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 »

Is It Too Late for American AAdvantage to Go Revenue-Based in 2016?

Oct 02 2015

Last month I wrote that big changes will come to American AAdvantage… but not yet.

The focus through October 17 (and ultimately beyond) is integration with US Airways. They’re running out the clock to make big changes for 2016. Now as we enter the fourth quarter of 2015 it really would be unprecedented to upend the mileage and elite status earning features of AAdvantage for 2016.

Continue Reading »

US Rules Kuwait Airways Must Fly Israeli Citizens

Oct 01 2015

Back in September I wrote about Kuwait Airways denying boarding to an Israeli passport holder. They weren’t flying to Kuwait. They were flying New York – London.

Kuwait’s policy has been challenged, though. Eldad Gatt, a citizen and resident of Israel…filed a DOT complaint under 49 U.S.C. § 40127, which prohibits discrimination “on
the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or ancestry” — but the DOT refused to take action arguing that Kuwait Airways was acting legally. The DOT has reconsidered.

Continue Reading »

New Twist on Best Offer to Pay Bills With Credit Card, Earn Miles, Meet Minimum Spend

Oct 01 2015

I’ve written about the different offers from Plastiq to pay bills with your credit card (they chrage your card, mail a check to your payee). My favorite offer is 1.5% fees, which they make possible when you pay via MasterCard.

The last offer — any new payee paid via MasterCard for a 1.5% fee — is over. However, through Tuesday October 13 you can make payment of $500 or more to any vendor (new or existing in your Plastiq account) with a MasterCard for a 1.5% fee.

Continue Reading »

United, Smisek, and New Jersey: It’s Not the Crime, It’s the Coverup?

Sep 30 2015

Most readers are familiar with the Newark – Columbia, South Carolina flight that United operated at the behest of the Chairman of the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey (which oversees United’s hub at Newark). It was a money-loser that Governor Christie’s appointee David Samson, intimately tied to ‘Bridgegate’, asked for so he could more conveniently commute to and from his weekend home — and that United killed days after Samson’s resignation.

It now looks like there was a cover up in play…

Continue Reading »