Category Archives for Commentary.
Your spare points can buy someone time that money can’t. Give A Mile is a lean, volunteer‑driven nonprofit that converts donated frequent flyer miles into “flights of compassion,” reuniting families when every hour matters. Their mission statement is brutally simple: “The cost of a plane ticket should never be the reason someone dies alone.”
Underrated doesn’t mean something is the best, just that it’s better than commonly appreciated. Overrated doesn’t mean it’s not good — or even great — just that it isn’t as good as people in general seem to think.
Overrated or underrated is about lowering or raising the status of things. It’s about whether you think people in general regard it too highly, or not highly enough, relative to its actual worth.
I failed to earn miles when I was younger, even failed to have an account when I first flew enough to earn elite status. I’ve let miles expire. And I broke some program rules without even realizing it was a big deal.
This isn’t a ‘play list for the road’ it’s about borrowing someone else’s poetry to describe the travel experience. There’s no question that George Gershwin didn’t write Rhapsody in Blue to be about travel, but it’s equally clear that the 1924 composition has become inextricably linked with United Airlines.
What songs most evoke travel for you and are missing from my list? Which ones here are new to you?
How come flight attendants have to pick up the cups they serve drinks in prior to takeoff, but they let me keep the Starbucks coffee I brought on board myself?
The AI knows everything that isn’t secret. Your knowledge of public information will approach zero value. What isn’t published, then, becomes relatively more unique and valuable. Trading secrets’ – getting out and having discussions with people, trading off-the-record information and gossip becomes more valuable.
The new proposal is being called the Trump Gold Card or Trump Visa but of course there was already a Trump Visa, issued by Chase.
And, generally speaking, I don’t get better treatment because of this blog when I travel. Indeed, it’s obvious by the frequency with which I have problematic stays and flights, that even if executives somewhere wanted to treat me better the execution on the ground just isn’t there. I have only been recognized for the blog on-property at hotels 3 times in the 23 years I’ve been writing it. Oddly all of those were in 2016 and I don’t believe it’s happened in the last 8+ years.
There are several kinds of poor taxes. As you progress in income, marginal tax rates can exceed 100% as public assistance benefits phase out. But a poor tax is usually used to mean structural inequalities that make everyday life more expensive and difficult for those with limited financial resources.
The consumer regulatory agency wants consumers not to have to pay attention, though it’s not clear that what Capital One did was illegal, in fact it’s almost obligatory. In most contexts, consumers do have to pay attention to get the best deal, and their counterparties are not fiduciaries on their behalf.
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 »
