Gary Leff, Author at View from the Wing

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 »

Woman Arrested At LAX By Mistake, Jailed For 13 Days, And Then Her Grandmother Died

by Gary Leff on February 24, 2022

Feb 24 2022

The late Senator Ted Kennedy was flagged at the airport because his name was similar to someone on the No Fly List.* Delta’s CEO wants to expand the use of these lists. And of course we can totally trust that only bad people will be hassled, right? Because law enforcement doesn’t make mistakes.

Tell that to Bethany Farber who was arrested at LAX and jailed for two weeks because, police say, she had the same name as someone else with an outstanding warrant. Here’s what the two women look like, side-by-side, so you can understand the officers’ confusion.

Win Cash Prizes on ‘The Amazing Race for Regular People’

by Gary Leff on February 24, 2022

Feb 24 2022

After 3 year hiatus, the Competitours mystery European team travel competition is back.

Featuring 10 teams of two players zigzagging on a secret routing across the nooks and crannies
of Western Europe, participants earn points by accomplishing a series of daily challenges that pushes them gently out of their comfort zone. The top three teams split a cash pool. In 2019, 70% of the teams were repeat players – that’s how much people love it. Each year is a totally new itinerary.

Perv Airbnb Host Outed When Guest Discovers Hidden Camera In Bathroom

by Gary Leff on February 24, 2022

Feb 24 2022

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.

Lifting All Pandemic Restrictions Makes Sense In Most Places, That’s Not “Let ‘Er Rip”

by Gary Leff on February 24, 2022

Feb 24 2022

Iceland has become the latest of many countries to remove pandemic-era restrictions. One Mile at a Time says they’re “encourag[ing] people to get infected.”

I don’t think that’s right, and lifting restrictions isn’t a “let ‘er rip” strategy as some have argued, either. It’s simply that the condition that made restrictions make sense early in the pandemic are no longer in effect today.

Delta CEO’s Dangerous Case Against The Rule Of Law, For More Subsidies

by Gary Leff on February 24, 2022

Feb 24 2022

Delta CEO Ed Bastian as an op-ed in the Washington Post advocating for a federal No Fly List for ill-behaved passengers. What’s striking about the piece is how dismissive it seems to civil liberties concerns and the rule of law, and how little self-awareness there is over steps Delta itself has failed to take to address the problems their crew face in the air. The No Fly List probably won’t make much difference in any case.