Redeye? 6 AM Departure? Alaska Wants A New Boss For Inflight Credit Card Pitches [Roundup]

by Gary Leff

Dec 25 2025

Alaska wants a new boss for inflight credit card pitches—someone to “empower” flight attendants, drive participation, and report results up the chain, guided (naturally) by “core values and leadership principles.”

Also in today’s roundup: United’s map of the most-booked international destination from each state, the latest doubts about pre-scheduled Uber airport rides, Pakistan International Airlines privatization terms, a limited-time Alaska–Lyft linkage credit, and another bed bugs on a plane account.

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American Airlines Pilot Posted His Pay: $35,000 Every Two Weeks—Here’s How The Math Works [Roundup]

by Gary Leff

Dec 24 2025

An American Airlines pilot posted a pay breakdown showing how $35,000 every two weeks can happen once hourly rates and stacked incentives are added up. Also in today’s roundup: a fatal “cocaine” buy on the Wynn casino floor that police say was fentanyl, a cockroach dropping onto food in an American Airlines lounge in Philadelphia, a Singapore Airlines business-class theft tied to a crime syndicate, and Austin airport’s unusually frequent elevator rescues.

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Donald Trump Jr. Gets An SUV Escort Across Phoenix Airport Tarmac—To Board A Southwest Flight

by Gary Leff

Dec 24 2025

A passenger on a Southwest flight out of Phoenix filmed Donald Trump Jr. and a woman in a bright red pantsuit arriving in a black SUV, walking the ramp with what appears to be a Secret Service detail, and taking stairs under the jet bridge to board. Trump family members flying commercial isn’t unusual—but the funniest part is that after all that VIP choreography, he still picked Southwest.

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Hyatt Promises 4PM Late Checkout — Some Hotels Now Say Pack At Noon And Switch Rooms

by Gary Leff

Dec 24 2025

A Hyatt elite member says two properties recently offered a blunt tradeoff: keep a suite, or keep the guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout. At the Park Hyatt Saigon and Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, they were told to pack up at noon and move into a “courtesy room” to stay until 4 p.m.—raising the question of whether Hyatt is honoring the benefit, or quietly redefining what “4 p.m. checkout” is supposed to mean.

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The Real Reason Riyadh Air Can’t Serve Alcohol — Saudi Law Began With a Royal Scandal, Not Religion

by Gary Leff

Dec 24 2025

Riyadh Air is being pitched as Saudi Arabia’s new premium global airline, but it can’t serve alcohol because Saudi law still prohibits it. What most people miss is why that rule exists: it wasn’t imposed for religious reasons so much as triggered by a royal family scandal after a drunk prince shot and killed a British diplomat .

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Delta’s CEO Suggests Flights Were Better When ‘The Masses Couldn’t Afford To Fly’—But The Real Story Is Crowded Planes, Stress, And Bad Data

by Gary Leff

Dec 24 2025

Delta CEO Ed Bastian says civility declined because airfares dropped enough for “the masses” to fly—but he’s overlooking the real triggers: crowded cabins, pandemic stress, and shifting passenger norms. Here’s what the data really reveals about onboard conflicts.

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Holiday Lockdown Over Palm Beach — FAA Shuts Down 10 Miles of Airspace Near Mar-a-Lago Dec 20 Through Jan 4

by Gary Leff

Dec 23 2025

The FAA is locking down Palm Beach airspace for the holidays with a presidential flight restriction tied to expected Mar-a-Lago travel, in effect December 20 through January 4 and effectively closing the inner 10-mile ring to most private flying. Getting into Palm Beach International requires TSA-style screening at one of five gateway airports and nonstop, ATC-controlled operations, while flights that can’t meet those rules—like JSX’s Westchester–Palm Beach—are being pushed to reroute.

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