DOT made headlines bragging about a “record” $140 million penalty against Southwest for its Christmas 2022 meltdown, but the airline was never really on the hook for that number. Now that the agency has quietly waived the final $11 million, and surprisingly that was the right move.
Her spouse fell “madly in love” with Executive Platinum status and out of love with their marriage — so she put the legal bills on an AAdvantage card and walked away with elite status of her own. Plus: TSA’s new “proper papers” fee, Chase lounge diners sneaking in McDonald’s, musical Southwest flights, and an IHG points program devaluation.
Four premium cards dominate the space right now: Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X, and Citi Strata Elite. Let’s break down lounges, credits, earn rates, and transfer partners—then show which card (or pair) actually makes sense for how you travel and spend.
A United Airlines passenger says a girl traveling with a so-called “service dog” at SFO hit and dragged her black lab after it peed on the carpet at the gate. Fellow flyers took the case to Reddit and airport police, and Denver officers met United flight UA297 after landing to check on the dog and confront the handler.
Eight Dulles airport police officers are out after internal and criminal investigations into alleged payoffs from limo and ride-share drivers so they could illegally solicit rides inside the terminal. It’s just the latest scandal for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which has already been hammered for weak controls, nepotism, and shady contracting that now puts it among the most corrupt airport authorities in the U.S.
Delta used to be the airline you picked when you were willing to give up miles value for a better inflight experience and rock-solid reliability. Now cabins, wifi, lounges and even upgrades have been cut back enough that United’s hard product and elite treatment often look better by comparison.
A TikTok video of a passenger grinding beans and pulling a fresh espresso shot in economy has people furious and fascinated in equal measure. Is a full barista setup at your seat a clever way around terrible airline coffee — or just another way to be the most annoying person on the plane?
Critics argue that America has adopted the bland sameness of an airport lounge, a prestige-lite world gated by credit cards and tap-to-pay access. But what they’re really reacting to isn’t cultural flattening—it’s the loss of exclusivity as more people move up and gain access to spaces that once signaled status.
I got my card when the offer was just 80,000 points and I was super happy with that. I only wish I’d waited until right now to apply, because the limited time launch offer for the card has actually been improved upon.
A rant about deplaning etiquette has gone viral, laying down what she calls the “one rule” when a flight arrives: you wait your turn and don’t rush the aisle. In her view, anyone who pushes forward past rows in front of them is “human dirt” who deserves the side-eye of the entire cabin. It taps straight into one of the most bitter fights in air travel today: is it row-by-row courtesy, or every passenger for themselves?
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 »
