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 »

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After Being Kicked Off American Airlines Over A Mask Slip, This Couple Wound Up On A Private Jet

by Gary Leff

Aug 27 2021

On Thursday a husband and wife were booted off of American Airlines flight 3996 from Miami to Cincinnati, a regional jet operated by American’s wholly-owned regional subsidiary Envoy Air.

Apparently the woman’s mask slipped off her nose as she boarded the aircraft. It slipped off a second time while the plane was still on the ground. So a flight attendant insisted that she wear an airline-provided mask instead. Since she refused, the flight attendant said the only other option was to get off the plane. They wouldn’t do that – so all of the passengers on board were deplaned.

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American Airlines Orders Pizza For Hundreds Of Afghan Refugees Stuck On Plane

by Gary Leff

Aug 27 2021

From Kabul, refugees were sent to military bases in Qatar and Germany, and from there they’re being flown to Washington Dulles on U.S. airlines paid for charter flights under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program. Each person is vetted prior to boarding a flight, and then goes through immigration formalities again in the U.S.

But without documents, there’s been huge bureaucratic delays at Washington Dulles with people waiting 8-12 hours to get off of planes. Flight attendants have been told to pack their own water and anticipate harrowing conditions.

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European Union Expected To Recommend Restrictions On Many American Travelers On Monday

by Gary Leff

passport getting stamped
Aug 27 2021

The European Union has begun the process to re-impose restrictions (quarantine, testing) for unvaccinated Americans. The U.S. will be removed from a list of countries whose citizens are allowed to travel freely in Europe without Covid restrictions.

A key consideration for whether and when countries re-impose restrictions is the extent to which their economies rely on tourism. It’s no coincidence that Greece, France, and Spain were among the first Schengen countries to announce they’d welcome Americans before Europe had taken broader action.

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Kabul Hotels Advertising They’re Open For Banquets, Safe Lodging

by Gary Leff

Aug 27 2021

An explosion at Kabul airport led to U.S. and civilian casualties. There was another explosion close to the nearby Baron Hotel which is currently advertising “safe, secure housing” for guests.

The Baron may not be as secure as advertised, but the Intercontinental Kabul is promoting in social media that they’re open to guests – not just for lodging but for all of your catering and banquet needs.

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British Airways Starting New Short Haul Airline At London Gatwick

by Gary Leff

plane tails
Aug 26 2021

It almost always seems better to solve the structural problems of the mainline carrier than to start a new airline. That seems harder ex ante but given the track record of ‘creating new airlines’ and walking away from economies of scale in the process the airline within an airline model hardly seems the uniquely better option.

Indeed, British Airways has already altered its short haul product to be more like a low cost leisure carrier, with less seat pitch than Ryanair (even in business class). They’ve reduced their labor costs through a series of contracts, B scales, and labor actions over the past dozen years – a process which accelerated during the pandemic.

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