United Airlines Is Going Dark for 2–3 Hours Next Week — Flights Are Already Pre-Canceled

by Gary Leff

Jan 31 2026

United is planning a controlled overnight cutover next week that will take its key systems offline for roughly 2–3 hours — and it has already pre-canceled most departures during the window. While flights already in the air will keep moving, everything that depends on the reservation stack effectively freezes: schedules, booking, retrieving reservations, ticketing, cancellations/refunds, and check-in via United.com, the app, kiosks, call centers, and agency channels.

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Barclays AAdvantage Cards Convert to Citi April 24 — For Now You Keep Legacy Perks and Add Citi Benefits

by Gary Leff

Jan 31 2026

The Barclays-issued AAdvantage cards are officially converting to Citi on April 24, and Citi just published the full playbook — including new cards with new account numbers and a no-login window April 24–26.

The sleeper detail is that for now your existing card’s legacy perks stay in place while you also pick up the standard Citi-version benefits, creating a temporary stacking window (especially valuable for Aviator Silver moving to Globe).

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Passenger Strips, Rushes the Door, and Threatens Crew — Then Jumps to the Tarmac and Gets Arrested

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

A passenger stripped down and rampaged through the cabin on a Nha Trang–Bangkok flight, threatening flight attendants and even trying to get an aircraft door opened mid-flight. The plane made an emergency landing at Bangkok Don Mueang — and once on the ground, he demanded the door be opened anyway, then jumped onto the tarmac before stairs were in place and was arrested.

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“How Is This Allowed?” Photo Alleges American Airlines Flight Attendant Wore a Keffiyeh — The Real Issue Is Crew Power

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

A photo circulating online alleges an American Airlines flight attendant was wearing a keffiyeh in uniform to show support for Palestinian resistance. The bigger issue is power: crew members control whether you fly and whether you get labeled disruptive. Political signaling from the people in charge of the cabin is a problem. It’s also against airline rules.

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Court Filings: ICE Uses “Mobile Fortify” To Identify Protesters — Global Entry and PreCheck Get Revoked

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

ICE is using a smartphone app called “Mobile Fortify” to scan faces and capture contactless fingerprints, instantly pulling back names and biographical data — and court filings say the same encounters are being followed by revocations of Global Entry and TSA PreCheck.

That turns “trusted traveler” into chilling of speech. DHS runs both the surveillance and the program, and being “under investigation” can be enough to lose your status even if protesting itself cannot legally be a disqualifier.

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American Airlines Is Basically Break-Even — Its Loyalty Program Makes Billions While Flying Bleeds It All Away

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

American Airlines is basically break-even for the year—despite a loyalty program that throws off enormous profit. The paradox is the story: AAdvantage prints money, but the airline’s core flying operation has been bleeding it away, reflecting years of wrong-market focus, fleet decisions, and a pivot away from premium just as the industry moved the other direction.

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Same Southwest Seat, Price Varies by Passenger — “$45 for Me, $26 for My Companion”

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

Southwest’s new seat fees aren’t just changing over time — they’re changing by passenger, even when two travelers are looking at the same seat on the same flight. In one example, a Companion Pass flyer saw an exit row seat priced at $45 for them but $26 for their companion, and similar screenshots and reports are piling up across social media.

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My Bilt Palladium Card Arrived — Mirror Metal Is Absurdly Fun, Earn Rate Can Reach 7.4 Partner Points Per Dollar

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

The Bilt Palladium card showed up before I can even use it — and yes, the mirror-finish metal is pure gimmick and still ridiculously fun. But the real reason I’m excited is the math: between Bilt Cash and Rent Day transfer bonuses, the earn rate can reach 7.4 partner points per dollar on everyday spend if you stack it the right way.

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