The Delta Boeing 757 reached a gate five minutes after touchdown and then continued to Boston after a crew change. A report that the captain had appendicitis and was undergoing surgery remains unconfirmed.
An American Airlines pilot flew Boeing’s still-uncertified 777-9 and calls it “AAmazing” while the carrier runs a live widebody competition. The video nudges the giant new flagship into the conversation, but Boeing’s pilot testing program supplies a less dramatic explanation.
Delta will begin training flight attendants next week for a redesigned Delta One service launching on transoceanic flights from Los Angeles this fall, with new meals, serviceware and a broader rollout planned for early 2027.
Starting in early October, morning flights get Biscoff and Goldfish; later flights add Tate’s cookies and Peterson’s snack mix. The broader coach push is welcome, but American still sells food on far too few flights.
American’s Caesar cipher spells Vienna, but the real tell is a fake wine price equal to the mileage from Philadelphia to Vienna, Reykjavik and Porto. Other menu clues may point to Barcelona and Brussels.
American’s 787-9P suites have both privacy doors and a separate do-not-disturb button. Yet passengers say closing the door, even while awake, can cause crews to skip meal service entirely. That sort of service failure is a challenge to the airline’s premium push.
Flying Blue’s cheapest awards become restrictive Light fares September 8, but Platinum status restores flexibility, opens more low-priced award seats and unlocks Air France first class awards. Here’s my carefully timed Bilt and Bank of America strategy to get there.
A new Didi partnership gives V8 members 180 days of Bonvoy Platinum and a 25-night extension challenge. Marriott apparently omitted identity matching, so resellers can export the status worldwide—and stack it with Meituan to reduce the requirement to eight nights.
A privately financed $2.25 billion O’Hare Flyer would carry passengers between downtown Chicago and the airport in 15 minutes, with trains departing every 15 minutes. Also: Sean Duffy’s reality show pauses to praise credit card points, Hilton offers Amex Platinum cardmembers a Diamond fast track, and new Delta SkyMiles members can earn 5,000 bonus miles.
A woman carrying a roller bag allegedly breached a restricted door at President Donald J. Trump International Airport and ran across the ramp toward an active runway. Two days earlier, she had been arrested after a gun was found in her bag at the Palm Beach County Courthouse—but there is no indication she had a weapon at the airport or ever reached the runway.
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 »
