JetBlue’s CEO says New York LaGuardia is now simply too expensive to operate from after the airport’s stunning rebuild—an admission that should worry anyone who cares about cheap fares and real competition. The problem isn’t that airports are getting nicer; it’s that America builds infrastructure slowly and at enormous cost, then forces airlines to absorb it through higher per-passenger fees that low fare carriers can’t make work.
ExpertFlyer just rolled out a new premium tier that can surface about 11 months of American Airlines systemwide upgrade availability in a single search, and it’s also adding more robust automated alerts plus AeroLOPA seat maps (while raising prices on other plans).
Also, the world’s deepest hotel room is shutting down, a passenger scolds someone else’s kid mid-flight, and Hotels.com in the U.K. is walking back Expedia OneKey to revive its old “stay 10, get 1 free” model.
American Airlines says it wants to win more premium travelers, but its flight attendants union says the airline is replacing well-liked crew hotels across the system in ways that mean less rest and worse onboard service. This is not just a fight over layovers — it is a test of whether American can really deliver a better product while still cutting the conditions crews depend on to do the job.
Citi just brought back the best-ever welcome offer on its AAdvantage Business card: 75,000 American Airlines miles after $5,000 spend in 5 months, with the $99 annual fee waived for the first year. The headline bonus is great on its own, but the real edge for frequent American flyers is what the card unlocks inside AAdvantage Business—extra earning on tickets and, for many cardmembers, the ability to stack Loyalty Points in ways that can accelerate status.
Chase has the biggest-ever Marriott Boundless bonus: 5 Free Night Awards after $3,000 in 3 months, valid up to 50,000 points per night (and you can top off each with 15,000 points). There is also a 2026 airline statement credit up to $100, and the no-fee Marriott Bold now offers 2 Free Night Awards after $1,000 in spend.
Chase has a huge bonus on the IHG One Rewards Premier Card: 175,000 points after $5,000 in spend in three months. The $99 card is also a long-term keeper thanks to the annual free night (with top-off), 4th night free on award stays and Platinum status.
American Airlines’ London business class is now serving wine from a box, a detail that would be unthinkable in a premium cabin when everything is running normally. It’s the latest visible symptom of the Heathrow catering breakdown that has forced this airline into bare-minimum service levels.
Hyatt Place properties are usually boring but functional — not this one where a recent guest review describes widespread black mold, broken basics, and a hotel that won’t even let you charge purchases to your room—then reports that a front desk employee explained the incidental deposit is “in case you poop on the floor or rub poop on the walls.”
Iranian drones struck Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan International Airport on Thursday, with one drone hitting the terminal, forcing flight suspensions and a temporary closure of Azerbaijan’s southern airspace. As European carriers avoid Russian airspace, routes to Asia are already being squeezed into narrower corridors—and disrupting Azerbaijan’s airspace would push flights onto longer, costlier detours and strain the remaining Europe–Asia pathways.
Robinhood just unveiled a $695 “platinum-plated” credit card aimed at premium spenders, but the headline benefit is the metal, not the earning. Outside of portal rebates and limited categories, it’s just 1% back, and the real value is locked behind a long list of monthly credits with restrictions, minimums, and timing rules. In other words: it’s an expensive coupon book that only works if you want to manage it like one.
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 »
