The State Department is preparing a limited-run U.S. passport variant with Donald Trump’s portrait and gold signature inside, tied to America’s 250th birthday. It appears to be available through the Washington Passport Agency around July 4.
A woman at the Atlanta airport Avis Car Rental melts down when she rented car seats as an add-on for her “babies” but the car seats “do not function” and she’s trying to get help but the employee “reek[s] of marijuana.” She says to call her “Karen” but don’t tell her to calm down because she’s relying on Avis for her children’s “well being” and they “failed.”
A bride gets kicked out of Four Seasons Miami while trying to tour it as a wedding venue, plus Ikea’s hotel, an Ohio hotel robber who politely thanked the clerk, Southwest charging for window seats but they don’t have windows, and more.
A Delta passenger on a Miami–Atlanta flight reportedly refused to end a phone call or put their phone in airplane mode. The standoff ended with everyone being ordered off the aircraft. The rule may be imperfect and unevenly enforced, but once crew tells you to comply, the alternative is not winning the argument — it is delaying the whole plane.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom used an internal employee meeting to lay out a real shift in priorities. After years of chasing lower costs and more seats, American is now telling employees the way out is revenue: better customer experience, more premium demand, network growth, and a stronger AAdvantage program.
Robert Isom addressed the airline deal rumors employees were already talking about internally: United, Alaska and Spirit. United is a hard no, Alaska is the partnership American wants to expand, and Spirit is not a fit — though American would consider assets and stranded passengers.
Southwest Airlines came to Washington to unveil a patriotic “America 250” jet with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. But behind the celebration was the administration’s more urgent airline problem: Spirit needs a rescuer, and Southwest was apparently asked whether it would be the buyer.
Delta passengers say they flagged a first officer who appeared intoxicated before their Charlottesville–Atlanta flight, and law enforcement ultimately removed her from the aircraft. Delta called it a “safety issue,” but the flight did not leave for nearly 10 hours — finally departing after midnight with a new crew.
Wells Fargo just added Cathay Pacific Asia Miles as a 1:1 transfer partner, only two weeks after adding its last new partner. The timing is useful: Amex is making Cathay transfers less valuable, while Wells Fargo’s $95 Autograph Journey card is quietly becoming a more serious travel card.
Delta still benefits from the strongest premium brand halo among U.S. airlines, but more and more of the actual experience no longer lives up to that image. From weaker-than-advertised first class catering to lagging wifi, aging business class seats, and a reliability edge that is not what it once was, the gap between Delta’s reputation and what customers actually get is starting to widen.
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 »
