A United passenger on a flight to Orlando reportedly took off his pants as soon as he reached his economy seat, leaving fellow travelers wondering why no one intervened. United can refuse transport for passengers who are not properly clothed, but in the cramped, dirty reality of coach, comfort and basic decorum keep colliding.
Delta and Marriott have perfected the same loyalty trick: strip the meaningful upgrades, then convince customers they still got one—whether it is Comfort Plus instead of first class, or a fourth-floor room and a “you’ve been upgraded” packet.
Airline status buys convenience, not permission to steamroll people. A video shows a United Global Services passenger barking “let me go first!” as he pushes past a family with toddlers during preboarding—he doesn’t want to be the second passenger on board.
Delta Sky Club “premium” now means queuing outside a crowded lounge—so you are better off skipping the line and grabbing a table-with-an-outlet in the terminal.
Plus Eric Adams spotted late-night waiting for an Emirates Dubai flight with a single malt, an American first class seat that looks filthy, a United cabin confrontation caught on video, and JetBlue suspending Newark–LAX while aligning with United.
She got an Amex Platinum because she’d heard airport lounges were where you “network with rich people”—then walked into a room full of travelers eating, scrolling, and napping. Her verdict: “0 connections were made,” a neat reminder that credit-card lounge access isn’t exclusivity, and most people behind that door are just trying to kill time before boarding.
Bali’s governor is pushing a “quality tourism” plan that would require visitors to show three months of bank statements before being allowed to enter. There may be no fixed minimum balance—just officials judging whether your finances fit your itinerary—which is exactly why I wouldn’t visit if this becomes policy: it invites arbitrary enforcement and turns private financial data into a security risk.
There are a lot of things that are unpleasant as an airline passenger. One is how little legroom your ticket buys, though there are options to pay more money to get more space. There is a right way and a wrong way to take matters into your own hands if you’re frustrated by a reclining passenger.
Delta has power outlets at most seats, but that doesn’t mean every device belongs in use at 35,000 feet. A TikTok video shows a Comfort+ passenger curling her hair with a hot iron mid-flight—sparking arguments over whether curling irons are “banned.”
I showed up for the wrong flight, booked a hotel for the wrong month, and even drove to the wrong hotel out of pure habit—so here are five travel mistakes I’ve made while on auto-pilot (and why they still worked out). Along the way: the Sydney–L.A. departure I missed after a schedule change, the time I “snuck” into a United Club despite having access, the Novotel booking that was off by a month, the wrong Hyatt in Miami, and the AAdvantage miles I let expire.
I hate tipping because of the frictions. You don’t know what you’re supposed to tip, it’s ambiguous. You’re supposed to have cash? It’s so much better when employees are compensated by their employers and listed prices are the amounts you actually pay.
If tipping is supposed to ensure better service, why is it such a bad customer experience?
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 »
