December's travel news reflects mounting pressure across the travel ecosystem, as governments explore tighter traveler screening, airlines rethink fare and loyalty structures, and aircraft manufacturers face ongoing certification scrutiny. Together, these developments signal meaningful implications for corporate travel planning, policy enforcement and traveler expectations in the months ahead.
Foreigners from more than three dozen countries eligible to travel to the U.S. without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program could soon be required to provide five years of social media history, email accounts, phone numbers and detailed family information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection as part of their travel authorization process. The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register, would extend enhanced digital screening already applied to traditional visa applicants, and the public has 60 days to comment before it could be finalized. The notice did not specify what authorities will be looking for in the social media data, but the measure is intended to comply with a Trump administration executive order aimed at strengthening vetting to prevent national security threats.
American Airlines has stopped allowing AAdvantage loyalty members to earn miles or points toward status on basic economy fares for tickets purchased on or after Dec. 17, 2025, a change the carrier confirmed will affect loyalty accrual on its lowest-priced tickets. Although many managed travel programs already block basic economy fares due to their restrictions on refunds and changes, some small and midsize business travelers still use them, meaning the change could have implications for corporate travel programs that permit basic bookings. Industry observers also noted that American treats basic economy customers differently depending on whether they book directly or through indirect channels, illustrating evolving fare and loyalty dynamics in airline distribution.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has begun a formal review of Boeing’s redesigned cockpit alerting system for the 737 MAX 10, representing a new certification hurdle in the aircraft’s long-delayed approval process. The review focuses on enhanced flight-crew alerts—such as a synthetic angle-of-attack system and controls for stall/overspeed warnings—that regulators say must meet modern safety and post-crash reform standards before the jet can be certified. With these reviews and ongoing technical issues contributing to uncertainty around timing, the MAX 10’s entry-into-service timeline remains unclear for airlines awaiting the high-capacity narrow body.
In 2025, air traffic control staffing shortages and system strain remained a major challenge for U.S. air travel, contributing to delays and reliability issues that directly affected corporate travel programs. The industry also saw continued mergers and acquisitions, as airlines, agencies and suppliers pursued consolidation to improve scale, technology and cost efficiency. At the same time, parts of the hotel sector experienced a demand dip in business-focused markets, while AI adoption accelerated across the travel industry, reshaping operations, customer service and travel management workflows.
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