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 »

Alaska May Soon List Its 10-Bathroom Governor’s Mansion On Airbnb—Chef And Ballroom Included

Mar 27 2025

The historic 14,400-square-foot, three-story, colonial-style home costs $800,000 a year to operate with a full-time staff of four – house manager, private chef, and two housekeepers – and the governor’s public schedule shows he’s used it just 13 nights in the first two months of 2025. The property, which has 10 bathrooms, eight fireplaces, a ballroom, was built in 1912 for $40,000 using federal dollars.

Continue Reading »

Won $116K Amex Dispute—Now U.S. Couple Is Jailed In Mexico As Timeshare Demands $250K For Release

Mar 26 2025

A Michigan couple was arrested at Cancun International Airport on March 4. When they arrived in Mexico for spring break, customs flagged their passports due to outstanding criminal fraud charges. They were immediately detained and incarcerated without bond in a maximum-security prison.

That’s because they had a payment dispute with a timeshare – and American Express sided with them.

Continue Reading »