American Airlines is about to get much more generous when it comes to access to its Flagship First Dining in selected airport lounges. From 15 September, business class passengers on selected American Airlines routes will gain access to what will be rebranded as the Flagship Dining room – a privilege previously exclusive for first class flyers. The move comes as the Oneworld member winds back its ‘first class’ cabin on domestic and international routes, in favour of upgraded Flagship business class suites.

JetBlue will let a whole lot more passengers into its BlueHouse lounges starting this week, news announced in conjunction with the grand opening of the Boston location. But it will also exclude a chunk of its Mint cabin as the new policy takes effect, aligned with the introduction of the new Mint Base fare family. The new BlueHouse in Boston ticks all the right boxes, with premium food and beverage, nods to the local culture, and an exclusive access policy. It is also 33% larger than the JFK lounge, clocking in at 12,000 square feet of space.

Etihad Airways has integrated Jaywan, the UAE’s national domestic card scheme, into its online checkout system, making it the first airline to accept the payment method for flight bookings. Travellers based in the UAE can now use their Jaywan cards directly on etihad.com to book flights across the airline’s global route network. The checkout integration is live across the carrier’s platform and has been designed to offer a secure, straightforward booking process tailored specifically to local users.