With the busy summer travel season kicking off, airlines and airports rolled out plenty of new products and services to handle the crowds throughout June 2025.
Here’s a look at the month’s top headlines, which included mobile app enhancements from carriers to make travel more convenient, new processes at airports to make lines even faster, and the unveiling of sophisticated lounges across the country where travelers can relax before boarding.
Airlines Launched New Tech to Ahead of Summer Travel Season
Most travelers realize that summer airport crowds can be a headache. Fortunately this month, carriers rolled out upgrades to their mobile apps to eliminate some of those pain points. JetBlue, for one, launched new bag tracking technology that will give travelers live updates on their bag’s whereabouts while in transit. United also launched a suite of new upgrades to its ConnectionSaver app feature, which includes new turn-by-turn directions and estimated walk times to a connecting gate, and notifications if a plane is being held for a passenger. When it comes to in-flight entertainment, United also rolled out a new partnership with Spotify that will bring the content streaming company’s audio books, podcasts, and music playlists aboard its planes.
Officials Streamlined Airport Processes to Deal With Crowds
Although crowds swell at airports during the summer, lines are only getting faster, thanks to new processes that were adopted this month. Global Entry got even faster at seven U.S. airports, thanks to a new process called Seamless Border Entry, which scans passengers’ faces as they continue to move through the checkpoint. TSA PreCheck said it would be launching its Touchless ID program at more airports this summer, including Seattle, Los Angeles, and Portland in partnership with Alaska Airlines, as well as Atlanta, New York-LaGuardia, Salt Lake City, and Washington, D.C., in collaboration with American Airlines. Touchless ID allows PreCheck members to use a facial scan to move through the security checkpoint instead of presenting a traditional boarding pass and ID. And speaking of airport IDs, the TSA reminded travelers this month that their Costco membership card does not count as a valid Real ID.
Carriers Opened Swanky New Places to Relax Before a Flight
Although summer trips mean navigating terminals packed with other passengers, there are plenty of serene new spaces where fliers can catch their breath before boarding their planes. Capital One opened the doors to its elegant new “flagship” lounge at New York-JFK, a 13,500-square-foot space with modern amenities, a shower suite, and New York-themed bar and restaurant items.
Delta also debuted its new Delta One Lounge and Delta Sky Club in Seattle, a two-in-one space that houses the business class lounge on the top floor and the Sky Club on the first floor. Guests can expect sweeping views of Mount Rainier and surrounding Washington forests, a wraparound outdoor terrace, and gourmet Seattle-inspired dishes like Dungeness crab cannelloni. The new lounges will complement Delta’s international flight launches coming to the Seattle market in spring 2026, including routes to Rome and Barcelona.
Looking ahead, American Airlines announced plans for a major expansion of its lounge offerings at its Miami hub, including a brand new Flagship Lounge space, and the conversion of its existing Flagship lounge at the airport into Admirals Club, which will be combined with the existing Admirals Club next door to create one vast space for travelers.
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