American Airlines has announced that next year it will introduce a new "Main Select" fare targeting business travelers on its high-frequency business routes, reports Business Travel News. The fare type will be refundable and will include priority boarding and check-in, access to all Main Cabin seats including Main Cabin Extra, and free same-day flight changes. American will introduce Main Select on flights in the Northeast, and then throughout its network. Routes that will feature the fare include New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Reagan National Airport (DCA) and Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS) to Reagan National Airport (DCA), and in additional markets such as Dallas/Fort Worth to Los Angeles. Main Select fares replace American's Shuttle product, which offered such benefits as dedicated check-in kiosks and boarding gates close to security checkpoints. The Shuttle product is currently available only on select routes in the Northeast, and American will retire the product with the introduction of Main Select fares. American doesn't yet have a planned rollout date for Main Select, according to a carrier spokesperson.

Delta Air Lines has announced that it plans to offer more routes, premium seats, and destinations in 2022, including a significant restoration of service enabling Delta to offer the most trans-Atlantic flights to Europe from New York-JFK and Boston. Delta’s summer 2022 schedule will jump 90% in additional capacity across to Europe, compared with summer 2021. Delta's schedule includes two new routes from Boston, to Athens and Tel Aviv, starting Memorial Day weekend in 2022, as well as restored service to cities such as Brussels, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Munich, Prague, and Zurich. In total, Delta plans to operate up to 73 daily flights to 25 destinations from 10 US gateway cities. “We’re focused on bringing back the routes and destinations our customers love, so they enjoy easy, convenient access to a comprehensive, far-reaching network throughout Europe and its neighboring regions,” said Joe Esposito, Delta’s SVP – Network Planning. “With the lifting of restrictions to the US and abroad, plus growing vaccination rates and tremendous pent-up demand, travel to Europe is expected to surge next summer – and Delta customers are assured to enjoy every moment from curb to claim.”

The Biden administration has unveiled a roadmap for sustainable air travel, setting a goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation space by 2050, reports Airport Technology. Some of the key initiatives covered in the plan include developing new aircraft technologies, amplifying sustainable aviation fuels’ (SAF) production, improving operations efficiency, reducing airport emissions, and enhancing airport resilience. Sustainable fuels, which are generated from renewable and waste feedstocks, are expected to minimize aviation’s greenhouse gas emissions and support the net-zero objective. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has termed the Aviation Climate Action Plan as ‘ambitious yet achievable’ and is discussing the strategy at Glasgow’s COP26 climate conference.

The United States’ reopening to international travelers is a huge step in the travel industry’s recovery, likely to boost tourist attractions and possibly encouraging other countries to follow suit and reciprocate procedures, reports Travel Pulse. Andrew Crawley, Chief Commercial Officer of American Express Global Business Travel, which wholly owns Lawyers Travel, says the reopening is a step towards economic recovery and indicates renewed enthusiasm for travel. “The reopening of the US for UK and EU citizens is a major milestone on our path to economic recovery. Transatlantic bookings have already increased by more than 70% since the Biden administration announced the restart date,” Crawley shared. “This is testament to the value of these routes and the vital role business travel plays as a connector of commerce and culture. The increase in activity, coupled with the growth of international business travel in other regions, underscores what the data has shown us throughout the pandemic. Where it’s permitted, people will travel.” The reopening is also a sign that the world is making true progress against the COVID-19 pandemic, and the United States’ reopening is a crucial step in keeping the momentum moving for the travel industry.