IHG Hotels Earns Just 10% Of What Marriott, Hilton Make On Credit Cards

by Gary Leff

skyscrapers in city
Dec 08 2023

The CEO of IHG Hotels and Resorts admits that they make only 1/10th as much off of their Chase credit cards as Hilton and Marriott make on their co-brands. Total fees form their card portfolio total $100 million a year All of this used to get passed through to hotels. Now one third is kept at the corporate level. A recent loss by Hyatt in tax court explains how hotel program economics work and they’re very different from airlines. For the most part the chains don’t own the hotels, and the programs are very different than airline frequent flyer offerings. The amount kept by the chain is almost all profit. And IHG wants Chase to pay more in a deal re-up. The current card agreement expires in 2025. Banks pay a lot more than you…

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New Rules For Americans Traveling To Brazil Mean You Shouldn’t Go

by Gary Leff

Dec 08 2023

Starting January 10, 2024 Brazil will require Americans, Canadians, and Australians to obtain a visa for entry to the country. The cost will be approximately $80 and allow multiple entry for 10 years (Canadians and Australians only get 5 years). They will require you to provide them with a bank statement showing account balance and 30 days of transactions.

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AirAsia CEO Chooses To Fly Rival Singapore Airlines Instead Of His Own Carrier

by Gary Leff

Dec 08 2023

The experience on low cost carrier AirAsia is so bad their CEO flies Singapore Airlines? Tony Fernandes says the reason is because his flights were full, three in a row, and he couldn’t get a seat – and didn’t want to bump paying passengers. So he was humble bragging. Fernandes, who recently got a shirtless massage at a management meeting, was humble bragging about his airline’s load factors. No seat on @flyairasia for three flights so had to take @singaporeair. Hehehe View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tony Fernandes (@tonyfernandes) Airline executives flying competitors is common, and should be more common to understand their product. Then-American Airlines Executive Vice President Elise Eberwein flew United and filed a trip report discovering that seat back entertainment (which American was moving away from) really matters…

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[FINAL DAY] Southwest Airlines’ Elevated Offer: Accelerate A Companion Pass

by Gary Leff

Dec 07 2023

Southwest Airlines’ consumer credit cards from Chase are currently offering an elevated bonus of 75,000 points after a $3,000 spend in the first 3 months. Now is the optimal time to apply, as this offer can be strategically leveraged for maximum value, especially with the unique Companion Pass feature that effectively doubles the value of your points for travel.

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Merger Mania: Will Alaska-Hawaiian Deal Skyrocket Fares?

by Gary Leff

car pulled over on side of road with dinosaur
Dec 07 2023

Now that Alaska Airlines has announced plans to acquire Hawaiian Airlines, there is significant speculation about what it will mean for airfares, with one study claiming a 38% increase for Hawaiian Airlines fares. That’s important to anti-trust discussions over whether the deal will be approved, but it’s not how airfares work. And traditional anti-trust analysis is probably the wrong way to think about what will happen to this merger.

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9 Reasons To Get Citi’s American Airlines Business Card Now

by Gary Leff

Dec 07 2023

I’ve had the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® both recently and in the distant past, and it’s spending on this card that largely accounting for my first lifetime elite status with American Airlines way back in 2006. American’s miles are the currency I’ve spent the most over the years, and there’s no longer a great way to earn miles through another credit card besides an American branded one and then transfer those miles to AAdvantage.

And AAdvantage miles remain my go-to right now too, whether it’s booking Qatar Airways QSuites for next year or Cathay Pacific awards to go back to Southeast Asia. Any awards booked this year can be cancelled, with miles redeposited, at no cost – so these miles are the perfect way to start planning travel again.

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