Happy Friday! Today's lineup includes British Airways quietly axing hot breakfast in business class, Delta losing its on-time crown, and an American Airlines incident that raises serious questions about how carriers handle onboard conflicts. Plus: why you shouldn't touch those TSA bins, JetBlue's water quality problem, and misdirected frustration in a legendary lounge.

Starting January 7 (next Tuesday), British Airways will stop serving hot breakfast on its shortest Club Europe business class routes out of London. Instead, passengers will get fruit, yogurt, and a pastry—essentially what you'd expect in economy on most carriers.

This is another cost-cutting move that chips away at the one thing European business class usually does better than its American counterpart: catering. The full English breakfast was often cited as one of the few remaining perks that made short-haul Club Europe worth the premium. Now it's gone on the carrier's shortest flights, leaving passengers with a continental breakfast that wouldn't look out of place in a budget hotel.

If you've got a morning BA flight to Amsterdam or Paris booked after January 6, adjust your expectations accordingly.

Delta Airlines has long prided itself on operational reliability—they even trademarked the phrase 'The On-Time Machine.' But new data suggests that crown may be slipping. United Airlines has reportedly caught up with Delta on key reliability metrics, particularly flight cancellations.

Former Delta CEO Richard Anderson built the airline's reputation on operational excellence, famously saying that reliability was the single most important factor for premium customers. But as United invests heavily in operations and Delta deals with fleet complexity and network expansion, the gap has narrowed significantly.

For road warriors choosing between the two carriers, this changes the calculation. Delta can no longer claim a clear operational advantage—which makes programs, routes, and pricing the deciding factors.

Here's a troubling incident: An American Airlines passenger says he was physically shoved twice on AA4586 from JFK to Indianapolis—once before boarding and again after taking his seat. An FAA inspector onboard reportedly urged the crew to remove the aggressive traveler.

Instead, American removed the man who reported the assault, leaving him stranded overnight at JFK with an $829 hotel bill and later flagging him as 'disruptive' in their system. The passenger who allegedly did the shoving? He flew as scheduled.

This raises serious questions about how airlines handle onboard conflicts and whether they're incentivized to remove the complaining passenger rather than investigate properly. If there truly was an FAA inspector onboard recommending a different course of action, American has some explaining to do.

That coffee you're drinking on your next flight? It's brewed with water from the aircraft tank, not a pristine spring. A new analysis of three years of EPA aircraft-water records tallied 35,000+ test locations and graded airlines from A to F. One carrier scored perfect. American and JetBlue landed in D territory.

For JetBlue passengers, this is particularly concerning given the airline's premium positioning. The D grade doesn't mean the water is unsafe to drink—the EPA requires remediation if issues are found—but it does mean you might want to stick with bottled water and skip the coffee.

The perfect-scoring carrier wasn't named in reports, but the contrast is stark. This is one more operational metric where attention to detail matters.

A viral video shows a passenger collecting and stacking TSA bins after screening, and it's reignited an airport etiquette debate. Should you bus your own tray like a responsible citizen, or leave them for staff to handle?

The answer: It depends on the checkpoint. Some locations expect you to stack bins. Others specifically tell passengers to leave them alone so staff can handle the flow efficiently. And then there's the germ factor—those bins touch thousands of shoes, bags, and unwashed hands daily.

The helpful move may not be as helpful as it seems. If you're unsure, look for signage or watch what others do. And maybe carry hand sanitizer either way.

The Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt is arguably the best airport experience in the world—you skip the main terminal entirely and get your own private facility with incredible catering and service. But one passenger used this legendary lounge to berate staff about a flight delay.

Here's the thing: The Lufthansa FCT staff have zero control over flight delays. They're there to provide exceptional hospitality, not manage operations. Taking out delay frustration on lounge staff who can't fix the problem is misdirected at best and ruins the experience for everyone around you.

If you're lucky enough to access this lounge, remember that the people serving you champagne and caviar aren't the ones who delayed your flight.

Several airlines are offering buy points bonuses to start the new year. Frontier is running a 150% bonus (bringing the cost to 1.08¢ per mile through January 9). Spirit has an 80% bonus at 1.49¢ through January 13. For international programs, Lufthansa Miles & More is offering 50% bonus at 1.39¢ through January 31.

American Airlines has a 40% discount bringing the price to 2.26¢ per mile through the end of January—not the best value historically, but worth considering if you're a few thousand miles short of an award booking. Air Canada Aeroplan is offering a 30% discount at 1.91¢ through January 24.

Remember: Buying points only makes sense when you have a specific redemption in mind that delivers outsized value. Never buy speculatively.

Today's stories highlight how the passenger experience continues to evolve—sometimes for the worse. British Airways cutting breakfast is another European carrier reducing what made business class worthwhile. Delta losing its reliability crown shows how quickly competitive advantages can erode. And the American Airlines incident is a stark reminder that airline discretion in onboard conflicts can go very wrong.

On the practical side: Skip the plane coffee, bring hand sanitizer for TSA, and don't take delay frustrations out on lounge staff who can't help you. It's a new year, but some travel truths remain constant.

Safe travels, and we'll see you tomorrow with more miles and points news.

Before we wrap up, I wanted to share some timely opportunities I've been tracking (courtesy of our friends at AwardTravelFinder). These deals won't last long, so let's dive in.

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