Delta’s CEO says AI lacks soul and warmth — while his airline uses AI to help price tickets. Plus: Air Force One’s China-trip meal gets roasted, American tells a passenger stuck in the lav to try knocking, and TSA’s SFO screening contract fight heads to court.
Citi premium card looks complicated at first, but the real value is straightforward once you know how the credits post. The Strata Elite’s hotel, Splurge, Blacklane, Priority Pass, and Admirals Club benefits can make the first cardmember year far more lucrative than the $595 fee suggests.
An American Airlines flight attendant is objecting to her union’s left-wing political messaging, including May Day posts aimed at Trump and Elon Musk. Unions are obviously – and necessarily – political. That makes it tough for airline workers who have to pay dues to platform ideas they oppose.
Spirit Airlines workers say the company told them to ignore shutdown rumors right up until the end — then terminated nearly everyone without 60 days’ notice. Now they’re suing for WARN Act pay, while Spirit argues its collapse was unforeseeable because last-minute financing and a possible taxpayer bailout fell apart.
A Chicago jury just awarded $49.5 million to the family of one Ethiopian 737 MAX crash victim, the largest civil verdict yet from the disaster. Boeing had already admitted liability, so the trial was only about money — and the size of the award now gives the remaining families a much higher benchmark.
Elon Musk confirms that Delta refused to equip its planes with Starlink because they require putting access behind a portal. SpaceX refuses to do that.
Mastercard is opening its own airport sit down dining lounges for “World Legend” cardmembers.
American Airlines already announced a much larger Nashville Admirals Club, but the airport’s finance committee packet reveals the real news: the lounge layout, outdoor terraces, and a $17.8 million buildout where Nashville airport covers $5.1 million and lends American another $12.6 million to finish the job.
When disruptions hit, pilot availability, crew scheduling, fleet readiness, and a too-tight schedule can turn delays into waves of cancellations — so Delta is adding reserves, trimming flights, and rebuilding operational slack.
An American Airlines Boeing 777 bound for Munich turned back over the Atlantic after the first officer’s cockpit windshield shattered, forcing a diversion to New York JFK. The photo looks terrifying, but 777 windshields are built in layers and so there’s no penetration, depressurization, or immediate danger.
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 »
