View from the Wing Archives.
Three years after American and JetBlue dismantled their Northeast Alliance, passengers are seeking class certification over claims it raised Boston fares. Meanwhile, American says JetBlue still owes more than $100 million from their final revenue-sharing reconciliation.
Chase is set to win a 13,793-square-foot Sapphire Lounge in Miami’s E Concourse after a bid projected to generate nearly $94 million for the airport over 15 years. The deal appears to beat a likely Capital One partner and shows how premium card lounge awards are increasingly won: design matters, but money to the airport matters most.
A Secret Service officer was arrested for… earning elite status the hard way (cough) in the front of guests at the Miami Airport DoubleTree. And a new 100,000 point offer for a lounge-access card, a Starlink ad Easter egg on United, and more.
Delta built the strongest airline in America by being better than everyone else at the basics and then layering on a premium halo.
That halo still matters, but it is starting to outrun the product underneath it. United is improving faster, Delta’s operational edge is not what it was, and the airline that spent 20 years building the title now looks increasingly vulnerable to losing it.
American squawked 7700 over Cuba and reversed course on the Miami–Quito run after the crew described the cabin as being “in lockdown” over a violent passenger who had to be physically restrained. The jet returned to South Florida about 74 minutes after departure, and after landing the aircraft underwent a brake inspection consistent with an overweight return when a long-haul flight turns back with much of its fuel still onboard.
Which routes do flight attendants dread—and why? From New York–South Florida and premium transcons to L.A., Calgary, Washington, and cruise-bound Caribbean runs, crews describe the passenger behaviors that turn routine service into their least favorite trips.
Is it possible to be too trashy to fly Spirit Airlines? Is it possible to wear shorts that are too short as a passenger departing from South Florida on Spirit Airlines? Who knew.
CEO Joanna Geraghty sent a memo to employees this week laying out plans for further cuts. We’re already seeing movement on the airline’s plan to cut more flying. They’re eliminating service to Miami and will only fly seasonally out of Seattle.
Southwest Airlines and JetBlue rumors have been swirling all weekend. It’s not clear exactly what is going on, but some expect that there will be an announcement on Monday with markets closed for Presidents Day. Another rumor – without a JetBlue component – is that Southwest could be announcing a 10% layoff.
Congressional Republicans want to rename Washington Dulles International Airport for Donald Trump. Western Pennsylvania Congressman Guy Reschenthaler is soliciting colleagues to join him as co-sponsor of legislation.
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 »
