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 »

More articles by Gary Leff »

With Few Passengers, Three Airlines Pivot To Selling Inflight Meals To The Public

by Gary Leff

Jun 09 2020

I could see airline meal delivery services finally taking off. I’d happily pay for Singapore Airlines laksa or ANA ramen at home. Not Ural Airlines chicken or frozen Canadian airline Thai food. But I’d love to try Thai’s meals – if they succeed in the Bangkok market they’d probably be ‘good enough’ to expand and offer Thai frozen food internationally.

Here in Austin I’d happily stock my freezer with their stir fried tiger prawns with salt, garlic and chili. I’m not sure $8 in Bangkok having to pre-order and pick it up makes this a winning business strategy, however.

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Austria Passes Minimum Ticket Prices And New Airline Taxes

by Gary Leff

lufthansa plane
Jun 09 2020

Austria’s government bailed out Austrian Airlines with about half a billion dollars, even after its German parent obtained a $9.8 billion aid package. Part of Austria’s bailout includes moves to protect the airline from competition, under the guise of environmental responsibility.

Last summer Lufthansa’s CEO declared that only the wealthy should fly arguing that the cheapest flights offered by competitors are “economically, ecologically, and politically irresponsible.” And all it took was a global pandemic to get those cheap flights banned.

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American Airlines No Longer Lets Employees Offer Compensation For Broken Seats, Missing Meals

by Gary Leff

Jun 08 2020

Effective Monday American Airlines has taken away the tool airports, flight attendants, and reservations used to compensate customers when a crew member spills a drink on them, their seat is broken, or their inflight meal didn’t get loaded onto the aircraft.

To save money, instead of compensating customers when things go wrong, employees are supposed to show they care and acknowledge what the customer is saying… just not do anything about it.

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TSA Will Start Taking Your Photo At Security Checkpoints

by Gary Leff

Jun 08 2020

Say cheese! The Department of Homeland Security revealed in a ‘privacy impact assessment’ published last week that TSA will begin using facial recognition for identity verification at airport security checkpoints.

They will photograph each passenger and determine whether it matches the photo associated with the identity document used for screening.

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Namibia’s President Calls For Liquidating His Country’s Airline

by Gary Leff

Jun 08 2020

In the President’s state of the nation address he explained the carrier was a money loser even after a cost-cutting campaign prior to the current crisis. The airline has reduced labor costs while grounded but hasn’t laid off any employees.

With a per capita GDP of around US$6000, subsidizing money-losing aviation just can’t be a priority no matter what IATA thinks.

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Hyatt’s Opening Gambit: 2500 Bonus Points/Triple Points Offer

by Gary Leff

Jun 08 2020

Hyatt is offering triple points June 15 through September 15, 2020 beginning with your second stay during the promotion period. The bonus is available at all Hyatt properties, and even at MGM and Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties that participate in World of Hyatt.

Members of Hyatt’s program with any status at all can earn 2500 bonus points with their first stay during the promotion.

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Why Hotels Need To Continue Offering Room Service

by Gary Leff

Jun 07 2020

In an environment where every guest matters, with rooms that are empty, the high cost of room service is going to be an expense that fills rooms at the margin. Each property will have to figure out how many extra rooms they fill this way, because they’re looking to lose some business to hotels that still make room service available.

And for really premium hotels, understand that room service is a tremendous indulgence. Those that do it well can really earn outsized guest loyalty by creating an emotional connection. What more power way is there to do that than food?

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