The simple story about Spirit Airlines is that the Biden administration killed the carrier by blocking JetBlue’s bid to buy it, but that is too neat and mostly wrong. Spirit was already failing because its costs rose, its product stopped matching what customers wanted, and the antitrust move that really undercut any plausible rescue came earlier, when the government killed JetBlue’s alliance with American.
American Airlines is changing its portable charger policy on May 1, requiring power banks to stay visible and within reach during flights instead of hidden in bags or overhead bins. The airline will also cap passengers at two power banks each and ban recharging them onboard, part of a broader push to make battery fires easier for crews to spot and contain.
A viral flight meltdown video exposed a man’s secret mistress, plus Denver airport chaos, a tattooed plea for an American Airlines upgrade, shocking casino ATM fees, the case against a Spirit bailout, and more.
Airlines and their payment-clearing partner quietly sold searchable travel and payment data to federal agencies including the IRS and FBI, giving the government a back door into records it would normally need legal process to obtain. Now a proposed class action argues that violated financial privacy laws.
A Swiss flight bound for Zurich suffered an engine failure during takeoff in Delhi, forcing the crew to reject the departure, stop on the runway, and evacuate 228 passengers and four infants. As smoke poured from the aircraft, passengers still grabbed their bags, filmed the scene, and paused for selfies instead of getting clear as fast as possible.
Airlines are such a bad business that the smartest startup strategy is probably not building the most beautiful premium carrier, but finding a way to lose less money than everyone else. If I had to start one anyway, I would skip the glamorous dream model and focus on underserved leisure routes, modest costs, and selling more of the trip than just the seat.
American Airlines retired roughly 40% of its long-haul-capable fleet during the pandemic, betting travel would stay weak and replacements would arrive when needed. Now some of those supposedly obsolete widebodies are heading to a new airline in Vietnam, a reminder that the planes still had life left — and that American’s decision cost it flexibility, profits, and strategic ground it never fully got back.
After years of rotating through Washington hotels, I finally tried the Dupont Circle Hotel and came away more impressed than I expected. It is not one of the city’s true luxury flagships, but the combination of a large suite upgrade, polished service, strong food and beverage, and a prime Dupont location made it feel like a genuine standout.
American Airlines is making it much easier for delayed passengers to actually receive the meal vouchers they are already entitled to, by letting agents issue them to an entire eligible flight at once instead of one traveler at a time. The change does not raise the voucher value, but it should cut down on long lines, missed eligibility, and the absurd process of stranded passengers having to beg individually for $12 after a controllable delay.
If you fly expensive tickets for work, and then you’re cost conscious on a weekend trip with your family of four, you will be treated well when you fly those expensive tickets – but not on that trip with your family when it arguably matters most to you.
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 »
