American Airlines may be looking at Porto, Portugal as its next growth move in a country where Lisbon is effectively capped, with the obvious play being Philadelphia.
Delta seatback screens were showing the route map—while the bulkhead screen up front had an R-rated director cut instead.
Also in today’s roundup: Labubu pop-ups take over Denver airport, a China mall uses toilet doors that turn transparent if someone smokes, a Lyft business profile can earn higher Alaska/United/Hilton rewards, a new SFO program lets neurodiverse travelers practice the boarding and inflight experience, and it is the final week for that Rakuten referral offer.
Etihad’s Abu Dhabi–Hong Kong flight is showing up again and again in theft reports—passengers say valuables vanished from bags in the overhead bin while the cabin slept, and police have repeatedly been waiting at the gate on arrival.
A New Orleans Marriott put up a sign that reads “Benches Are For Employees Only,” and guests are reading it as a pretty blunt message. The real story is a clumsy attempt at loitering control that manages to insult guests while failing to solve the underlying problem.
Complimentary elite upgrades have largely disappeared, with airlines like Delta and American selling premium seats cheaply rather than rewarding loyalty. Instead of pretending upgrades still exist, airlines should replace them outright with meaningful first-class discounts—benefiting frequent flyers and airline bottom lines alike.
“We’ll text you when your room’s ready”—but luxury hotels rarely follow through. These common “luxury lies” don’t just frustrate, they steal your time. From fake upgrades to eco-friendly cost cuts, here’s how high-end hotels consistently fail at delivering genuine hospitality.
You don’t need to suffer jet lag when you travel. There’s a really simple formula to solve it. To begin, there are two basic things you need to do.
A hotel guest went viral after exploding at the front desk when asked to lower his TV volume at 4 a.m., insisting that his Diamond status exempted him from hotel quiet rules. Plus, watch the classic “Diamond Member Check-In” parody and more.
Alaska wants a new boss for inflight credit card pitches—someone to “empower” flight attendants, drive participation, and report results up the chain, guided (naturally) by “core values and leadership principles.”
Also in today’s roundup: United’s map of the most-booked international destination from each state, the latest doubts about pre-scheduled Uber airport rides, Pakistan International Airlines privatization terms, a limited-time Alaska–Lyft linkage credit, and another bed bugs on a plane account.
An American Airlines pilot posted a pay breakdown showing how $35,000 every two weeks can happen once hourly rates and stacked incentives are added up. Also in today’s roundup: a fatal “cocaine” buy on the Wynn casino floor that police say was fentanyl, a cockroach dropping onto food in an American Airlines lounge in Philadelphia, a Singapore Airlines business-class theft tied to a crime syndicate, and Austin airport’s unusually frequent elevator rescues.
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 »
