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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Will Elaine Chao Stay On As Secretary Of Transportation In A Biden Administration?

Nov 13 2020

Frequently Presidents have chosen a member of the opposite party for one cabinet post. Sometimes it’s been Secretary of Defense (Republican Senator Bill Cohen of Maine under Bill Clinton, for instance). Sometimes it’s been Secretary of Transportation (Republican Congressman Ray LaHood under Barack Obama, former Clinton Commerce Secretary Norm Mineta under George W. Bush).

In a return to normalcy, and especially with a very divided Senate that Republicans have slightly better odds to control, President Biden might choose a Republican for his cabinet – perhaps part of a deal to get a vote on other cabinet nominees.

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Will Airlines Demand Real-Time Vaccination Proof Or Testing Results As A Condition Of Travel?

Nov 12 2020

With a vaccine for Covid-19 seeming like a real possibility next year, but taking time to roll out broadly across the population, companies whose activities bring large groups together are working to figure out how to do that faster. One way is through technology to ensure that everyone congregating indoors is likely to be free of the virus.

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United Airlines Offers 4 Ways Elite Status Will Be Easier To Earn In 2021

airline seat with teddy bear
Nov 12 2020

Following American AAdvantage announcing reduced qualification levels for elite status earned in 2021 last month, United MileagePlus is out with its 2021 elite qualification rules and they’re layering on four different boosts towards status along with making it easier to earn confirmed upgrades for those continuing to fly beyond the 1K level.

Taken together lower status requirements, a hard start for current elites towards status, along with bonus qualifying spend for status in the first quarter, and a relaxed restriction on using credit card-earned elite qualifying spend towards top status United has laid out ways that status will be easier to earn than ever this year.

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Leaked Memo: Bali Plans Tourism Re-Opening December 1

shrine
Nov 11 2020

A leaked memo has detailed Bali’s tourism re-opening plans. On Friday, November 6th a government meeting took place at the Astor hotel between Bali’s airport authority, Director General of Indonesian Health, and Minister of Maritime Affairs. The memo details the plan for Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport to begin accepting international tourists on December 1. Bali’s Governor confirms the meeting.

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