Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines airplanes prepare for takeoff at Honolulu International Airport in Honolulu on June 26 2015.
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In this week’s air travel news, Israel’s national airline is due to end its six-year hiatus from SFO-Tel Aviv flights; Delta jumps into the Los Angeles-Hong Kong market; another African carrier introduces LAX nonstops; Alaska Airlines drops another SFO transcontinental route but increases SFO-Hawaii service; Delta starts flying one of LAX’s busiest domestic routes; in the face of higher jet fuel prices, American Airlines is set to temporarily suspend several California routes in August; United and Frontier are slated to add new transcontinental routes from LAX this summer; Alaska Airlines no longer allows basic economy travelers to earn Atmos Rewards points; Hawaiian Airlines is slated to end a longtime in-flight perk for economy-class passengers in July; Delta adds new benefits for its credit card customers; San Francisco International prepares to add a pricey private passenger terminal offering VIP treatment; and Delta plans to open a second Delta One lounge at Los Angeles International.
Here’s a prime example of putting a positive spin on an airline service announcement, courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines, a division of Alaska Airlines. “Hawaiian Airlines elevates onboard service with pre-order dining by celebrated Hawaii chefs, fresh fare across all cabins and complimentary local snacks,” the carrier said in a news release. But here’s the headline on the story on the Live and Let’s Fly blog: “Hawaiian Airlines ends free economy meals, marking the end of an era.” It notes that “Hawaiian was the last major U.S. airline still offering free meals in economy class on domestic longhaul flights.” Starting July 1, Hawaiian said, customers in economy class on mainland routes will be able to pre-order paid in-flight meals up to two weeks in advance (as they already can in first class) or as little as 20 hours before departure. The service includes a Hawaii-inspired menu overhaul directed by Maui restaurateur and chef Sheldon Simeon, a James Beard Award finalist. The initial menu includes a dozen selections ranging in price from $10.99 (a breakfast of coconut overnight oats, vegan and gluten-free) to $16.99 (crispy mochiko chicken and garlic noodles).
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An El Al Up airline near the air traffic control tower of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.
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In international route news, Israel’s El Al Airlines announced plans to offer nonstop service from San Francisco International Airport to Tel Aviv starting Oct. 25, restoring its first Bay Area flights since 2020. The airline will operate three flights a week on the 15-hour route, using a 787-9. Given the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, no U.S. airlines are currently flying to Israel, and any announcements of resumed service are subject to revision depending on the geopolitical situation, but El Al has been the most consistent in providing regular service. With the addition of SFO, El Al’s upcoming winter schedule includes flights to six U.S. airports, with the other five being Los Angeles, New York JFK, Newark, Miami and Boston, according to Simple Flying.
Two Alaska Airlines flights taxi on the runway at SFO in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2026.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
At Los Angeles International Airport, Delta will enhance its transpacific network on June 6 when it introduces daily nonstop service to Hong Kong, using an Airbus A350-900 with Delta One, Premium Select, Delta Comfort (extra legroom) and main cabin seating. The route is already served by United and Cathay Pacific. According to Airline Geeks, Delta will also resume service from LAX to Vancouver this fall after an eight-year hiatus, offering twice-daily A319 flights beginning Nov. 21 in a crowded market already served by five other carriers. Aeroroutes reports that Egyptair’s new nonstop service from LAX to Cairo, which had initially been scheduled as a seasonal operation only through Oct. 25, will now continue through the winter season with three flights a week from Nov. 1 to March 12. And LAX will get another new route to Africa on June 7 when Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc introduces its first West Coast service with three weekly 787-8 flights from LAX to Casablanca, according to Aeroroutes. Also at LAX, Mexico’s Volaris this week introduced new service to Puebla with four flights a week, Simple Flying reported.
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On the domestic side, Alaska Airlines is continuing to draw down some operations at San Francisco International, with its final SFO-Newark flight slated to end after June 9. So far this year, Alaska has eliminated its SFO routes to Austin, Boston, Burbank, Orlando, Phoenix and Salt Lake City. But on June 10, Alaska has scheduled an increase in flight frequencies on its SFO-Lihue, Kauai, route from four flights a week to seven. On June 7, Delta will jump into the busy Los Angeles International-Chicago O’Hare market with three flights a day.
The schedule watchers at Ishrion Aviation reported on social media that American Airlines will suspend six California routes from Aug. 5 through Oct. 5 “amid elevated oil prices”: Sacramento-Charlotte, Ontario-Charlotte, and Los Angeles International to Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh; and Washington Dulles. Ishrion also noted that United Airlines will introduce daily service from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana to its Washington Dulles hub starting Aug. 11. Simple Flying reports that low-cost Frontier Airlines plans to revive seasonal daily service from LAX to Orlando on July 1 but will operate it only through Oct. 26 instead of the 11 months it flew the route in last year’s schedule.
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Alaska Airlines is the latest carrier to tighten up the restrictions on its basic economy fares, which it brands as Saver fares — i.e., the lowest fare category it offers. The new restriction involves the carrier’s Atmos Rewards loyalty program. For trips booked after June 11 and operating on or after Aug. 1, “these fares are not eligible to earn Atmos Rewards points or status points,” the company said on its website. “However, 100% of miles flown on Alaska or Hawaiian will count as lifetime flown miles toward achievement of Million Miler.” Earlier bookings and flights on Saver fares will continue to earn 30% of the points flown. Alaska “now joins American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in adding new restrictions to basic economy tickets, which have gotten increasingly restrictive and punishing in the past few years,” the Points Guy commented. It also noticed a revision in the fee charged to Atmos Rewards members who want to book award travel on a partner airline. Starting July 1, that nonrefundable fee will jump from $12.50 to $20 each way.
Delta said this week it has added a few new benefits for holders of Delta/American Express credit cards, with no increase in annual fees. Effective immediately, a free second checked bag on Delta-operated domestic flights will be offered to holders of Basic Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Reserve consumer and business cards. “Nearly two-thirds (63%) of travelers say they spend more time deciding what to pack than planning their actual trip and 41% of small business travelers say they would pack more outfit options if they had a second free checked bag,” Delta said, citing a May 2026 consumer poll. In addition to the extra free bag, enrolled SkyMiles Gold and Gold Business cardholders will gain access to the program’s $120 annual ride-hailing credit when they renew their cards, “unlocking up to $10 in monthly statement credits on eligible U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers,” Delta said. Meanwhile, the companion certificates that Delta offers to SkyMiles Platinum and SkyMiles Reserve customers can now be redeemed toward the eligible flight portion of a Delta Vacations package, the airline said.
A few major U.S. airports have been adding luxurious separate passenger terminals for flyers willing to pay a price for VIP treatment, and View From the Wing’s Gary Leff reported that San Francisco International could be next. He said SFO’s Airport Commission has posted a public notice requesting proposals for a “private terminal ground lease” and has scheduled an informational conference for June 18, with proposals to be submitted from Sept. 30 through Oct. 7. He said the airport’s notice specifies that to be eligible, a vendor must have a minimum of two years’ experience managing a private terminal that includes screening by the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection, with gross sales of $15 million or more a year. Leff said that restriction would apparently limit the opportunity at SFO to one company: PS, which currently operates private terminals at Los Angeles International and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airports, and has new locations coming this month at Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami.
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“PS is a private terminal for people flying commercial flights, designed to replicate much of the private aviation ground experience,” Leff notes. “The terminal is away from the main passenger terminal, with dedicated line-free TSA screening, customs/immigration processing on eligible international arrivals, luggage handling, and airside transportation directly to or from the aircraft.” Sounds great, but it’ll cost you. According to the PS website, individuals who don’t have an annual membership will pay $1,295 per person for a single use of the terminal. The rate drops to $995 for those with a “Salon Membership” ($1,250 a year) or $895 with an “All-Access Membership” ($4,850 a year).
In other airport news, Delta Air Lines reportedly plans to open a second Delta One lounge at Los Angeles International, though details are scarce. Unlike its paid-membership Sky Clubs, the airline’s Delta One lounges are intended only for customers with a same-day flight in the Delta One front cabin or in first or business class on select international partner carriers. The airline currently has Delta One lounges at New York JFK, Boston Logan and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, as well as one in LAX’s Terminal 3. The new LAX lounge will be in Terminal 2, which is connected post-security to Terminal 3. One Mile at a Time said the lounge will open in an “initial phase” this summer, to be followed later by a newer, better version. “It sounds like the initial facility will be more of a makeshift setup, while the real purpose-built Delta One Lounge concept will open in 2028,” One Mile at a Time reported. “Details remain very limited as of now, though it sounds like there will be transportation directly to the lounge from Delta One check-in and the exclusive security line. Terminal 2 is getting a larger redevelopment, and this is the first stage of that, as more work to the entire terminal space is expected to take place in 2028 and beyond.” Delta’s development plans for its Sky Club airport lounges also include adding a second location in LAX’s Terminal 2 in 2027.
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