this week by Guinness World Records as the longest commercial plane flight: Melbourne (MEL), Australia, to Toulouse (TLS), France, in 24 hours, 24 minutes, on July 28, 2026.

Final Thoughts

Emirates families with pooled miles have important decisions to make before January. Elsewhere, there are new routes, faster Wi-Fi, and better tech coming to both planes and airports.