A hotel guest went viral after exploding at the front desk when asked to lower his TV volume at 4 a.m., insisting that his Diamond status exempted him from hotel quiet rules. Plus, watch the classic “Diamond Member Check-In” parody and more.
Alaska wants a new boss for inflight credit card pitches—someone to “empower” flight attendants, drive participation, and report results up the chain, guided (naturally) by “core values and leadership principles.”
Also in today’s roundup: United’s map of the most-booked international destination from each state, the latest doubts about pre-scheduled Uber airport rides, Pakistan International Airlines privatization terms, a limited-time Alaska–Lyft linkage credit, and another bed bugs on a plane account.
An American Airlines pilot posted a pay breakdown showing how $35,000 every two weeks can happen once hourly rates and stacked incentives are added up. Also in today’s roundup: a fatal “cocaine” buy on the Wynn casino floor that police say was fentanyl, a cockroach dropping onto food in an American Airlines lounge in Philadelphia, a Singapore Airlines business-class theft tied to a crime syndicate, and Austin airport’s unusually frequent elevator rescues.
A passenger on a Southwest flight out of Phoenix filmed Donald Trump Jr. and a woman in a bright red pantsuit arriving in a black SUV, walking the ramp with what appears to be a Secret Service detail, and taking stairs under the jet bridge to board. Trump family members flying commercial isn’t unusual—but the funniest part is that after all that VIP choreography, he still picked Southwest.
A Hyatt elite member says two properties recently offered a blunt tradeoff: keep a suite, or keep the guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout. At the Park Hyatt Saigon and Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, they were told to pack up at noon and move into a “courtesy room” to stay until 4 p.m.—raising the question of whether Hyatt is honoring the benefit, or quietly redefining what “4 p.m. checkout” is supposed to mean.
Riyadh Air is being pitched as Saudi Arabia’s new premium global airline, but it can’t serve alcohol because Saudi law still prohibits it. What most people miss is why that rule exists: it wasn’t imposed for religious reasons so much as triggered by a royal family scandal after a drunk prince shot and killed a British diplomat .
Delta CEO Ed Bastian says civility declined because airfares dropped enough for “the masses” to fly—but he’s overlooking the real triggers: crowded cabins, pandemic stress, and shifting passenger norms. Here’s what the data really reveals about onboard conflicts.
I wasn’t sure I’d feel at home at a ‘female empowerment hotel’ – but Hotel Zena (1) gave me a suite as a status upgrade, and (2) has a portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg that’s just awesome.
The three largest U.S. airlines now control Republic Airways, a key regional operator that flies for all of them. The FAA Administrator, former Republic CEO, still owns shares in the airline he regulates.
The FAA is locking down Palm Beach airspace for the holidays with a presidential flight restriction tied to expected Mar-a-Lago travel, in effect December 20 through January 4 and effectively closing the inner 10-mile ring to most private flying. Getting into Palm Beach International requires TSA-style screening at one of five gateway airports and nonstop, ATC-controlled operations, while flights that can’t meet those rules—like JSX’s Westchester–Palm Beach—are being pushed to reroute.
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 »
