Category Archives for Airlines.
Most loyalty programs are run by people who understand spreadsheets better than members. Flying Blue just went the other way, tapping someone who has spent years on the member side of loyalty: helping travelers understand points, search awards, and navigate the programs from the outside. That is rare — and very good news for a program that is already one of the strongest worldwide.
Frontier passengers were told to leave their bags behind during an emergency evacuation — exactly what safety rules require. One mother traveling with a baby says she did just that, then spent hours without diapers, formula, ID, keys, medication, or a car seat while Frontier scolded them for not taking their bags off the slide.
Miles are usually about getting more value for yourself. But United miles can also do something far more urgent: help someone get on a plane in time to say goodbye to a dying loved one.
American Airlines can spend money on seats, lounges, food, and drinks, but it cannot buy a premium experience if the people delivering it do not act like hospitality matters. The failure to consistently greet passengers is small — until you understand what it says about culture, incentives, and management.
Cabin video from the Frontier evacuation shows flight attendants pleading, “Leave the bags!” as passengers took carry-ons anyway. The exchange captures why emergency evacuations rarely work the way safety briefings imagine: people panic, protect their belongings, film, and make split-second choices that can slow everyone down.
oreign airlines often make passengers weigh carry-on bags at the gate, sometimes limiting them to just 15.4 pounds including the bag itself. They call it safety, bin space, or boarding efficiency, but the U.S. proves planes can operate safely without this theater — the real explanation is regulation, not some crisis caused by your backpack.
An 82-year-old American Airlines passenger says his seatmate beat him “without warning” mid-flight while a flight attendant stood within arm’s reach and watched. Now he is suing the airline — but the harder question is whether American can be blamed for failing to predict another passenger’s sudden violence.
New passenger video shows the aftermath of Frontier flight 4345’s fatal Denver runway strike: visible engine damage, evacuation slides deployed, and passengers leaving the aircraft with carry-on bags in hand. Authorities now say the person hit by the aircraft was killed, while 12 passengers reported minor injuries and five were taken to hospitals.
United CEO Scott Kirby has tried to beat American Airlines, mocked its Chicago operation, and even floated buying the airline. So naturally, there he was in first class on American — flying home to Dallas on the rival that once fired him.
A Frontier Airlines pilot aborted takeoff in Denver after reporting an engine fire and telling the tower, “We just hit somebody.” The Airbus A321 had 231 people onboard when crew said a pedestrian was walking across Runway 17L, forcing an emergency evacuation by slides.
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 »
