This one seems obvious, right? You redeemed your miles for a ticket, therefore you have a ticket. The airline even sent you a confirmation e-mail so everything is all set, right? Not necessarily and certainly not guaranteed if you used United miles to book the award. I wrote about this problem back in May (“United Award Tickets on Asiana Sometimes Cancel Themselves and How to Make Sure You Don’t Get Shafted“) and then again in July (“When You Purchase a United Award Ticket That Doesn’t Mean You Actually Have a Ticket“). It’s a Long-Standing Legacy Continental Problem I learned quite awhile ago, under the old Continental system, that sometimes flights you book using your miles — especially when those flights were on partner airlines — just ‘disappear’. They were confirmed, they were promised to you,…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for February 2013.
Bits ‘n Pieces for February 6, 2013
News and notes from around the interweb: Cathay Pacific is offering snake plush toys for online booking. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has issued a non-binding ruling that Asiana flight attendants should be allowed to wear pants. Delta Skyclubs offering reasonably priced bottles of Dom Perignon. But if it’s the ’03, it’s too hit-or-miss to take the chance still. American’s Board of Directors is expected to vote in favor of a merger with US Airways at the beginning of next week. Expectation is American Chairman Tom Horton to stay on as non-executive Chairman for a specified term and then leave the company.
Starwood Introducing Points-Earning and Status Benefits on Delta
Two weeks ago I noted a Starwood trademark for the term “Crossover Rewards” and this morning was alerted by this Milepoint thread that we now know what those are: benefits for Starwood elite members when flying Delta. Whether other travel providers will be included in the future is, as-yet, unclear although my guess is that Delta is first on-board and will remain so for awhile, as the exclusivity is what would have been enticing for them, a way to drive Starwood elite member business to the airline while Starwood provides more value to their members. Loyalty Lobby has the terms and conditions. While details aren’t online yet, they’ll be coming at both Delta.com and spg.com/crossover rewards. Starwood Elites Will Earn Points for Flying Delta Starwood Gold and Platinum members will be able to link their…
What Not to Do in First Class (or Any Cabin of the Plane, Really)
You should definitely not behave this way. And you should definitely not behave this way if you are a pilot who wants to keep his job. And you should definitely not behave this way if you are a pilot who wants to keep his job and have just returned from suspension for similar behavior. After drinking several whiskeys, the pilot grabbed the woman, who was sitting next to her husband in first class, announcing, “I want to f**** her,” according to The Sun. He attempted to get into the cockpit — even though he wasn’t part of the crew that day — declaring, “I want to rape the flight deck,” The Sun reported. He then collapsed in front of his passengers on the plane traveling from London to Japan, where he was scheduled to pick…
Hyatt’s Spring Promotion: 3000 Points Every 3 Nights
Loyalty Lobby speculated on Hyatt’s promotion yesterday but I’ve gotten it confirmed: Hyatt Gold Passport’s spring promotion will be 3000 points every 3 nights, up to a maximum of 45,000 points, between March 1 and May 31. In addition to earlier speculation, Hyatt Visa cardholders will earn an additional 20% bonus on top of that (meaning each set of 3 nights will earn them 3600 bonus points). Registration for the promotion will begin February 15. The link for this is not yet available. Club Carlson is offering triple points. Starwood is giving 2000 points every four nights. Hilton is double points or miles. I’d say that Marriott’s MegaBonus which offers a free night after two stays (capped at category 4) is probably the richest current promotion, with Hyatt’s second. Although for my purposes — I…
100% Bonus on Transferred Miles from AviancaTaca LifeMiles
In December I explained Why You Want to Get Started With the AviancaTaca LifeMiles Program Right Now. LifeMiles is one of the best programs in the Star Alliance. There are some frustrations, like inability to book flights in more than one class of service on an award. But they sell miles cheap, their award chart is reasonable, they offer one-way awards, and the website is decent. Plus there are no fuel surcharges. I consider the better non-U.S. programs a great hedge and refuge against the risks of revenue-based frequent flyer redemption changes. And the AviancaTaca LifeMiles program regularly offers 100% bonuses on purchased miles and then lets you effectively buy miles even cheaper with their cash ad points awards (where you need just 40% of the miles required for a given award ticket). Now, through…
More Business Class Seats — and a Better Seat — Coming to Tahiti
Tahiti is one of the toughest frequent flyer awards, largely because there’s just not a lot of air service there. From the mainland U.S. the only two options are Air Tahiti Nui (which offers daily service) and Air France (which offers thrice-weekly service). Hawaiian Airlines also serves Papeete from Honolulu once a week on Saturdays. It turns out that the best miles for getting to Tahiti are Delta’s, because they partner with both Air France and Air Tahiti Nui. American miles can be used for Air Tahiti Nui. Folks wanting to use United or US Airways miles will wind up having to fly all the way to Auckland (not an easy award to get in its own right!) and then from there to Papeete using Air New Zealand’s twice a week service. I was fortunate…
Double Points on Southwest Through May 15
Southwest is offering double points on all travel book and flown between today and May 15. Registration required. Travel booked prior to today will not earn double points regardless of when it’s flown. You’ll receive 24 points (instead of the standard 12 points) per dollar spent on Business Select® Fares, 20 points (instead of ten points) per dollar spent on Anytime Fares, and 12 points (instead of six points) per dollar spent on Wanna Get Away?® Fares. During the same promotion period and with the same registration they’re offering double tier qualifying points on every flight in and out of Milwaukee. (HT: Dallas Morning News Aviation Blog)
15% Discount on Las Vegas – London Awards with BA Avios
British Airways offers three times a week service between Las Vegas and London’s Gatwick airport (they offer daily service to Heathrow). The Gatwick route must not be doing well, because are offering a 15% discount on the points required to book this Vegas-Gatwick flight. The 15% discount is for bookings made by February 28th and travel through March 31st. All cabins are included in this offer though the flight does not have a first class. And because of high fuel surcharges I don’t find Avios redemption for economy to be worthwhile. Business class is where I would focus. This can be booked online or by phone (though phone bookings incur a fee). The discount applies to awards and not to upgrades. You can discount the mileage cost of a miles and money award, but the…
Quickest Paths to Star Alliance Gold Status
Star Alliance has a new video promoting the benefits of Gold status within the alliance. Gold is top tier within Star (there are only two tiers offered). Each member program has their own rules about how to get there. Benefits of Star Alliance Gold The biggest benefits of most frequent flyer programs are held for their own elite members. But Star Alliance Gold status generally gets you lounge access (although United and US Airways qualifying elites only get access to those airlines lounges when flying internationally), priority check-in, priority boarding, priority waitlisting, and also a free checked baggage allowance. Getting Star Gold via Status Match Turkish Airlines is one of the few non-U.S. programs that offers status matches where they will give you status based on status you already hold with another airline. They will…
