#eva-air

#eva-air

As we look ahead, one of the air-travel trends worth watching has to do with airport lounges - and, more specifically, who can and can't access them. Later this year, American Express is updating its policies to make it a little harder for some travelers to access its Centurion Lounges. That's in keeping with broader trends in the industry, which makes it all the more interesting to see an airline going in the opposite direction.

In this week's air travel news, United Airlines is developing new premium-heavy "Coastliner" Airbus jets to deploy on high-revenue transcontinental routes out of California; a federal appeals court knocks down a Transportation Department rule that would have required airlines to be more transparent in displaying their ancillary fees to passengers before booking; a Minnesota resident who was stopped by immigration enforcement officers said her Global Entry and TSA PreCheck trusted traveler memberships were revoked a few days later;

On-time performance used to be something airlines discussed quietly - in boardrooms, with investors, or behind the scenes with select partners. Now, it's becoming a consumer-facing badge of honor.

On Tuesday, the Texas airline said it will begin rolling out free, high-speed WiFi on more than 1,400 mainline narrowbody and dual-class regional aircraft. By early spring, nearly every American flight - including new Boeing 787s serving long-haul international routes - will offer the service. American said this will make it the airline with free WiFi on more planes than any other carrier in the world.