The NTSB’s report on Southwest flight 3278 describes a near-miss at Orlando where the crew began a takeoff roll on a taxiway, apparently believing it was the runway. ADS-B data shows the 737-800 accelerating to roughly 70 knots before the takeoff was rejected, with air traffic control canceling the clearance mid-roll and ordering the aircraft to stop.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card is offering 85,000 bonus points after $3,000 spend — but the link dies at 9 a.m. ET on 12/16/2025. Because the card also comes with 15,000 Companion Pass qualifying points and your bonus + spend count too, you’d be sitting at 88,000 toward the 135,000 needed — leaving just 32,000 more to earn a Companion Pass that can run through most of 2026 and all of 2027 if you time it right.
An internal American Airlines update says the carrier will now surface paid first class offers to customers who are in the process of trying to confirm an elite upgrade certificate. In other words, while you’re using the upgrade instrument you earned through loyalty, American will simultaneously try to sell you the seat—another step in the industry’s shift toward monetizing premium cabins even at the expense of elite benefits.
An internal American Airlines document says customers can now book online up to 331 days in advance, with the longer window currently shown to 50% of customers as it rolls out. The same doc also claims a real quality-of-life improvement: in most cases, prepaid checked bags can now transfer if travel plans change, making it easier to pay for bags online without worrying you’ll lose the purchase if you rebook.
TSA is sending ICE airline passenger lists multiple times a week, running everyone who flies through an immigration-enforcement match using the Secure Flight pipeline that was built for aviation security. It turns airports into chokepoints for law enforcement: broad roster surveillance first, detain-and-sort-out-later in the terminal, and a structure that invites mission creep beyond immigration.
A SkyWest labor battle just swerved into “computer fraud” territory. A federal judge let a conspiracy theory under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act move forward against AFA-CWA.
American’s new Airbus A321XLR enters service this week on JFK–Los Angeles, bringing its new premium-heavy cabin to the airline’s flagship transcon run. An insider report says JFK–San Francisco is next, with the A321XLR expected to begin flying that route in the spring as American starts replacing the A321T on premium cross-country routes ahead of its longer-haul missions to Europe and South America.
A low-cost carrier passenger got called out at the gate for a carry-on that was just a bit too big, and instead of paying to check it he ripped the wheels off on the spot. The bag technically makes it into the gate sizer — but then he struggles to pull it back out, turning a fee-avoidance “hack” into a perfect live demo of why these rules drive people insane.
News and notes from around the interweb: Hilary Swank freaks out on family at LAX doing Make-a-Wish trip, because she thought they were tasking her picture and maybe they were? My daughter had her first Etihad First Apartment trips at age 4. It had to wait until then because they’d grounded their Airbus A380s during the pandemic. But by that age she was fine in her own enclosed suite (and flying back-to-back long haul, Austin – London Heathrow – Abu Dhabi). At age 3 she would probably have been fine, but I was much more comfortable in more open settings like British Airways club suite and business class on United, Air Canada, Air France, KLM et al. It took me my whole life to sit in first class. She did it before kindergarten pic.twitter.com/hTARKa0wqM —…
Four premium cards, all with $600+ annual fees, might sound crazy — but they more than pay for themselves. Between stacked credits, lounge access, and reward strategies, here’s exactly how I turn those fees into profit every year.
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 »
