IHG will standardize its global minimum check-in age at 18, giving young travelers a clearer policy than Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt. Hotels may still face local law and franchise compliance issues, especially at casino properties, college-town hotels, and resorts worried about parties or alcohol rules.
Wheelchair user Samanta Bullock says British Airways denied her boarding on a New York–London flight because she was traveling alone and might need help reaching the lavatory. She says American Airlines asked a similar question but still let her fly, while BA appears to have confused required aisle-chair assistance with prohibited personal care.
More than 50 Marriott hotel owners, representing 1,000 hotels, say Bonvoy award nights do not reimburse them enough, even as Marriott’s credit card and loyalty revenue grows. If owners win more money for free-night stays, Bonvoy members may ultimately pay through higher award prices and weaker point value.
W Las Vegas charges guests $16 for in-room coffee even as the hotel adds a resort fee, turning a basic amenity into another minibar-style charge. The fee captures the broader Las Vegas nickel-and-diming problem as visitors pull back from higher costs and fewer included perks.
An Avis renter was charged thousands of dollars in tolls after a previous customer stole the car’s transponder and kept using it. Also: no U.S. routes in Singapore’s latest award sale, tiny Marriott-Starbucks bonuses, Air Canada’s new Québec City café lounge, a Bahamas jet ski warning, and 50% off JSX flights to Scottsdale.
Give A Mile uses donated United miles to book urgent flights for people trying to reach loved ones in hospice or critical care, with one week left in its campaign.
Chase mistakenly emailed Ink Plus cardmembers suggesting that 5x rewards at office supply stores and was ending. Chase now confirms the category is not changing and says cardmembers will receive corrected information.
Japan Airlines CEO Mitsuko Tottori will take another 30% pay cut after flight attendants broke pre-duty alcohol rules, forcing a Hiroshima–Tokyo flight delay. JAL fired or suspended the crew involved, banned flight attendant layover drinking, and again showed a level of executive accountability rarely seen in the airline industry.
Flight Attendants are openly discussing asking pilots to turn on the seat belt sign when they want passengers to leave them alone, even without expected turbulence. This reflects bigger questions about airline culture, cramped galleys, and how safety signals are being used to avoid customer service.
Showing up early is sometimes wasted time, but the right flight buffer can be cheap insurance when the trip really matters. The smart move is knowing when a delay would merely annoy you, and when it would ruin the reason for traveling.
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 »
