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 »

American Airlines Shows Off Its “Free Hotel” Feature—Here’s Why You Should Book Your Own Instead

by Gary Leff on January 20, 2026

Jan 20 2026

American Airlines is touting a new app-and-website feature that can automatically book you a “free” hotel when an overnight delay strands you. The demo in its own promo is the perfect reminder of the catch: the airline room you’re offered is often the cheapest option available, not the one you’d choose to sleep in.

If you can front the cost, you can usually do better—using trip-delay coverage, distressed passenger rates, or points—without spending an hour in a voucher line.

American Airlines First Class Lavatory Was “Trashed”—They Handed Him Towels to Clean Up After Other Passengers

by Gary Leff on January 20, 2026

Jan 20 2026

An American Airlines passenger says the first class lavatory on a domestic Boeing 737 was so filthy—water, urine, and toilet paper everywhere—that it looked unusable after a line of coach families had been waiting to use it. When he asked the crew to address it, he says they told him it wasn’t their job and handed him towels to clean it himself.

$1,700 for First Class, Then a Box Lunch: American Airlines Still Serves Sandwiches in Shrink Wrap on Regional Flights [Roundup]

by Gary Leff on January 20, 2026

Jan 20 2026

$1,700 for first class and a box lunch with a shrink-wrapped sandwich is ridiculous. United takes heat for selling “first class” without seatback screens or even USB power, while Capital One lounge regulars at DFW say the food has improved again.

American Airlines New App Banners Tell You What’s Happening When Flights Go Bad

by Gary Leff on January 20, 2026

Jan 20 2026

American Airlines updated its app and aa.com trip-management page to make irregular-ops rebooking clearer. New color-coded banners tell you whether your flight is delayed or canceled, whether you can self-rebook, or whether American is already automatically reaccommodating you. The website also adds digital hotel and meal vouchers for eligible delays.

Delta Passenger Gets Drenched In Deicing Fluid — Flight Turns Back To Get It Off His Skin

by Gary Leff on January 20, 2026

Jan 20 2026

A Delta passenger got drenched in deicing fluid as the aircraft taxied out. The crew turned the plane back to the gate to get it off his skin, delaying the LaGuardia–Jacksonville flight by more than three hours. Here’s what the ATC audio reveals and how deicing fluid can end up inside a cabin.

American Airlines Is Selling Elite Status Again—Here’s What Upgrades and Perks Cost

by Gary Leff on January 19, 2026

Jan 19 2026

American Airlines has brought back its annual offer to let flyers pay cash (or redeem miles) to keep—or even buy up to—elite status for another year. The prices can be steep, from a few hundred dollars for the lowest tier to $2,000+ at the top, and there are often cheaper ways to qualify before the end of the current status year.

Singapore Airlines New First Class—It Should Debut From Los Angeles [Roundup]

by Gary Leff on January 19, 2026

Jan 19 2026

News and notes from around the interweb: Will Singapore Airlines new first class debut on New York or Los Angeles? L.A. is more likely with the latest schedule change. One of the most exciting aspects of Singapore Airlines’ new cabin product launches this year is a long-overdue brand new First Class cabin – originally destined for factory-fresh Boeing 777-9 aircraft some five years ago, but now making its debut on retrofitted Airbus A350 ULR aircraft instead, around a year from now. With the ULRs plying daily New York JFK, Newark and San Francisco routes on a year-round basis, it’s been logical to assume that one of those cities would be first in line to progressively see the new products from Q1 2027, but a change is in store. A schedule update taking effect from 1st…

Surely Citi Didn’t Mean To Be This Generous With Strata Elite’s 100,000 Points And Double Dip Credits

by Gary Leff on January 19, 2026

Jan 19 2026

Citi’s new premium Strata Elite card delivers far more first-year value than its $595 fee suggests — credits stack twice, bonuses are huge, and the math almost feels like a mistake.

Coupon Book Fatigue Is Real—How to Make Amex Platinum and Sapphire Reserve Not Feel Like Work

by Gary Leff on January 19, 2026

Jan 19 2026

Premium cards have turned into coupon books, and the fatigue is real—especially when you’re doing math and chasing tiny monthly credits to justify a huge annual fee. The trick is to treat Amex Platinum and Sapphire Reserve differently: cover the fee with credits you’d use anyway, value the lounge network you’ll actually visit, and put spend where the earn rates make sense so the “extras” feel like upside instead of homework.

The Peninsula New York: My First Stay at a $1,000 Cash Rate—Worth It

by Gary Leff on January 19, 2026

Jan 19 2026

I’ve redeemed points for resorts and received upgrades to rooms with $2,000+ sticker prices, but this was my first time on a cash rate at a $1,000 all-in The Peninsula New York. The renovation has the place feeling current, the base room is unusually large for the city, and the bathrooms still feel legitimately top tier. Chase The Edit helped too, with breakfast (including room service) plus a $100 property credit.

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