Investigations tips

Next time you think about getting a gift card from the display rack as a last-minute gift, you might want to think again. According to the Federal Trade Commission, gift card scams accounted for $217 million of the more than $10 billion U.S. consumers lost to financial scams in 2023.

Over the last few years, the federal government has shown an increasing interest in credit cards and points and miles. Much of this originated with the proposed Credit Card Competition Act, but it has since expanded to major airlines and the loyalty programs they offer. Incidentally, the two original cosponsors of the CCCA were the first to call for an investigation into these frequent flyer programs — a call that ultimately led to the announcement of a formal probe by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Unite Here, a national hospitality labor group with members currently on strike across several U.S. cities, is calling on state attorneys general to investigate hotel loyalty programs for what the labor group says are deceptive practices and devalued awards.

Allen Onyema, the CEO and founder of Nigeria's Air Peace airline, has been charged with obstruction of justice in the US, adding to previous charges of bank fraud and money laundering.

The Transportation Department announced on Thursday that it was investigating the rewards programs of the country’s four biggest airlines, part of the agency’s continuing efforts to bolster protections for air travelers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation launched a formal investigation on Thursday into the frequent flyer programs of the four biggest domestic airlines, targeting what the department described as the "fairness, transparency, predictability, and competitiveness of airlines' rewards programs."

On the outside, credit cards and debit cards look very similar: Both have 15-16 digits, expiration dates and security codes.

Brazilian investigators on Saturday began analyzing the black boxes from a São Paulo-bound flight to try to understand why the passenger plane fell from 17,000 feet on Friday, in a crash that killed all 62 on board.

Delta's flight disruptions have continued as hundreds of flights were canceled and delayed on Tuesday, which has now led to the Department of Transportation to open an investigation into the airline.

Dear Anonymous Kind Stranger Who Didn’t Include a Return Address:

Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to misleading U.S. safety regulators. According to a court filing, the plane-maker will formally acknowledge guilt and accept additional punishment due to its recent actions. These center on dealings with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following fatal crashes involving the company’s 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019.

Boeing drew fresh criticism from a federal regulator on Thursday over disclosures about the continuing investigation into a harrowing January flight in which one of the company’s 737 Max planes lost a panel, exposing passengers to howling winds at an altitude of about 16,000 feet.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun was questioned by senators on Tuesday over a host of issues, ranging from mounting whistleblower allegations to his own pay. 

Now both major airplane manufacturers are under scrutiny.

Managers at Boeing's largest factory in Everett, Washington, "will hound mechanics" to keep quiet about safety and quality assurance concerns, a mechanic who has worked for the company for more than three decades told The Guardian.

When they felt their plane lurch and plummet, Ade Tan and Amos Chan, both 28, barely had time to react.

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It’s a nerve-racking time to be a frequent flier in the United States. Boeing, the nation’s once-proud aircraft manufacturer, has faced a cascading quality crisis since 2018, which escalated this year after a door panel blew off one of the company’s planes mid-flight, prompting multiple F.A.A. investigations and a criminal inquiry from the Justice Department. And it’s not just Boeing — a New York Times investigation last summer found that understaffing and overscheduling led to an alarming number of unreported near misses on American runways.

A century ago, the timber-and-iron tower had supported a tram carrying precious salt across the Inyo Mountains that had been mined from a remote valley in the California desert. More recently, it stood as an artifact in the Saline Valley, and it marked the edge of a hiking trail through the sun-baked wilderness.

President Joe Biden signed the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act into law on Thursday. The law provides funding for the Federal Aviation Administration for the next five years and addresses various aspects of air travel related to consumer protections, investments in air traffic control staffing and much more.

Toronto, Canada’sBata Shoe Museum recently announced the launch of their new spring exhibition called Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear. It opened on April 18, 2024 and will run for a total of 18 months.