The briefing in brief: Don't drink airline water--or even wash your hands in it. American finally launches free WiFi for AAdvantage members. Hilton will offer free private-lounge access for Diamond Reserve members. Alaska Airlines bulks up in Portland and Anchorage. Cleveland gets its New York flight from JetBlue. Avelo Airlines slashes more than a dozen routes. After a year, New York City's congestion charge is working. And much more.

DON'T DRINK AIRLINE WATER--BUT YOU KNEW THAT …
An alarming report on the quality of water in the airlines' tanks confirms what almost all of us already knew: Airline drinking water is awful and potentially dangerous. The exhaustive study from the Center For Food As Medicine & Longevity covers some familiar ground--stick to bottled water when you fly--but goes further: It suggests you avoid coffee and tea made with the water from airline tanks and even urges you to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer rather than washing your hands in airline lavs. Besides rating each of the nation's major and regional carriers, the organization also bashes the Environmental Protection Agency for not protecting us against airline water. How do you make the best of the study's recommendations? Carrying your own bottled water and hand sanitizer is clear. But what about the coffee and tea stuff? Battery- or USB-powered portable espresso machines are widely available and sell for as little as $40 on Amazon. (Here's a well-reviewed model selling for $55.) Walmart sells a portable, 1.4-pound water boiler for $30. Or, you know, there's always the 20-ounce Venti or 30-ounce Trenta at airport Starbucks.

AA FINALLY OFFERS FREE WIFI FOR AADVANTAGE MEMBERS
US Airways management, which became American Airlines management after the 2013 reverse merger, has long had a visceral antipathy to in-flight WiFi. Despite admitting WiFi was crucial for a huge segment of frequent flyers, AA management was determined to make customers pay if it couldn't find a sponsor to bear the cost. Now it has. American this week began rolling out free WiFi to American AAdvantage members and AT&T is paying much of the freight. There have been some initial kinks, but the process is supposed to work like this: On the WiFi-equipped aircraft, you log into aainflight.com and choose the free WiFi option. American says all narrowbody mainline and dual-class regional aircraft will offer the free service by the spring.
        Hilton Honors has announced the first unique perk for its new, by-invitation-only Diamond Reserve level. Members and one registered guest will receive free access to premium clubs at 11 hotels and resorts. (Three are in the United States.) Details are here.
        Taj Inner Circle members and members of Millennium Hotels' MyMillennium program now have reciprocal benefits. Each chain's players also receive 10% discounts at the other chain's properties.

ALASKA AIR EXPANDS AT PORTLAND AND ANCHORAGE
For obvious reasons, Alaska Airlines has concentrated on finalizing its purchase of Hawaiian Airlines and harmonizing the combined carriers' route map. But now Alaska Air is focused on bulking up at hometown favorites Portland (PDX) and Anchorage. Portland gets new year-round routes to Bellingham (BLI) and Pasco (PSC), Washington. There'll also be seasonal flights to Paine Field (PSC); Jackson Hole (JAC); and Fairbanks. From Anchorage, new seasonal service includes new flights to Boise and Boston/Logan. It is also reviving seasonal Anchorage-Spokane flights for the first time in a decade.
        Cleveland finally gets a New York flight from JetBlue Airways. The airline will launch daily Airbus A220 service to its Kennedy Airport hub on March 30. JetBlue serves Cleveland from its Boston hub. It briefly flew from Cleveland to Florida a decade ago.
        Rome/Fiumicino is the home of Europe's first Plaza Premium First lounge. It is located in Terminal 1, home of most of FCO's intra-Europe flights. The facility offers a la carte meals in a private dining room as well as private suites to work or relax. The entrance fee is 70 euro for a two-hour stay.

BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
The start-up no one needed, Avelo Airlines, is undergoing another upheaval. It is cutting routes from Raleigh-Durham; Wilmington (both Delaware and North Carolina); and New Haven, Connecticut. Avelo also dropped flights from Hartford last fall. The carrier is also ending controversial deportation flights operated for ICE from Mesa Airport near Phoenix. Launched in 2021, the carrier has had to recapitalize to keep flying and shed some aircraft.
        Hilton says it ended its franchise relationship with a Hampton Inn in Lakeville, Minnesota, that this week cancelled room reservations of several ICE agents involved in controversial activity in nearby Minneapolis. Homeland Security, ICE's parent agency, erroneously claimed Hilton had "launched a coordinated campaign" against ICE agents in Minneapolis. No other Hilton properties cancelled ICE reservations.
        New York City's $9 congestion charge is doing its job. After one year, traffic is down about 11% and is moving substantially faster than before. That includes higher speeds for taxis and buses, but also for commuters using the city's bridges and tunnels into and out of Manhattan. And contrary to claims of critics, Manhattan's economic indicators have improved notably. Broadway ticket sales are up 23% and sales tax revenue rose 6%, for example.