Airline updates II October 2026

ITA Airways is aligning the YQ on flights from Belgium to Thailand, India and the Maldives with Lufthansa Group policy. For Bangkok this happened in two steps, on 7 and 15 October 2026; for Delhi and Malé the increase applies from 15 October. Private tour operator fare programmes benefit from a grace period of a few weeks.

What changes? The YQ per one-way journey (OW) goes up for all brands and in all cabins, for both return and one-way journeys. On 7 October ITA Airways also introduced the Light brand in its NDC structure and revised the public fares to Thailand.

YQ per one-way journey, from Belgium:

Sales and travel period: immediate

Grace period for TO fare programmes: for privately agreed tour operator and VFR fare programmes (CAT25) that are dynamically discounted from the public fare, a grace period of 20 days applies from the 7 October communication (Bangkok) and of 15 days from the 15 October communication (Bangkok, Delhi and Malé).

Please take this into account when quoting and booking. Questions? Get in touch via Getflights Pro or your usual Getflights contact.

Since 15 October 2026 Qatar Airways has increased the YQ by USD 12 per direction in economy and USD 15 in the premium cabins. To Australia and New Zealand the increase is USD 20 in economy and USD 30 in the premium cabins. In addition, several flights in November 2026 have been retimed, some with an earlier departure.

YQ increase per direction (effective 15 October 2026):

• General: economy +USD 12, premium cabins +USD 15
• Australia and New Zealand: economy +USD 20, premium cabins +USD 30

Winter schedule 2026: Qatar Airways has retimed a number of flights in November 2026 and moved some departures earlier.

What can you do?

• Take the new YQ into account when quoting and booking.
• Monitor your GDS queues and inform your clients about any changed flight.
• Make sure every booking contains accurate contact details for the traveller, so the airline can pass on changes directly.

Questions about Qatar Airways bookings? Contact Getflights Pro or your usual Getflights contact.

Ethiopian Airlines is offering 15% off selected destinations from Brussels, for travel between 15 November and 14 December 2026. The promotion covers Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Zanzibar, in economy and business. You can book until 31 October 2026.

Sales period: until 31 October 2026

Travel period: 15 November to 14 December 2026

Booking details:

• 15% discount from Brussels (BRU)
• Valid in economy and business
• The fares are already loaded in the GDS

Destinations: Mauritius (MRU), Seychelles (SEZ), Madagascar (TNR and NOS) and Zanzibar (ZNZ)

Book via Getflights Pro or your own GDS.

Transavia is adding new routes from Amsterdam and Brussels, with the first flights as early as 26 October 2026. From Brussels, Las Palmas, Reykjavik and Porto are added, and from 31 March 2027 also Ponta Delgada in the Azores.

New routes:

Azores: from Amsterdam, Transavia flies twice a week (Thursday and Sunday) to Ponta Delgada (PDL). From Brussels the connection starts on 31 March 2027.

Book Transavia via Getflights Pro or your own GDS.

Aegean Airlines starts flights from Athens to Damascus, Syria, from December 2026. The flights connect in Athens with the flights to and from Brussels, in winter 2026-2027 and summer 2027. On the way back from Brussels there is a longer wait at Athens airport.

Winter 2026-2027:

• Damascus to Brussels, every Wednesday and Saturday: A3 945 DAM-ATH 10:15 to 11:25 and A3 622 ATH-BRU 16:40 to 19:00
• Brussels to Damascus, every Tuesday and Friday: A3 623 BRU-ATH 19:55 to 23:55 and A3 944 ATH-DAM 06:15 to 09:15 (next day), with several hours of layover in Athens

Summer 2027:

• Damascus to Brussels, every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday: A3 945 DAM-ATH 03:50 to 06:00 and A3 620 ATH-BRU 07:55 to 10:20
• Brussels to Damascus: A3 621 BRU-ATH 11:15 to 15:15 and A3 944 ATH-DAM 00:50 to 02:50 (next day), with a longer layover in Athens

Do you have clients heading to Damascus? Request a proposal via Getflights Pro.

From 6 October 2026, Lufthansa Group makes Economy Basic available on all flights within Europe, for travel from 27 October 2026. There are also new routes, including Dubai, Amman and Alghero.

Booking and ticketing:

• Economy Basic: the base fare without bag, seat selection or flexibility is available on all flights within Europe from 6 October 2026, for travel from 27 October 2026. It can only be booked through NDC and the websites of the Lufthansa Group airlines. Since 6 October a carry-on bag can be added directly in the NDC booking.

Network:

• Dubai gradually returns in the 2026/2027 winter schedule, with up to 36 weekly flights from Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Zurich, Berlin, Cologne-Bonn and Stuttgart.
• Amman: Austrian Airlines initially flies twice a week from Vienna, increasing to three times a week from 25 October 2026. Lufthansa flies six times a week from 25 October 2026 and Eurowings once a week from Stuttgart from 7 November 2026.
• From 10 December 2026 Eurowings flies twice a week to Baghdad, from Berlin and Düsseldorf.
• Discover Airlines, summer 2027: nonstop Munich to Alghero (Sardinia), twice a week from June, and up to four flights a week between Frankfurt and Jerez de la Frontera.
• From March 2027 United Airlines adds ten new international destinations and four new routes across Europe and Asia. Air Canada adds new nonstop service from Oslo and Shannon to Toronto and from Basel and Dubrovnik to Montréal.

Product and service:

• Lufthansa Group Wi-Fi, powered by Starlink, is now also available on the first Austrian Airlines and SWISS aircraft.
• From June 2027 Edelweiss introduces its new Airbus A350 cabin. Flights to Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Windhoek and Halifax can already be booked with that cabin.
• SWISS Culinary Journey: economy travellers on long-haul flights from Switzerland choose their main course free of charge up to 24 hours before departure (meat or vegetarian by Hiltl).
• TSA: when departing from the USA, passengers may take only one carry-on bag and one personal item through security, regardless of travel class or frequent flyer status. Additional carry-on baggage must be checked in before the TSA checkpoint, also on connecting flights after arrival in the USA.

Awards: Lufthansa First Class received the Skytrax award "World's Best First Class Onboard Dining" 2026 and Austrian Airlines was once again named "Best Cabin Crew in Europe".

Questions about Lufthansa Group bookings? Contact Getflights Pro or your usual Getflights contact.