Only The Inflight Smoking Ban Foils Rick Steves’ Strategy For Surviving Economy Class [Roundup]

by Gary Leff

News and notes from around the interweb:

  • This must be how he survives coach

  • Bilt’s June 1 Rent Day has all the usual offers (like trivia for points, double points on their co-brand) plus Gold and Platinum members earn up to 16x total when paying with the co-brand at restaurants in their dining program. As long as you pay with a(ny) card linked in your Bilt account,

    • Bilt Platinum Members and Gold Members will earn 10X points
    • Silver Members and Blue Members will earn 5X points

    They’re also running special brunch deals for $50 or 4,000 points per person at participating restaurants in New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles available in the Bilt app on May 29th based on status: 12:00 ET for Platinum Members, 12:10 ET for Gold Members, 12:20 for Silver Members, and 12:30 for Blue Members.

  • This was the Delta upgrade list, and I’m here for it.

    nic/e poo/p
    byu/plaincheesepizza indelta

  • I am excited to try the American Airlines A321XLR once delivered, though not as excited as I am to see the new and also-delayed Boeing 787-9.

  • They’ve figured out how to keep the exit row from being much better than the rest of the cabin.

  • Always on AA:

About Gary Leff

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 »

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Comments

  1. I’m not a fan of Rick Steves, whose show I think promotes the most braindead sort of programatic tourism that has turned experiencing Europe into a mere sightseeing agenda that checks off boxes. He’s very high-minded about what he does, but I think he’s taken much of the joy out of travel for a great many Americans who have come under his influence and taken so much culture and soul out of it. If this were all that travel was about, you could in fact accomplish most of it just by watching his television show since the travel he promotes is basically a repetition of the screen it in the flesh. I get sad when I watch his show and the fact that it’s subsidized by tax dollars.

  2. I see @Maks point but disagree on one issue.
    Many Americans are xenophobic and have no Idea what other advanced cultures are like in Europe. They label Europeans as overly restricted (no gun rights) and Socialists (medicine) without ever experiencing clay shooting in the UK or experiencing world class health care when injured in Europe. Rick brings the similarities and quirky differences to America with a sense of humor. I also applaud him for reminding us of the consequences of dictatorships in world political history. He informs those who may never get the opportunity to travel as a group or independently and shows how much we are all very much similar but different.

  3. Old guy trying to be hip and edgy. Yeah, you’re reaaaaaal coooool, dude. What a looser.

  4. His guidebooks are excellent and have been invaluable to my many trips to Europe. Having said that, his views on several subjects leave much to be desired. He bought into all of the Covid nonsense and is a true believer in the climate scam. To be fair, his views on weed are spot-on. The issue is about freedom of choice and the government restricting that right. He’s a typical Leftist, mostly uninformed, hypocritical, and very selective when supporting individual rights.

  5. Rick Steves is also a massive libtard lefty.

    He deserves the most painful of cancers

  8. I find Rick Steves to be annoying on his tv shows. It seemed like every show I saw him on, he would stand with one hand in his pocket. Every time.
    I thought someone like Samantha Brown was much better on TV.

  9. I see the right-wing keyboard mafia is out in full force today.

    I’ve used a few of Rick Steves’ guidebooks, and I see nothing about them that “promotes the most braindead sort of programatic tourism that has turned experiencing Europe into a mere sightseeing agenda that checks off boxes.” His guidebooks do exactly the opposite; they encourage travelers to seek out places, shops, and attractions that tourists typically miss. They encourage travelers to go where the locals go, which is something that most travelers are afraid to do.

    Maybe some of y’all should follow his lead. You’d learn more about the world… and yourselves.

  10. Rick Steve’s has opened the door for more travelers and done more to promote travel than almost anyone I can think of. His guidebooks and video are terrific. So I go no problem if he choose to inhale.
    Oh and AndyS gfy. You represent the worst of what is human.

  11. @FlyingBuc – the RWKM element that this blog seems to attract thinks that a trip around the world means going to IHOP.

  12. Some comments are bashing Europe for gun rights and bad medicine.
    Being an EU & US citizen I know both societies very well.
    In France there are about 60 million guns with private owners, that is about 1 per person. If you want to own a gun and have no criminal background, you can own a gun. Multiple people in my family own guns over there.
    The medicine quality in EU is far superior to that of the US. US health care is just a scam run by greedy selfish a.hole (insurance, pharma, hospitals, doctors) that don’t care to bankrupt the middle class to satisfy their greed.
    Just compare the life expectancy of the different countries and you will see which ones provide healthy life and good healthcare.

  14. “Pot heads are retards”

    I can’t help wondering what circumstances placed you in that group.

  15. Back in the early 1990’s Rick’s travel Europe book was an asset to have while travelling. In the days before the internet, there was only so many books available (Let’s Go Europe). I little advanced knowledge about a place was the steppingstone to drill down into the local culture and branch out, away from the ‘EuroRail Zone of travel.

  17. Imagine being triggered by Rick Steves of all people. Personally, I liked to watch Globe Trekker, but it’s been many many years since I’ve seen it.

Comments are closed.