Premium cards have turned into coupon books, and the fatigue is real—especially when you’re doing math and chasing tiny monthly credits to justify a huge annual fee. The trick is to treat Amex Platinum and Sapphire Reserve differently: cover the fee with credits you’d use anyway, value the lounge network you’ll actually visit, and put spend where the earn rates make sense so the “extras” feel like upside instead of homework.
I’ve redeemed points for resorts and received upgrades to rooms with $2,000+ sticker prices, but this was my first time on a cash rate at a $1,000 all-in The Peninsula New York. The renovation has the place feeling current, the base room is unusually large for the city, and the bathrooms still feel legitimately top tier. Chase The Edit helped too, with breakfast (including room service) plus a $100 property credit.
A British Airways passenger says the traveler seated next to him on an 11-hour Johannesburg–London Heathrow flight was served 10 mini bottles of Bacardi within the first few hours. The neighbor became heavily intoxicated and vomited on himself, the seats, the floor—and on nearby passengers—while the full flight left no way to move. When he complained afterward, BA offered a £50 future travel voucher and, in his telling, treated it as a bad passenger incident rather than overserving by crew.
A streaming CEO turned an Air France La Première cabin into content when a lone fellow passenger objected to being filmed and repeatedly asked, “Don’t record me.” The confrontation escalated fast—both sides recording each other and accusations of racism flying—while the broader issue is familiar: airlines have rules about filming other passengers that rarely get enforced. And it’s not even the first time he’s brought a camera-and-commentary routine into a first class cabin.
The DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown St. Paul told guests they must leave by noon as the hotel temporarily closes, citing “heightened public safety concerns.” The shutdown lands amid escalating tension in the Twin Cities tied to federal immigration operations and ongoing protests, with hotels increasingly caught in the blast radius.
Delta’s new order for 30 Boeing 787-10s (with options for 30 more) doesn’t actually solve its near-term widebody replacement gap, since deliveries don’t start until 2031. Now an insider who correctly flagged the 787 deal months in advance says Delta isn’t done shopping—and the strongest bet is a sizable Airbus order next, most likely A330-900neos, with a case for additional A350-900s as well.
A screaming child meltdown on a Phoenix–New York flight took an unexpected turn when another passenger—off camera—screamed back, and the child abruptly calmed down. It “worked,” but it’s still not okay to yell at someone else’s kid—and there are better ways to break the pattern without crossing the line.
Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary’s Starlink spat has spun into a new bit: Musk musing about buying Ryanair and “putting someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge.” Plus: JetBlue’s JSX partnership ending, a near tail strike involving American’s new A321XLR, Scott Kirby praising Flighty, meal-voucher strategy during delays, and a claim that how you fill out a credit card app can affect approval.
Bilt Platinum’s annual free Blade helicopter transfer is still one of the best perks in points, and I just used my third ride—skipping the inevitable Manhattan traffic and getting to JFK in about five minutes. Here’s what the Blade Lounge West experience is like, how my rebooking played out, and why the business is changing now that Joby owns the passenger side.
Bank of America accidentally tipped its hand early on a revamped Air France-KLM Flying Blue credit card, with new perks that meaningfully accelerate elite status earning. The annual fee stays $89, existing cardmembers get the changes in March, and the updated XP bonuses make Silver, Gold, and even Platinum far more reachable through spend than before.
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 »
