Scott McCartney offers a lot of bad advice in the Wall Street Journal about the value of miles and what to expect from them. Seth does a good job pointing out the flaws. McCartney looks only at the websites of the airlines whose miles he’s trying to use (the Delta website is broken, the US Airways website doesn’t offer partner award options at all), the routes he’s searching with the miles he’s using aren’t really generalizable to mileage programs as a whole, and the conclusions he draws about the value of miles are erroneous (you shouldn’t just expect a penny a point in value from them). However, through my award booking service I have come across a large number of folks who approach things just the way that Scott does and that’s why they come…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for March 2012.
Maximizing Miles in the Maldives: Cathay First, Eating in Singapore, and a Park Hyatt Water Villa – Positioning flights to San Francisco, Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf, and Some Dim Sum for the Day
Introduction Positioning flights to San Francisco, Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf, and Some Dim Sum for the Day Cathay’s New San Francisco Lounge Cathay Pacific First Class, San Francisco – Hong Kong The Wing and Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – Singapore A Grand Suite at the Grand Hyatt Singapore Eating in Singapore Dinner at Waku Ghin, Marina Bay Sands Singapore Airlines Business Class: Singapore – Male Transfer to the Park Hyatt Hadahaa, Maldives Park Hyatt Maldives – Part I Park Hyatt Maldives – Part II Park Hyatt Maldives – Part III Maldivian, Kaadehdhoo – Male Singapore Airlines Business Class, Male – Singapore Cathay Pacific Business Class, Singapore – Hong Kong Conrad Hong Kong Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – Chicago American’s Chicago Flagship Lounge and the Final Journey Home Since I made the decision…
Maximizing Miles in the Maldives: Cathay First, Eating in Singapore, and a Park Hyatt Water Villa – Introduction
Introduction Positioning flights to San Francisco, Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf, and Some Dim Sum for the Day Cathay’s New San Francisco Lounge Cathay Pacific First Class, San Francisco – Hong Kong The Wing and Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – Singapore A Grand Suite at the Grand Hyatt Singapore Eating in Singapore Dinner at Waku Ghin, Marina Bay Sands Singapore Airlines Business Class: Singapore – Male Transfer to the Park Hyatt Hadahaa, Maldives Park Hyatt Maldives – Part I Park Hyatt Maldives – Part II Park Hyatt Maldives – Part III Maldivian, Kaadehdhoo – Male Singapore Airlines Business Class, Male – Singapore Cathay Pacific Business Class, Singapore – Hong Kong Conrad Hong Kong Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – Chicago American’s Chicago Flagship Lounge and the Final Journey Home Two things happened last year…
Would You Try to Seize a 777 Over an Unpaid Lost Luggage Claim?
Miles from Blighty goes to the mat against Continental over a lost baggage reimbursement claim. My one experience over lost luggage with United (as an international first class award passenger) where compensation was involved was a bag that didn’t make it onto my Osaka flight, arrived there after I had made my way to Thailand, and three days later shows up in Phuket with United failing to authorize delivery of the bags — so I had my resort in Khao Lak make an airport for pickup. I had purchased some cheap clothes in town to tide me through, and I sought the expenses for those as well as the cost of the hotel’s airport trip which I had been charged. I wrote United a letter, and had a check in hand for the full amount…
Escort Service Gets a Rise out of Starwood on Twitter
I wonder what sort of customer service SPG provided? Perhaps late checkout, the new Platinum breakfast benefit, or something from Whatever, Whenever?
Canadians Can Get in on Credit Card Signup Bonuses, too
I often feel bad for Canada, they have only one airline which is part of an international alliance and offers reasonable aspirational mileage awards, but that airline has started adding fuel surcharges to its awards and gutted its award chart back in July. Even its credit cards are generally less rewarding than counterparts in the United States. No wonder Canadians I meet are often so defensive about their homeland. There’s less competition up north in the mileage game, and they have to learn to expect a bit less or to figure out a way to finagle a US-based points earning card which doesn’t charge foreign currency transaction fees. Or to take the best of what’s out there. I’m not a big fan of Avios, and I wouldn’t take a 50,000 mile offer for their credit…
Amtrak Guest Rewards Redemption Prices Going Up April 1
Just a reminder for both of you who collect Amtrak Guest Rewards points, redemption prices go up on April 1. This time they’ve made changes and actually given us notice! The least expensive (‘special routes’) award goes from 1000 to 1500 points one-way (50% increase). Northeast corridor coach goes from 3000 to 4000 points one-way (one-third increase). Business class goes from 6500 to 7500 (15% increase). Other awards are getting more expensive as well, as many as 10,000 points more expensive one-way — the two and three zone sleeper car awards. And an auto train award goes up from 10,000 to 15,000 points one-way for a car. It’s not as though points-earning on Amtrak is that generous to begin with, that they’ve been printing points like crazy… Redeem any awards you’re thinking about now, before…
50% Bonus on US Airways Share Miles
Through March 14, US Airways is offering a 50% bonus on sharing miles. That is, for every 1000 miles you transfer to someone’s account, US Airways will add a bonus 500. US Airways charges 1 cent per mile to transfer miles between accounts, plus a $30 per transaction fee, and tax. With this offer you’re effectively buying miles at just over 2 cents apiece, something I wouldn’t take advantage of. When US Airways offers to sell miles at a 50% discount or with a 100% bonus, they’re selling miles for just under 2 cents apiece and I’m sort of on the fence. However, if you need miles to top off towards an award, this is a good opportunity provided you have a friend to transfer miles from. As with all such offers, accounts need to…
Are Premium Security Lines Unfair to the Masses?
David Post thinks so (rather dramatically). I noticed, as I was waiting in line at the security checkpoint at the San Francisco airport waiting to board a flight back east, that there was a “Priority Line” for “uniformed crewmembers” and “First and Business Class customers.” Excuse me, but what the f*** is up with that? I have no problem with the idea that people with greater resources can purchases conveniences in the marketplace (like a First or Business Class ticket). But the airport security checkpoint is a government service manned by government employees. David, you really just noticed elite security lines? Jeanne makes some good points in favor of elite lines, and I’d like to expand on those. Of course, most people using those lines aren’t “the rich” but elite frequent flyers, since most passengers…
American Adding Extra Legroom ‘Main Cabin Extra’ Fleetwide
American Airlines has announced its plans to roll out an economy plus product fleet wide, They’re calling it Main Cabin Extra. They’re following United’s Economy Plus, and Delta which offers far fewer rows of Economy Comfort. And of course American used to have an extra legroom offering throughout the entire plan, it was called More Room Throughout Coach, and the original name of this blog in 2002 was even inspired by that. They didn’t find the product to be profitable, offered to everyone and it didn’t generate a competitive advantage, people still made their decisions on price rather than booking over to American in sufficient numbers or generating enough of a revenue premium to justify the product financially. United, when they rolled out economy plus, offered it complimentary to its own elites and to full…
