Wild About Travel
Gulf Aviation After the Ceasefire: What Travellers Need to Know Now
A two-week ceasefire for Iran was announced on 7th April. On 9th April, several Gulf governments reported a full day without any new missiles or drones. The UAE’s defence ministry said the country was “free of any air threats” that day, after weeks of intercepting ballistic and cruise missiles and...
Points With a Crew
Save Up to 50% on Amazon with Amex Rewards Dollars (Targeted)
We’ve written about this deal before but it appears to be back! It appears to be targeted but if so, it seems widely targeted. Save 30% on Amazon, up to $30 in savings (offers vary), when you you purchase eligible products and use at least 1 cent in Amex Reward...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
One of the More Bizarre Hotel Rooms In Which I Have Ever Stayed: Tru by Hilton Hanoi Station. Hotel Review.
One of the more bizarre hotel rooms in which I have ever stayed was at the Tru by Hilton Hanoi Station hotel property, which is unlike its counterparts in the United States in many ways.
The overall theme of this hotel property is...
Frequent Miler
American Express changes referral limits to 5 per year, per card
American Express recently changed the annual referral maximums for cardholders. It used to set a limit on how many points could be earned in a calendar year from referral bonuses; now it has changed that to five referrals per card, per year, regardless of the amount of points earned. Here...
Frequent Miler
Free checked bags via credit cards | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep353 | 4-10-26
In this podcast episode, we’ll talk about how Rakuten doubles select credit card signup bonuses, JetBlue polishes its previously lackluster Premier card, and how to avoid paying those increasing checked bag fees. Free checked bags via credit cards Watch the full episode below, or listen on your favorite podcast platform....
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Airports Say Full Introduction Of New European Biometric Entry Rules Went As Badly As They Feared On Friday
Friday marked the first day of the full rollout of Europe’s much-delayed biometric ‘Entry/Exit System’ (EES) system at airports across the bloc, and a major trade organization representing airports throughout Europe said it went as badly as it had feared. Passengers are facing wait times of up to three hours...
Frequent Miler
Southwest Airlines: Earn 2x Rapid Rewards points on flights booked this weekend
Southwest has launched a new promotion that is offering double Rapid Rewards points on all flights booked by April 12th, 2026, and completed by July 1st, 2026. Registration for this offer is required prior to booking. The promotion is officially targeted, but I haven’t heard of any Rapid Rewards members...
View from the Wing
American Airlines Let A Passenger Board, Then Said They Weren’t Checked In — And Kicked Them Off The Plane For A Standby
An American Airlines passenger scanned their boarding pass, answered the exit-row questions, took their seat, and thought they were on their way home to Austin. Then, after the whole plane had boarded, the airline gave that seat to a standby traveler, told the original passenger they were somehow “not checked...
Frequent Miler
American Airlines completes nerfing of basic economy for elite members
This week, American Airlines was one of a plethora of US carriers that raised fees for checked bags by 10%-33%. But that wasn’t all it did to make flying worse for its customers; it also completely nerfed benefits for elite members flying basic economy fares. Complete Guide to American Airlines...
Live and Let’s Fly
Here Come Award Surcharges Again And It Won’t Stop With JetBlue And Virgin Atlantic
While it does not come as a surprise in light of soaring fuel prices, we are seeing a spike in carrier imposed surcharges (formerly called “fuel surcharge”) on award tickets. The two latest additions–Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue–are particularly noteworthy. Here Come The Award Ticket Surcharges…Again For years, we’ve watched airlines...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Earn a Mystery Bonus MileagePlus Miles by Shopping in April
Effective through Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 11:59:59 in the evening Eastern Daylight Time, you can earn bonus United Airlines MileagePlus miles — in addition to the standard MileagePlus miles earned — during the Mystery Bonus campaign at the MileagePlus Shopping portal by spending a minimum of...
One Mile at a Time
Review: Thai Airways Business Class Boeing 787 (BKK-MXP)
To kick off the return portion of my exotic journey to Bangkok via Paris, I flew Thai Airways Boeing 787 business class on the 11hr30min flight from Bangkok (BKK) to Milan (MXP). It had been several years since I flew Thai Airways long haul, and I remember thinking it was one of the more...
View from the Wing
United Airlines Maintenance Hung Out The Cockpit Window With A Coat Hanger — They Had To Swap The Jet
Passengers on a United flight from Newark to Austin watched maintenance lean out of the cockpit window with what looked like a coat hanger to prod a sensor on the nose of a Boeing 737. The optics for an onlooking passenger aren't great. United did not send out...
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
United Airlines Terminated 76-Year-Old Technician After He Took Bottle of Water to Drink While Suffering Heart Palpitations
United Airlines has been accused of sacking a long-serving 76-year-old aircraft technician after he took a bottle of water from an airplane because he was suffering heart palpitations and lightheadedness to the point at which he thought he was about to pass out unless he took a sip of water....
Hawaii Calling
The Best Time To Visit Hawaii (2026)
Planning a trip to Hawaii is exciting—but choosing the best time to visit can make a huge difference in your overall experience. Living in Hawai‘i and experiencing the islands across different seasons, I can say that timing your trip makes a huge difference—from weather and crowds to pricing and overall...
View from the Wing
Best-Ever 200,000-Point IHG Business Card Bonus
Chase has brought back the best-ever 200,000-point offer on the IHG One Rewards Premier Business card, giving small-business owners a shot at one of the richest hotel bonuses currently on the market. The card’s $99 annual fee is easy to justify if you value the annual free night and fourth-night-free...
Frequent Miler
Targeted Amex Business Platinum 200K offer after $20K spend (No lifetime language)
There is a targeted offer for the American Express Business Platinum Card®: Earn a welcome offer of 200,000 Membership Rewards points after $20,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. While this isn’t the best offer out there, this version doesn’t include Amex’s lifetime language, meaning the offer should be...
