News and notes from around the interweb:

• Boeing is acquiring a controlling interest in Embraer’s commercial jet unit

• How will Singapore Airlines respond to United cutting LAX – Singapore non-stop and adding a second San Francisco flight? San Francisco is a better connecting point for many US travelers (shorter flight), United leaves the non-stop market entirely to Singapore once their new flight launches next year. They’ll have ultra long range aircraft to serve another city after Newark and Los Angeles, will they double down on San Francisco too, creating a bloodbath? Or will they select a city which starts out with lower yields?

  
  Singapore Airlines Airbus A350

• TSA’s efforts to grow PreCheck are being held up by the lobbying efforts of the private company TSA relies on to grow PreCheck. They don’t want other companies getting in on their sweet, sweet government security contracting action.

• Delta will no longer include domestic first class on connecting flights for customers purchasing international premium economy and premium economy no longer gets Alessi glassware but will use plastic/paper cups instead (and predeparture beverage choices have been reduced).

  
  Credit: Delta

• Philippine Airlines is launching non-stop New York – Manila service at the end of October. Historically I’ve found their business class award availability to be very good, hopefully that holds.

• I appear on the new Miles2Go podcast: All about Citi ThankYou points

• Emirates reconfiguring their Boeing 777-200LR aircraft.