The briefing in brief: Alaska Airlines unveils a massive overhaul, including lie-flat beds on its long-haul domestic aircraft, more international flying and substantial frequent flyer program changes. Concourse E at Washington/Dulles will be "ready" this week. The TSA says that ID checkers now must stand instead of being seated because ... no one knows why. More British railroads return to public ownership. The new Boeing 737 MAX 10 is mired in controversy. And more.

ALASKA AIR PLANS MASSIVE CHANGES ACROSS ITS SYSTEM
Millions of words have been written about Southwest Airlines' not-for-the-better transformation, but much less attention has been paid to Alaska Airlines, a carrier in constant flux since it purchased Hawaiian Airlines in 2024 and Virgin America in 2016. For better or worse, wags will pay attention now that the carrier announced Alaska Accelerate, changes to virtually all parts of its global operation. Here's a snapshot of what it disclosed on Tuesday (September 29). Rest assured this will be grist for the mill for years to come.
        Atmos Rewards now allows several ways to earn points and status: flight distance, price paid or segments flown. An Atmos debit card debuts next years. The Bank of America-issued Atmos business credit card will be refreshed. And points earned in the BofA Rewards program will be transferrable to Atmos.
        Joint ventures fronted by American Airlines will include Alaska Airlines. That means Alaska Airlines will join the transatlantic joint venture that currently includes American, Finnair and the IAG Group (British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus). Alaska Air also will join the transpacific joint venture that includes AA and Japan Airlines.
        Lie-flat beds will be installed on Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft that will be used for domestic long-haul and transcontinental routes. There will be 12 so-called Aurora Suites beginning in 2028. Ironically, installing beds is a pointed reversal of the decision Alaska Air made in 2017 when it reconfigured the Virgin America fleet.
        More international flying with upgraded aircraft interiors. The airline says international flying will represent 15% of capacity by 2030 compared to 8% now. A new premium economy section called Premium Reserve will be installed. New lounges will open in Seattle and Honolulu. And Hawaiian Airlines' fleet of 24 Airbus A330s will be completely overhauled. So-called Leihoku Suites similar to the Aurora configuration will be added.

WASHINGTON/DULLES CONCOURSE E DEBUTS NEXT WEEK
Concourse E at Washington/Dulles will have a ceremonial ribbon-cutting on Thursday (October 8), but an actual opening date for the 14-gate facility has yet to be announced. The 435,000-square-foot facility is dedicated to hub carrier United Airlines and directly connected to the airport's AeroTrain system. There'll be 46,000 square feet of restaurants and retail space and United has committed to a 40,000-square-foot complex of lounges. You can see photos and get more details (but not an official opening date) here.
        Philadelphia flyers take note: The British Airways lounge in Terminal A-West has closed. Flyers eligible for lounge access should use the American Airlines Flagship lounge next door.
        Calgary International has another American Express-aligned lounge. The new, 109-seat Amex Aspire Lounge on Concourse A in the domestic terminal is located near Gate A21.
        Newark flyers take note: United Airlines is testing the gate delivery of food, beverages and other items at some gates (C125-C138) in Terminal C. If your flight is eligible, you'll receive a push notification in the United app.

DR. SCHOLL TO THE WHITE COURTESY PHONE …
Comics and critics of the TSA have long derided the easy-to-deride agency as "thousands standing around." (TSA, get it?) But now the epithet is quite literally true. The agency says that the ID checkers who greet us at the head of airport security lines will be required to stand during their shifts. The chairs that allowed the agents to sit while they scribbled on our boarding passes and eyed our passports and other ID have disappeared from podiums around the country. The TSA says that the "welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert." Um, okay, whatever you say … but you have to wonder if Big Orthotics had something to do with the change. (Full disclosure: I don't know if there's really a Big Orthotics lobby, but, you know, nothing would surprise me …)
        San Francisco International, the largest of 20 U.S. airports that use private security via the TSA's Screening Partnership Program, is changing vendors. The TSA terminated the contract of the company that has provided SFO security since 2002. A new vendor has been hired and the TSA only says that the new contract was awarded "as part of the normal competition process." I dunno, I suspect Big Orthotics …

BRITIAN MOVES TWO MORE LINES TO PUBLIC CONTROL
The United Kingdom continues to unwind the 1993 Railways Act and return the nation's passenger railroads to public control. Chiltern Railways returned to public ownership late last month. Formerly operated by Arriva, a multinational rail firm, Chiltern carries about 24 million passengers and manages 35 stations. From its London/Marylebone terminus, Chiltern runs trains to Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the West Midlands. Next up for public control: Great Western Railway, which runs many of Britain's most storied trains from London/Paddington. It converts on December 13. In March, Avanti West Coast trains return to public ownership. Its portfolio of routes covers northern England, Wales and Scotland.
        Etihad Rail, which we discussed in August, has now linked Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the two most important cities in the United Arab Emirates. The ride takes about an hour, which is generally shorter than automotive travel between the two cities.
        China continues a relentless expansion of the vast country's high-speed rail network. About 700 more miles entered passenger service on one day (September 28) across four separate rail lines. The longest new section is on the Beijing-Hong Kong line. The most interesting: A 200-mile line between Harbin and Yichun in Northeast China. The terminus is the most northerly high-speed station in the country and the first to be built in a permafrost region.

TRAVEL NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
The FAA last week delayed certification of Boeing's newest 737 variant, the MAX 10, due to questions about software that could affect certain landing procedures. On Friday (October 2), however, the agency decided that there is no safety risk. That clears the way for official certification in the weeks ahead, but does not end the squabble between Boeing and some MAX 10 customers. United and Southwest airlines, two primary buyers of the aircraft, say they won't take delivery of planes with what they claim is glitchy software. Stay tuned.
        JetBlue Airways says it will launch service between its Fort Lauderdale hub and Caracas, Venezuela. A daily Airbus A320 roundtrip is scheduled to begin on February 4. American Airlines resumed Caracas flights on April 30. AA added service to Maracaibo in July.
        San Antonio raised one of the tourist taxes it imposes on hotel stays. The SATPID (San Antonio Tourism Public Improvement District) levy has risen to 2% from 1.25%. That boosts the total tax burden on hotel rooms to nearly 19%.