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United New Routes, Qatar’s Doubtful First Class, Delta’s London Woes, and More Airline News

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Daniel Ross
Updated: 
Edited by: Ryan Smith
United New Routes, Qatar’s Doubtful First Class, Delta’s London Woes, and More Airline News
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We’ve got news from around the world this week.

The future of Qatar’s new first class hangs in the balance, Heathrow causes a stir for Delta and Virgin, construction of a new Haiwaiian Airlines lounge in Honolulu gets underway, and United teases the possibility of flying to 2 countries for the first time.

Let’s take a look.

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United Has Ecclectic Plans fo Its Route Network

In terms of off-the-beaten-track destinations, United is pretty hard to beat. Even after this year’s recent announcements, there’s still a lot of potential, including the possibility of nonstop flights to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The current block, explained by United CEO Scott Kirby on the Cheeky Pint podcast, is that flying over Russia isn’t an option. Watch this space.

In other United route news, its new nonstop service from Newark (EWR) to St. Croix (STX) starts today, October 31, 2026.

Qatar Airways Might Scrap Plans for a New First Class

Hamad Ali Al-Khater, Qatar Airways CEO, cast significant doubt over the future of the airline’s first class. He was quoted by Executive Traveller: “We’d only do it if we believe we have a first class that’s worth talking about.” Lovers of first class waiting for Qatar to reveal the design of its rumored new ultra-premium product might have their hopes dashed. The news came in the same week Al-Khater confirmed a host of exciting premium updates.

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New Hawaiian Airlines Lounge Begins Construction

Work is now underway on a new Hawaiian Airlines lounge at Honolulu (HNL). Slated to open in 2028 in the Mauka Concourse, the 13,000-square-foot space will become the airline’s flagship lounge.

WestJet and Qatar Airways Confirm New Codeshare Partnership

Canadian airline WestJet and Doha-based Qatar Airways have confirmed a new reciprocal codeshare partnership. Initially, WestJet flight numbers will be added to Qatar Airways’ flights to and from Montréal (YUL) and Toronto (YYZ), and Qatar Airways flight numbers will be added to WestJet flights departing to 11 Canadian cities from those airports. The plan is to eventually extend the codeshare to include Qatar Airways global network.

Aeromexico Adds More Nonstop Flights to the U.S.

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Aeromexico is expanding its U.S. network once again with daily nonstop service from Mexico City (MEX) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL); John Wayne Orange County (SNA), California; and Portland (PDX), Oregon. The 3 routes will start in January and be operated by the airline’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets. As each route is unique to Aeromexico, it will open up new travel opportunities for travelers on both sides of the border.

Heathrow Airport Causes Issues For Delta and Virgin Passengers

Delta and Virgin Atlantic‘s Heathrow-based relationship is in turmoil. Powers that be at the London airport have decided to split the 2 airlines up, moving Delta with the majority of SkyTeam airlines in Terminal 4. At Delta’s current home in Terminal 3, quick and easy transfers to and from Virgin Atlantic flights are possible.

Delta and Virgin tailfins at Heathrow
Delta and Virgin planes will no longer be parked at the same terminal at London Heathrow. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

As the airline’s have an important joint venture, and Delta owns a 49% stake in Virgin, the news enraged both airlines. This includes the loss of access to Virgin Atlantic’s Terminal 3 Clubhouse lounge for Delta passengers, though the silver lining is the new Air France lounge eligible Delta passengers can access in Terminal 4.

Air Transat Adds 2 New European Leisure Destinations

Canada’s leisure airline, Air Transat, has added 2 new routes to vacation destinations for 2027. New seasonal service from Québec City (YQB) to Barcelona (BCN) and Lyon (LYS) will run from June to October on a once-weekly basis.

Other Noteworthy Headlines

  • Some easyJet flights will have Starlink Wi-Fi starting in 2027.
  • Avianca will operate Etihad‘s flights between Barcelona and Abu Dhabi (AUH) until October 25, 2027. This will mark a significant downgrade from the passenger experience offered on Etihad’s own aircraft.
  • 44% of United’s Starlink rollout is now complete.
  • WestJet will increase status-earning spend thresholds for the 2027 earning period, raising between 25% and 50%, depending on the tier.

Final Thoughts

This was quite a varied week in the airline world. Delta and Virgin aren’t happy about changes at London Heathrow, Starlink rollouts continue, and a Colombian airline will operate flights from Spain to Abu Dhabi on behalf of a Middle Eastern airline.

We’ll be back next week with more.

Featured Image Credit: Alberto Riva
Daniel Ross's image

About Daniel Ross

Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points Guy, and more.

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