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 »

Fake Boarding Pass App Gets You Into Airline Lounges

by Gary Leff

Aug 05 2016

People have used fake elite status cards to skip security lines and a girl once cleared Turkish immigration with her unicorn toy’s fake passport.

British Airways used to promote their mobile boarding passes with Osama Bin Laden’s name on it. And you used to be able to generate your own boarding pass from a website, which some poeple used to go through security when not flying (a very bad idea — better to actually buy a refundable ticket, clear security, and then refund the ticket if you must have gate access).

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CONFIRMED: Amazon Launching Its Own Airline, Prime Air

by Gary Leff

Aug 05 2016

In December I wrote about the credible rumor that Amazon.com would start its own cargo airline with word that they planed to lease 20 Boeing 767s. Frustrated by delays at third party delivery companies like UPS, they figured they could do it better themselves.

In fact, the plan is bigger than first reported. They intend to lease 40 planes in the next two years. And the first one is already painted in Prime Air colors.

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New Wide Open Transatlantic Business Class Awards With No Fuel Surcharges (AA/BA Miles)

by Gary Leff

Aug 05 2016

airberlin is a oneworld airline, partner of American and British Airways, that’s largely controlled by UAE-based Etihad. They have a great business class product for long haul travel, and they do not add fuel surcharges to their fares. That means when redeeming miles, even British Airways miles for travel across the Atlantic, there are no fuel surcharges.

airberlin is increasing its US flights by 40% going from 55 to 78 weekly flights with fantastic award space in business class for the new flights.

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New Touching British Airways Ad, Sale, and Sweepstakes

by Gary Leff

Aug 04 2016

British Airways has some of the best airline advertising in the world. A couple of years ago they they highlighted ‘the Welcome of Home’ and it was a really touching piece about a woman needing to feel connected to friends because they could die.

It made me swallow hard, but after watching it I had no idea after watching it why it’s better to transit Heathrow on BA enroute to India than to fly any of their competitors? The ad gave me no reason whatsoever to choose British Airways, and I’m pretty sure that would be true even if I were an Indian woman living in Canada like the one featured in the ad.

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