Travel Perks

Fort Worth's American Airlines fluffs up on-board napping amenities

You are getting very sleepy.

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

Fort Worth-based American Airlines is working to improve its sleep game and has signed on innovative global sleep company Casper to fluff up the pillows.

Beginning in December, customers seated in long-haul international and transcontinental First or Business class and Premium Economy will get access to a suite of advanced sleep offerings designed by Casper's engineering team.

Founded in 2014, Casper is the company best known for its "mattress in a box," wherein the mattress is delivered to your door in a box. You unroll it and give it 24 hours to let it puff up. This is the first time Casper has applied its sleep expertise beyond the home to the world of travel.

The Casper line of sleep products for American will include a mattress pad, duvet, pillow, day blanket, lumbar pillow, pajamas, and slippers, with the exact offering varying based on the route.

Casper studied the travel environment for months to better understand the challenges of in-flight sleep. Their sleep engineers applied their renowned expertise in sleep research and sleep science to design innovative products specifically for air travel and made exclusively for American Airlines. So this wasn't some casual analysis, there was actual science involved.

Casper researched more than a dozen versions of the onboard pillow and tested it with a variety of fibers to find the perfect balance of support and breathability for customers. Inspired by performance outerwear, Casper’s signature duvet and the onboard duvet are created to provide comfort at all altitudes, and its sewn-through seams create small, rectangular chambers for a consistent fill distribution to stay fluffy and in place.

American put these designs to the test with customers on some of its longest flights, including Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand. The airline also tapped the expertise of some of its most frequent travelers, its flight attendants, for advice on fit, durability, and comfort.

"Customers and crew members who tried Casper on our flights said they loved it," says American Airlines senior VP Kurt Stache in a release. "Casper has set a new standard for premium sleep products, and our new line showcases their attention to detail and design and their commitment to providing the best rest possible for American Airlines customers."

In addition to long-haul international and transcontinental flights, Casper products will be available on these select routes:

Boston (BOS) – Los Angeles (LAX)
New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) – Seattle (SEA)
Miami (MIA) – Seattle (SEA)
Miami (MIA) – San Francisco (SFO)
U.S. to Hawaii
U.S. to Northern Rim of South America (MAR, MAO, BOG, CCS, CLO, GYE, LPB, MDE, UIO, VVI)

The only problem here is that Casper is not available on any domestic flights out of DFW International Airport, ostensibly because most of those flights are short. Wah, American Airlines, we need our naps, too.

transportation

Hotel News

City of McKinney approves funding for new Marriott luxury hotel

City of McKinney

Rendering of JW Marriott in McKinney

The McKinney City Council has approved incentives for the development of a JW Marriott resort hotel at Craig Ranch, a master-planned community, where it’s slated to go up at the northeast corner of Collin McKinney Parkway and Van Tuyl Parkway.

Construction on the eight-acre project is set to begin December 2026.

The city of McKinney is giving an economic development grant to Craig Ranch Luxury Hotel SPE Owner LP for the project. Under the agreement, the developer will construct and operate a luxury JW Marriott resort hotel featuring 290 guest rooms, more than 51,000 square feet of high-end hotel conference space, and resort-style amenities.

These amenities include a pool with a lazy river, a full-service fitness center, a three-meal restaurant and specialty restaurant, a lounge with a terrace and poolside service, pickleball courts, structured and valet parking, and other conveniences such as a business center and a retail gift shop.

Visitors to the hotel will also have access to the TPC Craig Ranch golf course and Life Time Fitness and Spa.

The project will also include at least 45 for-sale condos, served by a dedicated amenity deck. Funding for the hotel and condos will come from grants and a loan including a $25 million grant and $10.25 million loan from the City of McKinney and a $2 million grant from the McKinney Economic Development Corporation, according to city council documents.

According to the Mayor of McKinney, the project reflects the city’s commitment to planned growth and economic development.

"With the airport's upcoming expansion into commercial service, our extended partnership with The CJ CUP Byron Nelson tournament, and major entertainment attractions like the VENU Sunset Amphitheater and Cannon Beach: Surf and Adventure Park, McKinney is quickly becoming a regional and national destination,” says McKinney Mayor George Fuller in a statement. “A luxury resort like JW Marriott is not just welcome, it's needed."

This development supports the city's continued efforts to promote tourism and attract premier hospitality experiences, and this upcoming $1.3 billion mixed use development is yet another example of how serious the city is about drawing in a new crowd.

The hotel is expected to be completed by April 2029.

hotels