View from the Wing
Hyatt Revamping Award Charts—With 78 Price Levels, Free Nights At Top Hotels Get Up To 67% More Expensive
The World of Hyatt program will expand its award charts from three to five price levels per category, creating 78 possible redemption prices across their standard and all-inclusive charts. The most expensive points redemptions can cost up to 67% more points than before. While the lowest tier prices actually...
Traveling For Miles
Surprising results when searching for value from purchased IHG points
This all started with an award search in Manhattan for a single night in February. The results surprised me, so I followed that up with a search for a single night in May (same location, same hotels) to see what that would throw up.
Live and Let’s Fly
Couple Books Aisle And Window On United Airlines, Then Talks Over Passenger Stuck In The Middle
A United Airlines passenger shared a story about a seat swap conversation after ending up between a married couple who had booked the window and aisle hoping the middle would remain empty. I have some sympathy for almost everyone involved here, but there is one part of this strategy that...
View from the Wing
JetBlue CEO’s Commencement Lesson: Why Character Counts More In The Age Of AI
JetBlue’s CEO gave graduates a commencement message about character, reputation, friendship, and not confusing achievement with who you are. In the age of AI, that lesson matters more because capability is becoming abundant while trust, judgment, courage, and human connection become more scarce.
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Save Up to 20% With Marriott Bonvoy
You can save up to 20% with Marriott Bonvoy off of the guest room standard rate when you stay at your choice of participating hotel and resort properties worldwide with its Escapes promotion, which offers exclusive savings every other Thursday through Sunday across select destinations...
...but you must...
Frequent Miler
Paze in a daze: No more gift cards from Newegg or Dunkin’
That didn’t last long. A couple of days ago, the relatively new payment method Paze—brought to you by the company behind Zelle—launched an insanely good promotion that has the potential to be our Deal of the Year for 2026. Paze is giving $10 back when spending $10+ which, in and...
One Mile at a Time
Qantas’ 9,950-Mile, 20-Hour Sydney To London A350 Flights Launch Late 2027
Since 2017, we’ve known about Qantas’ ”Project Sunrise” concept, whereby the airline will fly from Sydney (SYD) and Melbourne (MEL) to New York (JFK) and London (LHR), using special Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft. These will be the world’s longest flights, and will see passengers spending nearly an entire day on an...
Traveling For Miles
Why the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is weak
There are premium credit cards that charge high annual fees and can justify them. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is not one of them. At $650 a year, this card needs to work hard to earn its place in a wallet, and right now I don't think it's...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Qantas Will Conquer the ‘Final Frontier of Long-Haul Travel’ With 22 Hour Non-Stop Flights Between London and Sydney
London has just been named as the first-ever ultra-long-haul destination to connect to Sydney, Australia, with 22-hour non-stop flights. If all now goes to plan, Australian flag carrier, Qantas plans to launch the bum-numbing service in October 2027, using specially adapted Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The announcement was made on Wednesday...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Emirates Has Just Created its Own Version of European Passenger Rights, But You Have to Pay Extra For It
The embattled Persian Gulf mega airline Emirates has just created a travel insurance product that largely mimics the protections offered under Europe’s famous EU-261 passenger rights regulations… There is, however, one very significant difference. To take advantage of the Emirates insurance protections, you have to pay extra for them. Emirates...
View from the Wing
Wyndham’s New Credit Cards Get Richer And Pricier, But The Best Old Benefits Are Long Gone
Wyndham’s new Barclays credit cards offer bigger bonuses, richer credits, redemption discounts, and higher annual fees. The Business card remains the most interesting, but the old magic is gone now that Wyndham business card Diamond no longer matches to Caesars Diamond and Vacasa redemptions are no longer offered.
One Mile at a Time
Earn Delta SkyMiles Elite Status (MQDs) With Hotels, Rental Cars, And More
Delta SkyMiles has launched a promotion whereby hotel stays, vacation rentals, and rental cars, can count toward elite status for a limited time. We saw a similar promotion from Delta three times in both 2024 and 2025, and we’re now seeing this return for a third time in 2026 (and...
Miles For Family
Booked a last-minute getaway on miles and points
I just got back from a trip to Asia, and re-entry has not been easy. So I must be crazy to think about traveling again in the near future, right? Well, having miles and points makes you do crazy things. After discovering my work schedule is giving me an extended...
Economy Class & Beyond
Norweigan to purchase Nordic Leisure Travel Group
It seems that Norwegian (operators of Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe) is on a strengthening spree, with the group to acquire the Nordic Leisure Travel Group. The Nordic Leisure Travel Group (NLTG) is a leading company in hotel and leisure travel experiences in the Nordics. The transaction brings together household...
View from the Wing
Thousands Of American Airlines Employees Said New Uniforms Made Them Sick. 10 Years Later, Appeals Court Says They Couldn’t Prove It
Thousands of American Airlines employees claimed the carrier’s 2016 uniforms caused rashes, respiratory symptoms, and other health problems. A federal appeals court has now ended one major case, ruling the employees lacked admissible expert evidence proving the uniforms caused their symptoms.
One Mile at a Time
What’s The Best Hotel Loyalty Program For Suite Upgrades?
In the past, Ive written a post comparing the major hotel loyalty programs, sharing what I view as the pros and cons of each. There are various factors to consider, ranging from a hotel groups global footprint, to elite recognition, to the points earning structure.
Plane ‘n Simple
TSA Issues Urgent Cybersecurity Warning: Why You Should Never Use Airport USB Charging Ports
The Transportation Security Administration has issued a critical cybersecurity warning that every traveler needs to hear: those convenient USB charging ports scattered throughout airports could be stealing your personal data. In a recent Facebook post, the TSA cautioned travelers about a cybersecurity threat called “juice jacking,” where hackers install malware...
BoardingArea
Frequent Flyer Funnies: The Art of the Upgrade
Explore the hilarious world of airline upgrades and dive into the comedic chaos of mileage bragging and insider connections as travelers humorously vie for better seats. Discover the quirky dynamics of upgrade competition and share your own stories of success and amusing defeats. Join us for laughs and insights into...
BoardingArea
Frequent Flyer Funnies: The Mileometer Mystery
Welcome back to another edition of #FrequentFlyerFunnies, where we uncover the humor in the highs and lows of air travel! This week, we’re exploring the whimsical world of imaginary gadgets with the “Mileometer”—a device that captures the emotional saga of every frequent traveler. Buckle up for some laughs! What the...
BoardingArea
Frequent Flyer Funnies: The Microscope Method for Fine Print
Discover the hilarious frustrations of frequent flyer programs in this week's Frequent Flyer Funnies! Our comic hero dives deep into the microscopic fine print to uncover hidden rules and elusive details. Laugh along as we poke fun at the absurdity of needing a microscope navigate airline loyalty terms. Share your...
