Holiday Lockdown Over Palm Beach — FAA Shuts Down 10 Miles of Airspace Near Mar-a-Lago Dec 20 Through Jan 4

by Gary Leff

Dec 23 2025

The FAA is locking down Palm Beach airspace for the holidays with a presidential flight restriction tied to expected Mar-a-Lago travel, in effect December 20 through January 4 and effectively closing the inner 10-mile ring to most private flying. Getting into Palm Beach International requires TSA-style screening at one of five gateway airports and nonstop, ATC-controlled operations, while flights that can’t meet those rules—like JSX’s Westchester–Palm Beach—are being pushed to reroute.

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Broken Trays, Dirty Cabins, and Duct Tape Up Front — American Airlines Premium Push Has a Reality Problem [Roundup]

by Gary Leff

Dec 23 2025

American is talking up a “premium” future, but passengers keep posting the basics falling apart—broken tray tables, dirty cabins, and even duct tape holding things together up front. Also in today’s roundup: a reminder that Delta’s “premium” image doesn’t always match reality, why Iceland airport “nationality clicking” is just a departure survey, a United credit-card ad that pauses someone’s movie, a pilot who drew a Nativity scene in the sky, dark web chatter about stolen loyalty accounts, and American buying into Republic Airways.

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Trump’s Transportation Chief Thinks Passenger Manners Ruin Travel—Ignores Airline Abuses, TSA Chaos, and His Own Boss’s Behavior

by Gary Leff

Dec 23 2025

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy launched a campaign lecturing travelers on etiquette, blaming passenger behavior for inflight frustrations. Yet he conveniently ignores far bigger problems—including airlines shielded from accountability, TSA-induced travel stress, and, ironically, his own boss’s famously poor manners.

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Two Cats Karen Screams “You Are Ruining Christmas” — Alaska Airlines Won’t Let Her Stuff Two Pets Under One Seat

by Gary Leff

Dec 22 2025

Alaska Airlines staff refuse to let her fly after she shows up with two big cats in a single underseat carrier and insists she has “done this for years.” She escalates into a “you are ruining Christmas” rant, demands to be shown the policy “where I booked,” and argues there’s no restriction—while the agents tell her the cats don’t have enough room and she’d need separate carriers (and effectively, another underseat space).

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American Airlines Gave a Free Hotel After 12-Hour Delay — Passenger Claims $84 Room Had Bed Bugs, Mold, And Smoke

by Gary Leff

Dec 22 2025

After a 12-hour delay, an American Airlines passenger says the airline offered a free hotel—until reviews described smoke smell, water damage and mold, and even bed bugs at an $84-a-night property. It’s a reminder that airline hotel vouchers can be a dice roll, and you may be better off booking your own room with trip-delay coverage, a distressed-passenger rate, or points.

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Pilot Became Incapacitated — ATC Audio Captures the Computer Taking Over and Landing the Plane Near Denver

by Gary Leff

Dec 22 2025

A pilot flying a private plane from Aspen to the Denver area became incapacitated mid-flight, and the aircraft’s emergency auto-landing system took over navigation and radio calls to air traffic control. ATC audio captures the computer repeatedly announcing “pilot incapacitation” and counting down to landing before it put the plane down safely near Denver, brought it to a stop, and shut the engines down—with everyone onboard surviving.

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Passenger Furious When Flight Attendant Demands Blankets Back After Landing: ‘We Already Paid For Those!’ [Roundup]

by Gary Leff

Dec 22 2025

A passenger is fuming after a flight attendant collected the airline blanket at the end of an international flight, insisting it should be included in the fare. Also in today’s roundup: why Iceland airport workers might be “clicking flags” for a tourism survey, the disgusting reality of TSA security bins, early reactions to American’s A321XLR premium economy, Delta Sky Club egg nog, British Airways’ hot-water-bottle ban that collapsed.

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