Southwest has a “secret” infinite-legroom window seat on its 737-800s and MAX 8s: 16A and 16F, with nothing at all in front of them. They only exist because FAA overwing-exit rules force Southwest to delete the window in the row ahead, and a 175-seat cap in the pilot contract means that missing seat costs the airline nothing. I’ll show exactly where to find these seats, why they exist, and how other airlines like American and Delta have their own versions too.
American Airlines crushed a family’s stroller in a jetbridge lift, promised to pay for the damage, and then turned around and called it “normal wear and tear.” Here’s what really happened, and the exact steps you should take to fight back — from escalating your claim to DOT complaints and small claims court.
Everyone debates which credit card is “best,” but most people are solving the wrong problem. This simple framework cuts through the noise, showing how to decide which card actually fits your spending, benefits, and goals.
An American Airlines passenger turned their seat back into a makeshift closet. From jackets and bags to hair draped over seat backs, airlines sell tight quarters – leaving passengers to fight over where one person’s comfort ends and another’s seat begins.
Alaska is busy turning itself into a global airline, flying Hawaiian’s 787s from a new Seattle long-haul hub to London and beyond. But its IT still behaves like a regional carrier: if you book a London–Seattle award that starts on British Airways, Alaska’s system misreads its own 787 flight as BA and slaps roughly $500 in “Alaska-imposed” fuel surcharges on top of 150,000 miles — an expensive bug for anyone spending Atmos Rewards points.
Video from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport shows a contract security guard in a white sedan racing down an active taxiway between jets as air traffic control calls a “high speed chase on the taxiway.” Planes slam on the brakes, workers scramble, and officials now blame a “possible medical episode.”
Congress is selling Section 373 of the new defense bill as a “helicopter safety” fix after the deadly midair near Reagan National. In reality it invites military training flights back into DC’s already-crowded airspace, with a built-in waiver so the Pentagon can bypass key protections whenever it claims national security demands it.
American is finally looking past ViaSat just as it makes inflight internet free. The airline is now in talks with Amazon about a new low Earth orbit WiFi system that could rival Starlink, but Amazon’s network is still years from full deployment — meaning even if a deal is signed soon, most flyers may not see the real upgrade until 2028.
Former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker uses an Airlines Confidential “101 class” on revenue management to explain how airlines really make money — and, in the process, shows why American’s own cost-and-density strategy, Spirit/Frontier obsession, and mishandled Basic Economy put it on the wrong side of the industry’s premium pivot.
American Airlines has already announced free Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members starting in January, but some flights are getting it early as “tests” begin — and that’s likely great news for most passengers. The catch is that when everyone piles onto a free connection, performance almost always suffers, so I expect today’s relatively usable paid AA Wi-Fi to look a lot more like Delta’s slog once this fully rolls out.
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 »
