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.

AUGUST 30 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: United and American airlines prepare a raft of A321XLR routes while Delta disses narrowbody international flying. Alaska Airlines launches more Europe routes from Seattle and Delta adds a Sea-Tac-Tokyo/Narita to harass the hometown carrier. JetBlue opens a club at Boston. Delta and Aeromexico win a court case to keep their joint venture. JetBlue rids itself of Carl Icahn. Do you want a hot pretzel from an airport kiosk? And more.

AUGUST 9 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: American Airlines claims that it is pivoting to premium service, but it is still pinching pennies. Chase pulls its Sapphire airport lounges from Priority Pass. Delta Air Lines will fly nonstop from LAX to Manila. United abandons ten commuter routes it planned to add from O'Hare. Swiss will fly Zurich-Bangalore and times the flights for easy connections from the United States.

JULY 27 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Southwest eliminates half its inter-island Hawaii flying. Hawaiian switches to a hand-me-down fleet of Alaska Air Boeing 737s. JetBlue pays royally for more slots at New York/LGA after slashing service there. Naples Airport in Italy will close for the month of November. A Chase Sapphire Lounge opens at DFW. Air Canada and Hyatt link loyalty programs. Tokyo plans a massive hotel-tax increase next year. And more.

JULY 12 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Delta adds "basic" premium class pricing and gives you less premium than ever. Air France/KLM Flying Blue eliminates free advance seat assignments on its award tickets. Hyatt will open a Tucson property in an abandoned building that once housed a Braniff Airlines hotel. American Airlines revives Chicago-Tokyo route. EVA of Taiwan hopes to woo U.S. flyers to connect over Taiwan to India. United adds two more South American routes. And more.

JUNE 28 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Delta juggles its Austin/Bergstrom schedules, but Southwest widens its lead in market share. Alaska Airlines cuts almost a third of its Mexico seat capacity. Marriott faces class-action suit over resort and destination fees on Bonvoy award stays. Wyndham devalues its program again. Air Canada encourages Canadians to stay home this summer. Zurich now allows travelers to take up to two liters in their carry-on bags. And more.

JUNE 21 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: JetBlue slashes some Northeast flights, but will try Fort Lauderdale-San Diego nonstops. Amex trims some cardholder perks around the margins. Lufthansa backs off most of those fees for cancelling its most expensive tickets. The Blackstone Hotel, home of the original smoke-filled room, is sold. TAP adds a kind of premium economy on international flights. Porter Airlines begins flying to a second Montreal airport. Philippine Airlines joins Oneworld next year. And more.

MAY 17 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: American Airlines wants to restore commercial flights to Naples, Florida. United Airlines adds more Japan routes including the first mainland-to-Sapporo nonstop. Canadian carriers keep juggling transborder routes. JetBlue and United offer more reciprocal frequent flyer perks. Alaska Airlines returns to Long Beach. Ruidoso, New Mexico, gets on national route map. Delta dumps snacks and beverages on its shortest hauls. And more.

APRIL 26 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The 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 International will be renamed for President Trump. Air Canada adds more new sun destinations this winter. Southwest improves boarding process for A-Listers. And more.

MARCH 29 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: The European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES) is mandatory at airports on April 10. United unveils a raft of premium upgrades on transcontinental flights and short-haul markets via several new subfleets. GOL of Brazil will fly to New York/Kennedy starting this summer. ITA Airways of Italy will join the Star Alliance and Lufthansa Miles & More. Washington-area ATC evacuated twice in two weeks. And more.

MARCH 22 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: United Airlines and others cut flights due to soaring fuel prices. Friday is another doomsday for the TSA shutdown and the crisis could drag on for weeks. Hilton brings Yotel and its in-airport, by-the-hour pod hotels into the fold. More club lounges open at DFW. Toronto/City Airport now has U.S. Customs pre-clearance. Hotel and tourism taxes are rising fast, too. And more.

MARCH 17 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Agent callouts at the TSA are rising and airports are beginning to close security checkpoints. Eight Gulf airports, only 750 flight miles apart, are the Strait of Hormuz in the sky. Who's flying--and who's not--in the Middle East. Why has the United States been so slow with evacuations? Terrible storms lead to two awful days in the U.S. skies. And more.

MARCH 8 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: After a bad storm, Delta and its commuter carrier melt down in Atlanta. TSA checkpoint waiting times are getting out of hand. Another search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, missing for 12 years, comes up empty. A bomb threat empties Kansas City Airport. Notable flight incidents this week. TAP Air Portugal will fly to Orlando from Lisbon. And more.

MARCH 1 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: The FAA is poised to slash United and American schedules at O'Hare. Big World of Hyatt changes make the program more complicated and much more expensive, but at least an award chart remains. Qantas will fly winter nonstops between Las Vegas and Sydney. Air Canada adds flights to Quito, Ecuador, from Toronto and Montreal. JetBlue links its JFK hub to United's Houston/IAH hub. Southwest already adjusting its new seating and carry-on rules. And much more.

FEBRUARY 15 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: Britain will require advance electronic permission to enter the country starting February 25. Delta revives three long-haul domestic routes. If you were confused by the El Paso air space closure, you'll be flummoxed by the balloon battle waged by Belarus against Vilnius Airport in Lithuania. The first Ramadan in 2026 begins this week and the fasting and dining rhythms change how you travel. Lufthansa will upgrade business class on its Airbus A380s. And much more.

FEBRUARY 1 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: United Airlines goes dark this week for a planned technology update. Big travel credit card changes ahead. Japan Airlines and Avianca add more premium cabins. United ramps up flights at Chicago/O'Hare. Waymo driverless taxis now operate at SFO. And much more.

JANUARY 18 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The briefing in brief: ICE agents patrol Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. The DOT backs off a plan to tie transportation funding to immigration policy. BWI opens a terminal connector with five new gates. EVA Air will fly from Dulles to Taipei. WestJet backs off nasty new coach configuration after passenger objections. Lufthansa will outfit planes with Starlink WiFi. Allegiant buys Sun Country for $1.5 billion in cash and stock. Chicago wants cash for naming rights at O'Hare and Midway airports. And more.

JANUARY 11 BRIEFING FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
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 one year, the New York City congestion charge is working. And much more.