View from the Wing

Pilot Flew A Jet With A Taped-On Tail Number — Then Ignored An FAA Warning And Lost His License For 150 Days

Gary Leff — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 21:04:00 +0000

A pilot flew a Cessna Citation with a tail number altered using tape, got a written FAA warning during a ramp check, and then flew the jet home anyway without fixing the problem or getting a permit. The Fifth Circuit upheld his 150-day suspension, concluding that an aircraft can be mechanically fine but still legally unairworthy.

Comments

I'm so happy to see our government protecting us from duct tape. by Mike P
Geez. FAA spend time on important things. by This comes to mind
@Gene — I’m thinkin’ about closing most of my co-branded ... by 1990
Better than 150 years? by Gene

Baby Born As Flight Lands At JFK — Air Traffic Control Says ‘Name The Baby Kennedy’

Gary Leff — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 19:03:29 +0000

A passenger gave birth as a Caribbean Airlines flight was landing at New York JFK, with air traffic control expediting the arrival, arranging medical help at the gate, and then delivering the perfect line once the baby was out: “Name the baby Kennedy.”

Comments

@Claire – Thanks for the info by Michael Mainello
Ah, name your kid after a President who knew Vietnam was wrong, ... by This comes to mind
@1990 – Deflecting again I see. by Michael Mainello
I really did not know this: Most of the countries that allow ... by Claire
@Michael Mainello — I hear they’re looking for a new Press ... by 1990
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Hyatt Business Card Record 80,000 Points — The Fastest Way To Spend Toward Status

Gary Leff — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 18:04:15 +0000

The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card now has its biggest-ever welcome bonus: 80,000 points after $10,000 in spending in the first three months, up from the previous 60,000-point offer. The bigger reason to care is that Hyatt makes this its fastest card for spending your way toward elite status.

The Dumbest Airline Upgrade Tips Never Die — And Passengers Still Fall For Them

Gary Leff — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:58:07 +0000

Airline upgrade advice never stops circulating, even though much of it is nonsense. From dressing nicely to hinting at a special occasion, travelers keep hearing that the right attitude or outfit can unlock first class. In reality, upgrades mostly go to elite status, paid offers, and airline-controlled systems — not to whoever looks most deserving at the gate.

Comments

I laughed at this article because the advice given is so ... by LS
While I am EP now on AA, what works (if it's going to work…) ... by Jon Biedermann
@Denver Refugee — WFBF!! @Gene?! by 1990
These are the same dolts they are peddling credit cards to. ... by David
Two years ago, I was traveling in J on Air France from Paris to ... by Pascal
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Hotels Are Using Climate Goals To Shrink Breakfast Buffets — Guests Get Less, Owners Save More

Gary Leff — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:04:22 +0000

Hotels are using climate and food-waste goals to justify smaller breakfast buffets, fewer options, and more “efficient” service — but the payoff for owners is lower food and labor costs. Guests may hear talk about sustainability, while what they actually notice is less on the plate and less on the buffet line.

Comments

Color me surprised. I thought 1990 was going to say we guests ... by Larry
Please define the abbreviation 'ESG', by carletonm
One way to reduce waste at a buffet is to serve better food. ... by Pirate
“Hotels Are Using Climate Goals…” The only “goals” ... by Mike P
I generally stay at places with no breakfast or, in Europe, ... by This comes to mind
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I Read All 425 Pages Of Uniteds Flight Attendant Deal — Bigger Pay, But Profit Sharing Lags And United Can Own A Regional Airline

Gary Leff — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:04:37 +0000

United’s new tentative agreement really does deliver what the union is selling on the headline items: roughly 30% higher base pay, 50% boarding pay, a richer 401(k) match, and meaningfully better hotel language. But after reading all 425 pages, the fuller story is that the gains come with real tradeoffs too — profit sharing still trails Delta and American, the retro pay is not truly full retro, and the union gave up the restriction that had blocked United from owning a regional airline without using mainline flight attendants.

Comments

Where was @XJONNYC’s source when he “leaked” the pay ... by Mike Hunt
I think Gary has given an over simplistic summary of PBS. ... by One Trippe
Decertifying the union would be a major step while the union ... by jns
You can be 30, earn $75/ hour (though not in a traditional 40 ... by This comes to mind
I'm happy with TA2 and will vote yes. I'm topped out at over 25 ... by TA2
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Best Rewards Card Offers Right Now — Up To 200,000 Points In Bonuses For Premium Travel [April 2026]

Gary Leff — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:04:42 +0000

April 2026 brings a fresh round of best-ever credit card offers, with several new bonuses added and others already gone. Here’s the up-to-date list of the most lucrative deals still available.

Comments

How’s everyone’s wait-times this morning? JFK T4 this ... by 1990

Air India Just Cut Award Prices Up To 52% — U.S.-India Flights Got Much Cheaper

Gary Leff — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:04:37 +0000

Air India has done something frequent flyer programs almost never do: it made many of its own award tickets cheaper, with especially big gains in economy and meaningful reductions on North America business class. Lowest-price awards also no longer need to be booked as far in advance, making the cheaper pricing easier to actually use.

Comments

I'm surprised ANYONE, including Indians, would fly Air India ... by Bradley Whitford
I guess this is relevant to folks already flying AI. To the ... by jamesb2147
@Jon F — Yup. Been following their refueling stops in places ... by 1990
AI is likely trying to shift some demand from the ME3 and hope ... by Tim Dunn
1990 AI can't fly over Pakistan, so they can't make use of ... by Jon F
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Toys On The Floor, Shoes Off, Blankets Everywhere — Delta Sky Clubs Are Not Playrooms

Gary Leff — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 21:04:14 +0000

Toys on the floor, shoes off, blankets spread out, suitcases open — one family turned a Delta Sky Club seating area into something closer to a kids play zone than a shared premium lounge. Children belong in lounges, but when a family’s mess spills beyond its own footprint, the cost gets pushed onto everyone else trying to use the space as a refuge from the terminal.

Comments

Bad parents have gotten way out of control lately. It's like ... by Skwerlo
@Jeremy Swiecicki – Correct, airlines and the lounges are not ... by Mike Hunt
@1990, watch the Masters next weekend and then you'll know why ... by Randy
Airport lounges have become slob hangouts for those dumb enough ... by DFWSteve
I’d like to give a different perspective to the posters that ... by JJ
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Delta Accused Of Kicking Muslim Family Off Flight — International Treaty Means They Never Get Their Day In Court

Gary Leff — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:34:43 +0000

A Muslim family says Delta kicked them off a flight home from Atlanta to Baltimore because of who they were — but an appeals court ruled they cannot pursue the case at all because no one suffered bodily injury.

Comments

@Retard – Hummus is fantastic. It's a Jewish invention. ... by Mike Hunt
@1990 Here we go with more of y’all playing the victim. ... by Aisha Wasnine
If you want a case based on facts that others can review, you ... by jns
@ 1990 My first reaction is as a lawyer not a Muslim and I ... by jack the ladd
@Lightning1 — Let’s be clear: Terrorists are responsible ... by 1990
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