The catch-up briefing in brief: American scores two big victories over United at their shared Chicago/O'Hare hub. Hyatt and Air Canada will devalue their frequency programs. Porter adds cash fuel surcharge to award redemptions. The FAA restricts flights at San Francisco. American Airlines returns to Venezuela this week. Palm Beach Airport will be renamed for President Trump. Air Canada adds new sun destinations this winter. Southwest improves boarding process for A-Listers. And more.

AMERICAN TOPS UNITED IN LATEST BATTLES OF O'HARE
United and American airlines have fought so long and so frequently for control of Chicago/O'Hare that maybe we should number their skirmishes like the World War I battles of the Isonzo. (Hey, read some history.) And while this isn't exactly the airport equivalent of Caporetto for United, American Airlines can finally declare some measure of victory over its larger competitor. As expected, the FAA is pumping the brakes on the carriers' attempt to overload O'Hare schedules. The agency says it'll limit flights to about 2,700 a day from mid-May to late October. That's about 300 fewer flights than the two airlines planned and about two-thirds of the cuts will fall on United. Meanwhile, an upcoming gate reallocation is likely to move three gates back to American at the expense of United. That will essentially reverse last year's changes, which gave United four additional gates at the expense of American. United still dominates at ORD--it controls about 45% of traffic compared to American's 33%), but stay tuned. You never know when the next ORD battle will erupt--or what obscure military simile I'll invoke.

HYATT, AIR CANADA DEVALUE BECAUSE, OF COURSE …
The impending massive restructuring of World of Hyatt, which will now have five award prices within each of its eight categories, apparently is not enough for Hyatt. It is forging ahead with its annual re-rating of each property in the system. The bad news is that more than 80% of the 136 changes will push hotels and resorts into a higher award category. Only two dozen reprice to a lower category. The worst news: Four popular properties (Hotel du Louvre in Paris; Park Hyatt London; Andaz 5th Avenue in New York; and the Hyatt Regency Aruba) are now assigned into Category 8. That means they are no longer available using the Category 1-7 Milestone certificates that Hyatt awards to Globalists. The small bit of good news: The category changes don't go into effect until May 20, so you have several weeks to claim awards at the old prices for future stays. Both the expanded pricing within categories and the category changes are explained here.
        Air Canada Aeroplan is being devalued again. Effective June 1, prices rise as much as 40,000 points for prime international business class awards. A few awards, mostly short-haul coach, will be marginally cheaper. Complete details are here.
        Porter Airlines has added a C$40 surcharge to flights redeemed with VIPorter awards. The airline claims the new fee is to mitigate rising fuel costs.
        GHA Discovery, the loyalty program of the Global Hotel Alliance, says that it has deferred the expiration of all D$ points until at least September 30.

AMERICAN RETURNS TO VENEZUELA THIS WEEK
American Airlines requested permission to resume flights to Venezuela a few days after the Trump Administration ousted and captured dictator Nicolas Maduro in January. Now the carrier is prepared to launch. Daily Embraer E175 roundtrips from its Miami hub to the Venezuelan capital of Caracas begin Thursday (April 30). American first began flying to the country in 1987 and was the last U.S. airline to drop Venezuela flights in 2019.
        India's airlines are shaking up their C-suites. IndiGo, which controls about 60% of the nation's domestic market, has appointed Willie Walsh as its new chief executive. Name sound familiar? Walsh rescued Aer Lingus; remade (and cheapened) British Airways; ran the International Airlines Group conglomerate that includes BA, Aer Lingus and Iberia; and currently runs IATA, the industry's global trade group. Walsh is due to take control in August. Meanwhile, Campbell Wilson has resigned as chief executive of Air India, the nation's flag carrier now controlled by the massive Tata Group. No successor has been named.
        Air Canada will add seasonal winter flights to five new sun destinations because, let's be honest, Canadians have soured on Florida. In October, AC will add nonstops to Tenerife, Canary Islands, from both its Toronto/Pearson and Montreal hubs. There'll also be new service to Roatan, Honduras; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and Merida and Mazatlan, Mexico.

FAA LIMITS FLIGHTS IN SAN FRANCISCO
The FAA has imposed flight limits at San Francisco International and that's sure to increase delays at the airport, already frequently plagued by long weather-related delays. Due to a runway paving project, the agency is restricting how flights can operate at the airport's two sets of parallel runways. Maximum flight operations have been reduced to 36 per hour, down from 54 hourly movements earlier in the year. Plan accordingly.
        Palm Beach International, currently coded PBI, is apparently getting a new name and new three-letter code. Assuming final federal government approvals, the airport will be called Donald J. Trump International and be coded DJT. The change could happen as early as July 1.
        Three more Canadian airports will be connected to Air Canada's Toronto/Pearson hub with the carrier's Landline bus service. Beginning on June 15, buses will connect YYZ with Niagara (YCM), Sarnia (YZR) and Muskoka (YQA). Three other small airports already have Landline buses to Pearson.

BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you're one of those travelers who only drinks Coke or Pepsi, take note: Travel exclusivity has changed. After more than 30 years serving only Pepsi, Marriott properties around the world are switching to Coca-Cola and Coke-affiliated beverages such as Sprite, Fanta and Dasani. But Air Canada has gone the other way. It has dumped Coke for Pepsi and Schweppes-branded beverages. And, yes, it's all about money. This stuff is never about consumer preference.
        Southwest Airlines A-List flyers are getting slightly better treatment at boarding gates. A-List Preferred customers now board ahead of Group 1. A-List flyers board in Group 1.
        American Airlines Admirals clubs will now carry co-branding with Citi, the bank that is now the carrier's exclusive card issuer. Admirals clubs at AA's hubs at Chicago/O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami and Los Angeles have already added the Citi logo to entrances and elsewhere. More clubs will go to dual-branding during the year.
        Air Canada has added more Air Canada Café locations. There is now an 84-seat outlet on the C Concourse at Vancouver (YVR) and a second one in Montreal (YUL). The Café concept is largely about grab-and-go food and beverages.