Airport food is mostly mediocre — but lounge food usually isn’t the upgrade people imagine, especially in lounges you can access with just a credit card. In practice the buffet often trails what you can buy in the terminal, and the few places that buck the trend are exceptions that prove the rule.
American Airlines pilots avoided directly confronting CEO Robert Isom, but internal turmoil over cancellations, lost profits, and operational chaos continues to intensify—leaving the airline facing trouble ahead.
After 71% of United Airlines flight attendants rejected their latest contract offer, the airline is back with a controversial demand—PBS scheduling could fundamentally change what trips flight attendants work.
On the same day as Bilt’s highly anticipated credit card transition away from Wells Fargo, Rove unveiled its own “Built Better” promotion—offering extra miles, double referral bonuses, and gift card rewards. But with no obvious connection to Bilt’s cards or branding, the timing seems curious. Is Rove merely riding Bilt’s coattails for attention, or is there a deeper strategy behind their surprisingly timed promotion?
Capital One’s Venture Rewards is one of the simplest high-value miles cards: a $95 annual fee and unlimited 2x on everything, with the option to redeem against travel or transfer to airline and hotel partners. Right now it has a standout limited-time offer—75,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in spend plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first year.
A United Airlines passenger headed from Los Angeles to Nicaragua suddenly found himself landing in Tokyo instead—after no one noticed he had boarded the wrong flight. Here’s how it happened, and why it’s not as rare as you’d think.
A Qatar Airways passenger on a long-haul flight snapped after the person in front of her reclined, and instead of asking politely or calling crew she escalated: she put her feet on the seatback headrest, jostled the seat, and even clapped her sneakers over the other passenger’s head. Multiple people told her to stop, but she refused until a flight attendant finally stepped in and ordered her to put her feet down.
Business Platinum is really aggressive right now with an elevated offer to earn 200,000 points.
American Airlines and United are locked in a fierce, expensive battle over Chicago O’Hare Airport—flooding the market with flights, low fares, and aggressive marketing. Yet both carriers are strangely leaving their strongest strategic weapon unused: their massive frequent flyer programs and credit card partnerships, a surprising oversight that could cost either airline the competitive edge they desperately need.
American Airlines is celebrating its 100th anniversary by serving caviar, Beef Wellington, and other luxurious dishes in business class, signaling a renewed focus on premium offerings—at least temporarily.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
