Airlines built loyalty programs that once defined premium travel. Now banks control the game. Their credit-card empires generate billions, fund airport lounges that outshine airlines’, and shape where travelers choose to fly. This $6 billion power shift is rewriting who really owns the premium traveler—and the future of airline loyalty.
A sweeping new California law targets AI pricing algorithms — this will mean big process changes for hotels but airlines remain shielded by federal law.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
At Tehran’s airport, a woman confronted a cleric — asking, “So you have honor now?” before taking his turban and wearing it herself, turning his symbol of authority into her own act of defiance.
United’s flight-attendant union says hotels that once courted airline crews are now backing away from discounted layover contracts. Properties find transient guests more profitable, leaving United crews farther from downtown and without familiar stays.
We’ve built gleaming terminals with art installations, waterfalls, and luxury shopping. But the core function of air travel—getting people where they need to go quickly—has collapsed. Security lines, early arrivals, and sprawling concourses now waste roughly $100 billion a year of travelers’ time. The beauty just makes the waiting prettier. Airports have mistaken comfort for purpose.
Readers keep telling me Citi’s new premium card approves instantly. I was approved instantly as well. And it’s worth doing.
Delta Air Lines has taken Marriott to court, claiming the hotel giant’s “Delta Hotels” brand confuses travelers and infringes on its trademarks. The high-stakes trial could force Marriott to rename the chain in the U.S.
A 14-minute race from family tip-off to arrest saved dozens of lives at Atlanta Airport, where police intercepted an AR-15 gunman before he could strike.
A United 737 captain thought space debris had smashed his cockpit windshield and cut his arm — but it appears to have been an AI weather balloon.
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 »
