Former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker uses an Airlines Confidential “101 class” on revenue management to explain how airlines really make money — and, in the process, shows why American’s own cost-and-density strategy, Spirit/Frontier obsession, and mishandled Basic Economy put it on the wrong side of the industry’s premium pivot.
American Airlines has already announced free Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members starting in January, but some flights are getting it early as “tests” begin — and that’s likely great news for most passengers. The catch is that when everyone piles onto a free connection, performance almost always suffers, so I expect today’s relatively usable paid AA Wi-Fi to look a lot more like Delta’s slog once this fully rolls out.
Citi’s new premium Strata Elite card delivers far more first-year value than its $595 fee suggests — credits stack twice, bonuses are huge, and the math almost feels like a mistake.
The U.S. wants visa waiver visitors to hand over five years of social media plus more personal data just to get an ESTA — and to apply only through a mobile app. That won’t just hassle Europeans and other low-risk travelers, it risks driving them to other destinations, cutting flights, cargo capacity, and tourism jobs here at home.
A new all-business-class airline backed by Maldives-based beOnd is still promising an October 2026 U.S. launch, even after its announced U.S. partner shut down and key financing hasn’t been nailed down. They’re talking franchise structures, Saudi and U.S. bases, Hawaii and premium leisure routes – but with ultra-high costs, no frequent flyer base, and a shaky execution record, actually pulling this off as a scheduled airline looks like a serious long shot.
Instacart isn’t just marking up groceries — it’s running quiet tests to see how much more it can charge different shoppers for the exact same items, potentially adding up to hundreds of dollars a year. Plus airlines forcing gate checks with empty bins, Austin paying subsidies to Southwest, and American’s spin on a reduced wheelchair fine.
A Frontier Airlines flight attendant turned boarding into a cabin lockdown, announcing that someone had smuggled a dog onboard and telling passengers to “snitch on your neighbor” until the hidden pet was found. Instead of quietly fixing a policy problem, the airline effectively deputized a full plane of customers to police each other.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has been boasting that American is “bleeding” $800 million a year in Chicago — but leaked internal figures tell a very different story. They put American’s fully allocated loss at roughly $70 million in just one quarter, a big number but nowhere near Kirby’s claim.
Boom Supersonic is now selling 42 megawatt natural gas turbines to power AI data centers, starting with a billion-dollar, 1.21 gigawatt order from Crusoe. They say the profit will self-fund their Symphony engine and Overture jet — but the economics and execution risk still look like a long shot.
Amex has reloaded its Business Platinum with a 200,000-point bonus and richer perks across travel, hotels, and credits. Even with an $895 annual fee, the math still makes it a no-brainer for frequent travelers.
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 »
