Joe Brancatelli created The Tactical Traveler in 1998 for the now-defunct Biztravel.com. The column was conceived as a series of items that would make frequent business travelers more productive on the road. There was also a heaping helping of Joe's trademark cynicism about the travel industry and its practices. After the 9/11 terrorism attacks, however, Joe recreated Tactical Traveler as the news and analysis column for JoeSentMe. There's still plenty of skepticism, of course, because life on the road makes us a wary lot.

YEAR-END BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: The war between United and American at Chicago/O'Hare rumbles on. Royal Air Maroc will connect Africa and LAX again. ITA, the Italian carrier, will fly nonstop to Houston. Hyatt will keep all its Jamaica resorts closed until November. JSX launches flights from Santa Monica and will fly to Scottsdale, too. Southwest will run nonstops from Hilo to Las Vegas. JetBlue opens its first airport club. And much more.

DECEMBER 7 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Air Transat of Canada and TAP Air Portugal face strikes this week. Air France is adding first class cabins to Atlanta, Boston and Houston routes. Southwest expands again in California and JetBlue is bulking up in San Juan and Florida. The TSA now says it'll cost you $45 if you have the wrong ID at the airport. The TSA said travel reached a record high on November 30. And more.

NOVEMBER 23 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Hilton's new elite Honors level asks much and offers almost nothing. Air Canada sends its Boeing 737MAX planes to Rouge. True tales of the government shutdown. Another United Club is closed for health violations. The TSA wants to charge you $18 if you forget your ID. Another Air India tale from The Twilight Zone. Waymo rolls out in Miami. And more.

NOVEMBER 16 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Pittsburgh's $1.7 billion terminal opens this week. Marriott bails on Sonder guests as the chain folds. A three-judge panel gives Delta and Aeromexico temporary reprieve on their joint venture. Will a new credit card deal mean the end of award travel cards? Waymo driverless taxis begin picking up flyers at San Jose Airport. A mobile lounge crashes at Dulles and 18 are hurt. Word to the wise: Renew your passport now if it expires next year. And more.

NOVEMBER 9 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: The lessons from the end of SeatGuru.com--and some useful successors. Hilton obliquely confirms new Honors top-level elite level. United links to Lyft in MileagePlus. JetBlue will fly to Destin-Fort Walton. Europe's EES border-control system is off to slow start. Marriott dumps Sonder properties after only a year. And much more.

NOVEMBER 2 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Yes, Virginia, JetBlue and Southwest are really opening airport lounges. Salt Lake City gets ten more gates and two huge new lounges. The DOT orders three Mexican airlines to drop 13 routes. United Airlines will return to Wausau, Wisconsin. Hawaiian and Alaska airlines now operate as a single carrier. SAS can't decide about Scandinavian culture. And much more.

OCTOBER 26 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Alaska Airlines drastically remakes West Coast hubs and transcon runs. American Airlines finally returns to Tel Aviv. Air France opens a lounge at Chicago/O'Hare. Chinese airlines and the DOT battle over Russian overflights. Delta-Marriott fight over Delta Hotels goes to trial. Whitbread is converting restaurants into guestrooms at Premier Inn hotels. Atlanta/Hartsfield shoot-out avoided thanks to family tip. Blue Sky deal between JetBlue and United begins. A (mistaken) terror scare in the sky on a SkyWest flight. A rail link connecting DFW and several North Texas cities is now open. And much more.

OCTOBER 12 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Sports Illustrated licenses its name to hotels and resorts while a company plans Pan Am hotels at airports. Airlines ramp up sun-destination flights. American Airlines removed its at-the-gate baggage sizers. Travel between the United States and Canada changes rapidly. Spirit Airlines cuts its fleet by 40%. Delta says it generated $2 billion in third-quarter revenue from American Express. And much more.

SEPTEMBER 28 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Nothing good can happen if the government shuts down on Wednesday. The long-delayed, wildly overbudget LAX people mover won't open this year, either. Cathay Pacific will revive its nonstops to Hong Kong from Seattle. Alaska Airlines and Singapore Airlines part ways. Capital One adds three more miles-transfer partners. Amex sends me a $75 shawl as my 50-year membership gift because, apparently, I am too old for Champagne. And much more.

SEPTEMBER 21 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: It'll be an eventful autumn with strikes around Europe. New York/JFK will be a ground-transport nightmare. North American flights will slowly return to Israel. Europe's automated exit/entry system will go into phased operation. JetBlue Airways will bulk up again in Fort Lauderdale. And much more.

AUGUST 31 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Alaska Air adds new international routes, but drops the nation's longest-haul domestic flight. United and American failed and now Delta is trying to topple Southwest at Austin. September will be hairy for France travel. American and WestJet add nonstops to Puerto Escondido and the Mexican Pipeline. Aeroplan switches to points from miles. JetBlue flyers can now earn and burn points on Condor. El Al revives flights to Eilat. And much more.

AUGUST 3 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Avis revives bespoke, door-to-door car rentals. Delta returns to the LAX-Hong Kong route. Air Canada now code-shares with Italian carrier ITA Airways. United and JetBlue get Transportation Department approval for their alliance. HawaiianMiles will be absorbed into Alaska Mileage Plan on October 1. American Airlines will use internationally configured widebodies on some Transcon Triangle flights. Norse drops many transatlantic routes. And much more.

JULY 13 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Another wild week on the road with looney passengers, pugnacious flyers and odd political moves. Tepic in Mexico gets flights to Canada and the United States. Airport operator Delaware North sells out. JSX launches a frequent travel plan. United resumes flights to Tel Aviv next week. The Air India crash last month appears to be a case of pilot error. Aeromexico will fly to RDU. Air France/KLM will take a majority stake in SAS Scandinavian and TAP Air Portugal is privatizing (again). And much more.

JUNE 29 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Delta and American have terrible weeks and inconvenience tens of thousands of flyers. Delta announces Seattle-Rome flights just weeks after Alaska Airlines promises the same route. A Michael Solomonov restaurant lands at Philadelphia Airport. BermudAir will fly to Anguilla from Baltimore and Boston. Wild information about airport dining. Hawaiian and JetBlue end their frequent flyer relationship. And much more.

JUNE 22 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Chase hikes Sapphire Reserve's annual fee and cuts points earnings. Now let's see what Amex does with Platinum. Hoteliers fear ICE raids are scaring away workers. Silver Airways in Florida shuts down and Iceland's Play ends U.S. service. New airport clubs in Newark, at JFK, in Grand Rapids and Vancouver. JetBlue will bail on Miami flights. Azul is cutting Brazil flights to Ft. Lauderdale. Bulgaria adopts the euro next year. And much more.

JUNE 10 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Delta Air Lines and United Airlines encounter in-flight WiFi issues. Trump's big military bash on Saturday will shut down Washington/National for hours. Alaska Airlines adds Seattle-Rome nonstops. Chase allows you to self-allocate credit lines on Chase cards without bank approval. Capital One slashes airport club benefits for Venture X cards. DoubleTree creates in-hotel restaurant chain. Limits at Newark continue throughout the year. India's largest airline will fly to Amsterdam and Manchester in a play for North American customers. And much more.

JUNE 1 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: United Airlines takes another run at New York/Kennedy via a limited deal with JetBlue Airways. Delta Air Lines renames all of its fares and adds a series of coach upsells. Southwest sets luggage fees at $35 for the first checked bag. Starlux of Taiwan will fly nonstop to Phoenix and Etihad will add a nonstop to Charlotte. American Airlines adds two lounges in Philadelphia. United devalues MileagePlus again. And much more.

MAY 11 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Newark Airport is now a nightmare, so avoid EWR at all costs. Avelo Airlines adds extra-legroom seats and rows with empty middle seats. Standard brand hotels now are available to earn and burn in World of Hyatt. American Airlines juggles routes at its New York/LaGuardia hub. Three major airports add new dining and shopping options. Amsterdam opened a consolidated car rental facility. Emirates restricts first class awards to elite Skywards members. Bizarre doings with Air Force One. And much more.

APRIL 27 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Alaska and Southwest go to war at overlooked San Diego Airport. JetBlue points can now be used for Japan Airlines awards. SAS revives intra-Europe business class. Key West's new concourse has enclosed boarding bridges. Hawaiian and Alaska airlines co-locate at LAX and Kennedy. American will offer free in-flight WiFi for some flyers next year. The DOT's shaky opposition to New York City's congestion pricing is exposed. Uber's glorified bus service now operates at three airports. And much more.

APRIL 13 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: The Almighty Dollar is much less almighty and increases overseas costs. Delta opens another Sky Club in Atlanta. Republic will buy Mesa. United will fly to Bangkok and Saigon, but not nonstop. Spirit Airlines fires chief executive. The number of overseas visitors to the United States is falling. Singapore Airlines will add first class to its ultra-long-haul nonstops. And much more.

MARCH 30 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Airlines slash transborder flights as Canadians boycott USA travel. Detroit/Metro finally gets 24/7 shop. New club lounges for Montreal and Miami. United Airlines hikes fees for club access and credit cards. Boston South Coast commuter rail line launches. Washington/National's on-time operations falter after the mid-air collision. Southwest will use nine boarding groups when it begins assigning seats. Heathrow Express ridership plummets. Air France has a new first class, but who's the lady in red? And much more.

MARCH 16 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Southwest Airlines surrenders to the hedge fund and will charge for checked luggage. Delta shrinks in Alaska and Alaska Airlines fills the gap. A new ticketing facility finally opens at Houston/Intercontinental Terminal E. JetBlue is overhauling its concessions at Terminal 5 at JFK. New York's Roosevelt Hotel, now housing migrants, could fetch $1 billion when it is sold. And much more.

MARCH 2 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Airlines and hotels continue devaluing your frequency programs. Hyatt and InterContinental gobble up more brands. The major remaking of JetBlue continues. Porter Airlines adds more flights to the New York Metro area. More airport clubs open, including the massive Chase Sapphire lounge in Philadelphia. Southwest is shrinking fast. Lufthansa begins integrating Italian carrier ITA and adds a stake in a Baltic airline. And more.

JANUARY 12 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Heathrow Express has lost 20% of its passengers to London's cheaper Elizabeth Line. Delta will offer SkyMiles for Uber rides and food deliveries. Shanghai connects its two airports with direct, high-speed rail. Hyatt reflags hotels at two Asian airports, but the conversions are subpar properties. Amtrak won't serve Miami Airport despite a purpose-built rail station. Alaska Airlines adds more flights from ... Alaska. Avianca adds U.S. routes from Latin America. Condor cuts North American cities from its route map. And more.