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4 Hacks Ted Cruz Can Teach Us To Become Better Travelers

by Gary Leff on February 18, 2021

Feb 18 2021

Ted Cruz flew to Cancun with his family on Wednesday. He says he was just taking accompanying his children down, but the ticket was booked to return Saturday and then changed to fly back Thursday after a rash of criticism for leaving the country while his home state found itself in the midst of a power and water meltdown during a weather event worse than anything in the state in over 30 years.

Though I’m at home in Austin with no power, I won’t focus on whether the state’s junior Senator should have left the country right now. That’s been well hashed out. For this post I’m more interested in the ways that his trip to Cancun can teach us all how to be better travelers.

American And JetBlue Push Forward With New Routes & Immediate Codeshares In Face Of Opposition

by Gary Leff on February 18, 2021

Feb 18 2021

This announcement is incomplete from the perspective of the customer and should be viewed as capturing some momentum rather than risking a setback after JetBlue’s pilots pushed back on the deal.

Ultimately though this deal should make American Airlines more relevant in New York, which is good for competition – creating a more formidable opponent of Delta (JFK and LaGuardia) and United (Newark).

Ted Cruz Flies United Home To Face Angry Texans, As Everyone Else Gets Upgraded But Him

by Gary Leff on February 18, 2021

Feb 18 2021

Senator Ted Cruz left the country on Wednesday, flying United Airlines with his family to Cancun, as millions of Texans were without power during a once-in-a-generation weather event and near collapse of the state’s power grid. Many more (including me) are without water.

It looks now that he’s flown back to the U.S. – and while everyone else on the upgrade list cleared into business class, Cruz was the only passenger United left stuck in coach.

American Airlines Is The Biggest In The World Again, Here Are The Top 10

by Gary Leff on February 18, 2021

Feb 18 2021

American Airlines is once again the biggest airline in the world by seats flown, retaking the title from Delta. The four largest airlines in the world by seats being flown right now are all U.S. carriers. The Chinese entrants though have all grown substantially week-over-week.

Ted Cruz Left The Country On United Airlines While Texas Power And Water Collapsed

by Gary Leff on February 18, 2021

Feb 18 2021

Texas Senator Ted Cruz just bailed on the state and headed for Mexico, in the midst of a tremendous crisis.

There’s not a ton that Texas Senator Ted Cruz can do to fix the problem now but it’s not a good look, bailing on Texas for a United flight out of Houston to Cancun for warmth while state utilities melt down.

26 Airline Employees Accused Of Faking Their Own Deaths, Still Showing Up To Work

by Gary Leff on February 17, 2021

Feb 17 2021

Twenty six employees of Thai Airways are accused of faking their own deaths to collect a death benefit, but still going to work and continuing to collect a paycheck.

United Passenger Fined $49,793 For Hitting Flight Attendant Who Refused Him A Cocktail

by Gary Leff on February 17, 2021

united plane

Feb 17 2021

A passenger on a Los Angeles – Tokyo flight last year attacked a flight attendant who refused him a cocktail. The captain diverted the flight to Anchorage, and now the man has to pay $49,793 to cover meals and lodging for passengers and crew during the diversion.

He doesn’t have to pay the airline’s additional costs, such as fuel or labor costs, resulting from the diversion. He’ll get 5 years of probation. But he won’t go to prison because his lawyer says he has diabetes, which is a co-morbidity for Covid-19. Covid-19 is his ‘get out of jail’ card.

Las Vegas Plans To Rename Airport For Former Democratic Senator Harry Reid

by Gary Leff on February 17, 2021

las vegas

Feb 17 2021

A couple of weeks ago I flagged a movement to rename Las Vegas airport, ditching former Senator Pat McCarran’s name and replacing it with former Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid’s. Things have moved quickly, and Clark County voted to move forward and ask the FAA for its blessing to honor the retired Senate Democrat.

This is less about honoring Harry Reid and more about cancelling former Democratic Senator Pat McCarran, for whom the airport is currently named.

Passenger Hits First Class Flight Attendant, Tries To Open Cabin Door – A Vigilante Helps Take Him Down

by Gary Leff on February 17, 2021

Feb 17 2021

A passenger on board Delta Air Lines flight DL2349 on Sunday tried to open a cabin door while inflight. That almost never works out the way the passenger wants, because pressurization .

Another passenger on the Boston-bound flight reports that the man was nearly 300 pounds. Law enforcement on board tried to subdue the man after he hit the first class flight attendant, and passenger taking video joined in to help, asking other passengers to hand him a belt to tie the man up.

American Express Opening Centurion Lounge At Washington National Airport

by Gary Leff on February 17, 2021

Feb 17 2021

American Express plans to open a new Centurion lounge at Washington National airport at the end of 2022. It will be at the southern end of the B concourse, and by the time it opens B, B/C and C will all be connected post-security through a combined checkpoint (“Project Journey”).

The lounge will be 11,500 square feet. The lounge will offer shower suites and “floor-to-ceiling windows will offer airfield views ”

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 »