View from the Wing Archives.
American Airlines posted photo clues teasing five new international routes. The destinations appear to be Naples, Munich, Copenhagen, Quito and Santiago—the remaining questions are which U.S. gateways will serve them and what aircraft American will use.
These 16 guerrilla travel tactics can save miles and cash across flights, hotels, rental cars, and rideshare, from throwaway award segments and partner-booking tricks to backup tickets, schedule-change plays, fuel dumps, hotel repricing, off-airport rental pickups, and leaving the terminal before calling Uber. Some are fragile or gray-area, but each reflects a real way travel pricing often works beneath the surface.
Air France KLM Flying Blue is one of the most important programs for U.S. points collectors, with broad transfer access, strong Europe award value, and more quirks than most members realize. These 38 practical moves cover award searches, married-segment pricing, free stopovers, child discounts, elite-status shortcuts, XP plays, partner redemptions, and ways to squeeze more value from transferable points.
TSA has moved from “remove your laptop” to “remove your cat.” Before heading to the airport, check your suitcase for a feline stowaway. Plus Airbus a350 damaged during water cannon salute, Alaska award sale and points transfers, and draconion cancellation fees.
Southwest’s CEO is now openly talking about first class, airport lounges, and long-haul international flying — the very things the airline spent decades not being. The reason is ncredit card economics. Aspirational destinations, premium products, and lounges will drive Chase cardholders spending, including on a new premium card product..
The son of a top Iranian regime insider was filmed boarding a private jet to Ibiza with a Louis Vuitton bag, the latest display in a long-running social media parade of luxury cars, parties, and contempt for poorer Iranians – underscoring the Islamic Republic’s core hypocrisy: austerity, repression, and moral policing for everyone else, indulgence and Western excess for the families of insiders.
Mexico’s president flew economy to Europe on her first trip to the continent since taking office, then posted a photo of herself working from her coach seat on the way to Barcelona. Surely she’s not serving the public well by turning long-haul travel into a performance of thrift rather than getting rest of having space ot work effectively.
An airline wanted $100 to check his bag, and a Danish traveler returning to Spain after a three-month vacation in Mexico didn’t have it — so he settled into Mérida’s airport and effectively made it his home. Trying to reach Havana for a separate ticket to Madrid he says expires January 11, he became a quiet fixture in the terminal until staff started calling him the “Danish Tom Hanks.”
American’s new Airbus A321XLR enters service this week on JFK–Los Angeles, bringing its new premium-heavy cabin to the airline’s flagship transcon run. An insider report says JFK–San Francisco is next, with the A321XLR expected to begin flying that route in the spring as American starts replacing the A321T on premium cross-country routes ahead of its longer-haul missions to Europe and South America.
American’s new A321XLR squeezes a surprisingly premium experience into a narrowbody: 1–1 business class suites with doors, an upgraded 2–2 premium economy cabin and seatback screens and power at every seat. I toured the aircraft at JFK before it enters service, including the galleys and rear ovens that will let American serve hot meals in coach on long, thin routes.
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 »
