In a widely syndicated piece, Matthew Horan reports that Qantas has substantially increased the number of points required for certain rewards and reduced mileage earning on discount fares.
Yearly Archives
Yearly Archives for 2004.
Hawaiian Proposes Australia Service
Hawaiian Airlines is planning to start Honolulu-Sydney service, becoming the second US carrier (after United) and fourth carrier (after United, Air Canada and Qantas) to serve Australia directly from the United states.However, for most travelers on Australia-US business, this option is no better than any other carrier’s one-stop service (such as Air New Zealand via Auckland).First, it will be one-stop service from the US mainline. Second, it will be offered only four days a week. Third, it will be service with 767 aircraft which are generally less preferred than 747s flown by United and Qantas.This small uptick in capacity, offering one more option to and from Australia, may be most valuable from an award redemption standpoint. Hawaiian has several airline partnerships, and a vacation award from the US to Hawaii for a stopover and on…
Voting in the Freddies
I just cast my votes for the Freddie Awards. Go cast yours. I picked United’s Mileage Plus as airline Program of the Year because they continue to offer one elite qualifying mile per mile flown on any fare, permit upgrading internationally on almost all fares for top level elites (and on mid-level fares for all members), and started recognizing customers who fly 125,000 miles or more with additional benefits. Admittedly, American matches those first two, but United was also the real innovator over the past year — with their “Great Offer” providing status miles for competitor frequent flyer statements, first out of the box with “Fly 3, Get 1 Free” and now announcing a coming music partnership with Sony.I chose American for best award redemption. Southwest is a frequent winner in this category because of…
Anticipation builds for United-Sony partnership
Notiflyer has an update on the United-Sony music download site I reported on last week which will allow Mileage Plus members to earn frequent flyer miles for buying songs or spend miles instead of money for song downloads.Here’s the money quote: “What Connect has finally done is beat the pirates at their own game to offer better-quality files without consumers having to spend a dime,” said Jay Samit, Sony Connect’s general manager. Online micropayments have failed as a business model thus far. Could miles as currency revolutionize e-business and save the music industry from itself?
A new Priceline commercial…
… boldly going where others went, 40 years before — starring their perennial pitchman William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.
Another sign points toward the end for USAirways
USAirways is going to charge its lounge members a premium to access partner lounges. On April 1, US Airways will begin charging three different fees for use of airport lounges by new frequent-flier members. The carrier says it will lower the rate for use of just US Airways lounges across the country and in London’s Gatwick Airport. The current cost is between $260 and $450 a year, depending on the number of frequent-flier points a traveler has accumulated. An additional fee will be required of those who want access to United lounges, and a still-higher fee will be charged for use of the rest of the Star Alliance members’ lounges. Current US Airways frequent fliers won’t face the increases until Sept. 1. US Airways spokeswoman Amy Kudwa declined to disclose the amounts of the price…
Delta matches American on “Fly 2 Get 1 Free”
Delta is matching American’s buy 2 get 1 free offer for taking flights between Boston and New York and Florida or California.
Is the Hero Miles program still necessary?
Operation Hero Miles allowed frequent flyers to donate their miles for American troops to use. The federal government was flying troops back to the US but not paying for their domestic flights home. But now the Pentagon is covering those costs. Folks behind Operation Hero Miles, though, still want to keep it going. Now that the Pentagon is covering those costs, Ruppersberger says Hero Miles are still needed for troops on emergency leave and to help families visit their loved ones at 14 military hospitals around the country. Ruppersberger says he will contact the airlines participating in “Hero Miles” to explain the continuing need and encourage them to continue their support of the effort. So far, American have donated more than 400 million frequent flyer miles – equal to 16,000 free round-trip tickets. I think…
Air Canada faces constraints on selling its frequent flyer program
Reported in Canada’s National Post: GE Capital Aviation Services could receive part of the proceeds of a sale involving Air Canada’s Aeroplan, according to terms of the US$1.5-billion financing pact between the U.S. company and the carrier. … Under the agreement, GECAS will provide the Montreal airline with US$1.5-billion in financing, designed to help Air Canada emerge from creditor protection and acquire regional jets. One of the wrinkles in the agreement stipulates that should Air Canada sell 100% of Aeroplan — its popular and cash-producing frequent-flyer program — to another investor, it is obliged to set aside 25% of the proceeds, or no less than US$125-million, for GECAS. The money will go toward paying down loans supplied by the aircraft lessor. However, if Air Canada, during the first six months following its exit from bankruptcy…
American’s Big Offer
I’m a bit late to the party reporting on this (busy with work), but it’s worth noting even a few days late that American is offering one of the most lucrative flight bonuses around. American Airlines yesterday launched a “buy two, get one free” promotion that’s aimed squarely at Forest Hills-based JetBlue Airways and other discounters. The offer covers members of American’s frequent flyer club who take two roundtrips by April 15 between Boston or New York and destinations reachable nonstop in Florida or California. Doing so earns them a free coach class roundtrip ticket, including international flights, redeemable until April 15 of next year. The free trips have to be booked 14 days in advance and must include a Saturday night stay. These trips are on top of the usual frequent flyer miles earned…
