Here’s the latest miles, points, travel, and deals news:
American Partners With Porter
American Airlines just launched a codeshare partnership with Porter Airlines, giving you access to a bunch of Canadian destinations you couldn’t easily reach before through American’s network.
You can now connect through Toronto to Edmonton, Halifax, Ottawa, Victoria, and Winnipeg, with Calgary, Charlottetown, Kelowna, Vancouver, St. John’s, and Saskatoon being added in the coming weeks.
If you’re an AAdvantage member, you can earn miles and Loyalty Points when you book Porter flights through American’s website or app, though full mileage redemption options are expected to roll out later.
This partnership makes sense when you consider that Air Canada teams up with United and WestJet partners with Delta, leaving Porter as the logical choice for American to finally get a meaningful Canadian airline partner.
PLAY Airlines Shuts Down
Iceland’s ultra-low-cost carrier PLAY has ceased operations immediately and canceled all flights, so if you have a ticket booked, you’ll want to contact your credit card company for a refund or check if other airlines are offering special “rescue fares.”
The airline launched in 2021, attempting to connect North America and Europe through Keflavik with a fleet of 10 Airbus aircraft (six A320neos and four A321neos). However, it has been hemorrhaging money since its launch and recently cut all US routes in a desperate restructuring effort.
PLAY’s shutdown mirrors the 2019 collapse of WOW Air, which had the exact same business model and even shared some executives with PLAY, proving that Iceland’s ultra-low-cost transatlantic connection strategy remains fundamentally flawed.
Hilton’s Fall Points Promotion
Hilton just dropped a new bonus points offer where you’ll earn 1,500 bonus points for each stay completed between October 1 and December 31, 2025, and you’ll need to register on Hilton’s website to activate the deal.
Award stays count toward this promotion, and if your stay starts before October 1 but checks out during the promo period, you’ll still qualify for the bonus points.
You can stack this offer with the Hilton for Business Diamond Fast Track promotion running through December 15, making it an easy opportunity to rack up points while working toward elite status.
Lufthansa Axes Classic Jets
Lufthansa Group is slashing six long-haul aircraft types by 2030 while cutting roughly 4,000 jobs, mostly in administrative roles across Germany, as part of a major fleet and workforce overhaul.
The four-engine planes you grew up flying are getting the boot: A340-600s and A330-200s leave in 2026, followed by A340-300s and 747-400s in 2027, then 777-200ERs in 2028, while Austrian’s 767-300ERs also exit in 2026.
By 2030, you’ll see Lufthansa flying A350-900s, A350-1000s, 747-8s, 777-9s, and 787-9s. Meanwhile, Austrian will stick with 787-9s, Brussels and Discover will operate A330-300s, SWISS will run A330-300s and A350-900s alongside 777-300ERs, and the future of the A380 remains undecided.
The carrier plans to automate tasks and deploy AI tools across planning, scheduling, and customer service to eliminate overlapping functions. However, operational roles in maintenance and engineering will remain intact, as the streamlined fleet reduces training and parts complexity.
Spirit Axes Hartford, Minneapolis Service
Spirit is axing 40 routes and ending service entirely to Hartford (BDL) on October 31, 2025 and Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) on December 1, 2025.
Combined with previously announced cuts, Spirit will no longer serve Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boise, Chattanooga, Columbia, Hartford, Minneapolis, Oakland, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, and San Jose.
Customers with affected reservations can get a refund or reaccommodation, though the ongoing uncertainty might make you hesitant to book Spirit without having a backup flight ready.
United Eliminates Connection Bag Hassle
United has launched International Remote Baggage Screening on its daily Sydney to San Francisco flight, which means you no longer collect and re-check bags when connecting to another US flight since they automatically route to your final destination, saving up to 45 minutes.
The program has already served over 160 passengers per flight and will expand to more international routes soon, joining similar initiatives from American and Delta that simplify the international connection process.
Stowaway Found Dead In Gear
A maintenance crew discovered a dead stowaway in the landing gear of an American Airlines Boeing 777-200ER (registered N794AN) at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Sunday morning, September 28, 2025 — two full days after the aircraft arrived from Frankfurt on September 26.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating the death, and while the person’s nationality remains unconfirmed, some reports speculate they may have been from El Salvador since the 24-year-old aircraft had recently flown from San Salvador to Dallas before continuing through Madrid, Charlotte, Frankfurt, and back to Charlotte.
Cargo Plane Crosses Active Runway
An American Airlines A321 heading to Boston had to slam on the brakes at 124 knots during takeoff at LAX on Sunday night after an AeroLogic Boeing 777 cargo plane crossed Runway 25R without permission—the air traffic controller canceled the takeoff clearance just in time to prevent what could have been a catastrophic collision.
The high-speed rejected takeoff delayed AA2453 by two and a half hours, but no one was injured and the aircraft departed after an inspection, while the FAA confirmed the cargo crew had crossed the active runway without clearance after arriving from Shanghai.
