The DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown St. Paul told guests they must leave by noon as the hotel temporarily closes, citing “heightened public safety concerns.” The shutdown lands amid escalating tension in the Twin Cities tied to federal immigration operations and ongoing protests, with hotels increasingly caught in the blast radius.
Delta’s new order for 30 Boeing 787-10s (with options for 30 more) doesn’t actually solve its near-term widebody replacement gap, since deliveries don’t start until 2031. Now an insider who correctly flagged the 787 deal months in advance says Delta isn’t done shopping—and the strongest bet is a sizable Airbus order next, most likely A330-900neos, with a case for additional A350-900s as well.
A screaming child meltdown on a Phoenix–New York flight took an unexpected turn when another passenger—off camera—screamed back, and the child abruptly calmed down. It “worked,” but it’s still not okay to yell at someone else’s kid—and there are better ways to break the pattern without crossing the line.
Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary’s Starlink spat has spun into a new bit: Musk musing about buying Ryanair and “putting someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge.” Plus: JetBlue’s JSX partnership ending, a near tail strike involving American’s new A321XLR, Scott Kirby praising Flighty, meal-voucher strategy during delays, and a claim that how you fill out a credit card app can affect approval.
Bilt Platinum’s annual free Blade helicopter transfer is still one of the best perks in points, and I just used my third ride—skipping the inevitable Manhattan traffic and getting to JFK in about five minutes. Here’s what the Blade Lounge West experience is like, how my rebooking played out, and why the business is changing now that Joby owns the passenger side.
Bank of America accidentally tipped its hand early on a revamped Air France-KLM Flying Blue credit card, with new perks that meaningfully accelerate elite status earning. The annual fee stays $89, existing cardmembers get the changes in March, and the updated XP bonuses make Silver, Gold, and even Platinum far more reachable through spend than before.
A report claims airline employees were stealing aircraft parts and then selling the components back to the carrier—an allegation the airline is now denying. Plus: a “world record” standby list for an inaugural flight, a passenger spooked by a “JetFuelCantMeltSteelBeams” Wi-Fi network name, Southwest gate magic in Denver, and more.
Citi’s new Strata Elite card is handing out approvals fast — and for good reason. With a 100,000-point bonus, stacked travel and retail credits, and easy eligibility rules, it delivers first-year value few premium cards can match.
A United 737 MAX ran off the runway after landing in Houston, and the newly released incident report includes cockpit voice recorder audio from the aftermath. In the recording, the captain calls ALPA while passengers are still evacuating and is told not to “say another word,” then coached on what to do next—raising uncomfortable questions about how quickly self-protection can take priority even while the situation is still unfolding.
A Taiwanese captain allegedly punched his Malaysian first officer multiple times during taxi out of LAX on an EVA Air flight to Taipei after a dispute over taxi speed. The first officer reportedly issued repeated “Speed” callouts and applied the brakes when the captain didn’t slow, after which the altercation turned physical—prompting an internal investigation and scrutiny from Taiwan’s aviation regulator.
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 »
