Support Contrail
I started Contrail in August 2026 as a college student with one goal: to explain the airline industry in a way that makes sense to the people who actually fly. No jargon, no fluff, just what’s happening in the skies and what it means for your next trip.
Since then, Contrail has grown into a daily publication. I’ve reviewed airlines across more than 50 countries, built the Contrail Index so you can see how they compare, and covered breaking news from Riyadh to Nairobi. Along the way, my writing has appeared in Business Insider and been republished by AOL and Yahoo, and that’s only the beginning.
Everything on Contrail is free to read, and I want to keep it that way, which is why reader support matters so much.
Where your money goes
Every donation goes straight back into Contrail. It keeps the site running, from hosting to the newsletter to the tools behind every story. It also lets us build new features, like the Contrail Index and better ways to compare airlines before you book.
Most of all, it supports the people who make Contrail what it is. Our writers are mostly students, from the United Kingdom to South Africa to across the US, and many of them are getting their first real bylines here. I started Contrail as a student myself, and I want it to be the place where the next generation of aviation writers gets its start. That means paying them for their work, not just thanking them for it.
Contrail brings together voices from all walks of life: students, flight attendants, pilots and travelers who see the industry from angles you won’t find anywhere else. Keeping that mix of perspectives is what makes Contrail different, and it’s what your support makes possible.
The truth is, we can’t do it without you. Contrail runs on its readers, and for it to keep growing, pay its writers and stay free for everyone, it needs people who believe in it. If you’re one of them, a donation of any size goes further than you’d think.
Thank you for reading, and for being part of this incredible journey.
Zach Benitez
Editor in Chief, Contrail
Contrail isn’t a registered charity, so donations aren’t tax-deductible.