Today's lineup includes a $5,000+ Marriott booking nightmare with lessons for anyone booking prepaid stays, a pilot who locked himself in the cockpit refusing to fly, an Air India captain who allegedly assaulted a passenger at airport security, and Marriott's latest scheme to shift employee wages onto your bill through app-based tipping. It's a wild one.

A Marriott Titanium elite member booked what he thought was a safe bet: a prepaid "Sonder by Marriott" stay through Marriott.com. After Sonder's bankruptcy, he showed up to find no reservation and is now out over $5,000. Marriott's response? A measly 40,000 points and advice to call his bank.

The problem gets worse: his bank's system automatically blocks disputes after 120 days from the transaction. But here's what most travelers don't know—that policy violates card network rules for future travel purchases. The actual window should extend to 120 days from the scheduled check-in date, not the booking date.

If you're in a similar situation, don't accept the bank's initial denial. Escalate immediately and cite the card network's merchant rules for travel purchases. This applies whether you booked through Marriott or any other platform. The lesson: even booking through major hotel companies doesn't guarantee protection when third-party operators collapse.

Passengers boarded their Cancún-bound Magnicharters flight from Mexico City expecting a routine departure. Instead, the captain barricaded himself in the cockpit and refused to operate the flight, telling everyone onboard the airline owed him more than five months of unpaid wages and per diems.

The December 19th incident turned into a 60–90 minute standoff that triggered a hijacking response protocol. While the pilot was eventually arrested, the incident exposes serious labor issues at smaller carriers. Magnicharters operates domestic Mexican holiday flights, and clearly wasn't keeping up with basic obligations to crew.

For travelers, this is a reminder that ultra-low-cost and leisure carriers can face financial instability that affects operations. If a carrier is struggling to pay employees, they're likely cutting corners elsewhere too.

An Air India Express captain has been grounded after allegedly physically assaulting a passenger at Delhi Terminal 1 security on Friday, December 19th. The passenger, Ankit Dewan, says the confrontation started when he objected to crew cutting the security line, escalated to verbal insults ("anpadh"), and ended with the pilot striking him near the frisking area and leaving him covered in blood.

Even more disturbing: Dewan claims he was pressured to sign a letter agreeing not to pursue the incident so his family wouldn't miss their flight. The captain is now suspended pending investigation. For frequent travelers using Air India or its low-cost subsidiary, this raises serious questions about crew conduct and accountability standards.

The incident comes as Air India works to rebuild its reputation following its acquisition by Tata Group. Physical assault of passengers by crew members should be zero-tolerance, regardless of what sparked the disagreement.

Marriott has rolled out in-app tipping that routes payments through a third-party processor—an escalation beyond the QR-code tip prompts that spread through hotels during the pandemic. Don't be fooled by the "guest convenience" messaging. This is about shifting more employee compensation onto customers so hotels can keep base wages low.

The timing is telling: hotels are staffing up post-pandemic but want to minimize fixed labor costs that hit owner bottom lines. By making tipping more prominent and "convenient," they're essentially asking you to subsidize their payroll. For Marriott elite members already paying premium rates for premium properties, this feels particularly tone-deaf.

Speaking of dubious charges, a Fairfield Inn near Kansas City Airport has started adding a $1.50 "Destination Marketing Fee" starting with January 2026 bookings. The hotel also lists a $3 arena fee it claims is city-required, but here's the problem: Kansas City doesn't list any such marketing fee as a government charge, and nearby hotels don't show it.

This looks like a new mandatory junk fee designed to split the true price off the room rate—basically making the hotel appear cheaper in search results while padding the final bill. It's the same playbook airlines perfected years ago. The "destination marketing" label is particularly rich: you're paying extra so the hotel can advertise to you.

For award bookings, these fees typically can't be paid with points, meaning they hit your wallet even when you're using points for the room. Always check the total price including all fees before confirming any hotel booking.

On a more positive note, Philippine Airlines has taken delivery of the first of nine Airbus A350-1000s on order, featuring completely redesigned cabins. The good news: they're installing proper business class and premium economy products. The not-so-good news: we're still waiting for route announcements and award availability details.

The A350-1000 represents a significant upgrade for Philippine's long-haul fleet. If you're sitting on Mileage Plan miles (Philippine is an Alaska partner) or planning Asia-Pacific travel, keep an eye out for these aircraft hitting premium routes in 2026. The cabin refresh should make redemptions on this Star Alliance carrier significantly more appealing.

Before we wrap, here's what's ending soon on the points-buying and transfer front:

Buy Points Deals Ending This Week: Turkish Airlines and Air France–KLM both have promotions ending December 22nd (Monday), while Copa's 90% bonus expires today. If you need miles for specific bookings and the math works, these are your last chances. Alaska and United both have 100% bonuses ending December 23-24th respectively.

Transfer Bonuses: The targeted 40% Amex to Virgin Atlantic bonus remains available for select cardholders, and Rove Miles continues offering +20% when transferring to Finnair. Neither has a published end date, so don't wait if you have immediate redemption plans.

Quick reminder: always have a specific redemption in mind before buying miles or transferring with bonuses. The "deals" only work if you actually use the miles at good value.

Today's stories share a common thread: the travel industry's increasingly brazen attempts to shift costs and risks onto consumers. Whether it's Marriott walking away from bankruptcy-hit bookings while offering pennies in compensation, hotels inventing new fees and tipping schemes, or airlines failing to pay crew basic wages, the pattern is clear.

The best defense? Know your rights, document everything, and don't accept the first "no" from a bank or travel company. That guest fighting for his $5,000 has card network rules on his side—he just needs to push harder. And when it comes to junk fees and tipping prompts, vote with your wallet and book elsewhere when possible.

Safe travels, and remember: the miles and points game works best when you're an informed, assertive consumer.

Before we wrap up, I wanted to share some timely opportunities I've been tracking (courtesy of our friends at AwardTravelFinder). These deals won't last long, so let's dive in.

Active transfer bonuses worth considering:

Airline programs:

Hotel programs: