July is always a busy month for air travel, as passengers set out on Independence Day trips and other summer vacations.
But July 2025 was a particularly notable month for air travel news, with new security policies rolling out at airports, airlines beginning significant expansions of their business class and premium economy cabins, and exciting new routes being announced for fall and winter travel.
Here are some highlights that all frequent flyers should know.
Major Upgrades at Airports Around the World
Airports upgraded security processes to make them more streamlined and added new amenities for travelers’ comfort. American Airlines officially launched its One Stop Security program, which allows passengers on its flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) with onward connections to proceed directly to their connecting flight upon landing at DFW.
TSA security line (Photo Credit: Eric Bowman)
They no longer need to reclaim their bags, go through another TSA checkpoint, or recheck their bags. Shortly after American’s program launched, Delta also joined the initiative, which is a collaboration between the TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and the U.K. Department for Transport.
The TSA also made a major shift by ending its onerous shoes-off policy for travelers without TSA PreCheck memberships. Travel experts applauded the new simplified screening policy.
Carriers also unveiled a host of new lounge concepts this month, from quick grab-and-go options, like American Airlines’ new Provisions by Admirals Club concept in Charlotte, which will open later this summer, to American Express’s Sidecar by Centurion Lounge concept coming to Las Vegas in 2026 that will serve small plates and cocktails to travelers on a tight schedule.
Amex further expanded its Centurion Lounge network in July, with the opening of its newest location at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) on July 16. The 7,500-square-foot space features menus designed by Japanese Chef Satoshi Ogino, which include ramen and sushi, as well as an open kitchen where guests can observe chefs at work. The company also said it would be opening a new Centurion outpost at Amsterdam’s airport in 2026.
In terms of passenger comfort, one hub made an exciting announcement. Canada’s Vancouver International Airport (YVR) said it would begin bringing two miniature horses, Magic and Tinkerbell, into its terminals over the summer to comfort stressed-out travelers.
Airlines Launched New Fall Routes
In July, airlines started filling out their schedules for fall and beyond, announcing new domestic routes and exciting international flights coming soon.
Frontier aircraft. (photo courtesy of Frontier Airlines)
Budget carrier Frontier Airlines announced 15 new routes that will debut in October, including to new destinations like Corpus Christie, Texas, and Richmond, Virginia.
Delta said it would launch a new nonstop route to Hong Kong from Los Angeles International Airport in June 2026. The carrier will use its Airbus A350-900 planes—complete with luxe Delta One seats—to serve the route with a daily flight.
In October, United Airlines will expand its existing route to the Caribbean island of Dominica, adding a second weekly flight from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport to the Garden Island that will operate on Wednesdays.
Carriers Added Premium Seats Amid Increasing Demand
The trend of airline passengers clamoring for more premium seats showed no signs of slowing down in July. United Airlines, for instance, said that in the second quarter of 2025, its premium revenue jumped 5.6 percent year over year. Airlines met the demand by announcing new expansions of their business class and premium economy cabins.
Emirates premium economy (Photo Credit: Courtesy Emirates)
Virgin Atlantic announced a total overhaul to its premium experience that will include a refurbishment of its Boeing 787-9 planes to add more seats in the Upper Class and Premium cabins, as well as spacious new Retreat Suites. The London-based carrier will also add more premium seats to its Airbus A330neo planes. The additions will begin in late 2026.
Similarly, JetBlue said it would be expanding flights with its popular Mint business class cabin out of Fort Lauderdale, with four new domestic routes launching from its South Florida hub in December and November.
On the premium economy end of the spectrum, Emirates said it would expand its popular iteration of the cabin class to a new destination in July: Kolkata, India, where the carrier began flying with its Boeing 777 jets outfitted with premium economy seats on July 18.
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