Category Archives for Airlines.
American’s new A321XLR squeezes a surprisingly premium experience into a narrowbody: 1–1 business class suites with doors, an upgraded 2–2 premium economy cabin and seatback screens and power at every seat. I toured the aircraft at JFK before it enters service, including the galleys and rear ovens that will let American serve hot meals in coach on long, thin routes.
Southwest has a “secret” infinite-legroom window seat on its 737-800s and MAX 8s: 16A and 16F, with nothing at all in front of them. They only exist because FAA overwing-exit rules force Southwest to delete the window in the row ahead, and a 175-seat cap in the pilot contract means that missing seat costs the airline nothing. I’ll show exactly where to find these seats, why they exist, and how other airlines like American and Delta have their own versions too.
American Airlines crushed a family’s stroller in a jetbridge lift, promised to pay for the damage, and then turned around and called it “normal wear and tear.” Here’s what really happened, and the exact steps you should take to fight back — from escalating your claim to DOT complaints and small claims court.
Alaska is busy turning itself into a global airline, flying Hawaiian’s 787s from a new Seattle long-haul hub to London and beyond. But its IT still behaves like a regional carrier: if you book a London–Seattle award that starts on British Airways, Alaska’s system misreads its own 787 flight as BA and slaps roughly $500 in “Alaska-imposed” fuel surcharges on top of 150,000 miles — an expensive bug for anyone spending Atmos Rewards points.
American is finally looking past ViaSat just as it makes inflight internet free. The airline is now in talks with Amazon about a new low Earth orbit WiFi system that could rival Starlink, but Amazon’s network is still years from full deployment — meaning even if a deal is signed soon, most flyers may not see the real upgrade until 2028.
Former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker uses an Airlines Confidential “101 class” on revenue management to explain how airlines really make money — and, in the process, shows why American’s own cost-and-density strategy, Spirit/Frontier obsession, and mishandled Basic Economy put it on the wrong side of the industry’s premium pivot.
A new all-business-class airline backed by Maldives-based beOnd is still promising an October 2026 U.S. launch, even after its announced U.S. partner shut down and key financing hasn’t been nailed down. They’re talking franchise structures, Saudi and U.S. bases, Hawaii and premium leisure routes – but with ultra-high costs, no frequent flyer base, and a shaky execution record, actually pulling this off as a scheduled airline looks like a serious long shot.
American Airlines is using a new system that will actually hold tight connections for late-arriving passengers when it won’t wreck the rest of the operation — and it now pushes alerts telling you exactly how long your flight will wait. Here’s how it works, how it compares to United’s ConnectionSaver, and what it means for anyone booking those brutal 25–30 minute connections through Charlotte, and Phoenix.
A Delta passenger boarded his Las Vegas flight handing out $100 bills and Ghirardelli candy to the crew — all while filming himself for social media. The internet loved the generosity but hated the performance, and this raises a better question: how should you actually thank flight attendants without crossing lines or creating ethics problems?
United won’t hike the elite thresholds again for 2026, but it is quietly clawing back value by moving PlusPoints to dynamic pricing and tightening access to business-class saver awards for anyone without status or the co-brand card.
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 »
