Air Canada

Economy customers now have five new fare levels from which to choose when flying Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge. Tiers range from Basic, which is only available in select markets and is the lowest and most restrictive economy fare class, to Latitude, which is fully refundable and comes with a variety of perks such as two free checked bags, same-day changes and a voucher for Air Canada Bistro.

Starting June 1, Air Canada will add lie-flat seating to its premium cabins on select transcontinental wide-bodied flights between Toronto and Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and between Vancouver and Newark and Montreal. The new seating will be part of Air Canada’s newly launched Signature Service, which provides a host of added amenities such as airport concierge service and expedited check in and security clearance, elevated onboard menus and more.

Alaska Airlines

Officials at Alaska Airlines announced that its subsidiary Virgin America brand will no longer be used after April 24, 2018. All business will be transacted under the Alaska Airlines brand with a single reservations system, website and app. Other customer-facing operations including airport kiosks, check-in desks and gate areas will also be flagged with the Alaska brand. Only some aircraft will retain the Virgin American brand as planes wait for their turn to be to be refashioned. The airline promises “a single Alaska Airlines experience for all guests” starting April 25.

Alaska is also alerting customers that beginning April 20 its check-in counter at the Denver International Airport will be located in the East Terminal. Officials caution that signage might not be updated right away so passengers are advised to “please disregard any guidance that directs you to the West Terminal.”

American Airlines

American and its joint venture partners British Airways, Iberia and Finnair have begun selling more restrictive budget economy fares on select transatlantic routes. American is calling its lowest fare tier Basic Economy while Finnair has named their low-cost option Light fares. Both British Airways and Iberia call their budget pricing simply Basic fares.  Customers choosing this lowest pricing level will have to pay extra for checked bags and advanced seat assignments and are subject to other restrictions as well.

Delta Air Lines

Delta and Korean Air have officially received formal approval for their planned joint venture partnership from both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Under the approved partnership, the two airlines will be able to launch full reciprocal code-sharing on each other’s networks.  The two carriers will also offer joint loyalty program benefits.