United CEO Scott Kirby reportedly pitched Delta CEO Ed Bastian on a merger that would have created an airline controlling roughly 35% of the U.S. domestic market. The idea went nowhere, and it is hard to see how it could survive antitrust review when the combined carrier would face objections across New York, Los Angeles, the transatlantic market, Latin America, Asia, and beyond.
Marriott Bonvoy free night awards are increasingly not free at all, with some hotels adding resort fees of nearly $200 per night even on points stays. That exposes the core conflict in hotel loyalty: chains promise value to guests while trying to lower costs for hotel owners, and eventually that contradiction breaks trust.
Boeing is suing to block a defunct airline’s $179 million claim over a 1995 Cameroon Airlines 737 crash. The accident report blamed engine failure and pilot handling, while Boeing says the airline’s purchase contract waived these claims decades ago.
The U.S. keeps pouring billions into FAA-run air traffic control while staffing, technology, and accountability lag. Canada’s nonprofit NAV CANADA model shows a better path: separate regulator from operator, fund the system through users, and modernize without waiting on Congress.
Non-refundable hotel bookings are not always impossible to fix, especially when there is an obvious mistake caught right away. But when a reservation runs through a third-party portal, the hotel, booking engine, and portal all have to communicate — and even when the refund happens, the traveler may never be told.
American Airlines flight AA719 diverted to Dublin after about six of nine flight attendants became dizzy and ill, leaving as few as three unaffected.
American Express told investors that Platinum is now its fastest-growing U.S. consumer card, helping drive spending growth even as the annual fee rises to $895. But the earnings call also showed how expensive that success has become, with cardmember services costs surging 50% as Amex pours money into credits, lounges, dining, and other benefits.
American Airlines now lets customers choose a cash refund during the cancellation flow for refundable tickets, instead of canceling first and requesting money back separately. But the airline still pitches instant travel credits, which can expire, as the faster option.
A family says American Airlines forced them to buy a $793 walk-up ticket after their child turned two during the trip. The rule is real: once a child reaches their second birthday, they legally need their own seat. But there’s nuance to this!
American Airlines told a passenger who paid more than $1,600 for first class that his tray table was inoperative — and that his alternative was to sit in the back. That leads this morning’s roundup, along with a first-of-its-kind border search prosecution, Hyatt suite upgrade exclusions, an Austin airport lounge mold closure, and more.
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 »
