Aviation news across airlines, aircraft, airports, salaries, and safety.
65 stories published
That jolt after landing behind a big plane isn't turbulence, it's wake turbulence. Here's the physics behind it, why heavy jets cause it most, and why FAA spacing rules make it a non-issue on your next flight.
Congress wants airline pilots flying to 67. The rule right now still stops them at 65. Even if the bill passes, an international rule most people have never heard of could keep grounding pilots on the routes that pay the most. Here is what actually changes, and what does not.
Every airline says its loyalty program is the best one. It isn't not for everyone, anyway. Alaska just merged two programs into one, American still runs on Loyalty Points, and Southwest's free-bag perk isn't what it used to be.
Business class fares aren't just annoying right now they're genuinely broken. Airlines can't get new premium seats certified fast enough, and corporate budgets are pouring more money into the front of the plane than ever. Here's what's actually driving it, who's paying for it, and whether it's getting better anytime soon.
Hungry at Hartsfield-Jackson? Every concourse feeds you differently, and guessing wrong costs you time you don't have. This guide walks concourse by concourse T through F so you know exactly where to go before your gate is even posted. No filler, just what's actually there.
Cabin pressure and bone dry air genuinely dull sweetness and smell, and airlines' top sommeliers build entire wine programs around fighting that effect.
Becoming a US Air Force fighter pilot means clearing a degree, an officer commission, a punishing vision and physical exam, and a training pipeline that ranks candidates against each other for a limited number of fighter slots.
The F-47 is the Air Force's answer to falling behind China: longer range, more stealth, first flight targeted for 2028. Here's what's confirmed, what's still uncertain, and why the program almost didn't happen.
TSA PreCheck renewal isn't a flat fee anymore. Three providers now set their own prices, and one charges more online than in person. Here's the real 2026 cost breakdown, how early to start, and what a lapsed membership costs you at the checkpoint.
JAL Sky Suite III on the 787-9 seat 11A, JFK to Tokyo, braised Wagyu at 35,000 feet, six and a half hours of actual sleep. ANA The Room has the better suite. JAL has the better flight. Here's why that difference matters before you spend 55,000 miles.
Terminal E lost its parking lot this year, and it's pushing more cars into Logan's other garages than ever. Central and Terminal B still run $46 a day, Economy $37, but there's a $29 rate almost nobody books in time. Here's the real 2026 breakdown, and what the closure actually means for your next trip.
Everyone quotes the same $78,680 median for aircraft mechanics and stops there. That number hides a much bigger story. A&P certification, avionics specialization, and who signs your paycheck can swing pay by tens of thousands a year. Here's the real breakdown, certification by certification.
Power banks are everywhere in the cabin until one starts smoking. After a wave of in-flight fires and one total aircraft loss, airlines are rewriting the rules overnight. Here's what's banned, what's still allowed, and why your next flight might treat your charger differently than your last one did.
United just made headphones a legal requirement, not a suggestion. Skip them for a TikTok scroll or a movie, and a flight attendant can now have you removed or banned for good. The airline buried the change inside its Contract of Carriage in February, and most flyers still don't know it exists. Here's exactly what changed, why it happened now, and what it means the next time you board.
Priority Pass gets you in the door. Amex Platinum gets you somewhere nicer. Airline status gets you somewhere free, if you've earned it. Amex just made its own lounges harder to use, and Capital One quietly killed Venture X's free guest perk too. Here's what each path actually buys you now, and which card still earns its fee.
Where you get stationed decides almost everything about your paycheck as an air traffic controller. A small tower can start you near $50,000. The busiest hubs in the country push past $175,000 in base pay alone, before overtime or locality pay. Here's exactly how the FAA's facility-level system splits the money, and what's actually changed in your favor this year.
Your bag didn't just vanish Delta, United, and American are on the hook for it, whether they advertise that or not. Federal rules cap what they owe at $4,700, and the airlines aren't allowed to lowball you with a made-up daily limit. Here's exactly what each carrier pays, how fast you need to move, and the paperwork that gets you the full amount instead of the runaround.
Booking two cheap tickets through O'Hare instead of one? That's a self-transfer, and airlines won't protect it if things go wrong. A tight layover that looks fine on Google Flights can turn into a missed meeting with zero compensation. Here's the real minimum connection time at ORD, who actually absorbs the cost when it fails, and what business travelers should check before they book.
Delta just opened its second Delta One Lounge at LAX this one in Terminal 2, debuting in June 2026 with showers, cabana bathrooms, and California-sourced dining. But it comes with a strict guest list. Here's who actually qualifies to walk through the door, and who's stuck on the other side of it.
Delta's CEO just gave business travelers a number to plan around: 2027. Fares aren't dropping until FAA staffing catches up, and a new Basic Business fare quietly changes what a lie-flat seat now includes.
Nobody explains business class etiquette in the safety briefing, but the cabin runs on it anyway. Keep the tray, skip the bread basket, and ask for the mattress pad before it's too late. Most regulars didn't learn this from a guide they learned it by almost getting it wrong.
The FAA just proposed ending the 53 year ban on supersonic flight over US land. Here's the real regulatory chain behind it, what NASA's X-59 just proved, and why your next long-haul flight isn't getting faster anytime soon
I connected through Newark this spring with barely two hours to spare and under the FAA's new 72-flights-an-hour cap, that math doesn't work the same way anymore. The order runs through October 2026, and it's already reshaping upgrade clearance, award space, and connection buffers for anyone flying United through EWR. Here's what's actually driving the cap, who's absorbing the cost, and how to plan around it.
