Category Archives for Airports.
The FAA’s abrupt shutdown of El Paso airport wasn’t triggered by cartel drones, as officials initially implied—it was a drastic move to stop dangerous, uncontrolled drone operations by the U.S. military that endangered commercial flights.
In a nearly unprecedented move, the FAA abruptly shut down El Paso International Airport for 10 days, declaring it restricted “National Defense Airspace” without explanation—and even local officials were blindsided. Here’s what’s known so far, and what remains disturbingly unclear.
Dulles Airport planned a luxurious new private terminal—offering VIP travelers private security, lavish suites, and chauffeured drives directly to planes—but now it’s facing a federal lawsuit claiming officials rigged the $60 million contract to steer it toward a favored bidder.
Ordering the same Starbucks drink at different airports can cost you dramatically different amounts—up to 50% more depending on your departure city. Here’s exactly where you’ll pay the highest prices, where you’ll save the most, and why airport Starbucks pricing varies so widely.
A woman crossing the U.S. border from Mexico was detained by Customs and Border Protection after facial recognition software repeatedly failed to match her current appearance to her passport photo taken 10 years earlier. Officers claimed her eyes looked “more open” in her old picture, leaving her locked in a secure room and repeatedly questioned before finally being allowed to leave without explanation.
American Airlines and United are locked in a fierce, expensive battle over Chicago O’Hare Airport—flooding the market with flights, low fares, and aggressive marketing. Yet both carriers are strangely leaving their strongest strategic weapon unused: their massive frequent flyer programs and credit card partnerships, a surprising oversight that could cost either airline the competitive edge they desperately need.
United Airlines will purchase the last two Spirit Airlines Chicago O’Hare gates for $30 million, significantly escalating its strategic battle to push American Airlines out of the critical hub. With both airlines locked in an intense fight and billions in loyalty revenue at stake, United’s aggressive move sharply raises the pressure on American as the two carriers are in a pitched battle at the airport.
Waymo can finally take riders to SFO, but airport rules still force drop-offs at the rental car center while Uber and Lyft can go straight to the terminal. Also in this roundup: Charlotte’s lounge pipeline is finally real, United and American keep battling in Chicago, a former Chicago migrant shelter becomes an IHG Ruby hotel, plus new transfer bonuses for February.
Newly released video shows a man charging through the main TSA checkpoint at Atlanta’s airport, knocking people down and injuring three screeners as officers yell “Breach!” and “Everybody freeze!” A former professional baseball player in the line grabs him and slams him to the floor — and when the man tries to surge forward again, he’s subdued and hauled off in a wheelchair, later charged with interfering with security measures and simple battery.
ICE is using a smartphone app called “Mobile Fortify” to scan faces and capture contactless fingerprints, instantly pulling back names and biographical data — and court filings say the same encounters are being followed by revocations of Global Entry and TSA PreCheck.
That turns “trusted traveler” into chilling of speech. DHS runs both the surveillance and the program, and being “under investigation” can be enough to lose your status even if protesting itself cannot legally be a disqualifier.
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 »
