Delta Announces Rollback Of Severe SkyMiles Changes

by Gary Leff

Oct 18 2023

After Delta’s evisceration of elite qualification rules for next year, announcing the end of earning status by miles and flights flown; moving entirely to dollars spent; and increasing the amount of spending required for status substantially, as well as severely restricting access by premium credit card customers to its lounges, Delta acknowledged that they had moved ‘too quickly’ by ‘pulling the band aid off all at once’ and promised to moderate their changes for the coming year.

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Five Months to Decades: How Red Tape Paralyzed Oakland Airport’s Expansion

by Gary Leff

Oct 18 2023

Oakland’s airport took a mere five months to build. Now adding 16 gates could take decades, if it’s ever able to happen.

Today Southwest Airlines controls the vast majority of traffic at the airport that was dedicated by Charles Lindbergh in 1927 and was the site of Amelia Earhart’s final trip departure. It hasn’t seen investment in fifteen years. And locals are going to use all of the levers of process to make sure it doesn’t see any, any time soon.

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United Promises Not To Follow Delta In Obliterating Elite Program Next Year

by Gary Leff

Oct 18 2023

During the United Airlines third quarter earnings call the carrier announced that they would not be making changes to their elite program. Normally the lack of changes aren’t noteworthy, but it’s been a big question from members since Delta has announced big changes and even in the face of backlash has merely suggested they rolled changes out too quickly not that the changes themselves were a mistake.

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Rep. Tlaib’s Keynote Canceled: How a Houston Hotel Sparked a Political Firestorm

by Gary Leff

Oct 18 2023

Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria has backed out of hosting the “Seize the Moment US Campaign for Palestinian Rights National Conference” planned for October 27 – 29, which was set to be keynoted by Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American congresswoman and member of ‘the squad’ known for her opposition to Israel.

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Diamond Member Kicked Out Of Hotel: “You’re Scum. You’re Nothing. You Can Leave.”

by Gary Leff

Oct 17 2023

A Choice Privileges Diamond member filmed himself being kicked out of a Sleep Inn hotel. The front desk clerk tells the man, “You called me a b—- and you’re an absolute nobody. A piece of.. You’re scum. You’re nothing. You can leave.”

The man says he’s leaving, turns his phone around to point it at himself, and declares “This is how they treat their Diamond members.” Why yes, when you call the front desk clerk vulgarities it very much is. The amazing thing is that the man shared the video to TikTok (though since removed it) as though the exchange made him look good?

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