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 »

Even During A Global Pandemic Airline Passengers Are Awful

by Gary Leff

Apr 19 2020

Before we were all grounded, air travel had become incredibly small-d democratic, with people of all walks of life, cultures, and belief systems mixing in a small metal tube. It had become far more affordable over the past 40 years, no longer something you dress up for but also a place where behaviors clash and people come into conflict with one another. (This was the worst passenger of 2019.)

Now with only the most pressing or somber of occasions leading people to travel by air, you’d expect the level of bad behavior on planes to lessen.

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Where Will We Be Able To Travel That’s Safe This Summer And Fall?

by Gary Leff

Apr 19 2020

Until there’s a vaccine life may not return truly to normal. We may be asked to social distance. We may be asked to wear masks. And many countries may have restrictions in place on who can visit, and what documents are required to do so.

However the world will – hopefully – begin returning to some semblance of normal in the coming months, having bought time to expand testing, expand health care capacity to deal with a potential influx of patients, and perhaps most importantly doctors and researchers will have learned much about how to treat patients with the virus.

Where will be safe to go? Where will we be able to go?

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Lack Of Domestic Travel Restrictions May Be Our Greatest Risk Going Forward

by Gary Leff

Apr 19 2020

Travel restrictions have a very limited benefit for the place imposing them when the virus is already spreading somewhere. U.S. restrictions on travel from China, and from Europe, came after they were too late to matter.

Yet they haven’t come domestically. That may be one of the bigger risks we face as different areas of the country struggle to overcome the spread of the novel coronavirus on different timelines. We’re seeing restrictions on domestic travel in places that are dealing relatively well with the virus (Australia) and those that have suffered greatly (Italy).

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Hotel Demands $400,000 Cancellation Fee Despite City’s Ban On Events

by Gary Leff

Apr 18 2020

While hotel chains have been good about allowing cancellations of non-refundable, non-changeable consumer bookings, this flexibility has not been extended to events in most cases. Most hotels seem to be asking event hosts to reschedule for a future date, not cancel, and are reluctant to return deposits.

Some hotels are asking event organizers to cough up cash for events that aren’t happening.

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As Hotels Struggle, One Chain Markets Rooms As An Escape From Your Spouse During Lockdown

by Gary Leff

Apr 18 2020

Facing an unprecedented downturn, hotels are struggling to stay afloat. Some are turning to unconventional means to fill rooms, like providing luxury quarantine services or serving the homeless at risk for infection.

One furnished apartment chain based in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo is taking a different route: they’re marketing themselves as an escape for spouses at wits end with their partners during the lockdown and the perfect antidote to ‘corona-divorce’.

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Canada Will Require Masks For All Airline Passengers Starting Monday

by Gary Leff

Apr 17 2020

Starting Monday at noon Eastern Canada will begin requiring face masks for air travel.

Possession of a mask will have to be demonstrated during the check-in process for all international flights departing Canada or flying to Canada. (That will require physical check-in). Masks must be worn going through Canadian security checkpoints (to protect security screeners). And worn whenever a passenger can’t be physically distanced from others.

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