Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

Many travel loyalty programs offer the ability to earn lifetime elite status. Ordinarily elite status has to be earned on an annual basis, so it sure is nice to be able to not worry about requalifying for status anymore. In this post, I’d like to take a look at how United MileagePlus lifetime status works. Separately, I’ve written about lifetime elite status with Alaska Atmos Rewards, American AAdvantage, and Delta SkyMiles. On the hotel front, I’ve also written about lifetime elite status with Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt. How to earn United MileagePlus lifetime status United MileagePlus’ million miler program is incredibly…

The J-16D has made possibly its first appearance in flight with PL-15 missiles, after being previously shown with air-to-air weapons only in static displays at airshows. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) J-16D electronic warfare (EW) aircraft was spotted flying with two PL-15 air-to-air missiles (AAM) for possibly the first time in unofficial images that appeared on Mar. 17, 2026. The J-16D is the specialized variant of the J-16, the heavily modified Chinese derivative of the Russian Su-27, which is notably missing the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) and the internally mounted 30 mm gun and includes wingtip pods…

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on March 19, 2026, that small airport terminals could soon be forced to close if a partial government shutdown continues to keep tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers from receiving paychecks.  About 50,000 TSA personnel have been working without pay during the shutdown that began on February 13 and absentee rates have risen sharply in recent days.   Duffy said the current disruptions could worsen next week when TSA officers are set to miss another paycheck on March 27. He said travelers are likely to see more severe effects if the standoff continues, including the potential complete shutdown of smaller airport terminals that rely on thinner staffing…

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 team has been selected to receive the 2025 Robert J. Collier Trophy, one of the most prestigious honors in US aerospace, for completing what the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) called the first fully successful commercial lunar landing and operating multiple NASA payloads on the Moon. The NAA announced the award on March 18, 2026, and said the formal presentation will take place in Washington in June.   The Collier Trophy has been awarded annually since 1911 for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, based on improving the performance, efficiency and safety of…

In the interest of full disclosure, OMAAT may receive compensation when anyone clicks a link, has an application approved, or opens an account through this site. These are the best publicly available offers (terms apply) that we have found for each product or service. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, hotel chain, or product manufacturer/service provider, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Please check out our advertiser policy for further details about our partners, and thanks for your support! Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection…

A US Air Force F-35 made an emergency landing at a US base in the Middle East after taking damage during a combat mission over Iran, according to US Central Command. The pilot was said to be in “stable condition,” and the incident remains under investigation. The Wall Street Journal reported on March 19, 2026, that the stealth fighter was forced to land after the mission, citing CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins. The F-35 reportedly made the emergency landing at a regional base in the Middle East after completing a combat run over Iran. The report did not identified the…

The first Embraer C-390 Millennium built for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has completed its maiden flight in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, marking another step toward the aircraft’s planned delivery to South Korea in 2026.   According to Embraer, the aircraft has now completed its initial flight evaluation and will move into a new phase of testing and integration for systems tailored to ROKAF requirements.   Aircraft moves into testing phase before delivery  The flight comes just over a month after Embraer publicly unveiled the aircraft during the Singapore Airshow on February 3, 2026. At the time, the Brazilian airframer said the first South Korean C-390 had reached the final stage of assembly and…

CENTCOM says a U.S. F-35 made an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the Middle East after it “was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire,” according to sources quoted by CNN. A U.S. F-35 Lightning II fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the Middle East while it was “flying a combat mission over Iran,” according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins. The specific variant of the aircraft and the service branch have not been specified. “The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is…

The first British Airways aircraft fitted with Elon Musk’s Starlink Wi-Fi has entered service after announcing the plan to rollout the technology across its fleet last year. On March 18, 2026, British Airways confirmed across its social media channels that the fleet-wide installation had begun in a process that will enable all passengers, regardless of class travel, to access Starlink for free. According to PYOK, the first aircraft to undergo installation was a British Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registered G-ZBJJ, which has since been operating flights to North America and India. British Airways shared a behind the scenes video to…

An airline body representing some of Europe’s largest and most influential carriers is demanding that EU leaders set a 21-day advance notice for any air traffic controller strikes. On March 19, 2026, Airlines for Europe (A4E) set out a series of strategies to address concerns over higher fares and route cutbacks. Airlines for Europe highlighted the “broken air traffic management system” where industrial action can have far reaching consequences for its members and their customers. “Fragmented European airspace finds itself closed down due to air traffic controller strikes. A strike in just one member state can shut down arriving and…