Benjamin Din

travel writer @nerdwallet covering airlines, hotels + more | politico, medill alum | reach me at [email protected]

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

some Monday morning news: I've joined the team at @NerdWallet, where I'll be writing about personal finance. Excited to dive into a new adventure and help people make smarter money moves. What questions are you/your kids/your parents looking up? Let me know: [email protected]

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

@benthompson @united Not saying it doesn’t happen, since I know it’s a common grievance. Just mentioning my experience since if it does still work wouldn’t that apply the contract was not cancelled? (Genuinely asking too, not really familiar with how it all works!)

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

pov: you’re in row 22 and your meal is served after landing

[Ben Bearup @TheAviationBeat]

The new Delta A321neo featuring 44(!) first-class seats.

Soon flying on:
ATL-LAX
ATL-SFO
ATL-SAN
ATL-SEA

[Singapore Airlines @SingaporeAir]

We’re enhancing our complimentary in flight Wi-Fi offering across all cabin classes on our Airbus A350-900 long-haul and ultra-long-range fleet and A380 aircraft from 2027.

@Starlink, the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, will provide multi-gigabit connectivity on board. Soon, you can stream, game, and send large files just like on the ground.

Find out more: https://t.co/60gHbaY5YT

[Jon Ostrower @jonostrower]

We don't know for sure if today is the last day for Spirit Airlines, but If it feels like it's been a long time since the U.S. lost an airline this way, it's because it has. The last major airline failure in this country was Independence Air in January 2006.

[Jennifer Jacobs @JenniferJJacobs]

NEW from @CBSNews: Spirit Airlines has only enough available cash to continue operations for a matter of days, not weeks.
Citadel submitted a counterproposal to Trump admin plan, but it was rejected by the govt. Two other creditors — Ares Management Corp. and Cyrus Capital — are also opposed to the govt plan, sources told @krisvancleave and me.
https://t.co/ExuK3ypQmx

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

Original story here: https://t.co/Nr2YYtPh8q

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

NEW: Air New Zealand tells me the cost for a four-hour session in its economy Skynest bunk bed is $495 *across currencies* at launch during the airline’s test and learn phase. Yes, that means US market will pay $495 USD while NZ market will pay in NZD (~$291 USD)

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

Per ANZ: “This ancillary pricing isn’t set purely on exchange rates. For launch, ANZ has chosen a simple and consistent price point to introduce the new product and assess customer demand across markets.”

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

“We’re gonna be roommates and we’re not getting married,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom says about United at ORD

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

NEW: @HawaiianAir flights will qualify for 20-minute baggage guarantee starting late April, @AlaskaAir tells me

https://t.co/U9zXF3SnTo

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

.@United says it’s reached a tentative agreement with the flight attendant union

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

sneak peek of newest @united club opening in Houston later this year 👀

[Edward Russell @ByERussell]

.@SouthwestAir will end service to @fly2ohare and @Dulles_Airport on June 4, 2026.

The airline notified travelers via an "End of Service" notice on its website.

[Ishrion Aviation @IshrionA]

Delta Air Lines intends to commence new route from Los Angeles (LAX) to Manila (MNL).

Flights to be operated 1 daily with A350-900 from Summer 2027.

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

@xJonNYC What is this for? Looks like the SAF livery but not quite

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

some interesting stats from the recent @jetblue 25 for 25 challenge (credit: JetBlue)

[gary leff @garyleff]

American Airlines Shows Off Its “Free Hotel” Feature—Here’s Why You Should Book Your Own Instead - View from the Wing https://t.co/hPhG58yLZb

[Sheel Mohnot @pitdesi]

Polaris seats take ~3x the space of economy, but sell for ~8x the price.

If demand stays strong, airlines will keep shifting space to premium.

United’s new 787-9 config is launching SFO–SIN and SFO–LHR:
64 Polaris (8 Studio), 35 Prem Plus, 39 E+, 84 Economy seats

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

United has already started flying from the B gates though, so it’ll be a long trek to the existing lounge at A until the new one is ready

[Benjamin Din @benjamindin]

Seattle is getting a new United Club in late 2027. It’ll have the modern @united branding seen at newer lounges, and I have to admit it looks great. Here’s a rendering of what it will look like: