Runway Girl, 262 Hemlock Hill Rd, Lancaster, PA (2026)

10/21/2026

If you need to travel between the Pacific Northwest hubs of Seattle and Portland, a number of options can get the job done. There’s driving, Amtrak, and of course flying via Alaska or Delta from SeaTac.

But there’s also little known SeaPort Airlines, a small, Part 135 commuter airline that operates flights from Portland International Airport (PDX) and Seattle’s close-in Boeing Field (BFI). They also recently started service to Spokane, Washington.

I’ve known about SeaPort for some time, but hadn’t seriously considered flying them until a last minute day trip down to Oregon popped up.

The carrier offers a handful of fare buckets, which differ primarily on change, cancellation and refund fees. Every fare comes with 50 pounds of baggage included. I bought a last-minute ticket at $329, priced exactly equal to a basic economy fare on PDX-SEA for the same day.

I walked up to the PDX “terminal” a half hour before departure on the day of the flight. In Portland, at least, the airline operates out of its own space, which is separate from the main terminal by about a half mile.

The space is small but serviceable, with some lounge-style seating and a small table with self-serve coffee, tea and water. It isn’t anything to brag about, but then its not a space you’re supposed to hang out at for any length of time. With no security to deal with and a maximum of nine other passengers on any given flight, the airline says you can show up as little as 20 minutes before departure.

Check-in was quick and easy; I only had to provide my name. My small backpack was weighed, as all bags are, before the agent added a BFI tag to it. Larger bags were placed in a bag cart right away, while smaller bags like mine could be held onto until boarding.

With all the passengers already checked in, a friendly pilot figured we might as well get to it and walked us out to the plane a little ahead of schedule. Seating on the aircraft, a Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12, is open. There are nine-seats in a 1-1 configuration, plus space in the rear of the cabin for bags.

Being a small, single-engine airplane, the cabin ceiling is low and the space is a bit cozy. Still, it’s noticeably more roomy than, say, a Cessna Grand Caravan.

A few minutes later we were taking the runway and throttling up for takeoff.

Full trip report: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/10/competitive-pricing-and-time-savings-make-seaport-air-a-win-on-pdx-bfi/

Report + Images by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren

10/16/2026

While I have raved about United Airlines' industry-leading mobile app in the past, I have never seen first-hand the features that are activated for connecting passengers.

The app’s “Travel” tab, something I generally don’t pay much attention to on simple journeys, transforms into a practical data dump of everything relevant to your journey.

Flying from New York LaGuardia to Seattle via Chicago O"Hare, the app told me how long it would take to walk to my connecting gate at ORD, gave turn-by-turn walking directions, and provided the status of the inbound flight overlaid on a weather radar map.

It also showed airport conditions, boarding status of the connecting flight, and other useful information.

Full trip report: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/10/united-airlines-marvelous-app-eases-pain-of-connecting/

Report + images by Jason Rabinowitz

10/15/2026

Southwest Airlines has opted to bring SpaceX’s Starlink Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite-powered inflight connectivity to its entire fleet, and says it expects to become the “first major U.S. airline” to complete fleet-wide equipage, by fall 2027.

The Dallas-based carrier is uniquely positioned to make good on its plan, given that it operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet and Starlink’s phased array-based hardware has already received FAA supplemental type certification on the variants currently flown by Southwest: the 737-700, 737 -800 and MAX 8.

Also in the midst of rolling out Starlink across its fleet, United said today that it now offers Starlink on nearly half its daily flights. American will start equipping its mainline fleet with Starlink next year.

Southwest’s decision to pivot fully to Starlink is a blow to Viasat. When the airline first announced an initial deal with Starlink in February, it told RGN that Viasat’s Ka-band geostationary satellite-based kit would remain in play on fitted aircraft. Anuvu’s Ku-band GEO hardware was instead in line to be removed.

Now the airline says it’s “bringing the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, powered by Starlink, to its entire fleet.”

Full story: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/10/southwest-airlines-aims-to-be-first-u-s-major-with-starlink-fleet-wide/

Image: Southwest Airlines

10/15/2026

One of my favorite trips each fall is spending a weekend in Los Angeles at Cranky Dorkfest and co-located SpotLAX. It’s fun to catch up with friends in the industry, especially from outside the West Coast, while catching some rays in the SoCal sun.

Like all good things, though, the weekend draws to a close and it’s time to return home, which for me is Seattle. Usually I stick with Alaska Airlines to make the trip, and that’s exactly what I did on the way down to LAX, using a cheap Atmos Rewards points redemption.

The return trip, however, was looking pretty expensive. So off I went to Google Flights to see if I could find some deals, or at least something different.

A little bit of searching yielded an intriguing result: Frontier Airlines, which was described as offering ‘business class’ for $192.

With mainline carriers offering similar prices for non-basic economy class fares and twice that for domestic first class tickets, I figured “what do I have to lose?” I headed over to Frontier’s website to lock in the ticket.

The Denver-based carrier offers four bundles: basic, economy, premium and business. As you’d expect, each bundle includes more flexibility and/or amenities than the one below it. You can also go à la carte and build your own, which is personally my favorite approach most of the time. But this time I went straight to the business bundle and clicked right on through.

Their most expensive option included a carry-on, seat choice anywhere on the plane, no change/cancellation fees, priority boarding, and two checked bags. The $192 price point was over double the cost of their basic bundle, which is limited to just a personal item.

I chose seat 2A on board the scheduled Airbus A321 twinjet. That’s when I discovered that, while Google Flights calls it business class, the description is not exactly accurate. At least not in the way most people would expect.

Yes, Frontier is rolling out a premium hard product, and we’ll touch on that again later, but for now the majority of its fleet is not equipped with said product. That included my flight, which instead simply blocks the middle seat in the first two rows, EuroBiz style, to create a product called UpFront Plus.

Several weeks later, after enjoying Cranky Dorkfest and SpotLAX, it was time to fly home to Seattle. Frontier only offers free check-in via their app, unless you want to fork over $25 to get the ticket printed at the counter. Eager to avoid the fee, I downloaded their app and began the check-in process.

Initially, back when I bought the ticket, I didn’t think I was going to need either of the two checked bags that are included in the business bundle fare. But things changed, and now I did. I figured it would be a simple update: tick the box to add a checked bag and move on.

But it wasn’t that simple. Instead the app insisted I owed $75, and nothing I could do would convince it otherwise.

Full trip report: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/10/bungled-check-in-mars-frontier-airlines-experience/

Report + Images by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren

10/09/2026

Everybody loves a good redemption story. For Amtrak, redemption comes in the form of its brand new Airo fleet.

Amtrak placed a massive order with Siemens in 2022 to replace the bulk of its short- and medium-distance rolling stock, representing a complete reset of Amtrak’s passenger experience ( on the socials).

The Pacific Northwest Cascades route was first to place the new Amtrak Airo trainset into service, and your author just happened to be in Seattle for a test ride a few days after the launch.

Amtrak has tinkered with and upgraded its legacy equipment over the years, sprinkling refreshed seats here and upgraded Wi-Fi there, but there’s a practical limit to what Amtrak could accomplish with half-century old equipment.

The few chances Amtrak had to start from scratch in recent years with the Venture coaches in the Midwest and NextGen Acela, have largely been misses. Airo represents a total rethink, not just a touch up.

The exterior of the trainset is sleek, bringing forward the paint scheme and integrated cab car of the odd looking but iconic Talgo trainsets from the 1990s.

Before even boarding the trainset, new exterior digital signage confirms the direction and ultimate destination of the train, helping to inform infrequent riders.

Unlike Amtrak trainsets of the past, stepping on board Airo is a pleasant experience.

Full report: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/10/inside-amtrak-airo-as-trainset-enters-service-on-cascades-route/

Report + Images by Jason Rabinowitz for RGN

10/08/2026

British Airways is reinforcing its premium proposition by transforming its Airbus A380s with new interiors from nose to tail. A massive new refurbishment project for the iconic superjumbos is now underway at MRO giant Lufthansa Technik Philippines in Manila.

The oneworld member, which operates a dozen A380s, has outlined a retrofit plan that will introduce the world’s largest business class cabin, with 106 revamped Club Suites (nine more than the current layout) spread across the entire upper deck. These doored mini-suites are based on Collins Aerospace’s enduring Elevation platform.

BA confirms it has also tapped RECARO Aircraft Seating for its World Traveller Plus premium economy seats and World Traveller economy class seats, plus larger Panasonic Avionics IFE screens with Bluetooth connectivity across cabins, ensuring that passengers have the option of listening to the entertainment through their personal headphones.

The screen sizes in BA’s Club Suites and custom, Collins-made First suites are particularly noteworthy, sized at 18.5″ and a whopping 32”, respectively. Additionally, the refitted A380s will feature redesigned galleys and stairways with impressive new finishes.

This monumental work, which involves the installation of more than 35,000 individual parts across each double-decker widebody, required an extremely capable MRO and refurbishment facility. And so, BA turned to Lufthansa Technik Philippines, the joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and Philippines’ MacroAsia Corporation, which has extensive experience in A380 overhauls.

“There is only one facility in the world capable of carrying out this work to our specifications, and that is Lufthansa Technik in Manila,” British Airways tells Runway Girl Network. “The installation is being carried out jointly by Lufthansa Technik and our own Engineering and Maintenance teams.”

Full story: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/10/british-airways-goes-super-premium-on-a380-superjumbos/

All images credited to British Airways

10/05/2026

Premium Economy is a diverse product with varied levels of service and amenities, whether offered on aircraft flying internationally or indeed on premium U.S. transcontinental routes.

At its core, a wider seat that offers more legroom and deeper recline — or a seat that reclines by sliding forward whilst retaining a fixed back — plus an elevated service are largely considered baseline for this cabin class.

Slated to fly United Airlines’ version of premium economy, United Premium Plus, aboard a Boeing 787-10 night flight from Newark to Brussels, I was keen to see if the U.S. major has got the formula right.

My arrival at Newark Liberty International Airport was marred from the outset by ongoing construction work on the AirTrain, which required a 40-minute wait to board. But once I made it into Terminal C, the experience became less fraught.

I used United’s speedy self-serve bag drop system and received priority tags which sped up my luggage collection at the other end.

The TSA security checkpoint was rather stressful, but the process was relatively quick. So, I headed to the United Club lounge, for which I had purchased a single-use day pass. I freshened up, and then made my way to the gate just as pre-boarding began.

There were only six people ahead of me in the Group 2 line, but a lot of queuing in the jet bridge.

As I boarded the 787, I was greeted with a clean and well-appointed interior. Arriving at my aisle seat in the 2-3-2-configured Premium Plus cabin, I inspected the seat.

United Premium Plus’ hard product is based on Collins Aerospace’s popular and enduring MiQ platform. MiQ burst onto the wider aviation scene roughly a decade ago but remains modern looking and is still winning new airline customers.

United’s choice of purple leather for its premium economy seats lends a welcome pop of color and style to the cabin. With an adjustable armrest, and a bright Panasonic Avionics IFE screen, I was satisfied.

Full trip report: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/10/united-premium-plus-aboard-the-787-the-pluses-and-minuses/

Report + Images by Fintan Horan-Stear

10/02/2026

A new day is dawning at Alaska Air Group. And during an Investor & Media event at the new Alaska Global Training Center in Renton, management shed light on what that transformation will look like.

“Today is about what’s next: new experiences, new ways to travel, and a much bigger world for both Alaska and Hawaiian. Not just new for the sake of being new and different, but new for the sake of being better,” Alaska Air Group president and CEO Ben Minicucci declared on September 29 before unveiling Aurora and Leihōkū, the new flagship experiences for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

Reflecting each respective brand’s unique identity, Aurora and Leihōkū will shape the premium passenger experience going forward both on the ground and in the air.

The word Aurora will be familiar to Alaska passengers, as it’s already used to describe the northern lights-inspired exterior of its current Boeing 787-9s, a livery that will also adorn the carrier’s forthcoming Boeing 737 MAX 10s.

But now, Aurora has even deeper significance; it represents the “highest expression” of the Alaska brand and an end-to-end premium experience, Minicucci said.

Aurora spans everything from dedicated check-in and new lounges to restaurant-quality dining with menus inspired by the destinations served by Alaska. Notably, it also extends to lie-flat Aurora Suites, including for a cluster of premium-focused Boeing 737 MAX 10s, as well as an exclusive Aurora Lounge that will open in 2027 on the upper level of a 41,000 sq ft space in Seattle-Tacoma’s newly expanded Concourse C.

“We’re bringing Aurora Suites to our 787s and, for the first time, a true Suite-style experience to transcontinental flying on at least 25 new 737-10s,” enthused Minicucci, while a spectacular aurora borealis and starry night-inspired display lit up behind him.

The word Leihōkū, meanwhile, will resonate with Hawaiian passengers, as it was the initial moniker used for the 34 Elevate Aircraft Seating (formerly Adient)-made Ascent-based lie-flats aboard the 787-9 twinjets that have since shifted to the Alaska brand. These suites regularly receive rave reviews from passengers and journalists alike, including here at RGN.

Inspired by early Polynesian navigation and wayfinding, and meaning “lei of stars,” Leihōkū now represents “the most elevated expression of the Hawaiian Airlines brand,” Minicucci explained.

“Guests will have dedicated check-in and access to a new lounge in Honolulu, redesigned cabins on our entire A330 fleet including new lie-flat Leihōkū Suites, plus dining and amenities.”

Yes, dear reader, two years after Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of Hawaiian and less than a year after receiving a single operating certificate while retaining their distinct brands, the now truly global operator has seen fit to clarify, hone — and crucially — bolster its premium proposition in what will be its most significant investment in premium travel to date.

The timing is right. A oneworld alliance member that now serves Tokyo, Seoul, Rome, London, and Reykjavik (with Paris and Athens planned for next year), Alaska has also sought approval to participate in American Airlines’ antitrust-immune Atlantic and Pacific joint venture, which will place the brand on the world stage like never before.

Full story: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/10/new-day-dawns-for-alaska-air-group-with-aurora-and-leihoku-reveal/

Report + images by Mary Kirby

09/28/2026

When JetBlue and American Airlines entered into their Northeast Alliance strategic joint venture, the pairing attempted to bring together two very different airlines.

JetBlue, with its fleet-wide seatback screens and free Wi-Fi, offers a premium passenger experience. American, on the other hand, lacks seatback screens on the vast majority of its narrowbody fleet and at the time didn’t even offer free messaging, let alone entirely free Wi-Fi. For most passengers, these airlines represented near polar opposite .

After the court system struck down the Northeast Alliance, JetBlue turned to United Airlines and formed the Blue Sky reciprocal loyalty collaboration. Now in its second year, the partnership is finally seeing deeper levels of integration for flyers with an airline much more aligned with JetBlue’s experience.

I had some JetBlue flight credits kicking around for nearly a year and decided to check out how the partnership is going by flying aboard a JetBlue A220 from New York JFK to Chicago O’Hare and a United 737-800 for my return to New York LaGuardia.

Full trip report: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/09/blue-sky-collaboration-benefits-from-uniform-paxex-at-jetblue-united/

Report + images by Jason Rabinowitz

09/24/2026

For the second time in my career, there’s a premium transcon arms race kicking off. The 2010s saw the introduction of a totally overhauled United p.s. service, American’s launch of the dedicated transcon Airbus A321T, and Delta’s entry into the ring with widebody aircraft.

The latter half of the 2020s saw this race restart. United has its A321 Coastliner, American has its A321XLR, and Delta is planning but is so far unable to launch its own premium A321 subfleet.

American was the first mover to get its latest and greatest Airbus narrowbody into service, and on a recent flight from Los Angeles to New York JFK, I decided to give it a go in the Main Cabin.

I was in Los Angeles to attend Cranky Dorkfest and to my surprise American had a couple of aircraft on static display, including the A321XLR.

The U.S. major is clearly quite proud of the long-haul narrowbody, going as far as to print mock boarding passes to welcome Cranky Dorkfest attendees.

With the A321XLR on static, I was able to get some clean shots of the hard product before my flight to New York (which are interspersed throughout this trip report).

Full report: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/09/american-sets-the-scene-for-geek-out-on-xlr-and-at-cranky-dorkfest/

Report + Images by Jason Rabinowitz

Runway Girl

10/21/2026

10/16/2026

10/15/2026

10/15/2026

10/09/2026

10/08/2026

10/05/2026

10/02/2026

09/28/2026

09/24/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Listing takedown request