Supplier Solutions: November 2025 Updates
Travel Buyer Industry Optimism Continues to Grow
According to a new Global Business Travel Associate survey, the percentage of travel buyers that are optimistic or very optimistic regarding their outlook for business travel in 2026 has grown. About 40% of over 245 buyers were very optimistic about their views on the travel industry, up from 29% in the July survey.
“Blue Sky” Takes Flight
JetBlue and United loyalty members can now earn and redeem across both airlines. JetBlue and United recently launched Blue Sky, and the first major customer benefit will be loyalty earning and redemption across both airlines.
- TrueBlue members can earn points and redeem them for flights across United’s network
- MileagePlus members can earn and redeem miles on most flights across JetBlue’s network
This will be just the beginning of their collaboration. Additional customer benefits will continue rolling out in phases and will include reciprocal perks and benefits such as priority boarding, preferred and extra legroom seating and same-day standby and flight changes.
Delta Concierge Now in Beta Rollout
This AI- powered assistant in the Delta Air Lines app is designed to deliver real time, personalized support to SkyMiles members. It has been rolled out to a select number of customers in beta form and will evolve over time. Some of the initial benefits of this program include:
- Real-time answers to travel questions such as flight time, seat and gate location, and questions about SkyMiles status
- Personalized FAQ’s based on your travel history and preferences
- eCredit and bag lookup, including bag tracking and claim status
- Voice activation feature
Southwest Airlines to Add Anchorage Service
New service will occur in the first half of 2026. Southwest will fly once daily between Anchorage and Denver and Las Vegas, beginning in May. The flights will be red-eyes. Southwest has not yet determined if the flights will be seasonal or year-round. With the addition of Anchorage, Southwest will now be serving 122 airports.
Milwaukee International Airport (MKE) Launches Concourse “E” Re-Development Project
The $95 million project marks one of the largest investments in MKE in recent decades. Concourse “E” has remained unused since 2017. When complete, the redeveloped concourse will replace the existing International Arrivals Terminal, which is not connected to the main terminal. The new structure will have two jet bridges capable of processing up to 400 arriving international passengers per hour, nearly triple the current capacity of 140. The project will also include a modern U.S. Customers facility. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.
United Celebrates Turnaround at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
After a challenging spring travel season, United celebrated its best operational summer ever at EWR, putting the airport on par with JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport for on-time performance. More than 6 million people flew through EWR this summer. Reasons for the improvement include:
- Runway construction was completed two weeks early on June 2nd
- Beginning in May, the FAA limited EWR flight operations to 68 per hour (from a high of 86). The FAA will limit future flights at EWR to 72 per hour.
- The FAA installed a new fiber optic network to support the air traffic control system
- United’s Connection Saver technology helped more than 28,000 customers make tight connections in EWR this summer
British Airways Announces New Service from St. Louis (STL) to London Heathrow (LHR)
- STL will become British Airways 27th US destination and only direct flight from LRH to STL
- The inaugural flight will operate in April 2026, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Route 66, which runs through the city
- British Airways will operate a four-weekly service
- Customers will have a choice of three cabins -World Traveler (economy), World Traveler Plus (premium economy) and Club World (business class)
This follows British Airway’s frequency boost for popular US destinations, including Miami, San Diego, and Austin.
Source: British Airways Media Centre
