The New York Times is scared about airlines maybe, possibly, potentially kind of customizing airfare pricing displays in the future. Airlines could soon start offering customized fares to travelers based on how regularly they fly, where they live and the kind of trip they are taking. … For instance, an airline might offer a package that includes free checked baggage, an aisle seat and a 10 percent discount to frequent fliers. And customers would be able to compare competing bundles from different airlines. They also say customers will still have the option of shopping anonymously for basic fares if they choose not to provide any information about themselves. But this is scary because if the airlines know more about you they might think you’re willing to pay more, and present you with higher prices And…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for March 2013.
Bits ‘n Pieces for March 5, 2013
News and notes from around the interweb: Lucky runs down the new Virgin America-Singapore Airlines partnership. The best opportunity so far is for occasional Virgin America flyers to credit cheap tickets to Singapore, since Singapore awards points based on miles flown and Virgin America based on ticket cost. We don’t yet know what sort of award inventory Virgin America will have access to on Singapore, and the answer to that question could be useful (since Singapore gives their own members substantially more premium cabin availability than they give to Star Alliance partners). Executive Travel profiles me on the value of miles and how to make the most out of them. Loyalty Lobby highlights Accor’s 40% off Asia Pacific sale for stays from March 27 through June 30. USA Today realizes that Delta has the worst…
500 Free Virgin America Points
Like Virgin America on Facebook and enter to win 2 Singapore Airlines (coach) tickets and you’ll receive 500 Elevate points. They’re excited about the partnership they have with Singapore Airlines, and if that means they’re giving away free points I suppose I’m at least mildly enthursiastic, too. (HT: New Girl in the Air)
US Airways Purchased Miles Bonus for March Varies from 25% – 100%
You have to be logged in to see the bonus that you are offered. When I go to the purchase miles page I am asked to identify myself: This is in order to discern the offer they are targeting me for this month. It appears everyone will be offered a bonus of some sort — in amounts that vary, ranging from 25% to 100%. My own offer was: Lucky You! You’re eligible to receive 75% in bonus miles when you buy miles today! Hurry, this bonus offer ends March 31, 2013. A 100% bonus means you’re buying miles at 1.88 cents apiece, which I generally consider to be worthwhile if you have a specific award in mind to book. Find the availability in an international premium cabin, set up the award, and then buy the…
A New Plan to Save 80% of Amtrak – And Make it Kinda Sorta Almost Profitable
The Brookings Institution has a new study on Amtrak financing (.pdf) that’s (fortunately, for the less-wonkish) summarized in the Washington Post‘s WonkBlog. What Brookings found is not surprising. There are only two routes that do better than break even — New York – DC and New York – Boston — and even those only make money on an operating basis, they don’t cover their capital costs. Brookings finds that the operating profits (if the federal government subsidizes capital expenses) would cover the top 26 Amtrak routes (which carry 80% of passengers). They recommend having affected states cover the losses of other routes if they want those to survive. I’m not sure how it would no longer be a subsidy if the states are paying rather than the federal government, but the supposition is billion dollar…
Are Airlines Robbing from the Poor to Give to the Rich?
Over at Conde’ Nast’s Daily Traveler, Cranky Flier argues that profitable airlines make investments in product and the title of the post asks whether airline fees are starting to pay off for passengers — the idea is that fees helped make airlines profitable, so fees are driving a better flight experience. Hack My Trip contends therefore that coach passengers are subsidizing the premium cabins since it’s passengers in back paying ancillary fees while those up front get the better amenities. And then he talks himself into a headache making heads or tails of his own argument. Now we have a twisted circle where economy class passengers pay ancillary fees to subsidize amenities for first class passengers in order that first class fares remain competitive so that first class passengers will still buy tickets and subsidize…
Wyndham Comes Clean: Publishes List of Hotels Going Up in Price March 14th
On February 19 I wrote about the massive devaluation to the Wyndham Rewards chart that’s coming March 14. Some properties are going up in price by 87.5%. Equally bad was that Wyndham wasn’t telling us which hotels were changing categories, we were going to have to wait until that happened in order to find out. That, to me, is always the worst form for any program — major changes without advance notice. Now Wyndham has listened and responded to that critique, although I do not find two weeks’ notice to be anything close to sufficient. They’ve come to the comments on this blog (something they’ve done on occasion in the past as well), and shared a list of hotels going up in category (.pdf). I didn’t bother counting how many properties this is — when…
Terrorists Dancing on a Plane: How to Get an FAA Investigation Opened in 3 Easy Dance Steps
Mark Twain may or may not have said, Sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like its heaven on earth. Although it was certainly Nietzsche who said, “I would believe only in a God that knows how to dance.” And Martha & The Vandellas might have sung about “Dancing in the Streets.” But you’d better watch out dancing in the aisles of an aicraft. The FAA has opened an investigation of passengers dancing on a plane. The students – members of Colorado College’s club Frisbee team – made a video of the performance, and that’s what caught the attention of the FAA. “That was my Ultimate Frisbee team and a bunch of random people as well,” 21-year-old senior team captain Dan Eppstein tells the Los…
300 Free La Quinta Points
Through April 15 you can watch La Quinta’s video about California, Florida or Texas and earn 300 points. The videos are about 20 seconds long. Then you’ll be asked whether your trip is for business or pleasure, where in the state you are interested in, and whether kids will be along. That decision tree generates a longer 3-minute video to watch. Finishing that video takes you directly to this page where you submit your information to receive credit. (HT: WideOpenSpaces on Milepoint)
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