The Great Credit Card Debate: Unveiling The Truth Behind Swipe Fee Legislation

by Gary Leff

Nov 10 2023

The blog post details a debate at CardCon on credit card interchange legislation, where the author argues against government-mandated lower interchange fees, citing concerns about the negative impacts on the economy, consumer credit, and rewards programs. It contrasts the potential benefits to retailers with the broader societal costs, questioning the real-world effectiveness of such legislation and its impact on various stakeholders, including consumers and financial institutions.

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American Airlines Bumps Passenger Out Of First Class To Give Seat To Pilot

by Gary Leff

Nov 09 2023

An American Airlines passenger was upgraded to first class along with his girlfriend, but she was subsequently moved to economy due to a supposedly broken seat, which was then occupied by a pilot. This incident raises questions about the airline’s priorities and policies, especially in light of a new contract allowing pilots first-class seats when deadheading.

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Flight to Nowhere? United Proposes Flights To A ‘Closed’ Airport In China

by Gary Leff

Nov 09 2023

Flights between the U.S. and China have been severely limited since the start of the pandemic. Even as China re-opened, they’ve limited flights by U.S. airlines, and the U.S. government has limited flights here by Chinese airlines. Neither side’s decisions are supported by the bilateral agreement between the U.S. and China.

With limits on flying between the two countries slowly being lifted, United has filed to operate more flights. One of those is San Francisco to Chengdu. They’ve filed to fly to an airport there that no longer accepts international flights.

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Why Flight Attendants Are Walking Away: 9 Hard Truths Behind The Glamor

by Gary Leff

Nov 08 2023

Virgin Australia flight attendant Ashlee Jane recorded a TikTok explaining why she quit her job. The flight attendant lifestyle seems rewarding at first, but is actually grueling.

You can’t really switch airlines, since you will start out at the bottom (seniority rules). But it’s easy to see why people stick with it once flexibility start to improve a little and pay goes up a bit with seniority – but also easy to see why the job drains you – and why so many flight attendants burn out on the job without leaving it like Ashlee Jane does.

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British Airways Has Started Restricting Partners From Booking Award Tickets

by Gary Leff

Nov 08 2023

Over the past couple of weeks British Airways has seemed to limit partner access to awards. The space available to its own Executive Club members is much greater than that which is offered to those in partner frequent flyer programs. And this has taken both loyalty program members and executives in partner programs by surprise. Discussions are ongoing.

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