First Flight for Longest-Range Aircraft, Goodbye to Virgin America, United’s Retrofitted 777-200 and More
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Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you might have missed from the week before. Here’s the top miles, points and travel news you might have missed on TPG this week.
Airbus A350-900 ULR, The Longest-Range Aircraft, Makes First Flight
The A350-900 ULR took off from Airbus’ manufacturing headquarters on Monday, completing its first test flight before its delivery to Singapore Airlines later this year.
Polaris Redemption: United’s Retrofitted 777-200 From DC to Frankfurt
United’s just beginning to retrofit its 777-200 fleet — take a look to see how it measures up.
The Best Business-Class Seats to Book Using Amex Membership Rewards Points
Got Amex Membership Rewards points to spare? Check out which airlines offer the best business-class seats using those points.
Goodbye, Virgin America: What It Was Like on the Airline’s Final Flight
TPG reviews Virgin America’s farewell flight.
Experts Argue Over Whether Southwest Has a Pattern of Lax Maintenance
After last week’s tragic incident involving the death of one passenger on a Southwest flight, experts weigh in on the airline’s maintenance history.
Southwest Reveals Its 4 Hawaii Destinations
Spoiler alert: Honolulu International Airport (HNL) is on the list.
A Tour Inside the Largest Operating Aircraft in the World — the Antonov An-225
It’s powered by six Ivchenko Progress D-18T turbofan engines.

JetBlue Wants to Sell You a Seat on a Semi-Private Jet
JetBlue will begin selling seats on semi-private jets beginning in May as part of a new codeshare partnership with public charter operator JetSuiteX. The seats will be available to book on JetBlue.com, the airline announced on Monday.
Here’s What Pilots Are Earning (It’s Not As High As You Think)
Check out exactly how much the average pilot makes every year.
Dream Job Alert: We’re Hiring a Social Media Intern for Our Insta-Famous Pups
Need we say more? Come hang out with The Points Pups all day, every day.
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