Spirit Airlines has a plan to save itself by adjusting to seasonal demand, pivoting into more premium seats and shrinking its debt and lease obligations. Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder break down whether the move will revive the Spirit brand. Plus, the FAA is stepping in to mediate the "arms race" by American and United to win future gate space at O'Hare.

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United announced major changes last week to its MileagePlus loyalty program. It soon will offer the biggest incentives to credit cardholders, while removing perks from other flyers. Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss why it's a good thing that United is rewarding its best customers, even if some travelers are upset.

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This week, Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers welcome one of the most well travelled humans on the planet, Steve Giordano. He's founder of Nomadic Aviation Group and star of the YouTube channel "Cockpit Casual." They talk about the business of ferry airplanes around the world, what it was like for Steve to consult on the second season of HBO's "The Rehearsal," and more.

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There was a great deal of intrigue surrounding Frontier Airlines not for what it did, but for what it didn’t do – sell tickets beyond early April until just recently. But what is clear is that there is a shift under the brand new CEO Jimmy Dempsey. Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder talk about how Frontier is returning to growth and also going back to basics.

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Southwest made big changes in the past year, including the introduction of checked bag fees and assigned seating. Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder talk about where the shifts take the airline with two Southwest executives – COO Andrew Watterson, and EVP and CFO Tom Doxey.

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Allegiant announced it will buy Sun Country with the deal expected to close later this year. Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder debate the possible benefits and risks of this combo.

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Boeing's 787-9 has been the sexy airplane in the Dreamliner lineup until now, with the 787-10 occupying a smaller niche. But more recently, the 787-10 has excited Alaska, United, Delta and others. Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers explain what's driving this interest, and what it means for future Boeing sales.

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ATR has built an aircraft that should interest U.S. airlines because of its low relative operating costs on short routes. But with larger airlines unwilling to take a chance on a turboprop, ATR is hoping public charter operator JSX will change the market. JSX is testing ATR-42s from Santa Monica, and if it works, it may add more. Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers recently took a ride on the first JSX turboprop and spoke with the CEOs of JSX and ATR to learn more about this partnership. 

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Brett Snyder and Brian Sumers break down six notable network changes that American recently announced, including changing its bank structure at DFW, going big in Chicago, putting more premium-heavy planes into rotation, and more.

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Brett Snyder offers a more advanced (and less time-consuming) lesson on revenue management — in response to the recent Airlines Confidential episode — in the final episode of 2025.

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