Category Airline, Tourism, Organisations & Operators

Loyalty programs remain deeply embedded in how travelers plan, book and experience travel, but a new 3-part research series from Phocuswright shows that heavy participation does not necessarily translate into consistent brand usage.

Instead, travelers are navigating an increasingly complex rewards economy strategically, prioritizing value, convenience and fit over long-term brand devotion.
According to Phocuswright’s latest consumer research, 84% of leisure travelers engaged in at least one loyalty “gaming” behavior in the past 12 months, underscoring how normalized optimization has become across points, miles and status programs.

Riyadh Air and Mastercard today unveiled a bold strategic alliance that brings together payments, travel and technology to reshape how people and businesses experience global travel. With no legacy programs in place, Riyadh Air is in a unique position to jointly create an extensive financial and payment ecosystem that is unprecedented from day one. The collaboration introduces a powerful suite of innovations spanning consumer payments, premium airport experiences and next-generation B2B travel payments – positioning Saudi Arabia at the forefront of global travel evolution.

Get ready to pair world-famous port wine cellars with “Euro Summer” adventures thanks to new service from American Airlines to Porto, Portugal (OPO) in summer 2027. Operated with the airline’s new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, customers will have the opportunity to elevate their travel with the Flagship Suite® experience on this route.

Wizz Air, one of Europe’s leading low-cost airlines, has closed calendar year 2025 with growth, an expanded and refocused network, and continued improvements in operational performance. The airline added new aircraft, opened hundreds of new routes, and carried record passenger volumes, while also strengthening punctuality and reliability across its network.

Boeing announced the largest landing gear exchange contract in Boeing’s history at the Singapore Airshow. Under this contract, Boeing will provide landing gear exchanges for more than 75 aircraft across the 737 MAX and 787 fleets operated by the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group. The landing gear exchange program offers gear overhaul scheduling flexibility that will optimize the useful life of the gears and minimizing aircraft downtime.

Emirates is batting strong, featuring Indian cricket star Suryakumar Yadav in its latest advertising campaign to debut ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will be the Official Airline Partner of the 2026 Open Masters Games taking place from 6-15 February in over 20 venues across Abu Dhabi, marking a significant partnership that reinforces Abu Dhabi’s position as a host of world‑class sporting events. The event highlights the importance of sport as a way of life for people of all ages and backgrounds; and showcases Etihad’s commitment to supporting the Abu Dhabi community.

Emirates has announced the expansion of its operations to Tokyo Narita with the introduction of a second daily service from 1 May, operated by the airline’s retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER.

Wizz Air, the fastest-growing European airline and London’s local airline, today announces the launch of a brand new route from London Gatwick to Santorini, further expanding its Greek network ahead of the peak summer travel season.

Emirates marked UAE-Kuwait Week with a series of special onboard initiatives, marking the longstanding ties that unite the UAE and the State of Kuwait.