After meeting with President Trump in Washington, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Air Force KC-30A diverted to St. Louis on the way home when falling luggage struck a crewmember in the head. The military jet, a modified Airbus A330, was bound for Honolulu before continuing to Sydney.
India asked the U.N.’s aviation body to stop foreign airlines from hiring away its pilots, mechanics, and flight attendants — arguing that worker mobility disrupts the “orderly” growth of its carriers. The proposal effectively claims airlines, and the government behind them, own the labor of their people — a mindset summed up in one chilling message to pilots: “You don’t own your life — we do.”
Citi has brought back its best-ever offer on the American Airlines small business card: 75,000 bonus miles and no first-year fee. It’s a limited-time offer with unclear end date.
Airlines built loyalty programs that once defined premium travel. Now banks control the game. Their credit-card empires generate billions, fund airport lounges that outshine airlines’, and shape where travelers choose to fly. This $6 billion power shift is rewriting who really owns the premium traveler—and the future of airline loyalty.
A sweeping new California law targets AI pricing algorithms — this will mean big process changes for hotels but airlines remain shielded by federal law.
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At Tehran’s airport, a woman confronted a cleric — asking, “So you have honor now?” before taking his turban and wearing it herself, turning his symbol of authority into her own act of defiance.
United’s flight-attendant union says hotels that once courted airline crews are now backing away from discounted layover contracts. Properties find transient guests more profitable, leaving United crews farther from downtown and without familiar stays.
We’ve built gleaming terminals with art installations, waterfalls, and luxury shopping. But the core function of air travel—getting people where they need to go quickly—has collapsed. Security lines, early arrivals, and sprawling concourses now waste roughly $100 billion a year of travelers’ time. The beauty just makes the waiting prettier. Airports have mistaken comfort for purpose.
Readers keep telling me Citi’s new premium card approves instantly. I was approved instantly as well. And it’s worth doing.
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 »
