A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
One American Airlines passenger was shocked to learn that nobody would be permitted to spread out into wide open exit rows on a recent flight.
Although he wound up in a bulkhead seat (he calls it an exit) and it’s not clear how. He proceeds to sully the privilege with his feet propped up on the wall.
Several slides from the airline’s employee presentation have been making the rounds. The claim United makes about Chicago O’Hare in particular is really interesting. American was leading with local Chicago customers in 2015. But United has been gaining there ever since.
Hertz is installing more than 100 UVeye inspection portals at its biggest U.S. airport stations, starting with Atlanta, and full deployment is expected by the end of the year.
The card is clearly worth getting for this bonus offer alone. And its $99 annual fee is worth it on an ongoing basis, because you receive an anniversary free night for IHG Hotels & Resorts. And, when cardholders redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay, the fourth redemption night is free. That benefit can be huge. And cardmembers receive automatic Platinum Elite status, which they keep as long as the card remains open.
Hilton has a new property system coming onboard to merchandise various aspects of your stay. One of the things they’re standardizing is how hotels upsell late check-out. The price for a confirmed late checkout will be set by brand.
A Tropic Air flight from Corozal Town to San Pedro in Belize was hijacked by an American brandishing a knife this morning. He seized control of the small Caravan aircraft and held it “at the mercy” of his threats. The morning flight carried 11 passengers, and shortly after takeoff, 49‑year‑old Californian Akinyela Sawa Taylor approached the cockpit with a knife and ordered the pilot to stay in the air until the aircraft ran out of fuel The plane looped south toward Belize City, then out over Caye Caulker, Caye Chapel and San Pedro, before the airport became alerted to the crisis. Despite the threats, the pilot managed a safe unplanned landing in Belize City. Two passengers suffered knife wounds during the confrontation and were rushed to nearby hospitals; one remains in critical condition following surgery.…
Southwest Airlines is known for the games people play to secure the best seats, because the airline doesn’t assign seats – it’s first-board, first-served. That’s changing next year, and it’ll throw a crimp not just in passenger shenanigans angling for extra space, but flight attendants doing the same thing too.
American Airlines has suspended codesharing with LEVEL, the low cost transatlantic carrier within IAG, parent of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
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 »
