Brian Sumers

This is how competition should work. American, Delta, and United have been poaching customers from discount airlines with their no-frills basic economy fares. Frontier doesn't like that, so it has come up with a new passenger-friendly policy to try to sway potential passengers.

An Emirates-Etihad merger makes a lot of sense. Emirates may not be as strong as it once was, but it's still a well-run global airline that strikes fear into established competitors. Eithad, however, is in rough shape. It could use a makeover.

Can Wow Air make it as a standalone airline? We're not sure. But the airline has some options for its future.

Wow Air is being squeezed from all sides. It will need to reinvent its business if it wants to survive. The good news is that the company's founder and CEO, Skúli Mogensen, is willing to take some risks.

Remember when the Trump administration suggested in May it had solved the ongoing dispute between U.S. and Gulf carriers? Hah. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker is already complaining one competitor is ignoring the spirit of the agreement.

No matter what Emirates President Tim Clark says, the airline probably wishes it had moved faster to add premium economy. Most airlines say it has been selling well, as customers are flush with more disposable income. Of course, if and when a recession hits, passengers will stop spending on these perks.

Folks in Pittsburgh would probably love a nonstop flight to Dubai. But will they get it? It seems unlikely, even if Emirates CEO Tim Clark said the airline would consider flights from smaller U.S. cities.

JetBlue took criticism for moving to raise bag fees first. But the airline's CEO, Robin Hayes, made clear that customers who plan in advance will keep getting to pay the old rate.

Many politicians believe their nations must have a national airline. But in most cases, they're wrong. The weakest carriers probably should disappear, and the market can take care of the rest.

Many politicians fear their nations will be irrelevant if they abandon their money-losing flag airlines. That's probably a stretch. In most places, the market likely would fill the gap — provided the government got out of the way. But national pride is powerful, and few people want to see storied brands disappear.