United has raised the price of close-in saver awards without warning. Routes that were 15,000 miles just days ago now price at 20,000 miles, a one-third increase that applies only within two weeks of travel and isn’t tied to cash fares.
A flight attendant says she looked up during the safety demo and saw her own face on a passenger’s phone, enlarged and already texted to someone else. In her TikTok, she explains exactly how she responded and why crew have limited options when they’re being recorded without consent in a confined cabin.
Amex has reloaded its Business Platinum with a 200,000-point bonus and richer perks across travel, hotels, and credits. Even with an $895 annual fee, the math still makes it a no-brainer for frequent travelers.
A Delta passenger boarded a flight carrying a meat cleaver at Portland Airport, undetected by TSA screeners—who now blame inadequate training as staff still await paycheck backlogs from the recent government shutdown. Here’s exactly how the security lapse happened and what TSA says it plans to do next.
Porsha Williams was removed from a Delta Air Lines flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta after an onboard dispute that led crew to request law-enforcement assistance. The flight continued normally, but police met the aircraft on arrival and escorted the Real Housewives star off the plane.
A reader staying at the Holiday Inn Oklahoma City Airport says he found what appeared to be mouse droppings near the vending machines and asked the hotel to cancel an upcoming prepaid reservation. The property refused, and IHG backed the decision, telling him that prepaid terms still apply. That leaves the guest stuck with a stay he no longer feels comfortable taking—an example of how non-refundable rates offer little protection when a hotel’s condition doesn’t match what the brand advertises.
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.
Hilton is rolling out a major Honors overhaul in 2026, and I can confirm the key changes: a new Diamond Reserve tier with confirmed upgrades and guaranteed late checkout, lower requirements for Gold and Diamond, and the end of rollover nights.
Most travelers book airfare direct to keep earning bonuses on their card of choice. But some travel portals now pass through airline merchant coding and add their own points on top, letting you double-dip rewards and still get the protections and earnings your premium card offers. For many flyers, that makes portal booking more lucrative than buying straight from the airline.
Finland’s government is seeking a €7.6 million fine from Finnair after investigators said the airline gave misleading information in a case examining how it restricted the display of cheaper fares on online travel agencies. The probe is still ongoing, but regulators say the airline’s responses obstructed their work—creating the unusual scenario of a government moving to penalize its own majority-owned carrier.
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 »
