Two coach passengers reportedly sat down in first class on an American Airlines flight departing Miami and refused to move. Airport police were called, and the women were escorted out of the gate area in cuffs—caught on video.
Four premium cards dominate the space right now: Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X, and Citi Strata Elite. Let’s break down lounges, credits, earn rates, and transfer partners—then show which card (or pair) actually makes sense for how you travel and spend.
Southwest’s open seating has always invited games—saving rows, blocking middle seats, and all sorts of “someone’s sitting here” theatrics to keep extra space. That all changes January 27 when assigned seating begins, which should end a lot of the passenger scheming (and even the wheelchair-preboarding miracles) while also stripping away one of the last quirky, self-directed “wins” Southwest flyers could still chase.
Marriott has quietly removed the freeform “special requests” text box from its website bookings, leaving only a handful of preset checkboxes. Hotels may have ignored many notes anyway, but eliminating the field doesn’t eliminate guest needs—it just pushes everything into last-minute phone calls and check-in friction, with no easy way to message the property in advance.
An AT&T customer says two days of accidental roaming data use triggered a staggering $19,500 bill. Plus in today’s roundup: United’s CEO reportedly skipping his own catering, Wyndham bringing back status matches, United pouring a prestige cabernet in Polaris, another hotels-and-ICE twist, a filthy American cabin photo, and new Bilt card designs.
Chase just launched the biggest-ever Marriott Boundless bonus: 5 Free Night Awards after $3,000 in 3 months, valid up to 50,000 points per night (and you can top off each with 15,000 points). There is also a 2026 airline statement credit up to $100, and the no-fee Marriott Bold now offers 2 Free Night Awards after $1,000 in spend.
A rumor is spreading that Marriott is buying Rosewood—an enormous deal if true, and one that would immediately raise questions about how Rosewood could fit inside Bonvoy.
But the story rests on a screenshot of an alleged internal Marriott legal email that reads wrong, while credible reporting points instead to Rosewood exploring a partial sale or specific assets—not the brand itself.
The Citi Strata Elite got a major boost — a 100,000-point welcome offer after $6,000 spend in three months, plus earning rates up to 12X and the only transferable link to American AAdvantage. Add credits that can be double dipped in the first cardmember year, Admirals Club passes, and full travel protections, and Citi’s new flagship card is suddenly a must-watch player in the premium rewards space.
Seat swap requests don’t need to be a morality play. If you want someone else’s seat, treat it like what it is: a tradeable right—offer $20 up front, make it easy to say yes or no, and spare everyone the awkward begging, haggling, and resentment in a cramped cabin.
Guests at a Marriott in Newport Beach say the hotel shut off the water for repairs—leaving rooms with no working toilets or showers and sending people to an outhouse in the parking lot. A reader says there was no advance warning before arrival, and when they complained they were offered 10,000 Marriott points, even as the hotel continued charging full price for a stay without a functioning bathroom.
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 »
