This traveler earns ‘temporary exemption’ from UK’s new arrival fee

In the latest air travel developments, the United Kingdom has made a significant change in its new requirement, effective this month, that all foreign arrivals must obtain an electronic travel authorization online before arrival; JetBlue rolls out new perks for customers in its extra-legroom seats and starts accepting a new payment method for ticket purchases; Delta brings back two routes out of San Jose Mineta, changes its 2025 Alaska schedule, and eliminates two Central America routes out of LAX; there’s also international route news from United, Turkish Airlines and Japan Airlines; major airlines are reviving service to Israel; an environmental group’s study finds alternative aviation fuels will not reduce airline emissions over the long term, and urges big cuts in business travel; SkyTeam alliance changes airline lounge access rules for premium passengers; American Express plans a big new Centurion Lounge at Boston Logan; United changes check-in procedures at Houston Bush Intercontinental.

There’s a big change in the U.K.’s requirement — which took effect this month — that all U.S. citizens traveling to Britain are required to get an electronic travel authorization (ETA) before they can enter that country. Since it was announced, the government had planned to require an ETA not just for arriving visitors, but also for transit passengers connecting at U.K. airports — specifically, London Heathrow and Manchester. That provision was controversial, and elicited significant opposition, especially from airlines and airports. So now the government has agreed to a “temporary exemption” from the ETA rule for transit passengers, according to One Mile at a Time, although it’s not clear how temporary it is. The government is also reportedly planning an increase in the ETA application fee from 10 pounds to 16 pounds, the site said.

The new requirement applies to all travelers who do not need a visa to visit the U.K., also including citizens of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and some other nations. “Everyone travelling needs to get an ETA, including babies and children. You can apply for other people,” the U.K. government said on its website. Visitors can apply through the U.K. ETA app, available from the Apple App Store or Google Play, or online. An application costs 10 pounds (about $13) and is generally processed within three days. Applicants will be notified by email. The ETA is good for multiple visits to the U.K. over a two-year period, but none longer than six months. Applicants must provide a photo of their passport and their face and a payment method — a credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay — as well as a valid email address for confirmation. 

Effective Jan. 28, JetBlue will enhance its EvenMore service with new perks for customers. EvenMore is the carrier’s designation for extra-legroom seats in the front of the cabin (or just behind Mint seats on aircraft that offer that premium service). With the enhancements, EvenMore service will provide free alcoholic drinks, a premium snack option, priority access to security screening “at select airports,” early boarding, dedicated overhead bin space and free headphones. Elite-level Mosaic members of the airline’s TrueBlue program will get special access to the seats, JetBlue said: “Mosaic 1 members will have the option to book EvenMore at check-in and Mosaic 2, 3 and 4 members will be able to select EvenMore at the time of booking for more legroom and perks at no extra charge on JetBlue-operated flights. All Mosaic members will also be able to select extra legroom at booking at no extra charge as a part of their Signature Perks.” 

JetBlue also announced it will now accept Venmo for customer payments when flights are booked directly with the airline online. The new payment option is currently available at jetblue.com and will be added to the carrier’s mobile app “in the coming months,” the company said. With the new feature — which it claims to be the first airline to offer — “U.S. customers can conveniently purchase flights using their Venmo balance or linked bank accounts, debit cards, or credit cards when booking travel,” JetBlue said.  

Delta will expand at San Jose Mineta International this year, the airport said, resuming daily flights to Las Vegas on May 7 and seasonal service from SJC to Detroit from July 7 to Nov. 30. The carrier suspended both routes in 2020. The Detroit flights will use a 737-900 while the Las Vegas service will be operated by SkyWest with an ERJ-175. Meanwhile, Delta is also changing its Alaska operations, deciding not to renew summer service from Seattle to Ketchikan and Sitka, but it brings back Los Angeles-Anchorage service with one weekly flight from May 24 through Aug. 30. 

In international route news, Delta plans to reduce Los Angeles-Central America service this spring, ending its LAX-Guatemala City and LAX-San Salvador, El Salvador, flights on May 7. It also plans to trim its LAX-San Jose, Costa Rica, schedule from two flights a week to one, according to Aeroroutes. United has set May 1 as the launch date for its unusual new route from Tokyo Narita to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — the first service to that country by a U.S. airline. United has started taking reservations for the flight, which is expected to operate three days a week with a 737. Turkish Airlines Chairman Ahmet Bolat said his company will add Minneapolis-St. Paul as its 15th U.S. destination this year, with service starting in April or May, according to Simple Flying. Japan Airlines said it will put a new Airbus A350-1000 into service on its Tokyo Haneda-Los Angeles route this summer but hasn’t yet set a starting date. JAL also said it will revive daily Chicago-Tokyo Narita flights starting May 31, and will increase San Diego-Narita and Los Angeles-Kansai service to daily frequencies on March 30 and July 18 respectively. 

Following the recent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Delta said this week it will resume daily New York JFK-Tel Aviv flights on April 1. According to Simple Flying, an Israeli publication said United might resume service sometime in February, although the airline hasn’t announced it yet, and American’s most recent update shows service coming back April 29. Meanwhile, connections to Israel are now, or soon will be, available on some European airlines. According to a roundup by Euronews, the Lufthansa Group carriers — including Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines — are planning to resume Israel service on Feb. 1. Italy’s ITA Airways is also due to begin daily Rome-Tel Aviv flights on Feb. 1, while British Airways is expected to launch daily London-Tel Aviv service on April 5. Air France was scheduled to revive Paris-TLV flights this week, while partner KLM is planning a March 29 return of service from Amsterdam to Israel. El Al never stopped flying to its U.S. gateways throughout the conflict. Since demand for travel to the U.S. is strong, an Israeli airline called Arkia plans to start flying between Tel Avis and New York on Feb. 8 with an Airbus A330neo, according to Simple Flying. 

The airline industry in recent years has focused on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) — made from non-petroleum-based materials — as its best bet for limiting or reducing carbon emissions from commercial aircraft in the coming decades, and carriers frequently make announcements of SAF purchase contracts and investments in SAF companies. But a new study from a European environmental advocacy group throws cold water on those hopes, suggesting that SAF adoption by airlines is unlikely to make a significant difference in emissions, especially as the airline industry continues to expand and grow in the years ahead.

The new report from the nonprofit organization Transport & Environment focuses on trends in Europe, but its conclusions apply to the airline industry worldwide. The basic problem, T&E said, is that SAFs are not being adopted fast enough to keep up with the growth of air travel, due largely to limited supplies and high prices. The group notes that Europe’s aviation sector expects to double its passenger traffic by 2050, based on projections by Airbus and Boeing, so “in 2049, the sector could be burning as much fossil kerosene as it did in 2023, even when using 42% of SAF, as required by the EU’s law on green fuels,” T&E said. The European Commission has set a goal of reducing the region’s overall carbon emissions by 90% from 1990 levels over the next 15 years.  

“For now, the European Commission has no concrete plans to limit the aviation sector’s growth in its 2040 target,” the group said. “If no policies to address growth are introduced, Europe’s aviation emissions will not decrease fast enough. T&E urges the European Commission to present proposals to put an end to airport infrastructure growth in Europe, to keep corporate travel at 50% of 2019 levels, to address frequent flying and to reverse the under-taxation of the sector.”

The SkyTeam alliance of Delta, Air France, KLM and several other carriers has expanded its airport lounge access policies for elite travelers — but not for everyone. Starting April 1, SkyTeam said, it will offer lounge access to Elite Plus customers traveling on domestic flights. The new perk will initially be offered at select lounges of Air France, China Eastern, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Scandinavian Airlines, Saudia and Vietnam Airlines, and is slated to gradually expand to more lounges. However, “Separate domestic lounge access policies may apply to members of Aerolineas Argentinas’ Aerolineas Plus and Delta Air Lines’ SkyMiles programs,” SkyTeam said. In addition, SkyTeam Elite Plus members and SkyTeam first and business class customers will now be limited to three hours “at more lounges,” SkyTeam said, except for Elite Plus members who are connecting between two SkyTeam-operated flights.

In airport news, American Express is planning to build a big new Centurion Lounge at Boston Logan. Thrifty Traveler said word of the plan emerged when the airport’s governing board voted to approve AmEx’s plan for a two-story, 20,000-square-foot lounge near Gate C10 in the airport’s Terminal C. At that size, it will be one of the largest in the Centurion Lounge network. It will reportedly include a “green roof” covered with plants and grass as well as a rooftop bar and patio. Construction is expected to begin this spring, with the opening of the lounge planned for 2027. American Express also has new Centurion Lounges in the works at Salt Lake City International and Newark Liberty, due to open in 2025 and 2026 respectively. The lounges are accessible by holders of the American Express Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card.

At Houston Bush Intercontinental, United Airlines this week closed its Terminal B ticketing lobby as part of a major redevelopment of that facility, and it’s not expected to reopen until sometime in 2026, airport officials said. “United Airlines passengers flying from IAH Terminals A, B, C or E should check in, drop luggage and pass through TSA security at Terminal C,” the airport said. “United Airlines encourages all passengers to arrive at Bush Airport 2-3 hours before their flights. Passengers should use the above-ground Skyway train for easy access to Terminals A, B or E. United Airlines gates B3–B31 will remain operational throughout the lobby closure.”