Last week I shared the details of Hyatt’s new promotion which kicks off September 1. I wasn’t especially excited, most of the reaction to the post was similar, and I even called it “better than a hole in the head.” I’ve come to reconsider that view. The offer is 5000 bonus points after 5 nights and then 10,000 additional bonus points for each incremental 5 nights stayed during the promotion period — up to a maximum of 35 nights. If you have a Hyatt Visa you get 20% more bonus miles from the promotion. That’s similar to what they did earlier in the year as well. Don’t get me wrong — this is the least generous Hyatt Gold Passport promotion in awhile. Here are recent points promotions they’ve offered: Last spring they offered 10,000 points…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for August 2012.
Just When I Think I’ve Finally Figured Out the Mysteries of Breakfast…
My first stay at the Andaz Wall Street I was given three different and conflicting stories about the breakfast benefit: My wife checked in ahead of me, I had told her that I wasn’t sure what the breakfast benefit was at this Andaz so she asked and emailed me right away. They told her that the benefit was applicable in the restaurant or room service, “$50 per person, so $100 for two.” When I arrived at the hotel I was greeted by a staff member who made me a key and swapped credit cards on the room (I wanted my Hyatt card down), I asked to verify and was told the benefit was $50 per day for the both of us. I mentioned the conversation my wife had earlier, the staffer looked up who checked her…
How They Get Inflight Wireless Internet into the Plane
I love my inflight wireless internet, I’ve argued that it’s better than a first class upgrade at least on a medium-haul domestic flight. Via AAdvantageGeek, here’s how the wireless inflight internet gets installed:
Things You May Not Have Known About United Airlines
Christopher Elliott visits United and files an interesting report. The number of elite passengers on a flight factors into the flight’s priority during weather and air traffic delays. (I believe that generally the number of connections, and whether connecting passengers can be re-accomodated, takes on a greater importance.) The flat tire rule still exists, if you miss your flight but show up at the airport within two hours of your scheduled departure, you can stand by for the next flight at no charge. No guarantees you’ll get on to that next flight, but there’s no charge to be re-accomodated if you can. Of course it might still be worth making a same-day confirmed change before missing your flight. United keeps Economy Plus because it’s profitable. Unsurprising, but has been interesting to watch the evolution. When…
Good Lie Flat Business Class Award Space to Asia Using Delta Skymiles
Delta Skymiles partner China Southern is introducing an Airbus A380 on the Los Angeles – Guangzhou route starting October 12th. They’ve got a new lie-flat business class product, and award availability (per Expertflyer) appears to be wide open. You can fly to destinations beyond Guangzhou without too much difficulty, as intra-Asian award space tends to be pretty good. Delta does add fuel surcharges onto China Southern award tickets, but they’re usually pretty modest — under $300 in most cases rather than $500 per ticket (in addition to taxes). And if it gets you business class award space using Delta miles, you’re already way ahead of the game. Of course, this does require you to find a Delta call center agent that has heard of China Southern, believes that China Southern is a Skyteam member, and…
US Airways Offers Food Delivery to its DC Club Lounge. Sort of.
During the oneworld MegaDO in Dallas I had the opportunity to talk with the food and beverage manager for the American Airlines Admirals Clubs. Now, American clubs are generally nicer (better furnished, in better condition) than United and US Airways lounges. But they have almost no complimentary snacks. Instead they offer paid food options. And the quality of those options vary widely across clubs — even across different clubs in the same airport. The D30 club in Miami, for instance, has a kitchen and a room with food display where you can purchase meals and snacks. Everything is nicely plated on dishware rather than pre-arranged in disposable plastic containers. The D15 club does not. My suggestion to American was, why does it make sense for them to be in the food preparation and storage business?…
Travelocity Cancelling Reservations Booked with $200 Off Coupon
This past weekend I blogged about a $200 off coupon at Travelocity for air and hotel vacation packages of at least three days. You could book the hotel in a separate city from the air travel meaning that there were amazing deals to be had. Some folks found hotels in South or Central Asia that were about $10 a night, yielding $170 off airfare using the coupon. The deal had been around for several weeks and was in its last days when it became publicly known. The terms and conditions said: The promotional code (the Promo Code) for $200 is valid between 12:01 a.m. Central Time on July 2, 2012 and 11:59 p.m. Central Time on August 4, 2012 (the Promotion Period) or until it reaches the redemption limit of 3,500 redemptions. Your use of…
TSA Screeners Get a Union Contract
When the TSA was formed it wasn’t supposed to be unionized, since all decisions were supposed to be made on the basis of promoting security at the nation’s airports. At the beginning of February 2011, however, TSA Administrator John Pistole declared his intention to enter into union negotiations with the screening workforce. As of yesterday, the federal government has agreed to a union contract for screeners. The agreement, which must be ratified by the membership, would create a new performance management system, provide an increased clothing allowance and a standardized vacation bidding process. A side agreement allows officers to take certain issues to the Merit Systems Protection Board or a neutral arbitrator. They’re replacing certification tests with “employee execution of goals and supervisor observations over a year’s time,” increasing screener clothing allowances by 92%, giving…
Was the U.S. Government Prepared to Kill All the Passengers on Board a United Flight to Geneva?
Last summer I noted the story of a United flight that returned to DC after a seat reclining incident. Two passengers tussled over the one in front reclining their seat, and two F-16s were scrambled. At the time I noted that there’s ultimately only one possible thing that those F-16s could possibly do: shoot down the plane and kill everyone on board. That’s what they were clearly moving into position to do, if it was determined that the scuffle presaged a terrorist attack. We learned on September 11, 2001 that planes could be commandeered and used as missiles. I’m not getting into the question at this point of whether it’s the right decision in a given circumstance to trade off the lives of everyone on board for the lives of people on the ground who…
Hyatt’s New Promotion: Bonus Points Every 5 Nights Stayed
Hyatt’s new promo, which will run September 1 through November 30, is bonus points based on number of nights stayed. They’re offering 5000 bonus points after 5 nights and then 10,000 additional bonus points for each incremental 5 nights stayed during the promotion period — up to a maximum of 35 nights. And just like the Gold Passport winter promotion, Hyatt co-branded credit card holders receive an additional 20% bonus on points earned from this promotion. Registration won’t be available until August 15 and will close October 31. I generally like stay-based promotions rather than promos that award the number of nights stayed. But that’s because I tend to have shorter stays, so they benefit me most. Hyatt’s summer promotion rewarded short stays generously with bonus airline miles. So here I’m torn. The summer promo…
