Category Archives for Airports.
Mexican cartel retaliation has disrupted flights and triggered airport panic in Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, and Manzanillo following the killing of CJNG drug boss Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera by government forces. Airlines have canceled flights amid violence, narco blockades, and widespread chaos impacting travelers across western Mexico.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered TSA PreCheck suspended due to the government shutdown—but the White House swiftly reversed her decision within hours. Noem’s announcement clashed with White House strategy, and would’ve increased airport staffing needs rather than reducing them. Unfortunately, her suspension of Global Entry – which makes arguably even less sense – remains in force.
United Airlines is flooding Chicago O’Hare with up to 750 flights per day this summer—its biggest schedule ever—but leaked internal slides reveal revenue per seat mile there is already falling 2.7 times faster than elsewhere. The airline appears willing to depress short-term profits, betting that American Airlines can’t afford to match this costly fare war.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem suspended TSA PreCheck and Global Entry during the ongoing government shutdown, claiming it conserves staff—but TSA’s own documented findings clearly show the opposite. Eliminating expedited security means longer lines, increased staffing demands, and ultimately less-secure airports.
Florida’s legislature just passed a bill renaming Palm Beach International Airport as “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” becoming the first major U.S. airport named for a sitting president. But changing airport signs doesn’t change habits—everyone flying into Palm Beach will likely keep calling it “Palm Beach” or “PBI.”
As Florida lawmakers push to rename Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump, the Trump Organization files trademark applications for “Donald J. Trump International Airport,” potentially laying groundwork for licensing fees—though they claim fees won’t be enforced against the state.
A woman recently went viral after TSA scolded her at an airport checkpoint for wearing an “inappropriate” hoodie—but the real problem was that she had nothing on underneath. TSA rarely enforces dress codes directly, but bulky clothing like hoodies typically must be removed for security screening, leading to an awkward and confusing encounter.
Surveillance footage reveals how TSA missed a meat cleaver in a passenger’s carry-on, allowing him to board a Delta flight from Portland to Salt Lake City. His surprising explanation? The kitchen blade was simply “too good a deal to pass up.”
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.
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 »
