Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you may have missed from the week before, including several that already appeared on The Points Guy, and some more that we haven’t covered yet. If you’re an avid TPG reader, scroll down for the new stuff. Here’s the top miles, points and travel news you may have missed this week.The Bomb Cyclone Is Still Snarling Travel Into the WeekendWhile center of the bomb cyclone has passed north of the US, effects are lingering across the east coast with continuing flight cancellations, an airport still closed and plenty of out-of-place aircraft due to diverted flights.2017 Was the Safest Year on Record For Commercial Air TravelA Dutch aviation consultant group released a report saying that 2017 was the safest year ever for commercial air travel. It found that the chance of a commercial airliner being involved in a fatal accident in 2017 was 1 in approximately 17 million.Norwegian Introducing Larger Premium Cabin With Less Legroom on Its 787sThis week, Norwegian announced that it’s going to increase the number of premium seats in its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners that it will be taking delivery of soon. The premium cabin will be 60% larger than what’s found on its current fleet of 787s, which means that each seat will have 3" less pitch.Some Delta Elites Can Avoid Being ‘Upgraded’ Into a Middle SeatDelta is testing new functionality that allows some elites to avoid being “upgraded” into a middle seat in the Comfort+ cabin. The airline has been struggling to address this issue for a while now, with many elites dissatisfied with an “upgrade” to a less-comfortable seat.Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.6 Alternatives to Emirates First ClassEmirates is one of the world’s most-loved airlines, thanks to comfortable hard products and top-notch service in all classes — though its first class is in a league of its own. However, the airline has recently been adding sky-high surcharges on award tickets for the first class product. Here are some of the best alternatives to consider if you want to fly in style without paying through the nose.Delta Operated Not One, But Two ‘Flights to Nowhere’ Tuesday NightRemember a couple of weeks ago when ANA flew an 8-hour “flight to nowhere” from LAX to LAX? Well, not to be outdone, Delta operated two back-to-back flights from ATL to ATL earlier this week.How United Handled a Self-Upgrading Couple on My Polaris Flight to Tel AvivRead a first-hand report of how United Airlines handled a situation that arose after a couple decided to give themselves an upgrade to business class on the airline’s new 77W.Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Flew in Economy’s Worst SeatsIn a surprising move, newly engaged couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ditched the Royal Air Force’s Queen’s Flight and flew in economy class on a flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Nice (NCE) on New Year’s Eve.In other news…Low-Cost Carrier Sun Country Set to Begin Flights Between LAX and HonoluluSun Country’s new seasonal service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Honolulu (HNL) will begin on May 19, 2018 and run through August 19, 2018. Flights will be operated four times weekly.
