From the inside of JSX jet, a Delta flight is seen taking off from John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa on Monday, April 28, 2025. MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Mindy Schauer/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images

In this week’s news, The Homeland Security Department said the Transportation Security Administration’s sudden reversal of its shoes-off rule for airport screenings could be followed by the relaxation of even more restrictions that its PreCheck program was designed to avoid; public charter carrier JSX unveils a rewards program; airlines start to revive service to Israel following the end of its 12-day war with Iran; Air India extends its reduction of San Francisco flights; there’s more international route news from Volaris, Etihad, ITA, Philippine Airlines and Air Canada; American releases schedule details for its next-generation 787-9P long-haul aircraft; a Southwest Airlines customer survey asks about possible changes to Companion Pass rules; Virgin Atlantic announces a new Wi-Fi provider and redesigns of its cabin interiors with a shift to more premium seating.

The Transportation Security Administration’s surprise decision this week to end — effective immediately — its decades-old requirement that airline passengers take off their shoes when going through security could be just the first of more changes. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a July 8 statement that TSA expects the policy change “will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.” She said the new policy of keeping shoes on during security checks “is just one of many the Trump administration is pursuing” due to significant technological enhancements in passenger screening in recent years. According to the Wall Street Journal, Noem said at a press conference announcing the change that TSA is also reviewing the current requirements that travelers remove laptops from their carry-on luggage, limit the amount of liquids they carry to very small bottles, and take off their jackets and belts when they go through the checkpoint.

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FILE: Travelers put on their shoes after a TSA checkpoint at LAX in August 2010. Bob Riha Jr/Getty Images

But this raises questions about the future of TSA’s increasingly popular PreCheck program, since the shoes-off requirement and other restrictions for standard screening are exactly what PreCheck was designed to get around. The TSA reported last summer that the number of active PreCheck members hit 20 million — an increase of 33% from March 2023. And millions more who sign up for the Global Entry program for international travel are also admitted to PreCheck. This has led to the PreCheck lines at busy airports sometimes being as long as the regular screening lines, although TSA still maintains that PreCheck screening should never require a wait of more than 10 minutes. Depending on the vendor used to sign up, a first-time, five-year enrollment in PreCheck can cost $76.75 to $85, with renewals ranging from $58.75 to $77.95. The government has spent millions in recent years in an advertising and PR campaign to promote signing up for PreCheck. But if it continues to remove the advantages of membership, how long can PreCheck be expected to last?

FILE: Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley boards a JSX jet during the ribbon cutting for the airline’s new service at John Wayne Airport. MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Mindy Schauer/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images

JSX, the public charter operator that serves several California routes with business class-configured regional jets, has introduced a loyalty program called Club JSX. Flyers who sign up will get back rewards equal to 5% of the amount they spend on JSX flights, to be applied toward future travel on the airline up to 100% of the base fare. Besides base fares, seat fees and pet fees also qualify toward rewards. The program also allows for family pooling of rewards points, and members will get “exclusive offers designed for you,” the airline said. Commenting on Club JSX, the View from The Wing blog noted that “what seems missing here is an elite program. There are no upgrades possible, and most things are free, but they could still waive premium seat fees for frequent customers and even organize free parking” at airport JSX locations. One Mile at a Time remarked: “It’s always cool to see new loyalty programs introduced, though I can’t say this one is anything to get too excited about, or that it’s terribly innovative.”

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Now that hostilities between Israel and Iran have ended following their 12-day war, foreign airlines are starting to revive service to Tel Aviv. According to the Times of Israel, United has moved up its resumption of Newark-Tel Aviv service from July 31 to July 21, with two flights a day scheduled effective July 22. Delta has not yet updated its most recent plans for Tel Aviv flights, which called for a resumption starting Sept. 1, and American has not set a firm date to resume service. El Al has continued to operate its U.S. routes except for a suspension during the 12-day conflict. According to the airline website Aviation A2Z, Air France this week revived Paris CDG-Tel Aviv flights, and the Lufthansa Group carriers Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines plan to do the same on Aug.1.

Forensic experts review the Air India crash site on June 13, 2025, in Ahmedabad, India. Hindustan Times/Raju Shinde/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

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American Airlines has revealed more operational plans for the deployment of its next-generation 787-9 wide-bodies, a premium-heavy, long-haul version of the aircraft that is also known as the 787-9P. The aircraft features an expanded front cabin with 51 new Flagship Suites — providing “a one-of-a-kind chaise lounge seating option with an adjustable headrest pillow,” as well as privacy doors, wireless charging, and more personal storage space, the company said. Flagship Suite customers also get access to the airline’s Flagship lounges and enhanced in-flight service, including a multi-course meal with wines. The 787-9Ps have 32 redesigned Premium Economy seats and 161 main cabin seats, all with USB-C and AC power outlets and Bluetooth connectivity. Effective this week, American said, the new 787-9s are available on all Chicago-London Heathrow flights; in late October, they’re set to begin flying once a day from Dallas/Fort Worth to Brisbane, Australia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and London Heathrow; as well as Philadelphia-London, followed by DFW-Auckland, New Zealand, starting Jan. 5. Customers booking through aa.com or the airline’s mobile app who want to make sure they’re going to be on the new aircraft should look for the 78P designator in the flight information details.

A waxing gibbous moon rises as a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 airplane descends toward LAX during a flight from San Jose on July 4, 2025. Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Southwest Airlines continues to look for ways to fine-tune its product, and there’s new speculation that the airline might make it harder for customers to earn one of its most sought-after perks: the Companion Pass, which allows a second traveler to fly free for a year when the primary customer accumulates 100 flight segments or earns 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. Points earned for spending on a Rapid Rewards credit card also count toward the quota, but there’s no requirement for a customer to belong to Rapid Rewards to be eligible for the benefit. But the air travel website Aviation A2Z said a “leaked customer survey” sent out by Southwest suggests the airline is thinking about changing the Companion Pass rules.

Aviation A2Z said the survey was “shared by several frequent flyers on platforms like Facebook and Reddit,” and it asks about their reaction to possible new models for Companion Pass. “The new model under review introduces a four- or five-tier elite status program. Under this framework, only those in the highest tier would retain full Companion Pass access,” the site said. “Lower tiers may receive limited companion flight certificates or lose the benefit entirely.” However, a Southwest spokesperson told Parade magazine that the survey was no big deal, adding that “there is no work underway” to change Companion Pass. The poll was just part of an ongoing program of customer research “to track preferences and sentiment on many aspects of our loyalty program to ensure we remain competitive,” the spokesperson said.

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Virgin Atlantic is the latest carrier to announce that it will install SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system as its in-flight Wi-Fi provider. It won’t be available for a while, though — installation across its fleet will begin in the third quarter of 2026 and it won’t be completed until late 2027, Virgin said in a news release. The carrier said the streaming-quality Starlink Wi-Fi will be available free to members of its Flying Club loyalty program, with no limits on use. The Starlink news was part of a larger update on Virgin’s fleet and services, including plans for a “full cabin re-design” for its 787-9s that will bring new seating to all three classes as Virgin follows an industry trend to shift capacity from economy to premium seats.