The Palace of Culture and Sciences in Warsaw, Poland, on May 21, 2020.
NurPhoto via Getty Images
In this week’s air travel news, a new pass program at San Francisco International Airport opens up post-security access to people who aren’t flying; amid reports that talks for a federal bailout of Spirit Airlines have failed, other low-cost carriers are now asking for financial assistance; American Airlines’ newest single-aisle plane starts flying the busy SFO-New York route next week; American drops one California route and Delta Air Lines suspends two; two European carriers begin SFO nonstops and Emirates resumes LAX flights; American tightens up rules for passengers with portable chargers; United Airlines has a new way for MileagePlus members to spend miles; the Transportation Security Administration offers PreCheck discounts for travelers age 30 and under; Emirates’ chief eyes a new premium amenity on long-haul flights — first-class en-suite bathrooms; and San Francisco and Oakland airports finally settle their legal fight over the latter’s new name.
On the international side, the Bay Area is expected to get a new option for travel to eastern Europe on May 6 when LOT Polish Airlines introduces nonstop service to Warsaw from San Francisco International. The seasonal 787 flights will operate four days a week (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) with a flight time of about 11.5 hours, the airline said in November. The ticket price for a round-trip flight between WAW in Warsaw and SFO was listed as 2,795 PLN, or about $772. LOT also flies to Los Angeles, New York JFK, Newark, Chicago and Miami.
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May 3 is the launch date for German carrier Condor’s summer seasonal service from SFO to Frankfurt, operating daily with an Airbus A330neo through Oct. 24. United’s deployment this week of a newly upgraded 787-9 for one of its three daily SFO-London Heathrow flights (UA901/900) will increase to two daily flights on May 21, when the plane will also be used for flights UA930/939, according to AeroRoutes. As Emirates continues to rebuild its international schedules during the ongoing cease-fire in the Iran war, the airline this week resumed daily nonstop flights from Los Angeles International to its Dubai home base, Simple Flying reported. Emirates also flies to San Francisco International. Delta’s latest schedule adjustment includes a suspension of its LAX-Mexico City service for the summer starting June 2, AeroRoutes said.
San Francisco International Airport on March 23, 2026.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
San Francisco International is the latest California airport to allow visitors to go through security without booking a flight, so they can explore shopping and dining options in the passenger concourses or meet arriving passengers at their gates. People who want to use the new SFO Gate Explorer program can apply online up to 30 days in advance or even on the day they plan to visit. Applicants can also name accompanying children on their forms. Approved applicants will be notified by email on the day of their visit, according to SFO’s website, while those who are denied will receive word after midnight on the day their request is made. Participants should bring their digital or printed-out SFO Gate Explorer pass to the airport and show it to a TSA agent to go through security, along with a TSA-approved photo ID. Restricting access past airport security was a procedure established in the wake of the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago.
A Spirit Airlines plane prepares to land at Oakland International Airport on Aug. 13, 2025.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
This could be it for Spirit. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, citing “people familiar with the matter,” both report that negotiations for a federal bailout of the bankrupt carrier have failed and Spirit is preparing to cease operations. Spirit has been on the brink of running out of cash, and discussions between the airline, the Trump administration and Spirit’s bondholders failed to reach agreement on terms of a bailout that would keep the carrier operating, the newspapers said. The proposed rescue plan would have given the government equity of up to 90% in Spirit in exchange for a $500 million bailout.
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Meanwhile, other troubled airlines are now seeking assistance. The New York Times reported this week that the Association of Value Airlines, a lobbying group of low-cost carriers including Frontier, Allegiant Air, Avelo Air, and Sun Country Airlines as well as Spirit, is asking the Trump administration to ante up $2.5 billion as those companies face sharply higher fuel bills due to a supply shortage caused by the Iran war. The Wall Street Journal reported that those carriers would accept government relief “in exchange for warrants that could convert into equity stakes in the companies.”
The low-cost carriers have also asked Congress for relief through a waiver of the 7.5% excise tax and $5.30 fee that airlines pay per passenger on each flight segment. Those fees are built into their ticket prices. Meanwhile, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said during an earnings call with investors this week that she wouldn’t rule out the possibility of her carrier seeking federal help as well. According to Aviation Week, Geraghty said, “Never say never … We’re open to anything and everything, assuming the terms would make sense for JetBlue.” Last week, Geraghty ruled out the possibility of JetBlue filing for bankruptcy in the current fiscal year.
Reactions to the pleas from Spirit and other budget carriers for federal financial assistance in exchange for equity in their companies were decidedly cool. Even the Washington Post editorial page, which has become increasingly Trump-friendly under its ownership by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, attacked the concept. In an editorial this week, the Post said, “The United States does not need an Amtrak or U.S. Postal Service of the skies. Spirit’s failure poses no systemic risk to air travel, and the administration has no business picking winners and losers in a competitive industry … Far from leveling the playing field, this is a cut-and-dried example of crony capitalism.”
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In domestic route news, American has scheduled a May 7 start for deployment of its new 155-seat Airbus A321XLR between San Francisco and New York JFK, a route on which it’s slated to replace the airline’s 102-seat A321T, which is configured for prime transcontinental routes. American plans to offer the A321XLR on one of its daily SFO-JFK flights initially, increasing to three or four a day over the summer starting in June. The new plane is already flying from LAX to JFK and is due to start LAX-Boston flights in July. The airline’s A321XLRs feature 20 lie-flat Flagship Suite seats, all with direct aisle access, along with 12 Premium Economy seats and 123 Main Cabin seats (including 12 extra-legroom seats). American’s new A321XLRs will get some transcontinental competition in the months ahead when United starts flying its own new planes on the SFO-Newark and LAX-Newark routes. United is adding a subfleet of specially configured Airbus A321neos designated as “Coastliners” to replace the 757s it currently uses. The Coastliners will have 20 front-cabin Polaris lie-flat seats with aisle access, along with a dozen Premium Plus (premium economy) seats and 129 main cabin seats. Customers in Polaris seats on these flights get access to United’s posh Polaris airport lounges.
Also on May 7, American is due to discontinue its American Eagle/SkyWest service from Santa Maria, California, to its Phoenix hub, a route that it just started last October, according to AirlineGeeks. In addition to suspending its Sacramento-Detroit service effective June 1, Delta also plans to eliminate the San Jose-Detroit flights it was scheduled to launch on May 7, AeroRoutes reported. Meanwhile, Delta on May 7 plans to revive transcontinental service from Santa Ana’s Orange County Airport to New York JFK with nonstop flights six days a week, using a 757-200, according to AirlineGeeks. The SNA-JFK route is also served by American.
Lyft BayWheels bikes available on Market Street in San Francisco on Nov. 18, 2024.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Following a similar recent policy change by Southwest Airlines, American tightened up its rules for passengers carrying portable chargers onto its aircraft. Effective immediately, passengers can bring no more than two portable chargers into the cabin, and they must not exceed 100 watt-hours apiece, according to View From the Wing. Travelers can still use the portable chargers to charge phones or laptops during their flight, “as long as they remain visible and within reach” in a seatback pocket or tray table, but not in bags stowed in overhead bins. Customers can use in-seat power outlets to charge personal devices, but not to recharge their portable chargers. Federal regulations prohibit carrying portable chargers in checked luggage.
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Members of United’s MileagePlus loyalty plan can now use their miles to pay for Lyft rides, the airline announced. If members link their MileagePlus and Lyft accounts, the Lyft app will give them the option of covering the cost of a ride with their miles. “The feature works across all eligible Lyft ride types, including everyday rides, airport trips, and premium options. Members can use miles to cover the full ride cost or split tenders with their preferred payment method if not enough miles are available to cover the full fare,” United said. Members will be able to see the cost in miles before they confirm their booking, and when the ride ends, they’ll get a receipt showing miles redeemed and the amount deducted from the ride’s total cost, the airline said. Last fall, United added Lyft as a MileagePlus partner, so members can earn miles for eligible Lyft rides. In the Bay Area, Lyft offers bicycle rentals via Bay Wheels.
The San Francisco skyline, with the Salesforce Tower, looms in the distance as the sun sets at OAK’s Terminal 1.
Kent German/SFGATE
Travelers age 30 and under who want to join TSA’s PreCheck trusted traveler program can get a $20 discount on the cost from now through May 31, TSA announced this week. “The offer is available through TSA PreCheck’s three authorized enrollment providers, CLEAR, IDEMIA, and Telos. Travelers can enroll at any of the 1,300 TSA PreCheck locations nationwide, including convenient retail stores in the community, not just at airports,” TSA said. With the discount, the enrollment fee becomes $56.75 to $65 for a five-year membership, depending on the vendor selected. Participants can start the process online but must complete their application with an in-person interview. When they do, they should get a Known Traveler Number within three to five days and can use it when they book future flights.
As the global airline industry keeps pushing the envelope with luxury enhancements to international first- and business class cabins, Dubai-based Emirates could soon raise that bar. According to a report in the National, an Abu Dhabi-based news outlet, Emirates president Tim Clark told an aviation conference in Berlin via a video presentation that the airline is thinking about adding a big new amenity to its most expensive cabin: “I’m working on en-suite bathrooms in first-class suites,” he said. The airline offers first-class cabins on its long-haul A380s and Boeing 777s, and for several years it has provided two shower spas at the front of the first-class cabin on the A380s. Clark didn’t say how soon Emirates might add private bathrooms, but View From the Wing notes that it wouldn’t be the first: “The Etihad Residence on the Airbus A380 has had its own bathroom including a private shower since that product was introduced in 2014. It’s been the only private bathroom in a commercial airline cabin,” View From the Wing said.
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The cities of San Francisco and Oakland have reached a settlement in their two-year legal battle over what Oakland’s airport is allowed to call itself. It started when Oakland officials decided to rename the city’s airport San Francisco-Oakland Bay Airport in order to give travelers a better idea of exactly where it is. But that was met with an immediate legal challenge from San Francisco officials, who said it would be too confusing for travelers to distinguish it from San Francisco International Airport across the bay. After many months of back-and-forth, the Associated Press said the new settlement provides that OAK can brand itself as Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, as long as it doesn’t highlight “San Francisco” or “San Francisco Bay” with special fonts or colors and doesn’t use the word “international” in its name.