American’s COO told the Skift Aviation Forum that the airline’s artificial intelligence initiatives won’t be used to reduce headcount — even as Delta and United are already leaning on AI to automate whole categories of work. His primary example of AA’s “AI strategy” was the HEAT tool the airline has been promoting for more than three years, underscoring just how far behind American has fallen.
A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Moscow was delayed on the ground after a drunk Russian passenger boarded already agitated, demanded more alcohol, and then tried to turn the drama into flirtation with the man seated next to her. When crew refused to serve her and asked her to calm down, she turned on them instead, yelling in the aisle until airport police boarded, escorted her off the aircraft, and ground staff had to go digging through the hold to pull her bags.
United MileagePlus cardmembers can now earn 2 miles per dollar on rent when paying through Bilt, with earnings split between the card issuer and a bonus mile from United. The catch: you’ll pay a 3% fee for the privilege, making the math far less compelling than Bilt’s earlier 3x Alaska offer unless you’re using it to generate elite qualifying miles as well.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
American Airlines has introduced a new AAdvantage Pass bundle that packages 100,000 miles, Gold status, and 15,000 Loyalty Points — and then slaps a $5,000 price tag on it. The idea of selling bundled status and miles makes sense, but this execution doesn’t:
JetBlue founder and Breeze CEO David Neeleman says Spirit and Frontier will merge in 2026, arguing the U.S. market can only sustain a single ultra-low-cost carrier. He pointed to Spirit’s restructuring and the need for scale and synergies, echoing his view that U.S. ULCCs have struggled because they compete too directly with major airlines instead of following Europe’s model.
Bilt has upgraded its travel portal to clearly show when an airfare booking is truly made directly with the airline. That means you can earn an extra Bilt point per dollar on the ticket, still put the charge on any card you choose, and—crucially—handle changes or rebooking with the airline instead of a third-party site. For anyone who values both rewards and control over their reservation, this is a real advantage.
The Capital One Venture X card just relaunched its 100,000-mile bonus — worth $1,000 in travel or transfer miles to partners. With six months to earn it and premium perks like lounge access, travel credits, and transferable points, it’s easily one of the best card offers of the year.
JetBlue shared the first renderings of its long-awaited New York JFK lounge at the Skift Aviation Forum, revealing a compact 8,000-square-foot space with a Grand Central–inspired ceiling and a residential design aesthetic. A photo booth sits in the back, though it may not be active on day one. Fort Lauderdale could follow!
Porter Airlines says it’s actively evaluating a possible move into the oneworld alliance, with President Kevin Jackson acknowledging that Porter would be the “obvious answer” for a Canadian member. The carrier has already built partnerships with American, Alaska, Qatar Airways, and British Airways, but hasn’t yet decided whether full alliance membership makes more sense than bilateral agreements.
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 »
