Category Archives for General.
For one day only—March 1—Bilt Rewards is offering up to a 125% bonus when transferring points to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank. Here’s exactly how I’m leveraging this unprecedented deal to turn 285,000 points into four roundtrip business-class tickets to Japan.
JFK Airport has banned curbside rideshare pickups at JetBlue’s Terminal 5, forcing travelers to lug their bags onto the AirTrain to reach rides at Howard Beach. Plus, getting charged $26 for an airport cocktail, Delta fixes crew scheduling IT, and Qantas elite status changes.
Guests at the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas were robbed at gunpoint of $425,000 in luxury goods moments after their security guard mysteriously disappeared—raising suspicions of an inside job. Plus, Denver airport’s $14.5 million sign is malfunctioning, and a single forger caused 60,000 aircraft engine parts to have fake safety certificates.
Hyatt is demanding $20 for a single coffee pod, while MGM wants a staggering $180 for two basic cocktails in Vegas. Washington Post wants to privatize TSA. And is the first year value of Bilt Palladium orders of magnitude higher than any other card?
A Frontier Airlines passenger’s explosive onboard meltdown—complete with screaming, swearing, and dramatic confrontations—has gone viral, spotlighting once again the chaotic passenger culture the airline has become infamous for.
United Airlines flight attendants are being flagged and fired over sick leave abuse—especially when calling in sick right after vacation—and the airline’s union says the company is using advanced technology to track suspicious absences. Plus, British Airways accidentally leaked its new A380 seat map, and Corey Lewandowski reportedly broke aviation safety rules before firing a DHS pilot mid-flight.
A Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite member sparked viral backlash after publicly demanding a guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout at the Westin Puerto Vallarta, despite violent cartel retaliation outside the resort causing widespread flight cancellations and roadblocks. The internet quickly mocked the entitled complaint amid the dangerous situation.
Suspending Global Entry during the government shutdown has created chaos at U.S. airports, resulting in massive lines, compromised security screening, and growing economic damage—including a worsened trade deficit due to reduced international travel. Instead of saving resources, the policy decision by DHS is increasing staff demands, weakening border security, and harming the administration’s own economic goals.
A Delta Boeing 737 carrying 179 passengers suffered an engine failure seconds after taking off from Savannah, causing sparks, loud booms, and igniting a grass fire near the runway. Despite powerful winds fanning the flames, the crew safely returned the aircraft to the airport about 27 minutes later, and no injuries were reported.
Washington National Airport’s control tower just replaced paper flight strips with electronic ones—finally abandoning an FAA practice that lasted 43 years. Also in this roundup: Selena Gomez’s unexpected love for DFW Terminal E, Southwest pilots getting teased for their taxi speeds, American Airlines quietly raising checked-bag fees, and a TikToker dropping her phone into an airport toilet mid-dance.
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 »
