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☆ I got a free first-class upgrade on my flight from New York to London. The luxurious perks were absurd.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Kiera Fields | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I flew with British Airways from New York to London and got a free first-class upgrade. With the upgrade, I could access the newly renovated exclusive Chelsea Lounge in JFK's Terminal 8. I'm a frequent flyer, and a Silver British Airways member to get double air miles to use toward my regular flights. This return ticket from London to NYC usually costs £1,700, or around $2,000. I looked up the price-comparison site Skyscanner and found first-class single tickets from New York to London with British Airways on sale for between £4,000 and £9,000, or between around $4,874 and $10,968.

David Slotnick/Business InsiderAmerican Express Membership Rewards points are among the most valuable card rewards you can earn. You'll usually get the most value from Amex points by transferring them to airline and hotel partners. In fact, the Amex Membership Rewards program debuted way back in 1991 with just seven US airline partners. More Information Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. What to know about transferring Amex points to partnersAmerican Express Membership Rewards points are among the most valuable and versatile travel rewards out there.

☆ Alaska Airlines personal and business cards are adding new benefits, including priority boarding and 2x bonus categories, but it's not all good news
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Jasmin Baron | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

Alaska Airlines credit cards are getting a makeover, with new perks and changes to earning categories. Alaska AirlinesBank of America has announced changes to the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card and Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card . and Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card . Eligible accounts include business checking, business savings, business CDs, and Merrill business investment accounts. No other changesLike the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card, the Bank of America Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card isn't making changes to its annual companion fare or 20% inflight rebate.

☆ Everyone's elite, but not for long. Airlines make travel perks harder to earn this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

And now it's a small army," said Cohen, who leads a digital entertainment consulting firm and has lifetime elite status on United and American Airlines . Travelers willing to shell out more for tickets and popular rewards credit cards are swelling ranks in front cabins and airport lounges. Osorio frequents airport lounges on trips booked with rewards points that she earned through strategic credit card use and sign-up bonuses. Bigger space for big spendersDelta, American, United and American Express have been opening bigger airport lounges to fit more travelers. A new American Airlines and British Airways lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport, November 29, 2022.

☆ Arrive extra-early at these 15 U.S. airports—up to 3 hours—if you don't want to miss your flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Going to the airport is often a daunting task. Between long security lines and the crowds in the terminal, giving yourself enough time to make it to your gate is essential. In a 2022 study, the travel experts at Upgraded Points analyzed 15 factors at 50 major U.S. airports to find the ones where it's most important for passengers to arrive early for domestic flights. number of enplanementsnumber of passengersairport sizeaverage TSA wait timenumber of terminalsnumber of gatesnumber of airport employeesnumber of airport loungesnumber of restaurants/barsnumber of shopsnumber of parking lots/deckspercentage of on-time departurespercentage of delayed departurescar traffic volumecar traffic indexThe study found that the airports where passengers need the most time before boarding are Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The airport where passengers don't need to arrive as early and ranked at the bottom of the list was John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Columbus, Ohio.

☆ Bang Bang Chicken: A gun-stuffed bird was among the weirdest items found by airport security teams in 2022. See the full list.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The TSA released its "top 10 catches" list, consisting of unusual items found at airports in 2022. Cash stashed in crutchesSoiled money hidden inside a pair of crutches was discovered by agents at El Paso International Airport in Texas. An inert grenadeA grenade was found after a passenger attempted to get it through airport security in a carry-on at General Mitchell International Airport in Wisconsin. A gun hidden in an arm slingAgents discovered a gun concealed in a man's arm sling at Greater Rochester International Airport. A gun stuffed in a raw chickenA handgun was discovered stuffed inside a raw chicken at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.

☆ I splurged my miles to fly Emirates' luxe business class. I ate a multi-course meal, lounged at the in-flight bar, and learned the seat upgrade is worth it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Tonya Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Writer Tonya Russell traveled to the Maldives and tried out Emirates' business and economy class. "While economy class proved to be just fine, upgrading is worth it at least once," she writes. How to upgrade to business class on an Emirates flightIf you use the same airline family, you may be able to transfer miles from another airline to your Emirates flight. The meat alternative was a chicken TV dinner with rice, which wasn't as appetizing as the salmon that circulated through business class. While economy class proved to be just fine, if upgrading is within your means, it is worth it at least once.

Of course, there isn't one best credit card to use in New York City. Show more Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR) 20.74% - 27.74% Variable Editor's Rating 4.65 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4.65 out of 5 Stars Our editor's ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available. Details Rewards Earn 2x Miles on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. It earns 2x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel (outside of purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards) and 3x points on dining. It's the best card to use for dining out, takeout, and food delivery in New York City because you'll earn 4 American Express Membership Rewards points per dollar spent.

☆ Caroline Ellison told a judge she's 'truly sorry' for defrauding FTX customers – and 'knew that it was wrong'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Caroline Ellison told a judge she's "truly sorry" for her role in FTX's collapse, per New York Times. The former CEO of Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto-trading firm Alameda Research told US District Judge Ronnie Abrams in Manhattan federal court "I am truly sorry for what I did. The court unsealed the transcript of her plea hearing on December 22. Ellison told the judge she went along with the decision of her ex-boyfriend Bankman-Fried and others to conceal the close relationship between FTX and Alameda, according to the transcript seen by The Times. She also said she agreed with the decision to divert billions in customer deposits at FTX to pay off loans of Alameda.

☆ FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was 'chilling' in the American Airlines lounge at JFK before flying business class to his parents' home to await trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

FTX cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried was seen at JFK Airport in a business class lounge on Thursday. Litquidity tweeted pictures of the former CEO before he boarded a flight to San Francisco. Bankman-Fried was released on a $250 million bond while awaiting trial. The cofounder and former CEO of collapsed crypto trading platform FTX was released on a $250 million bond on Thursday. Litquidity tweeted pictures of Bankman-Fried at JFK on Thursday.

☆ 'Communities like mine won't survive:' Queens residents battle monthly floods as sea levels rise, storms worsen
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Still, it's unclear how these vulnerable coastal communities — and others across the country — will ultimately fare. In this scenario, most of the communities surrounding Jamaica Bay would be inundated every day by high tides. These types of natural projects, some of which are already underway at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, would be balanced with the Army Corp's man-made engineered solutions. Additionally, the proposed Jamaica Bay Storm Surge Barrier, located to the east of the Marine Parkway Bridge, would close during major storms. Shoreline restoration is underway at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens.

☆ I Knew Oswald, and He Acted Alone
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Paul Roderick Gregory | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Less than a year after John F. Kennedy ’s assassination, the Warren Commission released its findings to the public: JFK was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald , who acted alone. The new tranche of files the National Archives released last week contains nothing that calls that conclusion into question. When the Warren report came out in September 1964, some 80% agreed with its finding that Oswald acted alone. Today more than 60% don’t believe Oswald acted alone. One of the most amusing, in an effort to shift the blame from the leftist Oswald, lists my father and me as part of a White Russian conspiracy.

☆ Chaos erupts at JFK after British Airways flights were grounded en-masse due to technical issues
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chaos erupted at JFK on Monday after British Airways grounded its flights out of the US. The airline told Insider the disruption was due to "a technical issue." In a statement to Insider, British Airways said: "We're experiencing delays to some of our flights due to a technical issue with our flight planning." British Airways also told Insider that the technical issue did not affect any flights that have already departed, and is not a safety issue. In a separate statement to the BBC, British Airways said the technical issue affected flights due to depart the US on Monday night.

☆ Two New York men arrested for conspiring with Russians to hack JFK taxi system
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Arriving passengers line up to get taxi outside of Terminal 4 at the JFK airport in New York. Two New York men were arrested for conspiring with Russian nationals to hack the taxi dispatch system at John F. Kennedy International Airport so they could manipulate the line and charge drivers for access to the front of the queue, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. "I know that the Pentagon is being hacked… so can't we hack the taxi industry[?]" Typically, taxi drivers looking to pick up travelers at JFK wait in a holding lot before they're dispatched to a specific terminal in the order in which they arrived. "For years, the defendants' hacking kept honest cab drivers from being able to pick up fares at JFK in the order in which they arrived," Williams said.

In this guide, we'll give you a crash course on how to quickly earn credit card rewards and book free travel. If everyone in the world expertly utilized credit card rewards to travel for free, there wouldn't be such amazing travel opportunities out there. Identify your travel goalsBefore you begin collecting credit card rewards, you should first identify your travel goals. Recommended credit card strategies for beginnersThe best practice for anyone new to credit card rewards is to invest in flexible points. You'll need: An annual fee-incurring Hilton credit card One of the greatest deals in credit card rewards is the free night certificate that comes with select American Express Hilton credit cards.

☆ Biden releases most JFK assassination records — but withholds thousands
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

“We’re 59 years after President John Kennedy was killed and there’s just no justification for this,” said Judge John H. Tunheim, who from 1994-98 chaired the Assassination Records Review Board that was established Under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, which Biden voted for when it passed Congress unanimously. Many of those Joannides records were never put in the National Archives' JFK collection, according to the foundation's lawsuit, so the lion's share of the suspected records were not released Thursday. CIA officials dispute the number of Joannides records in their possession, but they confirmed two were scheduled to be released Thursday. Under the JFK records act, all documents related to the assassination were supposed to be released by 2017. His poll also showed that 71% of voters thought Biden should release all of the JFK records, regardless of agency opposition.

However, the latest cache will be useful for historians focusing on the events around the assassination. Thousands of books, articles, TV shows and films have explored the idea that Kennedy’s assassination was the result of an elaborate conspiracy. Many of the documents released on Thursday belonged to the Central Intelligence Agency, including several that focused on Oswald's movements and his contacts. Other documents focus on requests from the Warren Commission investigating the assassination. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump released a cache of records, but decided to release the remaining documents on a rolling basis.

Delta Sky Club locationsWithin the U.S., there are more than 50 Delta Sky Club locations in 35 airports, with a new outpost scheduled to open at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) in 2023. Outside the U.S., there is just one Delta Sky Club lounge at Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND). Upcoming changes to Sky Club access policy Starting Jan. 1, 2023, Delta Sky Club memberships will only be available for purchase if you have Delta Silver Medallion elite status or higher. While existing Delta Sky Club memberships may be renewed — regardless of elite status — through the end of 2022, next year you'll need to have elite status with the airline in order to renew your Delta Sky Club membership. Cards that offer Delta lounge access With the recently announced changes, the value of the few cards that come with Delta Sky Club access has increased tremendously.

☆ JetBlue and American announced 11 all-new routes as the pair beefs up its controversial Northeast Alliance — see the full list
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

JetBlue Airways and American Airlines announced 11 new routes as part of their Northeast Alliance. Walter Bibikow/Getty ImagesJetBlue will start once-daily flights between New York and Hyannis near Cape Code in the spring of 2023. Just dance/ShutterstockJetBlue will start once-daily flights between New York and Bermuda in the spring of 2023. Aleenah AnsariJetBlue will start once-daily flights between Boston and Vancouver in the spring of 2023. American will start once-daily flights between New York and Knoxville on May 5.

☆ American and British Airways just opened brand new joint luxury lounges at New York's biggest airport as they grow their partnership — see inside
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

But, to better streamline their operation, British Airways has moved into Terminal 8, and the pair are now officially "roommates," as American CEO Robert Isom put it at a press conference in November. (L-R): Iberia CEO Javier Sánchez-Prieto, British Airways CEO Sean Doyle, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, Port Authority Executive Director Richard Cotton, Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and Queen Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. cut the ribbon to the new Terminal 8 at JFK on Tuesday, November 29. Taylor Rains/Insider

☆ More than 70% of voters in poll want Biden to release secret JFK assassination records
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, first postponed the disclosure in 2017, when the records were supposed to be fully released under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. Half of voters believe the assassination involved multiple conspirators while 38 percent said Oswald was the lone gunman, the poll showed. The CIA has played a central role in covering up information about the JFK assassination over the years. Immediately after JFK’s assassination, Oswald was identified as a pro-Castro sympathizer, thanks to news articles and documentation that arose when he came into contact with Joannides' group. And they relate to covert programs in which George Joannides was involved,” Morley said in an interview.

Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership. But late last week, Capital One quietly updated the Priority Pass lounge access rules for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Now, instead of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card as the undisputed king of Priority Pass credit cards, your Priority Pass-conferring airport credit card will take a bit more deliberation. The Ritz Carlton Credit Card, while not publicly available, is still the best credit card for Priority Pass lounges because: It comes with a Priority Pass Select membership that gives you access to Priority Pass restaurants and non-lounge experiences. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the first Visa credit card to drop access to discounts at participating Priority Pass restaurants and other non-lounge experiences.

If the deal is approved by Delta pilots, it is widely expected to act as a benchmark for contract negotiations at rivals United Airlines (UAL.O) and American Airlines (AAL.O). The Atlanta-based carrier's pilots have been working without a new contract for nearly three years after their old contract became amendable in December 2019, fueling frustration. In the draft agreement, Delta promises that pay rates of its pilots will exceed those at United and American by at least 1%. In a year of protests for the industry, pilots at all major U.S. carriers have been demanding higher wages and a better work-life balance. In its memo, Delta's pilot union said more than 25% of the value of the contract agreement is dedicated to quality-of-life related items.

[1/2] Delta Air Lines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, protest outside Terminal 4 at JFK International airport in New York City, U.S., June 30, 2022. REUTERS/Shannon StapletonCHICAGO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) has offered a 34% pay increase to its pilots over three years in a new contract, according to a draft agreement seen by Reuters. The pilots will get a raise of at least 18% raise on the date the contract is signed, another 5% after one year, 4% after two years and 4% after three years, it says. Delta pilots have been working without a new contract for nearly three years after their old contract became amendable in December 2019, fueling frustration. They voted overwhelmingly in October voted to authorize a strike if negotiators could not reach an agreement on the new contract.

☆ American and British Airways are joining forces at New York's biggest airport to streamline their partnership — see inside the new Terminal 8
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Terminal 8 marks the first phase of JFK's overhaul, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In addition to the Terminal 8 and Terminal 6 projects, the airport has also broken ground on the New Terminal One. Governor Kathy Hochul, joined by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton, breaks ground on the New Terminal One (NTO) at John F. Kennedy International Airport Thursday morning September 8, 2022. Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Kathy HochulSource: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

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