50 signals tagged merger & acquisition.
Mergers, acquisitions and ownership changes among airlines, hotel companies, card issuers and travel businesses, and what each one means for the loyalty programs involved. Stories here cover announcements, regulatory approvals and the later step of combining programs and member accounts. Program changes that follow a merger are tagged here as well.
Alaska Airlines will start flying Seattle to Osaka 4 times a week from May 14, 2027, and Seattle to Papeete 3 times a week from June 11, 2027.
Asiana members who link SKYPASS accounts will see miles transfer on December 17, 2026, and those miles remain a separate balance for up to 10 years.
Portugal selected Lufthansa Group over Air France-KLM for TAP Air Portugal, with closing not expected until early 2028.
Existing Asiana members can convert flight miles to SKYPASS at 1:1 and partner miles at 1:0.82, with unused balances rolling over in 2036.
Elite benefits and award space tied to Asiana will give way to Korean Air when the carriers become one airline on December 17, 2026.
Frequent flyer program integration remains unresolved even as the combined airline is set to launch on December 17, 2026.
Norse Atlantic Airways is seeking a sale, merger, or partnership after IndiGo terminated its aircraft leasing agreement. The airline will regain five Boeing 787s by November 1, 2026, and is exploring ACMI opportunities and winter route deployments
United CEO Scott Kirby contacted Delta CEO Ed Bastian to probe a potential merger, following a previous proposal to merge with American Airlines
Alaska Airlines will replace Hawaiian's aging Boeing 717 fleet with Boeing 737-800s for inter-island flights starting in 2028, offering more seats and premium amenities
Lufthansa Group is officially rebranding its Miles & More loyalty program as 'Lufthansa Group Miles & More' to strengthen central group identity, with visual updates planned by end of 2026
Asiana Mileage Plan members are losing Star Alliance earning and redemption benefits as the airline exits the alliance in December 2026, with full program integration into Korean Air delayed by antitrust regulators
Alaska Airlines adds daily Boise and Saturday-only Spokane service from Honolulu starting Dec 2026, while suspending its HNL-Auckland route indefinitely
Brazilian carrier Gol has launched its first flights to New York JFK from Rio de Janeiro and announced upcoming long-haul routes to Lisbon and Orlando with specific start dates in 2026
SAS has placed an order for 18 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft and acquired an unspecified number of used A330-300s, marking its largest investment in company history at over $10 billion
Alaska Airlines will not resume five seasonal Mexico routes this winter, exiting service from Las Vegas and San Francisco to Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, and Cancun to add Hawaii flights
Star Alliance confirms Asiana Airlines will exit the alliance on December 16, 2026. Members can earn miles on Asiana flights until October 15, 2026, and redeem miles/status benefits until December 16
IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus on purchased points through July 16, 2026, lowering the cost to 0.5 cents per point for purchases of at least 5,000 points
President Trump unveiled a new Boeing 747-8 as Air Force One on June 19, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews. The jet was gifted by Qatar and has undergone commissioning flights
Allegiant president outlines plans to merge Allways Rewards with Sun Country Rewards and expand service from Minneapolis-St. Paul following the $1.5B merger
American Airlines has started blocking last-minute domestic saver award space, reducing availability for bookings made close to departure. Other news includes United CEO dismissing a JetBlue merger and Alaska facing fines for intoxicated passengers
United CEO Scott Kirby dismissed speculation of a JetBlue merger as 'idiotic,' confirming United will not participate in airline consolidation for the foreseeable future after its talks with American Airlines fizzled
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby stated that buying JetBlue is the 'last thing' he would do, dismissing consolidation rumors and calling the idea 'idiotic' at a Bernstein investor conference
Internal documents indicate the Citi Custom Cash Card will be discontinued for new customer acquisition starting May 29, 2026. Existing cardholders will retain their benefits
Following Spirit Airlines' collapse in May 2026, JetBlue, Allegiant, and Breeze are rapidly expanding routes to capture market share, particularly at Spirit's former hubs like Fort Lauderdale
Thailand's cabinet has officially decided to revert visa-free entry from 60 days back to 30 days for most nationalities and remove visa waivers for three unnamed countries. The change takes effect 15 days after Royal Gazette publication
Allegiant Air announced 8 new routes launching from Florida in October and November 2026, including service from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, Omaha, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City
Asiana Airlines will cease to exist as a separate brand on December 17, 2026, fully integrating into Korean Air. This marks Asiana's exit from Star Alliance and move to SkyTeam
Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines have officially merged, with Sun Country's loyalty program set to merge into Allegiant Allways by May 2028. The combined entity operates 195 aircraft serving nearly 175 cities
Lufthansa has exercised its option to increase its stake in ITA Airways from 41% to 90% for 325 million euros, with regulatory approval expected in Q1 2027
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched a privately funded reality series featuring United Airlines and Boeing, sparking conflict-of-interest debates among frequent fliers
The Standard, Brussels has officially integrated into World of Hyatt, allowing members to earn and redeem points. The hotel is part of Hyatt's Standard International collection
United CEO Scott Kirby has pitched the idea of acquiring American Airlines to senior Trump administration officials, signaling potential major industry consolidation
Analysis suggests the current political and financial climate offers an ideal window for United Airlines to acquire JetBlue, citing regulatory approval odds and JetBlue's financial pressures
Hawaiian Airlines officially joined the Oneworld Alliance on April 23, 2026, becoming the third US-based carrier in the alliance alongside Alaska and American Airlines
Spirit Airlines has requested hundreds of millions in emergency funding from the Trump administration to offset jet fuel costs, offering government equity in exchange to avoid liquidation while in Chapter 11 bankruptcy
British Airways is offering a 40% bonus on purchased Avios through its direct portal until April 27, 2026. The promotion applies to purchases of 2,000+ Avios, with a cap of 200,000 base points per calendar year
Alaska Airlines and American Airlines are exploring an expanded partnership that could see Alaska join their long-haul joint ventures, including transpacific and transatlantic routes
JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty issued a memo stating the airline is not considering a Chapter 11 filing in 2026, though consolidation or bankruptcy remains a possibility thereafter due to high debt and fuel costs
As of April 22, 2026, Hawaiian Airlines has retired its historic 'HA' IATA designator code, replacing it with Alaska Airlines' 'AS' code for all flight numbers, marking a major step in the post-merger integration
JetBlue founder David Neeleman predicts the airline could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing high debt and fuel costs, while noting United's hesitation to acquire it due to that debt load
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has pitched a potential acquisition of American Airlines to senior government officials, according to Bloomberg
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated openness to airline consolidation, specifically noting that President Trump favors big deals. The comments fuel speculation about a potential acquisition of JetBlue by United or American Airlines
ITA Airways has officially joined Star Alliance effective April 1, 2026, following its integration into Lufthansa Group. The airline is adopting Miles&More as its frequent flyer program, replacing Volare
ITA Airways officially joins Star Alliance and adopts Lufthansa's Miles & More program on April 1, 2026, ending its independent ITA Volare program
Uber has announced it is acquiring Blacklane, a global chauffeur service, to bolster its premium travel segment. The deal, expected to close by end of 2026, aims to combine Blacklane's luxury expertise with Uber's scale
Air Canada announced CEO Michael Rousseau will retire by the end of Q3 2026 after nearly two decades. An external search for his replacement has begun, with French language proficiency cited as a key criterion
JetBlue has hired advisers to assess selling itself to rival airlines, specifically scenario-planning deals with United, Alaska, or Southwest. The move follows JetBlue's struggle with profitability and comes amid a more consolidation-friendly regulatory environment
Alaska Airlines' Atmos Rewards program is showing significantly higher point costs for partner awards with connections, deviating from standard award charts. This may be a glitch or a devaluation of partner awards
Spirit Airlines has filed its Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, targeting an emergence from Chapter 11 by early summer 2026
China Southern has sold its fleet of 10 Boeing 787-8s to Bohai Leasing via Avolon for approximately $532 million. The aircraft are expected to be acquired by Thai Airways to expand its widebody fleet
