Is it Friday yet?

It sure feels that way, given how busy this week has already been.

From a bombshell merger rumor to bunk beds in economy to my latest hotel observation, here’s everything you need to catch up on.

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Maybe, if United CEO Scott Kirby had his way.

According to a recent Bloomberg report, Kirby floated the idea of an American-United merger in a meeting with President Trump.

Here's the thing.

First, I have a hard time believing this merger would clear even the most permissive antitrust environment.

Second, it would be terrible for flyers. Consolidation is rarely a good thing for consumers. (Just imagine what would happen to fares if American and United stopped competing in Chicago.)

Truth is, I do think more consolidation is coming to the airline space. Whether that’s United and JetBlue, or Frontier acquiring Spirit, the conditions feel ripe.

I just highly doubt it's American and United. (And most of you seem to agree. Polymarket currently puts the odds of an American-United merger being announced this year at just 14%.)

This is the coolest innovation I've seen in my decade covering travel.

Air New Zealand just unveiled bunk beds in economy.

Dubbed the Skynest, this six-berth capsule-style setup will be wedged between the economy and premium economy cabins on Air New Zealand's Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

There will be two four-hour nap sessions available on flights between New York and Auckland, priced at $495 per session on top of the economy fare.

I’ll admit that getting into the Skynest isn’t especially graceful.

But once you’re in, you’ll get fresh bedding, an amenity kit, USB charging ports, and a privacy curtain.

There are also a bunch of restrictions you’ll probably want to know about. And yes, you may also want to see what I look like trying to nap in one of these things.

I got lots of love on my April edit, so I’m sharing more of the most popular picks here, along with some new ones.

Women

Men

Packing picks

Last week, my daughter and I flew from West Palm Beach to New York.

Avid readers know that when I travel solo with my daughter, I book us three seats in the back of the plane. But since we were flying American, I was also eligible for a complimentary upgrade due to my status.

Well, our upgrades cleared (and I proceeded to cancel the extra seat since we no longer needed it).

But here’s the problem: my daughter and I weren’t assigned seats together. The gate agent shrugged when I asked if there was anything she could do (despite other passengers also being upgraded).

So I boarded the flight and asked the people next to me and my daughter to switch. Neither said yes (despite at least one of them having received an upgrade as well).

One of them finally agreed, but gave me side-eye when he moved.

When I posted on Instagram about what happened, many people told me that I should’ve declined the upgrade.

Since then, I’ve had a few thoughts:

I still haven’t decided what, if anything, I’d do differently next time, but I’m curious about your take. Click your choice below.

Over the weekend, I stayed at a Homewood Suites. (Yes, really.)

One thing I consistently notice about entry-level chains is that they often don't have shower gel.

Sometimes you get an all-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Other times — like at this San Bernardino property — you get shampoo and conditioner, but no shower gel.

You do get bar soap, but do people even use that anymore? Can we please get some shower gel?

It seems like every airline is racing to announce new premium products. (That’s probably because the industry’s biggest interiors expo is happening in Germany right now.)

Air Canada just unveiled new “Glowing Hearted” cabins for its upcoming Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner.

Highlights include a new business-class-plus product, dubbed the Signature Plus Suite. (I’m still surprised Delta isn’t doing something similar.)

Air Canada also opted not to install doors on the A321XLR — likely because of how many people complain of claustrophobia in today's single-aisle suites.

And while other airlines already offer the same physical seats, Air Canada’s new finishes do look great.

American Airlines just slashed roughly 5% of its capacity — or just over 10,000 flights — this August.

Why?

Not necessarily because of the Iran conflict or higher fuel prices.

Rather, the airline appears to have overestimated demand for August. It was originally selling peak-day schedules, but that demand hasn’t materialized, so it just processed a big wave of cancellations, a spokesperson said.

We've known for a while that peak summer travel has been shifting to June and July, and this move is yet another sign of that trend.

At long last, Air India is giving its existing fleet the overhaul it desperately needs.

Even wilder, the airline is installing the same business-class product that Qatar uses on its Dreamliners.

I just toured Air India's first retrofitted 787 Dreamliner before it flew back to its base in Delhi, and I was really impressed by what I saw.

There are 20 stylish new business-class suites — the same Elevate Ascent product used by Qatar, United, and American — each with 4K TVs, a sleek design, and sliding doors.

Air India also introduced premium economy, along with a bunch of nose-to-tail tech upgrades, including Wi-Fi, for everyone else onboard.

The big question is whether Air India can keep the cabin looking this good, and how quickly it can retrofit all the other ancient planes.

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