Category Archives for Airlines.
CNBC host Andrew Ross Sorkin casually admitted on Squawk Box that he just skiplagged a ticket and saved about $1,500, blaming the trick on a travel agent and openly wondering whether he was supposed to cancel the extra legs. Throwaway ticketing is a commercial dispute over pricing, not a moral failing by consumers, even if it is something most people probably should not do often.
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.
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.
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.
Turkish Airlines just wiped out the last meaningful value in its Miles & Smiles program. After raising United domestic awards last year, Turkish has hit them again: mainland–Hawaii business class jumps to 40,000 miles each way when two years ago it was 12,500.
British Airways will raise the cost of award travel on December 15, increasing both the Avios required and the surcharges you’ll pay — but the airline won’t publish the new prices in advance. The limited examples they’ve shared point to roughly 10% higher points and surcharges rising anywhere from a few percent to potentially doubling on some routes. The full extent of the devaluation won’t be known until it’s already live.
Flight attendants are sharing the funniest, cringiest, and most inappropriate pickup lines passengers actually try on them. A few of the lines surprisingly worked — but many crossed the line into awkward, gross, or outright harassment.
A Southwest Airlines customer service agent at Chicago Midway discovered he could print LUV vouchers even when no passenger was owed compensation — and teamed up with a Chicago teacher to sell them for cash. Now the teacher has been sentenced to federal prison for buying them.
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 »
