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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American Airlines Rolls Out Status Updates For The Chosen ConciergeKey Members

by Gary Leff

Apr 26 2024

Yesterday American Airlines shared the news with customers who would become ConciergeKey members for the next year. AAdvantage members saw the status update in their account – as happens each year, before receiving an email and (for new members at least) receiving a phone call.

Concierge Key is the status that American Airlines gives to its top spending customers and top corporate travel influencers. It became legendary when George Clooney was portrayed as a Concierge Key member on a quest to earn 10 million miles in Up In The Air.

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Those Boeing Delays Are Forcing Big Cuts To American Airlines Flying

by Gary Leff

american plane
Apr 26 2024

American Airlines is making changes to its international schedule, and they’re telling employees that it is because they’re having to plan for fewer widebody planes. Boeing delivery delays on the 787-9 aircraft that American has ordered mean they’re not going to be able to support the full schedule they’ve been selling.

As part of these changes, American is also making further adjustments to its network. This includes increasing service on some routes as well – so these changes aren’t entirely Boeing’s fault. Those service adjustments are being bundled in with bigger changes.

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Will New Airline Consumer Protection Rules Leave You Stranded? Automatic Refunds Not As Great As You Think

by Gary Leff

Apr 26 2024

When bad weather rolls in, or your flight gets cancelled due to lack of crew or a mechanical problem, it can be tough to get rebooked. Planes are full these days. Everyone on your flight needs another seat, and there may not be enough to go around. Airlines will frequently tell you that nothing is available. But what does that even mean?

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