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 »

Marriott CEO Trash Talks Indian Hotel Chains

Jan 22 2019

Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson trash talked Indian hotel chains at Arabian Business in Dubai, suggesting that they might as well just stay niche players in India — they’ll never compete with Marriott.

Sorenson believes there’s no room for competitors now because of Marriott’s wide array of brands and loyalty program (“choice of price points, design sensibilities, and programmes”). He may overestimate their position, though.

Continue Reading »

Staying With a Baby at the Park Hyatt in Paris (All the Stuff They Do For You)

hotel bathtub with baby bath
Jan 21 2019

I’ve stayed at the Park Hyatt Vendome in Paris many, many times. It’s not because it’s the single best hotel in Paris, rather I find it to be a nice hotel that I can book on points and I enjoy the neighborhood. It’s walkable to multiple metro stops, it’s a quiet neighborhood, and there’s good food nearby.

This was my first time staying there with an infant, and I didn’t even know what to ask for let alone expect.

Continue Reading »

Awful Passenger Meets EVA Air Hospitality – in the Lavatory – and it Gets Crazier From There

man raising hand on plane
Jan 21 2019

A passenger who boarded the flight in a wheelchair asked to be moved to a row with three empty seats and this was given to him. He told flight attendants that his hand was broken and needed help going to the bathroom. The lavatory in economy was too small so he was allowed to use the business class toilet.

Once inside he pressed the assistance button. His underwear was halfway down and he asked for help getting it down the rest of the way….

Continue Reading »

What’s Worse Than Flying United to Hong Kong? Sitting on United Over 16 Hours and Going Nowhere

airplane cabin
Jan 20 2019

United’s Newark – Hong Kong flight diverted to Goose Bay on Saturday for a medical emergency and that’s when things went bad.

The plane went mechanical and passengers had to stay on the aircraft overnight because there were no customs agents available. They were running out of food, and the cabin started getting cold. It was basically the plot of the 1993 film Alive.

Continue Reading »