View from the Wing Archives.
Lufthansa tried to crack down on a HON Circle member for “throwaway ticketing” after a flight attendant ratted him out, demanding €414 for a skipped segment. Instead, the case wound up in court, the airline lost, and Lufthansa has now rewritten its rules to allow skiplagging when plans change.
“Permits were required to refuel” which El Al lacked since non-stop flights between Turkey and Israel have been barred since the October 7 massacre.
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.
A Ukranian soldier, injured during Russia’s invasion of his country, was kicked off of a Wizz Air flight from Tel Aviv to Warsaw because of his prosthetic leg. The airline says he either needed to be “fit to fly” on his own or “accompanied by someone” for support. He had reportedly been in Tel Aviv for medical treatment, and was traveling with gifts to visit family.
Krzysztof Moczulski, spokesperson for Star Alliance member LOT Polish Airlines, explained on Twitter how a passenger can get banned by an airline, adding “I didn’t believe I’d ever write a piece like this.”
Transatlantic airfares have been exceptionally high in all classes of service. I haven’t seen much like premium economy (think: domestic first class plus a foot rest) at reasonable pricing until now.
Delta and its partners are offering roundtrips starting at $860 for premium economy between October and May, a wide period of time that includes peak travel periods. And it’s available from numerous U.S. cities to several cities in Europe and back.
With flights selling out it’s tough to get awards, especially in business class and especially for more than a passenger or two. That’s why it’s such a great time to book any winter Europe travel. It may be off-season but it’s also when destinations aren’t overrun with European tourists.
Star Alliance award space for four or more passengers is widely available between New York and several cities in Europe for January through March.
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.
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.
Six men were charged with “stealing millions of airline frequent flier miles” in the Northern District of Texas. While the Department of Justice doesn’t say this, the court in which charges are being brought includes Dallas and almost certainly means they’re prosecuting a theft of American AAdvantage miles.
The lead defendant was arrested in Poland in May and extradited, arriving in FBI custody on Friday after weekend travel from Warsaw to Dallas. I’ve been involved in several criminal trials involving miles and points as an expert witness. This is the first one I’m aware of that involved an international arrest and extradition.
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 »
