View from the Wing

United Airlines Warns Flight Attendants “Too Sick To Work” Means Too Sick To Vacation—Union Disagrees

Gary Leff — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:04:16 +0000

United Airlines is reminding employees that “If you are too sick to work, you are too sick for leisure travel.” Its flight attendant union says cabin crew can still use their travel benefits while on sick leave, and they don't need a manager's permission first.

Comments

Perhaps ALL flight attendants ought to take sick leave on the ... by Albert Wonders

Southwest Is Giving Everyone Up To 10,500 Free Points With A Screenshot Of Your Phone

Gary Leff — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:58:37 +0000

Southwest will turn your unread notifications into up to 10,000 Rapid Rewards points, plus another 500 for a quiz. Oddly, the minimum award in the announcement doesn’t seem to match the rules.

Comments

So, rewarding the lazy, punishing those who actually 'read' and ... by 1990
Doesn't work on a Google Pixel. Their validation clearly ... by Martin

Radical Flydubai Copilot Planned To Crash Into Tel Aviv Airport Before Wounded Captain And Passengers Stopped Him

Gary Leff — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 21:30:10 +0000

The flydubai copilot who attacked his captain with an axe reportedly intended to crash the plane into the terminal at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport. The plan was to continue toward the airport normally, concealing what had happened until the final moments.

Comments

Wow I am impressed by your job this time, Gary! by Pascal
The most troubling detail is that the copilot had reportedly ... by Jeremy
I am wondering when they will trace the radicalization of one ... by jns
Regardless of how you feel about Israel-Palestine, this ... by EasyMoney
Israelis have a rep for being rude, loud, uncaring of norms, ... by Ivan B
Plus 5 more...

American Airlines Is Trying Harder In Coach—Better Snacks, Confused Passengers, And An Awkward New Service

Gary Leff — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 18:34:59 +0000

American’s new coach snacks are a welcome improvement. On my flight, though, three choices left passengers hesitating, while the new service instructions call for placing drinks on window seat trays flight attendants can’t reach from the aisle.

Comments

They should put all of the snacks in a basket and pass it in ... by Brian
My two most recent RJ flights in first had a snack basket ... by William
Yeah everything AA does to improve will just be torn apart here ... by PITFlier
I only want a flight that gets there on time. American ... by Joozy
Goldfish wasn’t an option on my morning MSN-CLT run today. ... by Steve Gee
Plus 5 more...

United Raises Credit Card Bonuses To 100,000 Miles—Cardholders Earn More On Flights And Pay Less For Awards

Gary Leff — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 18:04:53 +0000

United and Chase have raised initial bonuses on all four personal credit cards, with offers now reaching 100,000 miles. That's worth considering because United has made its credit card much harder to skip: eligible primary cardholders earn more miles for flying, then pay fewer miles to book United awards. Even elite status doesn't eliminate the disadvantage of going without one.

Comments

Pay less??? An award flight SFO-SIN-KUL this week is 200k in PE ... by Levy Flight
Ed – Ask them . by Albert Wonders
I have the United Explorer credit card. Am I eligible for the ... by Ed
Lotta ‘it depends’ on this one… like 10-15% off an ... by 1990
Bonuses for all , regardless of no purchases . Otherwise , why ... by Albert Wonders

Exclusive: American Airlines Will No Longer Bump Passengers—Volunteers Can Get The Next Flight Even If It’s Full

Gary Leff — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 15:58:00 +0000

An internal American Airlines memo tells airport staff to keep the aircraft door open until enough passengers volunteer, take a delay if necessary, and let local managers approve higher compensation. Volunteers can even be confirmed on the next sold-out departure.

Comments

In reply to Anonymous. @Anonymous – I have certainly posted ... by Gary Leff
Now if they will award LP on mileage bookings, I will return. ... by Gene
Gary- why do you never post internal documents from Delta, ... by Anonymous
@bbt – that's not true. You need to book travel within one ... by Stan
This will never work out in the customers favor. Don’t kid ... by CrS
Plus 5 more...

Alaska Airlines Adds 20% Back On Kids’ Award Flights—Plus Elite Status Credit For Bilt Transfers

Gary Leff — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 14:04:07 +0000

Alaska Airlines will now return 20% of the points you spend on award tickets for children 12 and under, including eligible partner airline awards. It’s also offering elite status credit when you transfer Bilt or Marriott points into Atmos Rewards, with no limit on how much status credit you can earn.

Comments

United Passenger Turns An Empty Exit Row Into His Own Sports Bar—5 Games At Once With Starlink [Roundup]

Gary Leff — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:04:03 +0000

Three seatback screens, two laptops, five games: a United passenger puts Starlink to work in an empty exit row. Also: British Airways closes its Philadelphia lounge as Amex expands, and Rakuten extends an offer that can return $50 on a $50 purchase.

Comments

AA Vacations MaximizeMiles promo also extended (it's not ... by Peter
Babylon Bee… at it again! *buzz buzz* by 1990
How does the gamer wear five sets of earphones at the same time? by InLA

American Airlines Flight Attendant Complains To Delayed Passengers—“I’ve Been Up Almost 24 Hours”

Gary Leff — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 21:04:44 +0000

After their first plane returned to Los Angeles, Maui passengers boarded a replacement—and heard a flight attendant say he’d been awake almost 24 hours. He blamed a scheduling mix-up, while a passenger says the crew’s frustration carried into service.

Comments

I’m guessing these flight attendants were reassigned to fly ... by Coffee Please
@ alanZ Clearly, sir, you have never flown American Airlines in ... by The Last Refuge for the Lazy and Incompetent
The Last Refuge And how would you rate the union FA's at ... by alanZ
Folks, this is very simple: American flight attendants are ... by The Last Refuge for the Lazy and Incompetent
Previously Gary noted the top ten CEO's of all time. One that ... by alanZ
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Denver Airport Spent Over $21,000 On A Party For One Employee—$466 Per Attendee [Roundup]

Gary Leff — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 18:34:30 +0000

Denver airport spent over $21,000 on one employee’s retirement party for just 45 people—more than $466 per attendee. Also: a Delta Diamond with 10 million SkyMiles eyes United, nearly 40% skip paying at an airport’s honor-system parking lot, and Australia’s card surcharge ban shifts the cost into advertised prices.