Raphael Stevens

Facilities managers in commercial real estate are making property resilience a priority amid worsening storms.
Site Technologies employs drones to help commercial real estate facilities managers see where the vulnerabilities are in their properties and address them before storms hit.
The images, once captured, can be fed into Site’s AI platform that incorporates expertise from its own staff and analyzes the properties, providing condition and risk reports for the exterior of each facility. 

A screenshot of Site Technologies’ commercial real estate risk assessment tools.
Courtesy of Site Technologies

A version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Property Play newsletter with Diana Olick. Property Play covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, from individuals to venture capitalists, private equity funds, family offices, institutional investors and large public companies. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.
The first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season is spinning off the East Coast, and there are sure to be more in its wake. As season after season produces more intense storms resulting in increasingly costly damage, facilities managers in commercial real estate are making property resilience a priority.

One of the ways to do that is through technology. Strides have already been made in combating wildfire risk: Companies like Pano AI, Satelytics and AiDash are incorporating satellite technology with artificial intelligence to pinpoint particular fire hazards, with major electric companies as clients. 
And similar advancements are working to reduce the risk of hurricane damage: Site Technologies employs drones to help commercial real estate facilities managers see where the vulnerabilities are in their properties and address them before those storms hit. Site was originally a construction company. 
“We teamed up with our team of experts and engineers in pavements and roofs and facades and landscaping, and we started to figure out how we need to be able to capture data from facilities to be able to do engineering work and review of the current conditions of the properties,” said Austin Rabine, Site CEO. 
Site doesn’t have its own drones, but uses freelancers across the country. Rabine says the company has surveyed roughly 13,000 properties in 15 different countries and deploys drones on an annual basis for large customers that have hundreds or thousands of facilities.
The images, once captured, can be fed into Site’s artificial intelligence platform that incorporates expertise from its own staff and analyzes the properties, providing condition and risk reports for the exterior of each facility. 

“We also identify how they should be spending their money over the next three to five years to make sure that their facility is in good condition,” said Rabine. “So we create the scopes of work and condition reports using AI, and then we have a lot of dashboarding features that allow them to sort by their worst properties or their highest-risk properties for them to be able to focus their attention on their highest needs.”

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This predictive maintenance allows property and facilities managers to see the issues before they become liabilities. That’s everything from clogged drains to overgrown trees to weak roofs. 
For existing customers, Site offers to fly drones over the properties after any kind of destructive event occurs. The images can then be used as before and after assessments for insurance claims.
Site’s customers include Prologis, a major warehouse real estate investment trust, as well as Link Logistics and large national retailers. Most clients will have at least 100 properties, as companies with smaller real estate footprints can use human surveyors more easily. 
“When you have hundreds or thousands of properties, it was never really a viable option to be able to get a snapshot, on an annual basis, of your facilities until technology like this,” said Rabine. More

Microsoft and the NFL announced a multiyear extension of their partnership to bring real-time game data and analysis to the sidelines using Microsoft Copilot and Azure AI.
The partnership will upgrade the NFL’s sideline viewing system by equipping 32 teams with more than 2,500 custom-built Microsoft Surface Copilot tablets
Football club staff will soon be able to use artificial intelligence agents for player scouting and salary cap management, Microsoft said.

A referee reviews a play on a Microsoft Surface during the second half of the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium on January 4, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Scott Taetsch | Getty Images

Microsoft and the NFL announced on Wednesday that they’re extending their partnership to bring real-time game data and analysis to coaches and players using Microsoft Copilot and Azure artificial intelligence.
The multiyear partnership will upgrade the NFL’s sideline viewing system by equipping 32 teams with more than 2,500 custom-built Microsoft Surface Copilot tablets to enhance data collection during game days. Microsoft and the NFL said the deal will also support operations by helping managers track factors such as weather delays or technical equipment issues.

The NFL and Microsoft are not disclosing how long the extension will be or the total cost of the deal.
“Enhancing the league is a responsibility we take seriously, and Microsoft has been a trusted sideline technology partner for over a decade. With Microsoft’s AI technologies, including Copilot, we see tremendous opportunities to elevate the gameday experience for our clubs and deliver an even more compelling product to our fans,” NFL Chief Information Officer Gary Brantley said in a press release.
The extension builds on a long-standing partnership between Microsoft and the NFL. Since the 2014 season, all NFL teams have had access to league-provided, specially configured Microsoft Surface tablets, according to the NFL. Previously, Microsoft had more than 2,300 Surface sideline viewing system devices installed across the NFL.
NFL Deputy CIO Aaron Amendolia told CNBC in an interview that the existing tablets have already been swapped out for the preseason and the new devices are being used on the field now.
He said that during live games, players have only seconds on the bench between plays to analyze formations and look at different angles and pictures. AI helps players and coaches filter through that tremendous amount of data automatically, Amendolia said.

“This is not AI making decisions. It’s not AI informing decisions. What it really is, is AI allowing people to get at information faster with less manual intervention,” Amendolia said.
For coaches, Amendolia said game data such as snap counts or personnel counts on the field can be fed into an Excel sheet in real time with Copilot, which frees them from doing such tasks and calculations themselves.
Most recently during the 2025 NFL Combine, coaches and scouts used Microsoft Azure AI to evaluate more than 300 prospective players for selection in the NFL draft.
Microsoft said Wednesday that clubs will soon be able to use AI for drafts outside of the NFL Combine, as well as for productivity across all business functions, including finance, human resources and events.
Football club staff will also soon be able to use AI agents for player scouting and salary cap management, Microsoft said.
The league has already implemented a type of artificial intelligence into its OnePass fan guide app for events, Amendolia said, that can help with fan questions and answers. He said the NFL is trying to train that so-called agentic AI to be more customer service focused.
The tech giant is also separately working to infuse Azure AI video tools during teams’ practice sessions to help with coaching, evaluations and player injury assessments.
Amendolia said this video component will involve automatically analyzing metadata so users can quickly find certain players, camera angles or plays in video footage.

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Target has named Michael Fiddelke, its current chief operating officer, as its next CEO.
Fiddelke will succeed Brian Cornell on Feb. 1.
He will step into the role as the big-box retailer tries to win back both customers and investors after years of stagnant sales and steep market share losses.

Target’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke will take over as CEO from Brian Cornell.
Courtesy of Target

Target on Wednesday said that company veteran Michael Fiddelke will become its next CEO at a critical point in its effort to break out of a sales slump and win back Wall Street’s favor.
Fiddelke, the company’s 49-year-old chief operating officer and former chief financial officer, will succeed Brian Cornell effective Feb. 1. Cornell, who took the helm of the cheap chic retailer in 2014, will transition to the role of executive chair on Target’s board of directors.

The Minneapolis-based retailer made the announcement on the same day it reported fiscal second-quarter results. It topped Wall Street’s quarterly sales and earnings expectations, but stuck by a full-year outlook that forecasts another annual sales decline.
Fiddelke steps into Target’s top role as the big-box retailer tries to find its footing and get back to growth. Target’s annual sales have been roughly flat for the past four years after the company’s sales soared during the Covid pandemic.

Arrows pointing outwards

On a call with reporters, Fiddelke said he is “stepping in with urgency to rebuild momentum and return to profitable growth.”
He laid out three priorities: Reestablishing Target’s reputation as a retailer with stylish and unique items, providing a more consistent customer experience and using technology more effectively to operate an efficient business.
“We’ve built a solid foundation, and we’re proud of the many ways that Target is unique in American retail,” he said. “We also have real work in front of us.”

Target shares dropped about 10% in premarket trading after the company made the CEO announcement and released results. Before Target announced its choice, Wall Street appeared to favor an outsider for the top job.
“You know, I think I’m a little surprised that there wasn’t somebody from the outside coming in to take a leadership role. I think that’s part of the stock reaction here,” said Stacey Widlitz, president of SW Retail Advisors, on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Fiddelke is a 20-year Target veteran. During his decades with the company, he has held leadership roles across merchandising, finance, operations and human resources. He became Target’s chief financial officer in late 2019 and stepped into the role of chief operating officer in early 2024.
In May, he was tapped to oversee a new effort, the Enterprise Acceleration Office, created to turn around Target’s results.
Target cut its full-year outlook in May and reiterated that guidance on Wednesday, saying that it expects a low-single-digit percentage point decline in sales this fiscal year.

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Target’s stock surged after it notched online gains during the pandemic, but it has tumbled following a string of missteps in recent years.

Target’s performance has shaken Wall Street’s confidence. Shares of the company have tumbled about 60% since their all-time high in 2021. Target’s stock had dropped 22% in 2025 alone as of Tuesday’s close.
Customers, former employees and suppliers told CNBC that the company’s best-known traits of eye-catching merchandise, tidy stores and friendly employees have become weaker. The retailer also is facing stiffer competition from rivals including Walmart, contending with cost pressures because of tariffs and dealing with backlash to its reversal of key diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
And last week, Ulta Beauty and Target announced they are ending a deal that opened mini beauty shops in nearly a third of Target’s stores. The partnership will end in August 2026.
Wall Street had favored an outsider for the CEO job, according to a June survey of 51 investors by Mizuho Securities, an equity research firm. About 96% of investors polled favored an external hire for Target’s next CEO.
Christine Leahy, lead independent director of Target’s board of directors, said in a news release that the board chose Fiddelke after “an extensive external search and assessment of many strong candidates” over several years.
“Michael’s tenure gives him unmatched enterprise insight and a base of strong team trust,” she said. “But what sets him apart is how he combines those strengths with a ‘fresh eyes’ mindset, challenging the status quo to evolve how the business operates, differentiates and delivers long-term value.”
On a call with reporters, Cornell and Fiddelke were asked what they would say to investors who had hoped for Target to hire an outsider who would bring fresh ideas.
Fiddelke answered the question.
“I understand this business,” he said. “I understand what makes Target distinctly unique. And I’ve seen us at our best, and I’ve seen us when we’re not at our best, and that informs my candid assessment today of where we have work to do as well.”
“But I’ll go back to some of what I started with: My number one goal is to get us back to growth.” More

Lowe’s beat quarterly earnings expectations on Wednesday.
The home improvement retailer also announced the $8.8 billion acquisition of Foundation Building Materials, its second acquisition of a home professional-focused company in recent months.
The retailer has tried to attract more home professionals as a way to drive higher sales.

An exterior view of a Lowe’s home improvement store in Selinsgrove.
Paul Weaver | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Lowe’s beat Wall Street’s earning expectations on Wednesday as demand for home projects picked up during the quarter.
The retailer also announced its latest effort to attract more business from home professionals. It said on Wednesday that it has struck a deal to acquire Foundation Building Materials, a distributor of drywall, insulation and other interior building products for large residential and commercial professionals, for about $8.8 billion.

Lowe’s revised its full-year outlook to reflect the acquisition of Artisan Design Group, a home professional-focused company that it acquired earlier in the year. It said in a news release that its “core business performance in fiscal 2025 remains unchanged.”
For the full year, Lowe’s said it expects total sales of $84.5 billion to $85.5 billion, an increase from its previous range of $83.5 billion to $84.5 billion. It reiterated its comparable sales, a metric that takes out one-time factors like store openings or closures, saying they will be flat to up 1% from the prior year. It expects earnings per share for the year of approximately $12.10 to $12.35, down slightly from its prior range of $12.15 to $12.40.
Shares rose nearly 3% in premarket trading.
Here’s what the company reported for the fiscal second quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Earnings per share: $4.33 vs. $4.24 expected
Revenue: $23.96 billion vs. $23.96 billion expected

Home improvement demand has been weaker as higher borrowing costs and mortgage rates keep some homeowners and potential homebuyers on the sidelines. To overcome those slower sales, Lowe’s has looked to home professionals — a steadier and more lucrative customer — to drive sales.

It has made two pro-focused acquisitions in recent months: Artisan Design Group, a company that provides design services and installation of flooring, cabinets and countertops for homebuilders and property managers, and Foundation Building Materials, which it announced on Wednesday.
CEO Marvin Ellison said in a news release that the two acquisitions “strengthen our solutions for our growing Pro customers.”
In the fiscal second quarter, however, Ellison said the home improvement retailer saw “solid performance” in both the do-it-yourself and the home professional sides of its business.”
In the three-month period that ended August 1, Lowe’s net income rose to $2.4 billion, or $4.27 per share, from $2.38 billion, or $4.17 per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue increased from $23.59 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Comparable sales rose 1.1% in the quarter.
Lowe’s rival Home Depot missed Wall Street’s expectations for quarterly sales and earnings on Tuesday, but stood by its full-year forecast for 2.8% growth of total sales.
Home Depot also has bulked up its pro business with acquisitions. It acquired SRS Distribution, a Texas-based company that sells supplies to professionals in the roofing, pool and landscaping businesses, last year for $18.25 billion. Earlier this summer, it announced it was buying GMS, a building products distributor, for about $4.3 billion.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated Lowe’s revenue for the quarter. More

Target posted fiscal second-quarter earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street’s expectations.
The company stuck by its full-year outlook, which forecasts a single percentage point decline in sales.
Target named Michael Fiddelke as its new CEO, effective Feb. 1.

Target beat Wall Street’s earnings and sales expectations and reaffirmed its outlook on Wednesday, even as the company’s sales and traffic across its stores and website declined.
Yet the Minneapolis-based retailer pointed toward the future – and its focus on getting back to growth – by naming its next CEO. Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke, who has also served as Target’s CFO, will step into the role on Feb. 1. He will succeed CEO Brian Cornell, 66, who will become executive chair of Target’s board of directors. Fiddelke is a 20-year Target veteran. 

The company’s shares fell about 10% in premarket trading following the results and CEO announcement.
On a call with reporters, Fiddelke, 49, described his two decades with the company as “an asset.” He said he knows what the big-box retailer can be at its best – and what it must recapture – and isn’t waiting until February to make changes.
He laid out three priorities: Reestablishing Target’s reputation as a retailer with stylish and unique items, providing a more consistent customer experience, and using technology more effectively to operate an efficient business.
Beyond the CEO announcement, Target topped Wall Street’s expectations for sales and earnings during the fiscal second quarter. It reiterated its full-year forecast, which it had cut back in May. Target said it expects a low single-digit percentage decline in sales and adjusted earnings per share, excluding gains from litigation settlements, to be about $7 to $9.
Here’s what Target reported for the three-month period that ended Aug. 2 compared with Wall Street’s expectations, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Earnings per share: $2.05 vs. $2.03 expected
Revenue: $25.21 billion vs. $24.93 billion expected

Target’s annual sales have been roughly stagnant for the past four years, and its inconsistent performance has tested the loyalty of shoppers and shaken the confidence of Wall Street. Store traffic at the big-box retailer has fallen almost every week since late January, according to Placer.ai, an analytics firm that uses anonymized data from mobile devices to estimate overall visits to locations. And shares of the company have tumbled about 60% from their all-time high in late 2021.

Customers and former employees told CNBC that Target has lost some of the unique traits that set it apart from competitors, such as its eye-catching merchandise, well-kept stores and attentive customer service. Higher tariffs have compounded Target’s challenges because it imports about half of what it sells.
And last week, Ulta Beauty and Target announced they are ending a deal that opened mini beauty shops in nearly a third of Target’s stores. The partnership, which also added Ulta’s beauty brands to Target’s website, will end in August 2026. Target had spoken about the addition of Ulta shops as a traffic driver and a boost to its beauty category.
Fiddelke told reporters that the company is “always assessing our partnerships.” He said Target has posted annual sales growth in its beauty category, excluding Ulta Beauty items, every year since 2010, and it’s confident that can continue. 

Target’s latest quarter reflected its ongoing struggles. Its net income fell to $935 million, or $2.05 per share, from $1.19 billion, or $2.57 per share, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue declined from $25.45 billion in the prior-year period.
Comparable sales decreased by 1.9% year over year. That metric, also known as same-store sales, includes sales on its website and stores open at least 13 months.

Customer transactions dropped 1.3% and the average amount customers spent during those transactions declined 0.6% from the year-ago quarter. 
Its profit margins were pressured by higher markdown rates, cancellation costs for purchase orders and customers buying more merchandise in lower-profit categories like hardlines. Hardlines, a category that includes electronics and toys, tends to have lower margins than other parts of the store like apparel.
Digital sales were a bright spot, rising 4.3% year over year. 
Target also posted gains in parts of its business that are outside of retail. Its nonmerchandise sales grew 14.2% compared with the year-ago period, as it drew more revenue from its advertising business Roundel, its membership programs and its third-party marketplace. 
Target’s retail sales trends improved from the first quarter to the second quarter – even though they were still negative, Fiddelke told reporters on a call. He said sales trends in all six of Target’s key merchandise categories improved from the previous quarter.  
As leader of the Enterprise Acceleration Office, a unit Target created in May to accelerate its turnaround, Fiddelke said he’s gotten a chance to take a closer look at the business and where it has underperformed. For example, he said, the retailer lost ground with home goods, a category it was known for and one that exploded in popularity during the Covid pandemic. He said Target focused too much on “core” items and “lost some of our fashion and design leadership that’s so important in a category like that.”
But, Fiddelke said, it has made some progress, such as by adding Disney and Marvel-themed bedding and decor to Pillowfort, Target’s brand for kids’ home goods.
“Now, we need more of those examples across the category, but they give me a ton of confidence that we’re on the right path there,” Fiddelke said.

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Claire’s announced Wednesday that it is selling most of its North American business to private equity firm Ames Watson.
The jewelry retailer filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, citing hefty debt and increased competition.
The deal will pause the liquidation process at most of Claire’s North American stores.

Jewelry is displayed at a Claire’s store on June 23, 2025 in Novato, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Claire’s announced Wednesday that it is selling most of its North American business to private equity firm Ames Watson, just weeks after the jewelry retailer declared bankruptcy.
The companies did not disclose any financial details of the deal.

Claire’s said the move comes as the tween retailer is examining every option to “maximize the value of its business.” It also said it will pause the liquidation process at most of its stores as part of the deal, which Claire’s said will “significantly benefit” the company.
Claire’s said the liquidation process will continue at some of its North American stores.
“As we continue through our restructuring proceedings, our team has worked tirelessly to explore every option for preserving the value of the Claire’s business and brand,” CEO Chris Cramer said in a statement. “We are glad to reach this definitive agreement to sell a portion of our North America operations to Ames Watson and maximize the value of our company for all our stakeholders.”
Ames Watson is a private holding company with more than $2 billion in revenue, focused on purchasing and transforming companies, according to its website. Its portfolio includes Lids, Champion Teamwear and South Moon Under.
“We are committed to investing in its future by preserving a significant retail footprint across North America, working closely with the Claire’s team to ensure a seamless transition and creating a renewed path to growth based on our deep experience working with consumer brands,” Ames Watson’s co-founder Lawrence Berger said in a statement.

The retailer filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, weighed down by nearly $500 million in debt and an increasingly competitive sales environment. The company is also expected to bear the brunt of tariff impacts on suppliers from countries like China and Vietnam.
Claire’s last filed for bankruptcy in 2018, also due to a staggering debt load. At the time, the company underwent a strategic restructuring and raised new capital, which allowed it to eliminate nearly $2 billion in debt and keep stores running. More

TJX Cos. beat Wall Street’s second-quarter expectations on the top and bottom lines and raised its full-year guidance.
The discounter behind T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods said it assumes it can offset significant pressure from tariffs throughout the year.
Analysts have said off-price retailers such as T.J. Maxx are better positioned to sidestep major impacts from tariffs in the near term.

Shoppers come and go the TJ Maxx store at the Mall at Prince George’s on August 17, 2022 in Hyattsville, Maryland.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images

TJX Cos. on Wednesday reported earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street’s expectations and raised its full year guidance, as the discounter behind T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods said it assumes it can offset higher costs from tariffs.
TJX now expects full-year fiscal 2026 earnings will be between $4.52 and $4.57 per share, up from its prior guidance between $4.34 and $4.43 per share. The retailer also raised its comparable sales expectations to a 3% increase, versus prior guidance of a 2% to 3% rise. The new guidance assumes the U.S. tariff rates currently in place will remain in effect for the rest of the year.

“Customer transactions were up at every division as we saw strong demand at each of our U.S. and international businesses,” said CEO Ernie Herrman in a news release. “With our strong second quarter profit results, we are raising our full-year guidance for both pretax profit margin and earnings per share. The third quarter is off to a strong start, and I am very confident in our position as we enter the second half of the year.”
TJX shares rose about 4% during premarket trading on Wednesday.
Here’s how TJX did in its fiscal 2026 second quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Earnings per share: $1.10 vs. $1.01 expected
Revenue: $14.40 billion vs. $14.13 billion expected

TJX executives had said in May that the second quarter would include a negative impact from tariff costs from orders it had already committed to when additional duties were announced.
The company’s net income for the three-month period that ended Aug. 2 was $1.24 billion, or $1.10 per share, up from $1.1 billion, or 96 cents per share, a year earlier.

Net sales came in at $14.40 billion, up 7% from $13.47 billion in the year-ago period.
Comparable sales, a key industry indicator that excludes new stores and online sales, grew 4% during the quarter, ahead of Wall Street estimates of 3.2%, according to StreetAccount. 
Analysts have said off-price retailers such as T.J. Maxx are better positioned to sidestep major tariff costs in the near term because they purchase excess merchandise from other brands, usually after the items have already been imported into the U.S.
Analysts from UBS and Morgan Stanley said in research notes this month that TJX is poised to take market share away from traditional department stores because of that advantage.
During Wednesday morning’s earnings call, analysts will be listening for further commentary from TJX executives on the impact of tariffs and any insights on the health of the consumer.
TJX shares are up over 11% this year as of Tuesday’s close. More

Alaska Airlines is launching a $395-a-year rewards credit card as it joins the industry’s race for high-spending customers.
It is also launching a combined loyalty program with Hawaiian Airlines, called Atmos, and raising requirements for elite status.
Alaska acquired Hawaiian last year and plans to keep the two brands operating separately.

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 departs Los Angeles International Airport en route to Puerto Vallarta on Sept. 19, 2024.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images

Alaska Airlines is getting into the industry’s race for high-end credit cards and creating a combined frequent flyer program, called Atmos Rewards, with Hawaiian Airlines, which it acquired last year.
The $395-a-year Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card, co-branded with Bank of America, is the carrier’s first premium credit card and includes perks like airport lounge passes, instant $50 vouchers for delays and discounted global companion fares.

Under the new Atmos program, travelers will have a choice in how they earn points:

By distance: Customers will earn one point for each mile they fly, which Alaska said is better for travelers who often fly internationally or cross-country.
By price: Travelers will earn five points for every $1 they spend on a flight, which the carrier said is geared toward those who often fly in premium cabins like first class.
By flights: Customers will earn 500 points for each segment they fly, which is aimed at flyers who take a lot of short-haul trips, like those within Hawaii or California.

Elite frequent flyer tiers are also changing, and Alaska will require travelers to earn more points to reach top levels. Rival airlines have also made those types of changes routinely.
For the Atmos Platinum loyalty tier, customers will need to earn 80,000 points next year, and 135,000 for the Atmos Titanium tier, up from 75,000 and 100,000, respectively, in 2025. Alaska’s chief commercial officer, Andrew Harrison, told CNBC that miles aren’t being devalued for flight redemptions, however. There are also silver and gold tiers in the Atmos program, with all levels including upgrades, when available, to free premium class seats on Alaska and one of the carrier’s partners, American Airlines.
Although the frequent flyer program will be combined, Alaska plans to keep its brand operating separately from Hawaiian. It is, however, planning to launch a host of international routes on wide-body aircraft from its home base in Seattle.
Alaska and its competitors have invested heavily in chasing higher-spending customers and creating sticky business with loyalty hurdles customers have to clear to get to perks on the other side. Even budget airlines like Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have turned to more upmarket strategies to try to return to profitability.

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Airlines “with the premium cabins, with premium experiences, there is good solid demand there that has not materially changed and is actually getting better,” Harrison told CNBC.

The worst thing you can do to them is invite them into lounges and have lines out front saying you can’t get in and have to wait.”

Andrew Harrison
Alaska Airlines Chief Commercial Officer

Alaska is also trying to keep benefits and lounges feeling exclusive to avoid an industry problem with overcrowding.
The top Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card comes with eight lounge passes a year, valid for the whole travel day.
“These are your most loyal and frequent travelers. The worst thing you can do to them is invite them into lounges and have lines out front saying you can’t get in and have to wait,” Harrison said.
Alaska is building a new lounge at its base at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport dedicated to international long-haul flyers and planning on one at San Diego International Airport.
JetBlue Airways launched a premium credit card with Barclays US Consumer Bank earlier this year, with an annual fee of $499. Other airlines have also raised fees and added perks and points bonuses to attract more sign-ups and cardholders.
“Our new premium credit card is on track to double full-year projections for acquisitions, highlighting the tremendous amount of demand by customers for our premium products,” JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said on an earnings call last month.
Alaska also said it plans to offer Starlink Wi-Fi throughout its fleet, a service that will be complimentary for loyalty program members. Hawaiian Airlines first inked a deal for the service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX service in 2022. More