Several airlines have suspended flights to the Middle East since Israel struck Iran. Things have gone even further since the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites. Qatar, though, wants you to know that they’ll fly through anything.
Hyatt has reportedly laid off nearly all remaining U.S. phone customer service agents. Last week it appears that roughly 300 U.S. agents were terminated, and there seem to be just 35 left. The hotel chain is also said to have dismissed 18 managers and the bulk of the U.S. chat team, leaving about 36 U.S. chat agents left.
KLM, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet and Ryanair no longer allow passengers to bring coffee on their planes. Supposedly the reason isn’t so that you’ll buy a drink from them onboard.
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.
Each morning, staff bring one of the hotel’s four red pandas into guest rooms – and they wander around the room and even climb onto beds, spending a few minutes with guests.
A passenger complaining about “manspreading” inflight is gaining attention because the phenomenon of men encroaching on the personal space of others in economy has become de rigueur. Those beside these men take on guerilla tactics placing bags defensively to try to block his legs.
On Friday, June 20, 2025, two passengers died onboard a Saudia flight to Surabaya, Indonesia. One passenger was 67 and the other 85. They both passed at almost the same exact moment, about an hour prior to landing.
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK was once a truly fantastic lounge. Now it’s still a nice space, with big windows and plenty of light. It’s comfortable, though maybe with too much furniture? But it feels dated to me and could use a refresh.
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.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian announced a partnership with DraftKings at his CES speech in Las Vegas back in January. Since inflight gambling is illegal, I assumed this would mean earn Deltaing SkyMiles for sports betting through DraftKings. After all, you can earn Marriott points with BetMGM already today.
However Bastian actually said that they would integrate DraftKings into their inflight entertainment system.
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 »
