Category Archives for General.
Even a Nobel economist once got stumped by airport self-check-in, which says a lot about why travelers still want a human being to confirm they’re actually good to go. Also: Cathay turbulence sent passengers and crew to the hospital, Singapore Airlines is restricting business class award seat selection, and VPN users may be fair game for government surveillance.
News and notes from around the interweb: When I complain about crowded airport lounges, with lines to get in, being not luxury – it’s all relative. The comparison for most isn’t whether the lounge meets some external standard… it’s ‘compared to the terminal’. So at Chicago O’Hare there’s this. Often people just want a clean bathroom. Hello @fly2ohare T2 @AmericanAir 🫣🫣🫣 pic.twitter.com/dMXO5AGowE — Rajjick 🛫 (@fergusonrodrick) May 23, 2026 Reminder that the Emirates Airbus A380 first class cabin is actually mid. (It’s just the shower that makes it special, the amenities, and the food and beverage program.) HT: Paul H This was kind of funny, especially the last line. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sam Morril (@sammorril) Airport Weirdo “a crowd-sourced gallery of funny and weird people spotted in airports.” Jumping…
Airlines are forcing passengers to check carry-ons because overhead bins are supposedly full — only for them to board and find empty space. Plus: Dulles becomes the focus of U.S. Ebola screening, TSA marijuana headlines overstate what changed, and the Hamptons gets a $150 Popeyes chicken tender tower.
A rideshare driver allegedly used AI to fake car damage, but left the logo in the photo. Also: Jessica Simpson’s first class while her kids sit in coach explanation, another Hyatt devaluation surprise, and American’s broken first-class tray tables.
Drug gangs are switching baggage tags onto drug-filled suitcases, leaving innocent passengers to get arrested for smuggling when the bags are intercepted. Plus: American’s “duct tape class,” Houston’s Centurion Lounge expansion, and calls to split FAA’s regulator and air traffic control roles.
A popular Instagram account posing as an American Airlines flight attendant appears to be AI-generated. Plus: a Delta pilot saves the day, Chicago travelers admit Midway has advantages over O’Hare, JSX ramp workers face a union push, and a couple allegedly tried hiding live monkeys in their underwear at an airport.
JetBlue cuts keep spreading, and Newark crews reportedly learned major flying reductions through a basic daily email. Plus: a tourist gets blasted across the beach at St. Maarten, Bilt cuts Rakuten transfer value for non-elites, and Ernst & Young publishes a loyalty study full of fake sources.
Delta’s “eco-conscious” inflight cutbacks look even worse when the utensils start melting. Plus: Southwest’s once-unthinkable layoffs continue, American’s cabin cleaning misses another seatback surprise, and Spirit gets its own ballad.
A Qantas Boeing 787 flying from Melbourne to Dallas diverted to Tahiti after a disruptive passenger allegedly bit a flight attendant and had to be restrained with help from other passengers.
The FAA has a novel way to ease the air traffic controller shortage: lower the staffing target by 2,000. Plus: a king cobra emerges from a resort toilet, Delta defends its Wi-Fi portal after Elon Musk’s Starlink jab, and American serves a very sad international meal.
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 »
