I was well into my professional career before I ever had the opportunity to fly private. But I almost got the chance during one of my West Coast trips when I was 12.
The story begins with another odd experience of mine. I may have been one of the first white boys in the mid-80s to use ‘187’ as the term for murder.
There’s not a single American or European carrier amongst the world’s top business class offerings. However if we were to pick one to include it would have to be Air France? And their best business class is onboard Airbus A350s with their newest seat.
Chase is updating benefits with Lyft. That’s no surprise because merchant-funded offers are always going to change. We don’t know the exact arrangement between Chase and Lyft.
I’ve stayed at the Park Hyatt Vendome Paris about a dozen times over the past dozen years, taking a couple of years off during the pandemic. It’s an absolutely lovely hotel, but also a bit of a controversial one amongst frequent travelers.
These planes feature hardened communications systems resistant to electronic warfare and cyber-attacks with electromagnetic pulse protection and nuclear-thermal shielding; in-flight refueling capability, extending mission duration indefinitely; secure conference rooms, briefing rooms, rest areas, and space for up to 112 personnel; and trailing low-frequency antenna extending up to five miles for secure communication with submerged ballistic missile submarines.
I was struck the first time I went through the airport in Manila that I had to pay a fee in cash before proceeding through security, I’d receive a paper receipt, and then hand that receipt a person in the booth immediately past the one where I’d paid it.
When Marriott took over Starwood and then launched the Bonvoy program, they told owners that the economics would work out better for them. Part of how they did it is by forcing these scam charges on their customers. Yet their owner contracts explicitly allow Marriott to halt these fees.
After a less than impressive visit to the Air Canada Signature Suite, we were headed down to our gate next door for our flight to Paris. Disappointment in the lounge might have put me in a sour mood, but I was actually very excited for this flight to Paris.
A moving walkway has been ripped out of American Airlines terminal 8 at New York JFK. That’s going to make the long walks to some of the C gates feel even longer. But it’s also going to make you spend more money at the shops along the way – and that’s why they’ve done it.
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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 »
