Edward Russell

U.S. airlines are bullish on the coronavirus recovery — finally. After a year of losses, some say the long-elusive inflection in bookings occurred in February with all eyes turned to summer when many expect large numbers of vacationers to return to the skies.

The CDC has released its first guidelines for Americans who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 but stopped short of removing warnings against travel. However, it's not clear if the guidance will make much difference as more and more people book flights and hotels.

Flowers are not the only thing sprouting as the weather warms up. Airline bookings are also showing some green shoots but most hesitate to call it a recovery yet with eyes focused on sustained improvements this summer.

Electric aircraft are an inevitable step for commercial aviation with the heightened focus on carbon emissions. Numerous companies are vying to develop this new technology but, with engines still in the works and a lengthy certification runway ahead, when is everyones' guess.

Expedia has no plans to spin off whole-home site Vrbo following Airbnb's blockbuster IPO. Instead, the company is doubling down on expanding the site through its various channels amid a strong pandemic vacation rental market.

It was back to the future for U.S. airlines in 2020 when passenger numbers fell to levels unseen since 1985. And while traffic will likely rebound some this year, the slow vaccine roll out and new Covid-19 strains have the outlook far from certain.

Air Canada places the blame for a "grim" 2020 on Covid-19 and what it sees as onerous restrictions from the Canadian government. But it's betting that it can convince the government to replace quarantines with a testing mandate, and maybe even some financial relief for airlines.

Spirit Airlines says its business model carrying budget-minded flyers cheaply from point A to point B is sound. And even with the threat of a new domestic Covid testing mandate, the carrier is bullish on its prospects to grow this year.

United is raising eyebrows with its drive to cut carbon emissions. The carrier has committed to the as yet untested realm of electric helicopter-like aircraft with plans to introduce as many as 200 of them within five years — a surprisingly ambitious goal for a traditionally conservative airline.

Southwest Airlines is raising alarm bells about the cost of mandatory Covid-19 tests for domestic travel after its first annual loss in 48 years. But with containing the virus top of mind for the new administration, the industry may have few legs to stand on.