Finnair GPS Jamming, Tornado in Omaha, SkyTeam on the Rise & More [Roundup]

Finnair GPS Jamming, Tornado in Omaha, SkyTeam on the Rise & More [Roundup]

Another week down and some interesting news throughout the last week. A few things that really stuck in my mind were the new Team USA airplane by Delta, South African Airways finally getting back on its feet, and some negative award changes.

But before all that, we have our first victim of GPS jamming. I once wrote that GPS jamming was being used as a weapon, and its first casualty of Finnair stopping service to Tartu, Estonia because the jamming has been unacceptable for flights to make a safe approach to the airport.

Finnair Suspends Route Due to GPS Interference Concerns | AirlineGeeks.com
Finnair announced on Monday that it will suspend daily flights between Helsinki and Tartu, Estonia for one month due to GPS interference concerns.

Also, what is a Recycling Fee? I absolutely hate all these junk fees that hotels try to tack on to rooms to increase their profits as much as possible. Also, what makes it even more insane is that it's a percentage fee, why wouldn't it be a fixed cost? This is extremely scummy.

This Hotel Charges a 5% Mandatory Recycling Fee.
In the latest of a series of mandatory fees that are charged by lodging companies, this hotel charges a 5% mandatory recycling fee as…

Speaking of negative changes, United again with the devaluation of their partner awards. Either airlines are getting greedy or they've overinflated their mileage programs, all I continue to see is increased redemption opportunities. It's extremely disappointing seeing 500,000 mile redemptions that used to cost half that a few years ago.

United Increases The Price Of Many Partner Awards.....Again - Pizza In Motion
United increases the price of many partner awards. How should you plan your spending to avoid getting caught paying too much?

However, in a bit of good news, we finally have the official unveiling of the Team USA A350 from Delta. It looks stunning with the design that was apparently employee designed and is meant to signify the Team USA colors while also looking like the Eiffel Tower on its side.

Delta Unveils 2024 Team USA Livery - ATX Jetsetter
Delta unveils its 2024 Team USA Livery at a ceremony in Toulouse as they take delivery of a new Airbus A350 aircraft.

For many years it seemed like airline alliances were stagnated with members joining, however in the last few years Alaska has joined oneworld and SAS is leaving Star Alliance for SkyTeam. Due to the monetary support from Air France-KLM, the deal will officially see SAS leave Star Alliance on August 31, and join SkyTeam on September 1st.

It’s official: SAS’ SkyTeam membership will begin Sept. 1 - The Points Guy
The Scandinavian carrier’s switch from Star Alliance has long been known, but the exact date that it would officially join SkyTeam had been uncertain.

We finally have some pictures of the aftermath of the tornado that ripped through the Omaha airport, while the commercial terminal was saved the general aviation side of the airport was ripped apart. We now see the extent of the damage, with planes destroyed and covered in debris from hangars and anything else the tornado left behind.

Tornado struck GA side of Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska, was among many communities in the crosshairs of recent violent weather, including an April 26 tornado that struck general aviation hangars at Eppley Airfield, but spared the rest.

While general aviation is reeling from a tornado, it's nice to see South African Airways slowly getting back on its feet. After declaring bankruptcy and reducing its operations we see routes coming back that were dropped. This time it was South African Airways returning to Australia with its route to Perth.

South African Airways Relaunches Australia Route | AirlineGeeks.com
South African Airways (SAA) has resumed scheduled flights between Johannesburg, South Africa and Perth, Australia, which will operate three times per week.

More good news as the US Government has passed down guidance on junk fees and refunds. In a deeply consumer focused order, the ruling says that airlines must proactively refund passengers instead of them having to request them and puts hard limits on junk fees passed to the consumer. This is a big win!

Automatic Refunds and Protection From Surprise Junk Fees: New Final Rules
Airlines will be required to provide automatic refunds and protection from surprise junk fees due to new rules from the…

And finally, Delta is expanding its service to Amsterdam, this time with the return of a pre-covid route from Tampa to Amsterdam. The route will utilize an A330-300 aircraft and be a winter seasonal route along with their Orlando to Amsterdam route.

Delta Restarting Tampa to Amsterdam Flights - ATX Jetsetter
Delta is restarting daily service between Tampa and Amsterdam for the winter season utilizing Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

What do you think?

What new routes would you like to see airlines fly?

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