An Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 737-400 veered off the runway while landing in Kabul, forcing an evacuation by slides and leaving the aircraft stopped in the grass with apparent wing damage. No one was hurt, but the airline drew attention for an astonishing response: it tried to brush off the incident by pointing to Air Canada’s recent fatal crash at LaGuardia.
President Trump has rejected Elon Musk’s offer to cover TSA screener pay during the partial government shutdown, even after the administration reportedly considered the idea. That leaves travelers facing the same worsening airport security lines, with no outside fix coming as absenteeism and political leverage keep the pressure on.
JetBlue is reportedly exploring a sale to another airline, with advisors evaluating how deals with United, Southwest or Alaska might fare in Washington. Any buyer would face antitrust scrutiny, but the fact that JetBlue is actively gaming out a sale shows how high the stakes have become for the airline’s turnaround.
United Airlines bet on $1 billion worth of electric air taxis as a future way to move passengers to and from its hub airports. Now CEO Scott Kirby says those aircraft should not be operating near major airports at all, a striking reversal that raises new doubts about one of the airline industrys most heavily marketed future bets.
American Airlines says it wants to win more premium travelers, but its newest board member is best known for building mass-market consumer brands like McDonalds and Quaker. Mary Dillon brings real brand expertise, but her appointment also highlights a familiar problem at American: a board with limited airline experience and little track record of holding management accountable.
American Express has launched a new Graphite Business card that offers unlimited 2% cash back, but it comes with a $295 annual fee in a market where 2% business cards are often free or much cheaper. Unless you place real value on Amex’s accounts-payable credits after very heavy spending, this looks like a card that charges extra for something competitors already give away.
Delta has suspended some special airport perks for members of Congress, including VIP escorts, Red Coat handling, and priority help with upgrades or rebooking. But lawmakers still get a travel experience ordinary passengers do not, with dedicated booking desks, flexible same-day reservations, and other privileges that insulate them from the airport misery the rest of the country is forced to endure.
Bilt Rewards has added Wyndham as a points transfer partner. Citi and Capital One points transfer to Wyndham as well. There’s almost no use case for 1:1 transfer to Wyndham.
American Express is opening a new lounge at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport that has not been publicly announced, with travelers spotting “American Express Lounge Coming Soon” signage in the terminal. The location is especially notable because it appears to be at Hongqiao rather than Pudong, pointing to a strategy focused on premium short-haul business traffic in China rather than primarly international travelers – or Americans.
Canadian politicians are calling for Air Canadas CEO to be fired because his condolence message after the LaGuardia tragedy was recorded in English, despite French subtitles. Delta adds more Los Angeles–Florida flying, American closes its Washington National D concourse Admirals Club for renovation, and JonNYC hints American may copy Uniteds upgraded small regional jet strategy.
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 »
