Brian Sumers

It's little comfort to the average coach customer, but airlines are spending big money to improve food for higher-value customers. Just remember, it's still airline food, reheated in a tiny galley, so it may never be award-winning cuisine.

Did you think Airlines for America was going to pay for a survey that showed people hated air travel? That said, flying is getting better for most Americans, so it's little surprise that this poll shows travelers are happier.

At least on some planes, Gogo finally has enough bandwidth to satisfy every passenger. That's good news, but it will take some time before passengers can count on reliably fast Wi-Fi on every flight.

This will be a good test. There's no doubt people love low fares, and Norwegian Air will be using a cost-effective aircraft. But is there enough demand from smaller U.S. airports to sustain flights to Europe?

Consumers aren't going to like this product, but Basic Economy fares are a sign of the times. Travelers are already buying tickets on Spirit and Frontier that come without free large carry-ons, so why shouldn't American and United offer a similar option?

Just as Norwegian Air has on trans-Atlantic routes, Air Asia X might disrupt established trans-Pacific players and push down fares. But making money on long-haul flights is tricky, and Air Asia X might decide it has better options closer to home.

Hyatt just now realized consumers like wellness brands? That seems hard to believe, as this has been a focus among travelers for a long time. But it's good to see Hyatt getting into the game.

Back in the day, airline passengers used to love complaining about bad domestic airline food. But Delta customers should be happy about this development. They'll be getting fresh, relatively healthy food on long flights.

American Airlines has a deep bench, so it will be fine. But this is a big get for United, which needed to bolster its senior management ranks. United has not had as much talent in its ranks as American.

American has been a big player in Chicago for decades, and that probably won't change. But United President Scott Kirby is one of the most fierce competitors in the airline industry. If he says he wants to win in Chicago, he means it.