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 »

Woman on Portland Flight Breaks Down, Kicks at Cockpit, Strips Naked

by Gary Leff

May 27 2016

There’s a video getting widespread play, and covered in several media, of a Frontier Airlines flight earlier in the week from Denver to Portland where a passenger melts down prior to takeoff.

The woman is filed screaming about whether they’re going to die? and other ramblings. She is on the ground in the aircraft, and the flight’s crew do the best they can to calm the situation down. She kicks at the cockpit door.

A passenger filed the event, but had the good sense to turn the camera off when she removed her clothes. She reportedly “stripp[ed] down to nothing.”

Continue Reading »

American Raising Lounge Prices, While Citibank Practically Gives Away Access Free

by Gary Leff

May 27 2016

As someone who flies American Airlines regularly, I place a high value on lounge access. It’s the people who keep me going especially during irregular operations, going above and beyond to get me where I’m going. As a result I’m very interested in the best way to get American Airlines club access.

For instance, agents have regularly double booked me giving me ‘backup’ flights just in case I misconnect. And I’ve even gotten a proactive call from a lounge about a delay, they had booked me as a backup on a new flight (that had looked sold out to me, and it was the last one of the night). And I’m not a Concierge Key member.

While American raises the price of memberships — effective July 25 — you can actually get much better deals and potentially even make a profit from Citibank credit cards that give you access.

Continue Reading »

This Awesome Letter to Customer Service Got American Airlines to Waive a Change Fee

by Gary Leff

May 27 2016

An American Airlines passenger successfully got the airline to waive a change fee when he offered the most human of pleas.

The New Zealand man wrote a letter with his “own hand” and mailed it in, rather than sending an email. He included a doctor’s note explaining he was advised not to fly to visit his niece in the US. And he included photos. I usually tell people that customer service letters should be short and to the point and stick only to relevant facts. This man took the opposite approach.

Continue Reading »

THROUGH TOMORROW ONLY: Buy American Airlines Miles at 2 Cents Each and Get Free Magazines

by Gary Leff

May 26 2016

The American AAdvantage online shopping portal has increased its payout on Magazines.com purchases from 25 miles per dollar spent up to 50 miles per dollar spent. This is available through May 27 only.

50 miles per dollar means you’re effectively buying miles at 2 cents apiece — oh, and you get magazine subscriptions too. I value American miles at 1.6 cents apiece so another way of looking at this offer is as an 80% rebate on your magazine purchases in the form of miles.

Continue Reading »

American’s President Describes Plan to Segment Customers

by Gary Leff

May 26 2016

American Airlines President Scott Kirby spoke yesterday at the Wolfe Research 9th Annual Global Transportation Conference offering mostly extemporaneous comments in response to investment analyst questions.

The theme that analysts are interested in is the revenue environment that airlines, and especially American, are facing — they’ve seen declines in passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) despite huge declines in fuel costs that have driven profitability. And they want to know when that will turn around, and what American is doing to accelerate that.

Continue Reading »

Virgin Atlantic 747 for Sale on eBay – Less Than the Price of a Condo!

by Gary Leff

May 26 2016

A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 is available for sale on eBay – no bids yet as of this writing and a starting bid of just $299,000! (The ‘Buy it Now’ price is $900,000.)

Unfortunately (or fortunately!) the plane’s engines have already been removed. Furthermore, the winner has plenty of options about which pieces of the aircraft they way, as “[i]t is also possible to section out the plane out if you only require the fuselage, cockpit or the wings.”

Continue Reading »

500 Free Club Carlson Points and Earn Points for Other People Staying at Hotels

by Gary Leff

May 26 2016

While the signup page doesn’t mention the bonus, Club Carlson is going to award 500 points to people who sign up for their free ‘Club Carlson for Travel Arrangers’ program by May 31. Points are supposed to post within 14 days of enrollment.

The idea of the program is you’re booking hotels for other people, they’ll reward you for booking Club Carlson hotels. I’ve often wondered why more programs don’t directly reward travel arrangers (as opposed to companies) in the mold of the 1970s-era Southwest Secretaries Program.

Continue Reading »