Court Filings: ICE Uses “Mobile Fortify” To Identify Protesters — Global Entry and PreCheck Get Revoked

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

ICE is using a smartphone app called “Mobile Fortify” to scan faces and capture contactless fingerprints, instantly pulling back names and biographical data — and court filings say the same encounters are being followed by revocations of Global Entry and TSA PreCheck.

That turns “trusted traveler” into chilling of speech. DHS runs both the surveillance and the program, and being “under investigation” can be enough to lose your status even if protesting itself cannot legally be a disqualifier.

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American Airlines Is Basically Break-Even — Its Loyalty Program Makes Billions While Flying Bleeds It All Away

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

American Airlines is basically break-even for the year—despite a loyalty program that throws off enormous profit. The paradox is the story: AAdvantage prints money, but the airline’s core flying operation has been bleeding it away, reflecting years of wrong-market focus, fleet decisions, and a pivot away from premium just as the industry moved the other direction.

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Same Southwest Seat, Price Varies by Passenger — “$45 for Me, $26 for My Companion”

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

Southwest’s new seat fees aren’t just changing over time — they’re changing by passenger, even when two travelers are looking at the same seat on the same flight. In one example, a Companion Pass flyer saw an exit row seat priced at $45 for them but $26 for their companion, and similar screenshots and reports are piling up across social media.

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My Bilt Palladium Card Arrived — Mirror Metal Is Absurdly Fun, Earn Rate Can Reach 7.4 Partner Points Per Dollar

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

The Bilt Palladium card showed up before I can even use it — and yes, the mirror-finish metal is pure gimmick and still ridiculously fun. But the real reason I’m excited is the math: between Bilt Cash and Rent Day transfer bonuses, the earn rate can reach 7.4 partner points per dollar on everyday spend if you stack it the right way.

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American Made Wi-Fi Free on Most Planes — Subscribers Still Get Billed $50 a Month Unless They Cancel

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

American just made Wi-Fi free on most planes — but if you’re on the $50-a-month subscription, the charges keep coming unless you cancel. The monthly plan still bills even though it covers the same aircraft that now offer free access (the only difference is you can skip the AT&T ad), so it’s worth emailing subscription.wifi@aa.com right away.

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Amex New Centurion Rules Target Guests and Layovers — But Crowding Won’t Change Without Entry Caps

by Gary Leff

Jan 30 2026

American Express is tightening Centurion Lounge access again — targeting guests who are not on the same flight and limiting long connection layovers to five hours. It sounds like a crackdown, but it misses the real driver of the lines: too many cardmembers with effectively unlimited entry relative to lounge capacity, so crowding won’t change until access is capped.

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The Accounting Game Behind Southwest Airlines Fourth Quarter “Growth” — And Why Bag And Seat Fees Drove A Points Devaluation

by Gary Leff

Jan 29 2026

Southwest’s recent Rapid Rewards devaluation wasn’t just a random squeeze—it appears tied directly to the airline’s new bag and seat fees and a renegotiated Chase co-brand deal. By allocating more of Chase’s partnership payments to “benefits” like checked bags and seat assignments (instead of future travel liability for points), Southwest can recognize more revenue immediately—and the points become worth less because less of that money is being “spent” on things other than flights.

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United Wants $12,670 To “Upgrade” You To 1K Status — And Calls It A Discount [Roundup]

by Gary Leff

Jan 29 2026

United is offering a paid “upgrade” to 1K status for $12,670—and marketing it as a discount. Also: an airport self-checkout tip screen that defaults to 18% while adding a card surcharge, American’s corporate-travel claims vs the revenue reality, why American still needs widebodies, disgusting cabin trash behavior, and a Delta One etiquette thread that’s hard to unsee.

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