United told pilots it expects delivery of its first 787-9 with the new Polaris Studio in February, with entry into service in March. Also today: Starbucks is rolling out a revamped Rewards program in March that cuts earning, Hawaiian Airlines Bank of Hawaii credit cards are back and more.
The Barclays-issued AAdvantage cards are officially converting to Citi on April 24, and Citi just published the full playbook — including new cards with new account numbers and a no-login window April 24–26.
The sleeper detail is that for now your existing card’s legacy perks stay in place while you also pick up the standard Citi-version benefits, creating a temporary stacking window (especially valuable for Aviator Silver moving to Globe).
A passenger stripped down and rampaged through the cabin on a Nha Trang–Bangkok flight, threatening flight attendants and even trying to get an aircraft door opened mid-flight. The plane made an emergency landing at Bangkok Don Mueang — and once on the ground, he demanded the door be opened anyway, then jumped onto the tarmac before stairs were in place and was arrested.
A photo circulating online alleges an American Airlines flight attendant was wearing a keffiyeh in uniform to show support for Palestinian resistance. The bigger issue is power: crew members control whether you fly and whether you get labeled disruptive. Political signaling from the people in charge of the cabin is a problem. It’s also against airline rules.
ICE is using a smartphone app called “Mobile Fortify” to scan faces and capture contactless fingerprints, instantly pulling back names and biographical data — and court filings say the same encounters are being followed by revocations of Global Entry and TSA PreCheck.
That turns “trusted traveler” into chilling of speech. DHS runs both the surveillance and the program, and being “under investigation” can be enough to lose your status even if protesting itself cannot legally be a disqualifier.
It’s hard to imagine anyone that won’t find this to be incredible for a year. After that, it’s up to you.
American Airlines is basically break-even for the year—despite a loyalty program that throws off enormous profit. The paradox is the story: AAdvantage prints money, but the airline’s core flying operation has been bleeding it away, reflecting years of wrong-market focus, fleet decisions, and a pivot away from premium just as the industry moved the other direction.
Southwest’s new seat fees aren’t just changing over time — they’re changing by passenger, even when two travelers are looking at the same seat on the same flight. In one example, a Companion Pass flyer saw an exit row seat priced at $45 for them but $26 for their companion, and similar screenshots and reports are piling up across social media.
The Bilt Palladium card showed up before I can even use it — and yes, the mirror-finish metal is pure gimmick and still ridiculously fun. But the real reason I’m excited is the math: between Bilt Cash and Rent Day transfer bonuses, the earn rate can reach 7.4 partner points per dollar on everyday spend if you stack it the right way.
American just made Wi-Fi free on most planes — but if you’re on the $50-a-month subscription, the charges keep coming unless you cancel. The monthly plan still bills even though it covers the same aircraft that now offer free access (the only difference is you can skip the AT&T ad), so it’s worth emailing subscription.wifi@aa.com right away.
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 »
