United’s Polaris amenity kit is branded so heavily “Brooks Brothers” that you can miss the airline’s name entirely—and that’s not an accident. It’s because of the economics of these kits: in many partnerships the brand is subsidizing (or outright paying for) the pouch and products to get captive exposure to high-income travelers.
A viral video from New York LaGuardia shows a passenger being taken to the floor by Port Authority Police at the American Airlines check-in counter after what is being circulated online as an attack on another traveler. The clip does not show what started the confrontation, but it does show the worst possible place to cause a scene: an airport, where law enforcement is everywhere.
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card now has its biggest-ever welcome bonus: 80,000 points after $10,000 in spending in the first three months, up from the previous 60,000-point offer. The bigger reason to care is that Hyatt makes this its fastest card for spending your way toward elite status.
A United Airlines passenger is suing after her 4-year-old daughter was burned by 200-degree tea during a flight from Newark to Tel Aviv. The bigger story is that even when a young child is seriously hurt onboard, airline liability on international flights is often capped.
A Marriott guest says they found crack pipes in a Dallas hotel room and received 10,000 points plus an apology from the property. Also X to launch a 6% interest account and 3% rebate debit card, American will serve Smash Kitchen condiments with its sliders, and one flight attendants tombstone joke is getting the reaction it deserves.
American Express, Chase, Capital One, and Citi have all overhauled the premium card market, and the right answer is no longer obvious. The best card now depends less on marketing claims and more on which lounges, credits, transfer partners, and spending bonuses actually match how you travel.
A Frontier Airlines flight from San Juan to Atlanta diverted to Miami after a passenger waiting for the lavatory leaned on another traveler, touched his wife, and then fought a third woman who stepped in. The bizarre chain of escalation turned a minor cabin confrontation into a diversion, an arrest, and yet another viral reminder of how fast inflight disorder can spiral.
United Airlines is teaming up with Netflix’s Chef’s Table to launch 10 new long haul Polaris meals on August 1, curated by a roster of chefs from the airline’s hubs and international gateways. That is more than a menu refresh. It is a public signal that United knows its business class food has been underwhelming and now wants customers to expect something better.
Bilt says cardholders will be refunded after reports that some foreign transactions were posting about 0.2% higher on statements than they first appeared in the app, despite the card being marketed with no foreign transaction fee.
I was about to place a GrubHub order when I realized something that does not get enough attention about Bilt Cash.
Used the right way, it can be worth a full dollar on the dollar toward something you were already going to buy anyway. That is far better than stretching for a redemption that feels more exciting but delivers less real value. And because this works through a GrubHub gift card, it can stack with monthly card credits and be saved for later use.
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 »
