Sixty-three Ole Miss fans were on the same tight connection through DFW, with a delay threatening to strand them short of the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix. Instead of holding the flight, American simply moved gates—turning what would have been a terminal sprint into a short walk, and the Phoenix flight still pushed back early.
United flight attendants voted down a union-endorsed contract by 71% after five years without a raise—and now the union is demanding pay increases immediately, before a new deal is negotiated. United is pushing back, arguing that any added pay or “quality of life” improvements have to come as part of a full contract package with tradeoffs on work rules.
Hilton has brought back status matches—and the fast track is easier than the last time around. You get Gold for 90 days upon approval, then only 6 paid nights keeps Gold through March 2028 (12 nights earns Diamond through March 2028).
United served a first class dinner that one passenger dubbed a “bowl of sadness,” and the complaints quickly turned into something else: a wave of copycat posts riffing on the same lines. Plus in today’s roundup: a Southwest mechanic’s payroll, a passenger who slept on a stranger for an entire flight while her boyfriend took a photo, Delta’s CIO retirement, and more.
Bilt will unveil a refreshed card lineup next week, but details are already leaking—including a three-card structure and new annual fees. The biggest change may be how “fee-free” rent and mortgage payments work: the perk appears to become conditional on enough non-rent spending (or offset with Bilt Cash), which radically changes the math for how you use the card.
Airlines and airports tell you to arrive at the airport 2 hours in advance for a domestic flight and 3 hours in advance for an international flight. And then during peak times they warn you to show up even earlier than that. This is insane.
Most travelers don’t seek out McDonald’s abroad for the food. The real value is that it’s a predictable place to stop, walk in unnoticed, and use a clean restroom—something you can’t always count on in parts of Asia, Africa, or even busy tourist districts. Menus change country to country, but the bathrooms are consistent, free, and easy to find, which makes McDonald’s a more useful travel tool than a meal plan.
Hilton says it is removing a Minneapolis-area hotel from the brand after a follow-up video suggested the property was still refusing to honor Department of Homeland Security bookings even after an apology and assurances that agents would be welcome.
A passenger spotted SOS flashes from a plane. The man they helped that night had just killed two women — a 40-year Colorado mystery finally solved.
Starting today, WiFi is free on most American Airlines flights for AAdvantage members, putting American alongside Delta and JetBlue while United and Alaska head toward free Starlink service. The catch is rollout: not every aircraft is enabled yet, widebodies come later, and customers paying for monthly or annual WiFi plans should watch for billing until American clarifies cancellations and refunds.
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 »
