View from the Wing Archives.
Domestic first class meals have been cut so far that airlines may be missing a revenue opportunity: sell premium pre-order meals passengers would actually want, instead of pretending today’s bundled food is still a premium experience.
American Airlines now labels West Palm Beach “Pres DJT” on gate screens, departing from its usual practice of naming airports only when distinguishing between multiple airports serving one city. Clinton and Ford airports receive no such treatment.
American Airlines says its first class meal rule has no exception markets, yet Chicago–Denver still gets meals despite being under 900 miles. The reason: American still measures Denver using Stapleton, the airport that closed in 1995.
The biggest rewards credit cards are easier to understand when you strip them down to what they actually do best. Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum, Venture X, Citi Strata Elite, Bilt Palladium, Bilt Blue, United Explorer, and Citi AAdvantage Business all have real strengths, but each one also has limits. The key is knowing whether a card is worth getting for a bonus, keeping for benefits, or actually using for spend.
I have about 26 credit cards in a drawer, but only seven are actually in my wallet. The key is separating cards you get for a bonus, cards you keep for perks, and cards that deserve real spending. Here are the cards I actually use for lounge access, everyday spend, Hyatt stays, airfare, dining, groceries, and travel rewards.
The Washington Post ranked America’s best airports, but its methodology helps explain some strange results: San Diego missing the top 50, San Francisco outside the top 10, and Dulles ranked ahead of easier airports. Airports should be judged by how quickly and reliably they get passengers to, through, and out of them, not by whether Yelp reviewers liked the shops.
The FAA is letting airlines keep New York airport slots through 2027 even if they do not operate the flights, preserving incumbent control at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. The waivers are justified by air traffic control staffing problems, but they also block competition, limit passenger choice, and keep valuable government-granted flight rights in the hands of airlines that may not use them.
American Airlines cut back customer service counters at Washington National and pushed disrupted passengers toward QR codes, apps, and phones. Then storms hit its D.C. hub, exposing how hard it is to get live help when flights cancel and everyone needs rebooking at once.
Capital One’s Dulles lounge will shift to limited service on July 9, with bar, buffet, and interior seating closed until early fall while grab-and-go and coffee remain available as the space undergoes construction.
Most points advice assumes you’re saving for long haul business class awards. But if your travel is mostly domestic, the best credit card strategy looks very different: earn the most flexible points you can, carry airline cards for benefits rather than spending, and choose lounge access based on the airports you actually 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 »
