American replaced the surprisingly good turkey wrap on JFK–Austin with a turkey, brie, and cranberry sandwich on brioche — and the brie is literally a thick chunk, not spread. It’s not terrible, but it’s a step back in execution (and still miles better than the sweaty $16 steak sandwich from this summer).
A man bragged online that he was flying first class “because of Trump” and posted a photo of his boarding pass—complete with the details anyone needs to pull up a trip in many airline “Manage My Booking” tools. By the time he reached the airport, someone had already canceled his reservation, turning a political flex into an instant lesson in why you never share a boarding pass online.
For some families, the holidays aren’t about reunion—they’re about racing the clock. Give A Mile uses donated United miles to fly people to a loved one’s bedside in end‑of‑life situations. One balance can become one last hug.
Bodycam footage shows a United flight attendant arrested at Tampa International Airport after a dispute on the crew bus escalated into a battery allegation over a shoulder tap. Florida law treats intentional, unwanted touching as battery—turning a petty argument over a loud phone call into a court-date arrest.
CBP detained a school superintendant for hours at Houston’s airport after a trip to Nicaragua, and he says agents told him he had no Fourth Amendment rights while pressuring him for passwords and devices. Now the U.S. citizen is suing DHS to curb border phone searches and challenge the government’s suspicionless device search rules.
JetBlue Flight 1112 from Curaçao to New York JFK had a close call off Venezuela when pilots reported a U.S. Air Force tanker crossing directly in front of them at roughly their altitude. In ATC audio, they say it was “within 5 miles — maybe 2 or 3 miles” ahead, forcing them to halt their climb to avoid a collision.
The crew said the tanker wasn’t transmitting, and controllers told them they couldn’t see it on radar, later estimating the military aircraft around 34,000 feet. JetBlue says it reported the incident to federal authorities.
The NTSB’s report on Southwest flight 3278 describes a near-miss at Orlando where the crew began a takeoff roll on a taxiway, apparently believing it was the runway. ADS-B data shows the 737-800 accelerating to roughly 70 knots before the takeoff was rejected, with air traffic control canceling the clearance mid-roll and ordering the aircraft to stop.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card is offering 85,000 bonus points after $3,000 spend — but the link dies at 9 a.m. ET on 12/16/2025. Because the card also comes with 15,000 Companion Pass qualifying points and your bonus + spend count too, you’d be sitting at 88,000 toward the 135,000 needed — leaving just 32,000 more to earn a Companion Pass that can run through most of 2026 and all of 2027 if you time it right.
An internal American Airlines update says the carrier will now surface paid first class offers to customers who are in the process of trying to confirm an elite upgrade certificate. In other words, while you’re using the upgrade instrument you earned through loyalty, American will simultaneously try to sell you the seat—another step in the industry’s shift toward monetizing premium cabins even at the expense of elite benefits.
An internal American Airlines document says customers can now book online up to 331 days in advance, with the longer window currently shown to 50% of customers as it rolls out. The same doc also claims a real quality-of-life improvement: in most cases, prepaid checked bags can now transfer if travel plans change, making it easier to pay for bags online without worrying you’ll lose the purchase if you rebook.
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 »
