Philippine Airlines has long had some of the best award availability across the Pacific, but U.S. travelers had few practical ways to book it. Now Qatar Airways Privilege Club can book Philippine Airlines awards online, opening a new path from U.S. transfer points to Manila and beyond — with reasonable taxes, useful availability, and pricing that is good to know before you transfer.
Passengers reportedly got off a flight in Philadelphia still fighting, and the argument did not end at the jet bridge. New video near gate E8 shows the brawl spilling into the terminal, with one woman on the ground, another lunging over her, and bystanders rushing in after the fight dragged more people into the chaos.
Southwest used to give everyone free bags and open seating. Now those perks increasingly belong to elites — and Southwest is letting rival airline elites match into top status, then potentially do it again year after year.
A popular Instagram account posing as an American Airlines flight attendant appears to be AI-generated. Plus: a Delta pilot saves the day, Chicago travelers admit Midway has advantages over O’Hare, JSX ramp workers face a union push, and a couple allegedly tried hiding live monkeys in their underwear at an airport.
New York City hotel housekeepers are set to earn more than $100,000 under a new union contract, with hotels still covering health benefits. That is great for workers — but it also changes the argument for tipping, especially in a city where union-backed rules have restricted hotel supply, raised room rates, and made guests pay more before they ever left after their stay.
Air France KLM’s Flying Blue credit card is now live for rent payments through Bilt, earning 3x miles on up to $50,000 in annual rent spend. The bigger play is not just buying miles at a 3% fee — it is turning rent into card spend that can help unlock Flying Blue elite status.
Thailand immigration officials are warning travelers not to buy VIP airport fast track services online, saying paid immigration shortcuts do not exist and may be scams.
A viral video showed a Colorado Rockies coach sitting in a United cockpit midflight. The pilots were fired, the FAA investigated, and the captain now argues she was retaliated against for reporting the incident, but the security breach happened on her watch.
Wyndham Rewards is adding Applebee’s delivery inside its app and pitching it as a way to “redefine room service.” That may be overselling boneless wings in a brown bag, but guests get waived delivery fees on eligible orders, 10 Wyndham points per dollar, and the convenience of food delivered straight to the room instead of meeting a driver in the lobby.
Amex Business Platinum and Business Gold just added a $300 ChatGPT credit, and the real play is stacking it with a 50% off ChatGPT Business promo. Since ChatGPT Business requires two seats, that stack can turn what would normally cost $480 a year into effectively free access for two users — with business privacy protections personal Plus accounts do not get.
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 »
