American Airlines will regain three Chicago O’Hare gates in October, more than offsetting last year’s losses after United’s attempt to leverage capacity and gate rules to squeeze it out of Chicago fell short.
Palm Beach airport has officially been renamed for President Trump, with its code changing from PBI to DJT by the FAA (but not by IATA until next month). Airline systems are updating unevenly, leaving passengers seeing both codes during the transition – or still just PBI.
Bodycam footage shows a man at DFW trying to get through TSA with no ticket, no ID, and a passport missing its identification pages. Police detained him after he tried to walk away.
Texas AG Ken Paxton spent America’s 250th birthday in London with his reported mistress—and Marriott County Hall in the background. Plus: Thai Airways eyes U.S. flights, Chase tweaks Sapphire Reserve dining, and Airbnb suspends a guest over an AI-host complaint.
Air Canada picked Anko van der Werff as CEO, and his French appears more than good enough to satisfy Quebec’s language establishment. But the fight that helped push out Michael Rousseau was never really about fluency—it was about politics, power, and timing.
Bilt Cash expires above $100 at year-end, so I don’t let it sit. I put it to work. The best redemptions are turning it into more Bilt points through mortgage payments and Points Accelerators, boosting Rent Day transfer bonuses, stacking hotel credits, and covering real monthly expenses like Lyft, Grubhub, and Walgreens.
Food and beverage workers at American Airlines’ Phoenix Admirals Clubs walked out amid a contract fight with Compass Eurest, just as American promotes upgraded lounge dining. The airline says customer impact should be minimal – which says as much about the lounge offerings in Phoenix as the contribution of the employees of its contractor.
British Airways canceled a Barbados–London flight after crew reportedly got drunk during their layover, leaving the airline short of legal staffing. Passengers are owed about $165,000 in UK261 compensation, plus meals and hotels.
Delta has rolled out Basic Business, Basic First, and Basic Premium Economy: cheaper-looking premium fares that strip away lounge access, seat assignments, flexibility, bags, and mileage earning without meaningfully lowering prices.
Emirates Skywards can let you combine the 777 “Game Changer” first class suite with the A380 shower suite on one award, adding a second long flight for fewer extra miles—and even a free Dubai hotel overnight.
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 »
