Happy Friday. Here’s the latest miles, points, travel, and deals news:
American Adds 15 Routes
American Airlines is launching 15 new domestic routes for summer 2026, including service to Lincoln, Nebraska — the carrier’s 240th domestic destination — from Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, and Phoenix.
The expansion focuses heavily on Chicago O’Hare, where American is battling United for market share by adding routes to Erie, Pennsylvania; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Tri-Cities, Tennessee, while extending winter-seasonal service to Santa Fe and Key West into summer and upgrading Hilton Head and Pensacola to daily year-round flights.
Other new routes include Boston to Madison and Nantucket; Charlotte to Columbia, Missouri; Dallas Fort Worth to Lincoln and Roanoke; Miami to Jackson, Mississippi (seasonal); and Phoenix to Abilene, Anchorage, Bozeman, Kalispell, Lincoln, McAllen, and Rapid City.
American expects to operate over 500 daily departures from Chicago during summer 2026 — a 30% increase compared to 2025 — as it strengthens connections between smaller cities and its larger network.
Alaska Expands Northwest Network
Alaska Airlines is launching seven new routes split between Anchorage and Portland, with all flights beginning between March and June 2026.
From Anchorage, the carrier will fly twice-weekly to Boise (June 10-August 15), weekly Saturday service to Boston (June 13-August 15), and twice-weekly to Spokane (June 10-August 15).
From Portland, you’ll see daily flights to Bellingham starting March 18, daily service to Paine Field beginning June 10, twice-weekly to Jackson Hole (June 10-September 30), and twice-daily to Tri-Cities Airport starting June 10.
The expansion represents Alaska’s largest-ever summer schedules from both Anchorage (averaging 66 daily departures) and Portland (145 daily departures) as the airline shifts its Seattle hub toward international flights to Rome, Reykjavik, and London.
JSX Adds Routes from Santa Monica
JSX is launching daily nonstop service between Santa Monica Airport and Scottsdale Airport starting January 22, 2026. The carrier is also ramping up its newly launched Santa Monica to Las Vegas route from daily service to twice-daily starting December 19th, and then to three times daily on February 5, 2026.
ITA Airways’ Volare Program Ending
ITA Airways has announced that its Volare loyalty program will officially end on March 30, 2026, with members able to redeem miles for flights through that date and for merchandise through April 30, 2026.
The Italian carrier is expected to transition to Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More program on March 31, 2026, though details about how existing mileage balances will transfer haven’t been released yet.
This move aligns with ITA’s ongoing shift from SkyTeam to Star Alliance, which won’t be complete until 2026, and follows the carrier’s recent partnership with United Airlines that already allows for reciprocal elite benefits and mileage earning.
NASCAR Legend Killed In Crash
Former NASCAR champion Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, and five others — including Dennis Dutton and his son Jack, plus Craig Wadsworth — died when their Cessna C550 Citation II crashed at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday after attempting to return shortly after takeoff bound for Florida amid poor weather conditions.
The 55-year-old Biffle had won 19 NASCAR Cup Series races and was known for his charitable work, including using his private aircraft to help communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
The NTSB and FAA are investigating the crash, which resulted in an intense post-impact fire, and will examine flight data, maintenance records, weather conditions, and pilot actions to determine what caused the tragedy approximately 50 miles north of Charlotte.
American Upgrades Lounge Food
American Airlines is rolling out new winter menus across its Flagship and premium lounges starting December 10, with dishes like apricot ginger pork loin with baby spinach and kale at LAX, cinnamon matcha pancakes with mandarin orange syrup at LAX, curried artichoke orange salad with shaved fennel at ORD, coconut lemongrass salmon with fried eggplant at ORD, beef bulgogi with poached egg over sticky rice and butternut squash at DFW, a custom pho bar with lemongrass chicken and all the fixings at PHL, mini pretzels with Yards beer cheese sauce at PHL, Peruvian chaufa bowls with chorizo and fried tofu at MIA, a Ghirardelli cocoa bar with butterscotch sticks and Andes Mints at MIA, and three signature burgers including a house-made veggie patty option at JFK’s Soho Lounge.
Starting January 2026, select Admirals Club locations will add experiential food stations including bagel bars at Nashville, DFW, LAX, ORD, Phoenix and San Francisco with toppings like avocado, tomato, arugula, prosciutto, smoked salmon, capers and various cream cheeses, plus waffle bars at Boston, Charlotte, DCA, JFK, LaGuardia, Miami and Philadelphia with maple syrup, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, almond butter, powdered sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, coconut, fresh fruit and sprinkles.
