About Gary Leff

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 »

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Mesa Becomes the First Program to Offer Transfers to Omni Hotels — A Free Night Anywhere Costs 30,000 Points and Includes Elite Status

Dec 02 2025

Mesa has become the first program to support transfers to Omni Hotels, allowing members to redeem 30,000 points for a free night at any Omni property and granting automatic Champion elite status on early transfers. It’s a niche but potentially high-value addition, especially at Omni’s more expensive locations.

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The DEA Was Ordered To Stop Stealing Cash From Passengers — Now Homeland Security Is Seizing The Money Instead

Dec 01 2025

A year ago the DEA was ordered to stop seizing passengers’ cash at airports without evidence or charges. But cash seizures never stopped—they’ve just shifted hands. Homeland Security agents are using drug-sniffing dogs to target travelers, confiscating large sums even when no drugs are found and no charges are filed. Here’s what’s happening, and how they’re getting away with it.

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No Warrant, No Data: Alaska Airlines Faces Blowback For Telling Staff Not To Hand Passenger Info To Law Enforcement On Demand

Dec 01 2025

A social media pile-on claims Alaska Airlines is “obstructing justice” because a poster tells employees not to hand passenger data to law enforcement on demand. In reality, it instructs staff to call a supervisor and insist on proper legal process — exactly what privacy laws, corporate policy, and rule of law require.

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Passenger Punches Spirit Flight Attendant In The Face On Nashville–Las Vegas Flight — Pilot Tackles Him In The Aisle

Dec 01 2025

Video from a Spirit Airlines flight from Nashville to Las Vegas shows a male passenger punching a flight attendant in the face in the aisle, with the cabin turning into a brief brawl until a crewmember steps in and shuts it down. Here is what we know about the incident, what likely happened next, and how this fits into the broader problem of assaults on flight attendants.

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