American Airlines is spending billions on better seats, lounges, wine, and food, but recent service complaints show its premium pivot still depends on getting flight attendants to deliver it.
Billions of dollars in unused luggage sit in closets, but most bags never reach resale because they’re bulky, low-value, and too much hassle to ship.
Chase Sapphire Reserve’s 150,000-point initial bonus ends June 15, with strong travel and dining earning, Sapphire Lounge access, and credits that can outweigh the fee.
Sunrise launches Newark–Cap-Haïtien flights, SFO seeks a Terminal 3 video game lounge, British Airways pauses Starlink installs, and Beverly Wilshire restaurants face vermin closures.
Delta confirms plan to consider Thompson VantageSOLO business class seat, which is already flying with several airlines, because their planned Safran seat for premium A321neo transcon aircraft has so far been unable to achieve certification. That’s a less desireable seat, and still leaves their new cross-country business class product years away.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is still talking about buying American Airlines, and continued to give remarks advocating for it at the IATA annual general meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Kirby is keeping pressure on American Airlines CEO Robert Isom and his board while pretending the matter is practically closed.
A Delta first class passenger says she woke before landing to find vomit in and on her purse, with her AirPods and belongings damaged. Delta offered a $50 voucher.
Climate advisers in the U.K. have floated restrictions on frequent flyer rewards as an “easy” way to reduce emissions, and commentators are now using that to explain why British Airways Avios keep getting worse. That gets the story backwards: BA is devaluing because loyalty is profitable, while bigger, fixable aviation emissions problems—from Europe’s fractured air traffic control system to contrail avoidance—are treated as an afterthought.
A private pilot’s engine failed over northern Minnesota, leaving him to choose between a lake, a swamp, or a highway. He picked the safest option and landed on a state road crossing the Red Lake Reservation—only for tribal officials to seize his plane for six months, claiming he had violated an airspace ban they had no authority to enforce.
Europe’s flight delay rules sound like the passenger protection Americans wish they had: cash compensation when airlines get you there hours late. But the system is far challenging in practice, with some travelers needing court judgments and bailiffs just to collect.
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 »
