Soaring into the Future: The Transformative Changes in Air Travel by 2025

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Do you believe you’re prepared for the transformations forthcoming in air travel by 2025? No, you aren’t.

We are boldly advancing into a fresh age of travel, propelled by advancements and journeys that appeared unattainable or, at very least, highly improbable just a few years prior. New aircraft, new paths, fresh collaborations, and novel tactics are the highlights for the coming year … not to forget, you’ll surely hear more about Greenland than possibly ever before.

Currently, almost five years after the havoc that Covid brought upon the airline sector, hope has resurfaced. Along with it comes fully booked flights, certainly, but 2025 is a massive wave of changes that will further open the world to explorers while simultaneously charging them more for the experience.

Here are the prevailing trends in air travel you ought to be aware of for the upcoming year.

Brand-new pathways link the US and Europe like never before

In September, Delta Air Lines announced that 2025 would experience a record-breaking summer for the airline, featuring the most transatlantic routes ever offered. At peak times, the airline plans to operate 700 weekly flights across the Atlantic, serving 33 European destinations.

Some of these new routes comprise Atlanta to Brussels and Naples, Italy; Boston to Barcelona and Milan; Minneapolis to Copenhagen and Rome; New York-JFK to Catania, Sicily; and Detroit to Dublin.

“Over one million individuals with Irish ancestry reside in Michigan,” stated Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Chad Newton during the announcement. “We predict that this inaugural DTW to Dublin route will be highly sought after.”

Furthermore, Delta’s direct route from Tampa to Amsterdam, initially a seasonal option set to conclude in late spring 2025, will now operate all year round.

Not to be outdone, in October United Airlines announced its 2025 route expansions, also committed to its largest transatlantic schedule to date, with new services to Spain, Italy, France, Greece, and Croatia.

Once these routes commence in May 2025, United’s Transatlantic service will reach 760 weekly flights to more than 40 destinations.

Entirely new routes will include Newark to Nuuk, Greenland; Palermo, Italy; Bilbao, Spain; Madeira Island, Portugal; and Faro, Portugal.

The airline is also introducing three fresh nonstop routes from Dulles International in Washington D.C., to Dakar, Senegal; Nice, France; and Venice, Italy. The frequency of weekly direct flights connecting Newark to Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Athens, Greece will also be increased.

Completing the trio of major US airlines announcing routes is American Airlines, which boasts 70 daily flights to more than 20 transatlantic locales.

New routes feature flights from Charlotte to Athens, Greece; Chicago to Madrid; Miami to Rome; and Philadelphia to both Edinburgh, Scotland, and Milan-Malpensa Airport in Italy.

American will also reinstate the seasonal European flights to Copenhagen, Naples, and Nice, France, for the summer of 2025.

JetBlue Airways is also preparing to enhance transatlantic routes in 2025, beginning on May 22 with flights from Boston to both Edinburgh and Madrid.

On the global stage, the United Arab Emirates-based Etihad Airways revealed 10 new destinations for 2025, including routes between Abu Dhabi and Atlanta, which will operate four times weekly starting July 2, 2025.

For those on the West Coast eager for fresh route updates, the Dutch airline KLM is set to commence flights between Amsterdam and San Diego, with operations three times weekly from May 8, 2025.

Increased fees and new documentation are causing travelers to reconsider London

Additional options across the Atlantic could not come at a more opportune moment, alleviating London’s dominance in air travel for transatlantic routes, especially as flying through Britain becomes costlier than ever.

Introduced in 1994 to boost national revenue, the UK’s Air Passenger Duty (APD) generally increases annually in line with inflation. Incorporated into the overall fare, it is charged per passenger and determined by both the flight duration and the seating class.

For 2025, the UK government is planning a more significant increase to counterbalance elevated inflation levels.

While travelers in economy might not notice much alteration — the APD on one economy class ticket from London to New York, for instance, will be £88 ($112) in 2024, just £1 higher than the previous year’s rate — passengers in seats with 40 inches of legroom or more should expect a rise in fares.

Starting April 1, 2025, the APD for a premium class ticket from London to New York or Los Angeles, for example, will increase by £22, reaching £216 ($275).

The UK is not the only country imposing such levies. France has an eco tax per traveler, although it is significantly lower, ranging from 2.63 euros to 63.07 euros per passenger (approximately $2.75 to $65). Additionally, Denmark is set to implement its own tax; the passagerafgift på flyrejser will take effect on January 1, 2025, charging between 30 DKK ($4) and 300 DKK ($42) to travelers on all commercial flights departing from Denmark (excluding flights to Greenland and the Faroe Islands).

The financial burdens of UK travel do not end with the APD. Effective January 8, an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) will be obligatory for certain foreign tourists not required to obtain a visa, including travelers from the United States. Visitors from Europe will be subject to this from April 2.

Travelers need to apply for an ETA and remit the corresponding £10 (approximately $13) charge prior to flying to the UK. The positive aspect is that once a traveler obtains it, the ETA will be valid for all their UK visits for a duration of two years.

Merely transiting through a UK airport will not exempt you from the ETA charge. Passengers with layovers, including those who remain “airside” at the airport between flights, will likewise be required to secure an ETA prior to their journey.

Fees continue to accumulate; seven UK airports that impose “drop-off” charges for private vehicles delivering passengers to the terminals increased these fees by 50p to £1 (approximately $1.25) over the past year, with anticipated increases in 2026. One of the costliest, London’s Gatwick International Airport, now charges a vehicle £6 (nearly $7.50) for a stay of 10 minutes or less. Surprisingly, only three UK airports — London City, Inverness, and Cardiff — still permit free drop-offs.

UK airports are not the only ones raising their fees. On December 1, 2024, the Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives will escalate departure charges for all non-Maldivian travelers. This departure tax, often included in the ticket price, is charged per passenger and is determined by the service class.

Economy class travelers departing the Maldives will pay $50 (an increase from $30); business class $120 (previously $60); first class $240 (up from $90); and private jet passengers $480 per individual (an increase from $120).

Additionally, to assist in financing over $2 billion in airport enhancements, fees for departing Singapore’s Changi International Airport will gradually rise over the forthcoming five years, from $46 SGD (about $35) to $66 SGD (around $49) per passenger. This adds the possibility of increased airfare to Singapore in general, as airlines will transfer the extra expenses of landing and operational costs at Changi, set to increase starting April 2025.

Greenland emerges as the destination of the moment

With a contemporary terminal structure and a newly opened 6,560-foot-long runway suitable for larger planes arriving from North America and Europe, Nuuk International Airport will be a destination newly included in a handful of airline route maps in 2025. Before the new runway, the majority of international flights to Greenland landed in Kangerlussuaq, with passengers transferring to Nuuk via connecting flights.

On June 14, 2025, Nuuk will commemorate the launch of the first direct route from the US, scheduled to operate twice weekly from Newark on United Airlines.

The Danish territory’s own airline, Air Greenland, will naturally take advantage of this opportunity, increasing the frequency of existing routes while also introducing new flights to both Aalborg and Billund in Denmark.

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is also primed to initiate flights connecting Nuuk and Copenhagen, while Icelandair will operate three flights weekly during summer 2025 between Keflavik and Nuuk.

Two more airports, located in Ilulissat in the western part of the territory and Qaqortoq, further south, both recognized for their picturesque fjords and impressive icebergs, are anticipated to be operational by the end of 2026.

New aircraft are always thrilling, and 2025 will usher in a fresh model to the skies, creating increased opportunities to fly even more varied routes, linking cities that may have previously remained disconnected.

Unveiled in 2019 at the Paris Air Show, Airbus’ A321XLR (“Extra Long Range”) represents an advancement of the A321neo, featuring enhanced fuel capacity, improved efficiency, and various additional upgrades aimed at facilitating long-distance flying. This results in reduced expenses for operating routes that were previously not economically viable, when only larger aircraft could cover the distance.

“The inaugural 707 journey from New York to Paris required a refueling stop in Gander,” reminisces Jon Ostrower, editor-in-chief of The Air Current, during the “A321XLR — Revolution or Replacement?” episode of The Air Show podcast. “The XLR will effortlessly fly from Madrid to Boston and Dulles.”

As Ostrower mentions, one airline has already commenced A321XLR operations; Iberia extended a ​¡buen viaje! to the aircraft in November, initiating year-round services between Madrid and Boston. In January 2025, additional A321XLR deliveries to the Spanish airline will enable them to start a route between Madrid and Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport.

Approximately 25 airlines have placed orders for the A321XLR, including JetBlue, Delta, United, American, Air Canada, and Aer Lingus, with the Irish carrier anticipating to use it for launching nonstop flights between Dublin and Nashville starting in April 2025.

Transformations in collaborations and alliances within the aviation sector are commonplace, but 2025 promises to witness even more surprising developments as travelers discover how their itineraries and allegiances may be impacted.

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), an original founding member of Star Alliance, exited the alliance on August 31, 2024, to align with SkyTeam, following the Air France-KLM Group’s acquisition of 19.9% of the airline. With SAS, SkyTeam can now proudly claim the achievement of serving the southernmost (Ushuaia, Argentina) and northernmost (Svalbard, Norway) commercial airports globally.

The upcoming year will allow the airline’s passengers and those of other SkyTeam affiliates to grasp how this new member’s network enriches their travel experience and creates broader opportunities for points redemption, like utilizing Air France-KLM FlyingBlue miles for travel on SAS routes.

However, a shift is imminent in 2025; ITA Airways, the airline that succeeded Alitalia, has declared its intention to exit SkyTeam for Star Alliance. Although a specific date has not yet been determined, the transition follows Lufthansa’s 49% stake in ITA. As a founding member of the Star Alliance, the German airline aims to integrate ITA into the group as soon as possible.

SkyTeam’s transformations extend into central Europe, as Czech Airlines, the world’s fifth oldest operating airline, ceased operations and merged with low-cost carrier Smart Wings, exiting the SkyTeam alliance on October 26, 2024, after over two decades.

For the patrons of Czech Airlines’ loyalty program, who saw their accounts (and accumulated miles) terminated without any option to transfer to another carrier, 2025 will serve as a time to rebuild their loyalty, albeit with entirely different airlines.

The Oneworld Alliance will also experience significant developments in 2025, with the anticipated entry of Oman Air in June 2025, a year succeeding the 2024 inclusion of Fiji Airways, and the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines by Alaska Airlines.

Hawaiian Airlines will also now gain advantages from Alaska’s affiliation with the Oneworld Alliance. Both treasured and historic brands are set to persist and operate independently, marking a first for a US airline acquisition. However, they are expected to merge loyalty programs in 2025.

Ultimately, Southwest Airlines, an independent player in the realm of partnerships, has finalized a new collaboration with Icelandair scheduled to commence in 2025. This alliance will enable passengers to seamlessly transition between the two airlines’ networks.

It remains uncertain how this collaboration will (or will not) extend to earning frequent flyer miles and redeeming awards, yet the chance to use Southwest Rapid Rewards for travel to far-flung locations such as Istanbul (a new Icelandair route from Iceland’s Keflavik airport, launching September 5, 2025), or to fly direct from Nashville to Iceland (a new Icelandair service, commencing May 16, 2025) seems closer than ever.

When American Airlines modified its AAdvantage loyalty program framework in 2022, the emphasis shifted from achieving frequent flyer status through, well, frequent flights, to earning “Loyalty Points” via a blend of flying and spending money among all of American’s associates.

Remarkably, it is now possible to attain top-tier status without boarding even a single mile on an American Airlines aircraft.

“Many frequent flyers dedicated to the airline were accustomed to the conventional method of earning status through actual flights,” states Norbert Krupa, the Chicago-based founder who initiated the Loyalty Point Hunters website and online community to clarify the new framework.

“For someone starting from scratch, they require $6,000 in expenditures via flying to achieve American’s [lowest] Gold status. Alternatively, they could obtain Gold by spending approximately $600 through new strategies and avenues with the assistance of Loyalty Point Hunters.”

“Most travelers embark on journeys once or twice annually and are unlikely to notice or recognize that status can be easily accessible to them.”

Krupa currently holds the highest-tier published statuses of two airlines, Executive Platinum on American Airlines and Premier 1K on United, adhering to his site’s recommendations to retain them. “Only 20% of my Loyalty Points come from flying, while 75% are accrued through the shopping portal.”

As partnerships between airlines and merchants, hotels, experience providers, and even fuel stations expand — American’s alliance with Shell provides three loyalty points towards status along with three redeemable award miles for every gallon of fuel bought and dispensed — they contribute to an airline’s profitability with straightforward revenue.

And it’s certainly not just the US carriers engaging in this trend. At the close of November, FlyingBlue, the loyalty initiative of Air France and KLM, unveiled “Subscribe to Miles,” a program that delivers precisely what it claims.

For a fixed fee each month, the plan will credit frequent flyer miles to a traveler’s account, without the need for flying. Options begin at 28 euros ($29.39) for 2,000 miles each month, escalating to 187 euros for 17,000 miles monthly.

Given the fact that it would require numerous international economy roundtrips to accrue that many miles, and that a one-way ticket from New York to Paris can be secured for 15,000 points in economy class, it’s an offer likely to experience swift popularity.

Frequent flyer initiatives have become an essential component of the airline industry’s profitability, with no signs of ceasing for the billions of dollars and trillions or quadrillions, potentially quintillions-plus of points that fuel it all forward.

Airline tier status is not the sole aspect becoming increasingly challenging to achieve and sustain. Upgrades to premium cabins, a primary incentive for pursuing elite status initially, are becoming less frequent.

Although corporate travel statistics are on the rise, and the influx of consumers achieving status through means other than air travel inflates the number of individuals in frequent flyer tiers, thereby intensifying competition for the limited upgrade options available, the principal issue originates from the airlines themselves.

Airlines are simply becoming more proficient at selling all of the seats in those premium sections.

During Delta Air Lines’ Investor Day in November 2024, the airline’s president Glen Hauenstein remarked that 15 years ago, only 12% of domestic first-class seats were sold, with the remainder allocated to upgraded Medallion members. Today, the roles have reversed, and merely 12% of first-class seats are now assigned to upgrades. What led to this transformation?

“We were charging 13 times more than the average coach fare at the moment of booking,” stated Hauenstein. “Thus, we greatly reduced that disparity, making them considerably more economical. And what happened? When you render something more affordable, people are inclined to purchase it.”

Lower-cost premium seating is also a component of American Airlines’ ongoing strategy, as the airline introduced paid upgrade options for passengers with economy class tickets.

Now, you can enter the AA app to review your reservation and discover an offer to upgrade to a confirmed first-class seat on a flight from Chicago to Dallas. On such a highly trafficked route between two hubs, with numerous elite frequent flyers also competing for an upgrade, a lower-tier traveler may have had little chance on the upgrade list. Yet, currently, for a fluctuating amount that varies with demand and sometimes changes by the minute, you can secure that premium seat (and earn points based on the amount paid for the upgrade).

Internationally, carriers persist with the trend of reducing or even removing first class in favor of enhancing and expanding business class offerings. While this may benefit travelers seeking to elevate from economy, those already in business class yearning for the luxury of renowned international first class are quickly losing their options.

Oman Air eliminated its first class section in September 2024, rebranding the private suites as “Business Studio” seats and marketing them at a premium above business class but below the former first class ticket rates.

American Airlines is phasing out first class on its Boeing 777-300ER fleet, boosting the number of business and premium seats by over 45% by 2026. Additionally, it will retire first class on the formerly three-class A321Ts that operate cross-country premium routes within the United States. On its incoming A321XLRs, first class has been replaced by an enhanced business class, featuring privacy doors.

Lastly, a trend that just recently started in 2024 is expected to become widespread in 2025: a growing collaboration between airlines and Apple regarding the utilization of AirTags for tracking lost luggage.

In early December 2024, with the launch of iOS 18.2 for iPhone X models and newer, Apple introduced “Share Item Location,” a new feature to assist users in locating and recovering lost belongings by easily distributing a secure link to the position of an AirTag (or any “Find My” network accessory — like AirPods, MacBooks, and other Apple devices) with third parties, including airlines.

Over 15 airlines serving millions of passengers worldwide — among them Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic, and Vueling — will begin to accept Find My item locations as part of their customer service efforts to track mishandled or delayed luggage.

More are anticipated as SITA, which provides IT and telecommunications solutions to the global aviation sector, will integrate support for Share Item Location into WorldTracer, the baggage tracking system utilized by over 500 airlines and ground services at more than 2,800 airports.