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 »

Norwegian Air Maneuvers to Avoid Collapse

by Gary Leff

plane on runway
Dec 24 2018

Several days ago there were questions about Norwegian Air’s ability to survive into the New Year. A report from a Danish bank suggested they could breach financing covenants which could have led to the unraveling of the low cost carrier that has been driving down transatlantic airfares and that is active in Europe.

The carrier though has announced several moves that they say should shore up their balance sheet. Whether these are enough depends on a variety of factors such as the cost of fuel and demand during the winter dip in travel.

Continue Reading »

To Everyone Leaving Marriott for Hilton: You’re Nuts

by Gary Leff

Dec 24 2018

I’m as disappointed as anyone with the way Marriott has delivered on their new loyalty program. The technical side of combining Starwood and Marriott accounts has been frustrating — my account still isn’t right. Customer service has been poor — I’m waiting for a reply to an email from September. And most of all the delivery of benefits and redemptions hasn’t matched what was promised.

However that doesn’t mean you should abandon Marriott. In fact you shouldn’t. Here’s why.

Continue Reading »

New Policy: Federal Air Marshals Being Moved to the Back of the Plane Starting Friday

by Gary Leff

liam neeson on a plane
Dec 23 2018

Air marshals though are being moved towards the back of the plane where they can see all of the passengers in front of them, instead of having their back towards supposed threats. This new policy goes into effect December 28.

If nothing else they’ll occupy fewer of the premium seats in economy that airlines sell to passengers for an extra charge.

Continue Reading »

No Daily Housekeeping and Linen Changes Every 4th Day at the Brand New Hyatt Regency Seattle

by Gary Leff

Dec 22 2018

Limited service hotels are a fast growing lodging segment. There’s no room service, for instance. Don’t expect a bellman or valet. Some ostensibly full service hotels are moving to become limited service, too.

The brand new Hyatt Regency Seattle opened December 10th. It’s across the street from the Hyatt Olive 8 and near the Grand Hyatt, and is the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest with over 1200 rooms. And it does not provide daily housekeeping.

Continue Reading »

A Sublime Experience at the New Dallas Fort-Worth Centurion Lounge

by Gary Leff

Dec 22 2018

Five years ago American Express opened their second Centurion lounge at the Dallas Fort-Worth airport. I was impressed. It was stylish. The food and drinks were good. There was even a spa.

It didn’t stay a secret for long and quickly eligible travelers began flocking to it and spending more time than anyone would have imagined, even factoring in knowing that people will spend more time than you expect in a lounge that’s actually nice.

A year ago American Express announced they were building a new Centurion lounge at DFW that’s about one-third larger than the old one.

Continue Reading »

United’s New Bonus Plan for Employees Promises More, Will Deliver Less

by Gary Leff

united-plane
Dec 22 2018

In March United Airlines told employees that instead of receiving quarterly bonuses they would all be entered in a lottery if the airline met certain performance metrics. While individual employees could win a Cadillac Eldorado or a set of steak knives up to $100,000, most would get nothing.

There was tremendous backlash at the pay cuts, and the airline put off changes. They still planned to change their incentive structure but went on a listening tour to figure out how.

Continue Reading »