Gary Leff, Author at View from the Wing

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 »

Surgeon Sues After Getting Pinky Finger Caught in Airline Tray Table

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2017

Feb 08 2017

A brain surgeon is suing Austrian Airlines after jamming his pinky finger in his seat’s tray table.

The doctor was flying Brisbane – Bangkok and then continued on Austrian to Vienna and Manchester in business class last year. On the Bangkok – Vienna leg, “the cabin crew had folded out the horizontal table tray from his armrest before serving an in-flight meal during the Bangkok to Vienna leg of his trip.” They “did not return” to put his tray table away, he couldn’t recline his seat, so he tried to do it himself… unsuccessfully.

Qatar Airways is a Hypocrite in the Argument Over Protectionism (But So What?)

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2017

Feb 08 2017

Qatar Airways now flies the world’s longest flight between Doha, Qatar and Auckland, New Zealand.

This puts them in competition with Air New Zealand carrying passengers between New Zealand and Europe. One competitive response is that Air New Zealand has cancelled its ‘Special Pro-rate Agreement’ with Qatar, a move that Qatar’s CEO says means “we can’t really connect the people of New Zealand to the large international network that we so wanted.”

Fighter Jets Divert Pakistan 777 Away From London Heathrow, Police Arrest Man Not Involved

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2017

Feb 08 2017

Yesterday a Pakistan International Airlines flight PK757 from Lahore to London Heathrow was intercepted by Typhoon jets and escorted to London Stansted instead.

What’s especially confusing about the incident is that there was a threat made against the aircraft but when it landed, a “bearded man” was “led off the flight by cops” but he apparently had nothing to do with the threat.