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2024’s Travel Yearbook: Class Clown, Cutest Couple, Best Dressed & More

As the boarding door closes on 2024, we're handing out superlatives on what was officially the biggest year for travel yet. Think of it like a high school yearbook for the travel industry – minus the “Never change, love ya!” signatures at the back.

We've already bestowed the highest honor we can give (the First Class Award) as well as the lowest (the Lavatory Award). But there are plenty more memorable moments, big changes, and unforgettable characters to cover from the past year in travel.

From the most surprising moves airlines made to the biggest pains we faced at airports this year, read on to see who – and what – got a spot in our 2024 travel yearbook. 

 

 

Class Clown: Ultra-Low-Cost Carriers Trying to Go Premium

No one made us laugh harder this year than ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier scrambling to shed their reputations as budget airlines.

These airlines have defined themselves with their bare-bones fares, knee-crunching legroom, and nickel-and-diming their customers for everything from bags to seat assignments and more. They've earned their place on travelers' naughty lists and become the butt of endless late night talk show jokes. 

But in 2024, they're struggling for survival – and making some big changes. Both airlines are ditching a la carte pricing for their fares and introducing more perks, with Spirit going even further by dropping change and cancellation fees on all tickets. Frontier recently announced it will add a first class cabin on its planes starting in 2025. 

But these airlines are clowning if they think having first class seats and allowing free ticket changes is all it will take to woo loyal customers away from airlines like American, Delta, and United. Spirit, for one, has been offering its Big Front Seat for years … and yet it just filed for bankruptcy. 

 

Cutest Couple: Alaska & Hawaiian Airlines 

When Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines announced their plans to merge earlier this year, we were surprised. But the Department of Transportation gave the relationship its stamp of approval … and now we are, too. 

Alaska's merger with Hawaiian created a roundabout way to get Alaska miles, making some of the most valuable airline miles on earth infinitely easier to earn.With more than 30 airline partners, you can use Alaska miles to book flights on far more than just Alaska or even Hawaiian, but also with the likes of American, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, Taiwanese carrier Starlux, and more. 

 

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Alaska and Hawaiian airplane tails

 

And like any good couple, these two airlines are actually better together. The combined Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines recently announced the first phase of a major global expansion, starting with nonstop flights from its Seattle (SEA) hub to Tokyo-Narita (NRT) and Seoul (ICN) next year. 

 

Most Popular: American Express 

American Express cards are popular … and the bank knows it. I mean, who else could get away with charging $695 per year (see rates & fees) for a shiny metal coupon book? That kind of confidence is reserved for only the most popular kid in class.

But *amex platinum* isn't the only one in the family with rizz. Take the *amex gold* for example: This card got a big facelift earlier this year, complete with a higher annual fee and even more questionable statement credits. 

It's all part of Amex's broader push to win over the wallets of millennial and Gen Z customers – and Amex's data shows it's working. Amex acquired 3.3 million new cardholders during the third quarter, with millennials and Gen Z making up 80% of new Gold Card customers. It's safe to say we'll see more of the same from American Express in the New Year.

 

Most Likely to Be Late for Class: Delta Air Lines

Delta prides itself on being an “on-time machine” – and federal data backs that up. But this title is a direct result of its epic summer meltdown, which resulted in thousands of cancellations across the airline's entire network. 

It all started with a worldwide software outage that affected airlines across the globe, Delta included. But while other carriers were back to normal within in days (if not hours), Atlanta-based airline wound up canceling more than 5,500 flights over a five-day span – more than its cancellations from 2018 and 2019 combined, according to federal records. 

 

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a twitter post of airline passengers crowded in the terminal

 

It was more than just the mass cancellations that hurt Delta's reputation (at least in our eyes) – it was also their public response. The airline was slow to reimburse travelers and take responsibility, repeatedly blaming CrowdStrike alone for nearly a full week of disruptions. That's why we also bestowed Delta with this year's inaugural Lavatory Award. 

 

Most Ambitious: United Airlines 

United is clearly gunning for Delta's crown as the country's top “premium” airline. 

The airline's new route announcements – Greenland or Mongolia, anyone?! – are splashy and bold. Same goes with its bet on Boom Supersonic, the would-be replacement for the Concorde, a few years ago. 

But it shows in smaller ways, too. Years after ripping out seatback entertainment from its domestic fleet, the airline has turned a new leaf and is outfitting more and more narrow-body jets with state-of-the-art entertainment systems … complete with Bluetooth connectivity. Heck, the carrier just announced it's upping its champagne game next year.

 

Biggest Glow-Up: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Points 

Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club points have long been among our favorite to book flights on partner airlines like Delta, ITA Airways, Air France and KLM, or even Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways – often for far fewer points than other airlines charge. But due to astronomically high taxes and fees, those points had never been good for booking flights to the U.K. on Virgin itself. 

That all changed late this year. 

A few months back, Virgin shifted to dynamic pricing for its own award flights … and it resulted in some incredible deals to book Virgin flights to the U.K. for a fraction of the miles and fees Virgin previously charged. We're talking business class flights from the East Coast for as few as 29,000 points and $255 in taxes one-way … and one-way economy flights to London as low as 6,000 points and $73. 

 

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february 5 jfk-lhr flying with virgin atlantic economy classic 6,000 points, premium 10,500 points, upper class 29,000 points

 

It was the glow-up we didn't see coming. In the world of points and miles, dynamic award pricing almost always leads to sky-high rates – and while you'll still see high prices for Virgin flights, you can also find these dirt-cheap deals, even during peak travel times. That price gets even lower if there's a transfer bonus in play. 

 

Most Likely to Succeed: Travelers with Flexible Credit Card Points 

Death, taxes, and airline mileage devaluations. Those are the three things you can count on in life, and 2024 was no different. 

This year alone, we saw nearly a dozen devaluations – when airlines suddenly raise award rates. Here's just a small sample:

When price hikes like that happen, travelers with flexible credit card points from banks like Amex, Capital One, and Chase still come out on top. Rather than your miles being stuck in one program – and therefore giving you no choice but to pay what the airline is charging – you can pivot and transfer your credit card points to another airline to book award flights with instead. 

 

Most Likely to Never Change: Allegiant 

While Spirit filed for bankruptcy and Frontier is racing to install first class seating, one of the country's smaller budget airline just keeps plodding on. 

 

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allegiant baggage fees

 

Allegiant is quietly one of the country's most financially stable and successful airlines. That's because its business model is drastically different. Rather than try to pick up as many passengers as possible flying between big cities, Allegiant focuses on smaller routes where it won't face competition from other carriers: This Sioux Falls (FSD) to Nashville (BNA) or Des Moines (DSM) to Punta Gorda (PGD).

It might not be every traveler's favorite airline, but it knows what it is. Never change, Allegiant. Never change. 

 

Best Dressed: Japan Airlines New First & Business Class 

It doesn't get much better looking than this on an airplane, people. 

 

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japan airlines first class suite
Japan Airlines' new first class suite, rendering courtesy of JAL.

 

Already one of the best airlines on the planet, Japan Airlines introduced brand new premium cabins on its new Airbus A350-1000s this year. With just six first class suites total, these are among the most spacious seats you'll find in the sky. They're decked out with all the bells and whistles you want – like wireless and USB-C charging, Bluetooth connectivity, a closet, and more – and some you didn't know you wanted, like speakers built into the headrest. 

Business class doesn't look too shabby, either.

 

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business class suite on a plane with red seating

 

Best Celebrity Lookalike: Southwest Airlines 

For decades, Southwest has marched to the beat of its own drum. This past year, the airline started copying its peers. 

It started in the spring when, overnight and with no warning, Southwest fares suddenly appeared on Google Flights – a drastic change for an airline that has always forced customers to search and book directly on its own site. And now, the airline is even planning to – gasp! – start assigning seats in advance, ditching its longtime first-come, first-served seating model.

Extra legroom seats are in the works too as Southwest tries to cash in on the “premium travel” boom that its competitors have been loving for years. 

 

Best Hair: Turkish Airlines 

We had to. If anyone was going to take this title, it had to be Turkish Airlines … or should we say, Turkish Hairlines? 

It's true that Türkiye is a popular destination for medical tourism, including – you guessed it – hair transplants. Social media is awash with videos and memes of Turkish Airlines passengers walking around the Istanbul (IST) airport – dubbed the “Hair-port”  – fresh off their procedures. But don't expect to see a bunch of beautiful, flowing locks on your next Turkish flight, though … try more like bandaged scalps. 

 

Biggest Flirt: CLEAR

CLEAR® promises “a better way to travel” and that it will “get you to your gate faster” by whisking you to the front of the airport security line. And yet far too often, CLEAR queues are backed up and slower than molasses, let alone TSA PreCheck – unacceptable for a service that costs as much as $199 a year.

Whether you get through security in minutes or watch as the TSA PreCheck line passes you by has started to feel like a coin flip. It's notoriously bad in airports like Atlanta (ATL) and Denver (DEN), where bloated rolls of flyers with Delta or United status get discounts on CLEAR Plus or have top-dollar Amex travel cards in their wallet that cover the cost of enrollment altogether. 

We've got high hopes that CLEAR® Plus will improve in 2025 – especially with new identity verification pods powered by faster, facial-recognition technology rolling out to more airports.

But in 2024, CLEAR was a real flirt.

 

Most Likely to Catfish You: Airport Lounges 

Picture an airport lounge: You're probably thinking swanky seats, hot food, unlimited drinks, maybe even a shower – all in a relaxing place away from the chaos of the terminal. And if you're paying hundreds of dollars in annual fees each year for a travel credit card, that's exactly what you should expect. 

But these days, you're more likely to roll up to an airport lounge to find a long line of other travelers waiting to get in … then struggling to find an open seat to get your fill of free booze and buffet food once inside. 

 

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Centurion Lounge (SEA) Line
Queue outside the Centurion Lounge in Seattle (SEA)

 

Amex Centurion Lounges might be the poster child for overcrowded lounges, but they're hardly the only offender. Delta Sky Clubs have been notorious for long lines – so much so that the airline is rolling out more and more restrictions to limit crowding. But even relative newcomers like Capital One Lounges and Chase Sapphire Lounges and simple Priority Pass lounges routinely face the same problem: They're packed to the brim with travelers getting in with premium travel credit cards. 

Yes, it's hard to complain about airport lounges when it's a privilege most travelers will never even experience. But when you pay for a credit card with the promise of lounge access, it's hard not to feel catfished when you get to the entrance. 

 

Credit Cards & Award Travel Editor Jackson Newman contributed to this story


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