About The Frequent Flier

The Frequent Flier is a travel publication with the airline industry at its center — sourced analysis of the business of flying, written for the people who actually fly it. The aim is trade-publication depth, not press releases or content-farm listicles.

It comes in two halves. The briefings are the editorial side: airline news, route and fleet developments, alliance and regulatory shifts, and points-and-miles, each grounded in primary data rather than speculation. The Flight Deck is the tools side: a live FAA delays dashboard, fleet and delivery trackers, and a great-circle mileage calculator — built to respect readers who already know their IATA codes and aircraft variants.

It is written for two overlapping readers: av-geeks who follow fleets and routes for their own sake, and frequent flyers who care about status, redemptions, and the industry moves that reshape their trips. The goal is to serve both without dumbing down for either.

Everything here is built and written by Michael Chen — a oneworld loyalist based at SFO who flies more than is strictly reasonable. The analysis leans on public sources (US DOT, the FAA, and aircraft manufacturers); how that data is gathered, updated, and corrected is spelled out in the editorial policy.

The site is supported by credit-card affiliate partnerships, disclosed on the affiliate disclosure page. Coverage isn't for sale — the editorial policy explains how that line is held.