Delta Flight Argument Before Takeoff Gets Everyone Involved Kicked Off [Roundup]

News and notes from around the interweb:

• Delta DL1768 from St. Thomas to New York JFK “Argument on the plane before we took off. Everyone involved kicked off” with passengers shouting “Get back to your seat” and “What are you going to do?” It looks like this was June 1 given that flight’s hour delay.

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• GHA Discovery is my second favorite hotel loyalty program. See for instance my DC stays, Venice stay, and Kempinski Cancun. They won Hotel Program of the Year and Best Elite Program for the Middle East and Asia Pacific and Up and Coming Program of the Year for Europe and Africa in the 2026 Freddie Awards.

  They currently are offering an easy paid status match for their top tier Titanium and also for their Platinum status, and matched status lasts through the end of 2027. It costs $100 (Platinum) or $150 (Titanium) but you get half of that back in ‘Discovery Dollars’ which you can use to pay for a stay, food and beverage, etc. so it can easily pay for itself after a single stay.

• The new Trump Aman Hotels project in Albania.

  I don’t really care about or necessarily believe or disbelieve any of this. I just think “she swam barefoot” is funny AI-writing. https://t.co/ltHLzmZVW0

  — Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) June 1, 2026

• Southwest Airlines blew up its executive succession plan

• Alaska’s new Portland lounge opens June 4

• Alaska’s ‘partner award booking fee’ of $12.50 per person each way goes up to $20 on July 1. Atmos Rewards Summit cardmembers get this fee waived. Trash change, this is a junk fee.

• Alaska is eliminating all mileage-earning on basic economy fares booked after June 11 for travel August 1, 2026 onwards. Trash change, this just discourages new members – who didn’t earn many miles anyway, and didn’t ever earn enough to redeem them without engaging in repeat transactions Alaska wants – from joining the program and building the top of their cobrand card conversion funnel. This is the kind of change that looks good in a spreadsheet, but may be long-term net negative.

• 25% bonus transferring Amex points to Air France KLM Flying Blue through June 30.

  

• Take your date to the airport. You don’t even have to fly anywhere.

  The airport test is the most complex test a couple will ever take.

  Friendships and relationships have been ruined in a TSA line.
  Do they have PreCheck? Face ID?
  Do they know to take the train into the city and exactly where to stand on it to get out faster?

  But it goes deeper…

  — Raq (@raqisright) June 2, 2026