News

I’ve been hearing this more and more and this article just puts it all together. People with legit visas, conference invites, proper paperwork still getting turned away or hassled at the border. After a few stories like that, it’s not surprising folks just stop trying. If I were...

Just saw that Saks is reportedly considering Chapter 11 as a last resort. Kinda wild news, especially with the Amex Platinum Saks credit tied to them. Makes me wonder what happens to that perk if things actually go south. Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing Bloomingdale’s take...

Bilt just launched Spirit Airlines as a 1:1 transfer partner. Apparently the first program to offer point transfers to Spirit. Reward flights starting at 2,500 points, no blackout dates, and all that. On paper, sure, ultra low fares plus points could work for some people. In...

Saw this story and… yeesh. Three hours at the gate, then 90 minutes stuck on the tarmac, then told they were 30th in line with another 90 minutes ahead. Brutal day for everyone on that plane. But one woman just snapped yelling about being “allowed to stand up,” swearing at the...

Just saw that Seattle Times piece about people logging in and finding their Alaska accounts totally wiped out. Kinda freaked me out, honestly. I always thought AS miles were pretty safe, but the article makes it sound like folks didn’t even know anything was wrong until their...

Looks like Amtrak’s $27 million in upgrades to the Northeast Corridor actually paid off this past summer wasn’t anywhere near as bad as 2024’s “summer of hell.” Cancellations tied to Amtrak issues dropped from 415 in July 2024 to just 17 in July 2025. They replaced old wires,...

Hyatt’s teaming up even tighter with Chase they’re rolling out a new co-branded credit card and adding World of Hyatt Explorist status as a perk for top-spending Sapphire Reserve (and Reserve for Business) cardholders starting mid-2026. They’ll also add more luxury Hyatt hotels...

Hyatt just announced a new deal with Chase, starting mid-2026, top-spending Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business cardholders will get World of Hyatt Explorist status. They also said more luxury brands like Park Hyatt and Alila will join The Edit by Chase Travel,...

Looks like the FAA’s cutting 10% of flights at 40 major airports starting Friday. After last week’s 3+ hour delays in BNA and Dallas, this doesn’t sound great. I’m flying Saturday and just hoping mine isn’t one of the 10%. Feels weird that it’s supposed to start in two days with...

It’s official: NCL has dropped “More at Sea” and brought back the old “Free at Sea” branding. Mostly a rebrand, but there are a few tweaks worth knowing about. What stays the same: Drink package (same inclusions, no 15-drink cap like some other lines) Specialty dining package...

The Points Guy says the ongoing government shutdown is starting to hit air travel hard. FAA staffing shortages and storms are causing multi-hour delays, especially in the NYC area. Some Delta premium lanes at JFK and LAX are even closed because of TSA staffing issues....

Didn’t think I’d see the day Southwest’s getting into the lounge game. They’re building a 12,000 sq ft “VIP Lounge” in Honolulu’s Terminal 2, their first official lounge anywhere. Supposedly a $20 million build-out with a 5-year lease. Kind of wild seeing them go premium after...

Apparently a Des Moines–Chicago flight (UA2138) was delayed over four hours because two flight attendants started arguing on the plane before takeoff. Passengers were deplaned, the whole crew got pulled, and United had to find replacements before it finally left. Wild. The...

Looks like the new Southwest debit card is up and running now. Cool option if you’re trying to rack up points outside of credit cards

Saw this and got a little excited. If Delta really adds SIN and MNL, I’m curious if they pick LAX over SEA. As a JFK flyer, a DL-metal JFK to ICN would be huge.

Wild story from View from the Wing: a Delta F passenger says he found black nightshade in his salad on ORD–SEA, got sick, and then the FA took the plant “as Delta’s property.” Paramedics met the flight. Delta offered 3k miles while they “investigate.” I’m not usually dramatic...