DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered TSA PreCheck suspended due to the government shutdown—but the White House swiftly reversed her decision within hours. Noem’s announcement clashed with White House strategy, and would’ve increased airport staffing needs rather than reducing them. Unfortunately, her suspension of Global Entry – which makes arguably even less sense – remains in force.
I love my Bilt Palladium Card—it’s currently my favorite card for everyday spending, points-earning, and perks—but the authorized user experience drives my wife (and me) crazy. It comes with an unnecessary annual fee, tedious activation requirements, inconvenient charge authorization texts, and earns fewer points than the primary card, leaving me frustrated and hoping for improvements.
United Airlines is flooding Chicago O’Hare with up to 750 flights per day this summer—its biggest schedule ever—but leaked internal slides reveal revenue per seat mile there is already falling 2.7 times faster than elsewhere. The airline appears willing to depress short-term profits, betting that American Airlines can’t afford to match this costly fare war.
A Spirit Airlines passenger carried a rotisserie chicken through TSA security in a clear pet backpack, claiming it was his “emotional support animal”—then proceeded to enjoy it onboard, leaving passengers amused, staff stunned, and TSA officially unfazed.
Washington National Airport’s control tower just replaced paper flight strips with electronic ones—finally abandoning an FAA practice that lasted 43 years. Also in this roundup: Selena Gomez’s unexpected love for DFW Terminal E, Southwest pilots getting teased for their taxi speeds, American Airlines quietly raising checked-bag fees, and a TikToker dropping her phone into an airport toilet mid-dance.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem suspended TSA PreCheck and Global Entry during the ongoing government shutdown, claiming it conserves staff—but TSA’s own documented findings clearly show the opposite. Eliminating expedited security means longer lines, increased staffing demands, and ultimately less-secure airports.
Southwest flight attendants have voted down higher union dues three times, but the proposal is back for a fourth try. This time, the union is limiting ballots to in-person meetings, turning a $5-a-month ask into a fight over turnout, process, peer pressure and whether “no” actually means no.
Delta employees celebrated their $1.3 billion Profit Sharing Day with a party so big even IT had DJs, karaoke, and gelato served by pilots. Here’s an inside look at the unique employee culture that powers Delta’s unmatched profits and keeps its workforce flying high.
Southwest’s Companion Pass is still the best domestic perk: your companion flies for just taxes (from $5.60 each way), even on award tickets, as long as there’s an open seat. Last week my family used two passes on one trip. And right now you can get Companion Pass through Feb. 2027 via a credit card initial bonus.
An El Al flight from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv departed without 140 checked bags after they were vandalized with “Free Palestine” stickers, triggering a security alert and lengthy inspections at LAX. Authorities suspect an inside job by airport employees, and passengers landed in Israel without their luggage.
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 »
