Upgraded: American Airlines’ fleet
American is boosting its delivery schedule of Boeing 737-800s, to replace the aging, gas-guzzling McDonnell Douglas MD-80s that make up half their fleet. The new planes will burn 25% less fuel.

Downgraded: Cash on Frontier Airlines
Frontier will no longer accept cash for onboard payments, beginning April 1. They join other airlines like ATA and Spirit in going cashless. Cash may be downgraded, but overall, and many will miss the choice of cash or plastic, but as an aficionado of credit cards (more miles! receipts!) this is fine with me.

Upgraded: European airline merger fever!
The open skies treaty’s passage on the European side of the Atlantic is sparking chatter of mergers and acquisitions. British Airways has expressed interest in bmi, Lufthansa is peeking around Iberia, bmi, and Alitalia, and Virgin Atlantic has supposedly been poking around the continent’s airlines as well. No trans-Atlantic mergers rumored quite yet.

Upgraded: Lufthansa lounges
Lufthansa is spending $130 million worldwide to upgrade its airport lounges, which are already pretty decent. U.S. airlines’ lounges, already a sad also-ran in the global lounge wars, will seem even more outdated and under-serviced.

Downgraded: Singapore Airlines’ frequent flyer program
It’s not just U.S.-based carriers who seem hell-bent on reducing benefits for their frequent flyers. The Global Traveller bemoans the latest changes in Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program.

Upgraded: Luxury hotel brands’ geographic reach
Looking for a Ritz-Carlton or other high-end hotel? It’s getting easier. The luxe chains are spreading to second- and third-tier cities.

Upgraded: Regulation
Travel companies, from cruise ships to airlines, haven’t done a sufficiently good job of self-regulating, so here come the regulators! Beyond the PBOR, we’re seeing moves toward regulating the cruise industry as well as airlines. The pressure to re-regulate is snowballing.

Upgraded: Your stinky wardrobe
Brilliant! A charcoal garment bag that deodorizes your stinky clothes. (Via Dethroner)

Upgraded: Airport bathrooms
Coming soon to Raleigh-Durham Airport: Better bathrooms! Wider/longer stalls let you keep your stuff in sight. But this has me scratching my head: “Tilted mirrors will be placed above the urinals so men can keep an eye on computer cases even as they’re going about their business.” Won’t these mirrors provide others with a great show, too? I’ll settle for cleaner bathrooms, as a start.

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Downgraded: Gay travelers …also on American Airlines
Accusations of homophobia on board AA flight 45 from Paris to New York are percolating through the internet after the New Yorker’s article on a gay couple whose cuddles and smooches were met with flight attendant intervention. An attendant with “Texas hair, like from the nineteen-sixties,” demanded that the couple cease and desist. Ruckus ensued.
(Thanks, Stephen and John!)

Upgraded: Business class seats on bmi
Britain’s Star Alliance member, bmi, which operates a Manchester, UK hub for its international flights, is going fully lie-flat with its business-class seats.

Upgraded: Hotel bathrooms
Beds are better, furnishings nicer, and now, nicer hotel bathrooms, too. And missing? Tubs!

Upgraded: Passport photos
Downgraded: British security
A British man used his two-year old daughter’s passport to travel to the Netherlands. I guess he’s a young-looking fella.

Upgraded, maybe: Connexion inflight internet
Intercontinental internet junkies can hold out some hope: Panasonic is trying to step in and take over as provider of airplane broadband, after Boeing announced the forthcoming shutdown of its Connexion service. But it won’t just transition seamlessly, and will run on a different network, so don’t celebrate yet. As long as it works. Wonk out on the details here, if that’s your fancy.

Downgraded: Wine bars in Portland Airport
I love wine bars in airports, like the Vino Volo at Washington-Dulles. But if you’re going to have one, put it AFTER security… Portland, Oregon’s airport wine bar has been put on the deathwatch.

(image of hot nuts: ejpm99)