Thanks for reading. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, welcome. Spheres is where I post news and commentary about flying with oneworld and whatever goes along with that. You can also get these posts in a free newsletter like this one. One email per week.
This week:
- Qatar Privilege Club members get a chance at winning a rare Toblerone
- Despite what you’ve read, Dubai does not have the world’s busiest airport
- American is building a new Admirals Club in Chicago
- American’s new CCO also misses the airline’s glory days
February 12, 2026
Qatar Privilege Club members get a chance at winning a rare Toblerone
Did you know there is such a thing as a Toblerone Pink Crush?
The limited-edition Toblerone Pink Crush reimagines the brand’s iconic recipe with white chocolate blended with honey, almond nougat, and tangy berries to create a distinctive pink color infused with a vibrant and berry essence. Only 6,000 individually numbered bars have been crafted, with a limited number of bars released per day, making each one a rare collectible..
If you like the sound of that and you’re a Qatar Privilege Club member, head to the duty free at Hamad. Qatar is giving away scratch cards to win one until the end of the month.
(A more convenient gift than the giant Toblerones at every other duty free store.)
February 11, 2026
Despite what you’ve read, Dubai does not have the world’s busiest airport
The Associated Press, today:
Dubai International Airport maintained its crown as the world’s busiest airport last year as officials said Wednesday that a record 95.2 million passengers transited through its terminals, part of the emirate’s continued economic boom.
Reuters, as well:
Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest travel hub, is expected to handle close to 100 million passengers this year, its operator said on Wednesday, building on a record performance in 2025.
DXB welcomed 95.2 million guests last year, a record for the airport.
But in 2024, Atlanta hosted 108.1 million passengers, up 3.4 million from the year before. While we don’t yet have their 2025 data, it would take a drop of nearly four times that number for Dubai to accurately claim this title.
February 10, 2026
American is building a new Admirals Club in Chicago
American:
Spanning more than 10,000 square feet, the new lounge will eventually replace the existing lounge in Concourse L, giving customers more space to relax during their travel journey.
This was the lousiest Admirals of the bunch in Chicago, thanks in part to its location near the regional gates. Kudos to American for looking after the locals.
It joins Denver, Newark, Philadelphia (A) and DC (E) as lounges using American’s vastly improved modern template. The airline has similar updates in the works for Austin, Charlotte, Miami, and DC (D).
(And yes, if you read my feature on the state of American’s lounges, you knew this was coming!)
February 9, 2026
American’s new CCO also misses the airline’s glory days
Brett Snyder interviewed Nat Pieper, American’s Chief Commercial Officer (and former oneworld CEO) as he approaches 100 days on his new job in Dallas. Here’s the eye opener:
They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Nat does not have an issue with that, telling me bluntly, “we’re number three from a global airline in the US perspective.” Like many people who have been around the industry for a long time, this seemed hard for him to fathom.
And (emphasis mine):
Looking back to the beginning of his career, he had the same sentiment many of us did. “American was the gold standard.”
It’s a great read all the way through. Pieper outlines American’s strategy in the three most lucrative hubs, the airline’s operational tech problems (he sounds more worried about it than their operations chief did!), and the need for a premium product on both new and existing aircraft. There’s even some noncommittal in-flight entertainment talk.
More than any of those individual parts, it’s the sum of Pieper’s thoughts on the airline that makes this interview refreshing. We have heard variations of “we’re doing fine” out of American management for a while now. This is different.