A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
The FAA has issued a warning for all operators to avoid Venezuelan airspace, even as international airlines cancel service. The timing aligns with reporting that Washington is pushing Ukraine toward a settlement tilted toward Russia in exchange for Moscow’s acquiescence on removing Nicolás Maduro.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve just got pricier, but after living with the new benefits I’m convinced it’s finally worth every dollar. Higher annual fee aside, the mix of richer points, travel credits, and elite perks has turned a once-marginal card into one I actually love to use.
Aeroflot low cost carrier Pobeda ran one of the strangest in-cabin experiments we’ve seen: a humanoid robot acting as a flight attendant on a regular passenger flight. The airline had “Volodya” work on a Boeing 737 flight from Ulyanovsk to Moscow.
Sean Duffy and Gavin Newsom are suddenly relitigating pandemic mask mandates and arguing over how people should dress on airplanes — a bizarre clash years after the rules ended. The exchange isn’t really about masks or manners at all, but about positioning for 2028 and appealing to their respective bases.
Hyatt Regency Austin has completed its renovation, with modernized rooms, a redesigned lobby, an upgraded market, and a suite-upgrade approach that’s unusually generous for a Category 4 property. It’s still one of the best ways to use a Category 1–4 certificate, especially during peak Austin events like SXSW, where cash rates can top $750 while award nights run just 18,000 points.
Delta has added bright red “wait here” lines before gate podiums, and many flyers say the new markings feel confusing or unnecessary. While the airline frames them as a customer-experience improvement, they’re really aimed at preventing stowaways, improving biometric scans, and making single-agent boarding easier—not at passenger convenience.
Swiss has released unusually wide-open business class award space for summer 2026 — in many cases up to nine seats on the same flight. Routes from Boston, New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington Dulles and Montreal are all included, and the space is bookable through United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan and Avianca LifeMiles using transferable points.
Citi’s new premium Strata Elite card delivers far more first-year value than its $595 fee suggests — credits stack twice, bonuses are huge, and the math almost feels like a mistake.
Holiday Inn will stop offering any cooked-to-order or à la carte breakfast on December 1. Every property in the U.S. and Canada moves to a standardized buffet, and the brand’s internal guide shows just how minimal that operation can be. Hotels only need two staff to run the entire service window, the required menu is tightly limited, and pastries can legally be held and reused for up to 24 hours.
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 »
