News and notes from around the interweb: Check out my Fly and Dine interview (and a giveaway!) You can get a free $35 credit plus 10% off using discount code PONYPOINTS10 through the end of March with hotel discount site TravelPony. $45 free for first-time Uber users is still available. People are successfully getting more than one Citi Executive / AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard with 100,000 mile signup bonus. Club Carlson is offering up to 25,000 bonus points for stays through May 31 at 45 participating Radisson Blu hotels in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. New Skyteam member Garuda Indonesia is relaunching their ‘Garuda Frequent Flyer’ program as ‘Garuda Miles’ with a new top tier Diamond level, online redemption, and possibly for future consideration consideration… revenue-based points-earning. Currently you…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for March 2014.
Vietnam, Cambodia, Macau and Hong Kong Trip Report: Vietnam Airlines Business Class, Ho Chi Minh City – Danang
Index: Introduction, Positioning Flight to New York, and the Hilton JFK British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK Cathay Pacific First Class, New York JFK – Hong Kong The Pier First Class Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Ho Chi Minh City Park Hyatt Saigon Lunch at Pho Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Airlines Business Class, Ho Chi Minh City – Danang Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa Vietnam Airlines Economy, Danang – Siem Reap Park Hyatt Siem Reap Angkor Wat and Other Temples Dragonair Business Class, Siem Reap – Hong Kong Turbojet, Hong Kong Airport – Macau and the Sheraton Macao Hotel The Venetian, Fernando’s, and the Ferry to Hong Kong Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Harbor View Suite Bo Innovation, Hong Kong Amber Restaurant, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific The…
Air France New Business Class Nearly Ready to Deploy
The old Air France business class product is legions behind its competitors. It’s similar to American’s old, angled business class that they’re in the process of doing away with. So it’s about time they do away with it. And they are going to start to do that partially between June 2014 and summer 2016. It’s very similar to the Cathay Pacific seat. .. and the new American seat (on their 777-300ER). Similar seats can also be found on EVA Airways’ 777-300ER and on Delta transpacific flights. I’d rate it more highly than the British Airways seat — BA pioneered fully flat across the Atlantic — as well as the Air Canada, new Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic seats. The problem is this, though: so far it’s only be put into about 2/3rds of the…
I Was Such a Novice Traveler Then, And There’s Still So Much I Don’t Know
I was a frequent traveler growing up. My parents were divorced. I lived in New York and my father in California and I flew back and forth regularly, first as an unaccompanied minor and later without that supervision. As a young child I remember wearing a tie when I flew. As a teenager I flew to Australia — on American Airlines, with a stop in Honolulu — on my own. So I like to think of myself as developing a taste for travel, and an expertise, at a young age. And yet… I was so helpless in so many ways. After I graduated college I moved to the Washington, DC area. By that time ‘home’ was California, and for my first trip back I certainly worked hard to find good airfare… a $300 fare, rather…
Have Elite Status With United, American, or Another Airline? Here’s How You Can Get Elite Benefits With Delta, Too
Points to be Made says that China Airlines – a member of Skyteam and thus partner of Delta – is offering status matches. As usual, you will need to provide details of the airline and programme you are matching from, your account number and a screenshot of your activity page. To initiate the process, send an email to ndfp@china-airlines.com who should match your status for one year.. China Airlines’ Emerald status, that they appear to be matching to at least for Star Alliance Gold members but presumably for oneworld Emeralds as well, is “Skyteam Elite Plus” which gets priority check-in, boarding, and baggage handling as well as lounge access when flying internationally. (Unlike top tier status with oneworld or Star Alliance with an airline outside the U.S., you do not get lounge access on a…
Vietnam, Cambodia, Macau and Hong Kong Trip Report: Lunch at Pho Hoa
Index: Introduction, Positioning Flight to New York, and the Hilton JFK British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK Cathay Pacific First Class, New York JFK – Hong Kong The Pier First Class Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Ho Chi Minh City Park Hyatt Saigon Lunch at Pho Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Airlines Business Class, Ho Chi Minh City – Danang Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa Vietnam Airlines Economy, Danang – Siem Reap Park Hyatt Siem Reap Angkor Wat and Other Temples Dragonair Business Class, Siem Reap – Hong Kong Turbojet, Hong Kong Airport – Macau and the Sheraton Macao Hotel The Venetian, Fernando’s, and the Ferry to Hong Kong Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Harbor View Suite Bo Innovation, Hong Kong Amber Restaurant, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific The…
Vietnam, Cambodia, Macau and Hong Kong Trip Report: Park Hyatt Saigon
Index: Introduction, Positioning Flight to New York, and the Hilton JFK British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK Cathay Pacific First Class, New York JFK – Hong Kong The Pier First Class Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Ho Chi Minh City Park Hyatt Saigon Lunch at Pho Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Airlines Business Class, Ho Chi Minh City – Danang Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa Vietnam Airlines Economy, Danang – Siem Reap Park Hyatt Siem Reap Angkor Wat and Other Temples Dragonair Business Class, Siem Reap – Hong Kong Turbojet, Hong Kong Airport – Macau and the Sheraton Macao Hotel The Venetian, Fernando’s, and the Ferry to Hong Kong Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Harbor View Suite Bo Innovation, Hong Kong Amber Restaurant, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific The…
Marriott Rewards Denies Any Plan to Gut the Program
Yesterday I linked to a rumor about supposed upcoming changes to Marriott Rewards. I emphasized that it was a rumor, I didn’t have direct knowledge but it was something posted by Loyalty Traveler. It was based on a posting in the Marriott Insiders online community. The gist was a new higher award redemption tier, increased point requirements across the board for all tiers, an end to automatic lounge access for Gold and Platinum members when not upgraded to an executive floor, and confirmed suite upgrades for Platinum Premier members in a new formalized top tier. Marriott Rewards has denied that these changes are pending. (HT: Matt in the comments.) There are no changes planned to Elite benefits. There is nothing hidden in these words – we have no devaluation of Elite benefits in the discussion,…
Why I’m Considering Buying US Airways Club Access — Even Though I Already Have Access (Hint: Just for Elite Qualifying Miles)
This morning Lucky wrote about an offer of 5000 elite qualifying miles for buying a US Airways club membership. 5,000 Preferred-qualifying miles: new & existing members* Earn 5,000 Preferred-qualifying miles when you buy or renew an annual membership by May 31, 2014. Enroll or renew online or call 800-828-8522 and use promo code NM500 for new memberships or CR500 for renewals. Here are the prices for club membership: I already have access to US Airways lounges and to American Airlines lounges. Through March 22, I can use my American Express Platinum card. I have British Airways Gold status, that will soon be downgraded. I’ve signed up for the Citi Executive card that comes with lounge access… and a 100,000 mile signup bonus. And if I didn’t already have club access, I could redeem Business ExtrAA…
Vietnam, Cambodia, Macau and Hong Kong Trip Report: The First Class Side of the Pier Lounge and Flat Seats Hong Kong – Ho Chi Minh City
Index: Introduction, Positioning Flight to New York, and the Hilton JFK British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK Cathay Pacific First Class, New York JFK – Hong Kong The Pier First Class Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Ho Chi Minh City Park Hyatt Saigon Lunch at Pho Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Airlines Business Class, Ho Chi Minh City – Danang Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa Vietnam Airlines Economy, Danang – Siem Reap Park Hyatt Siem Reap Angkor Wat and Other Temples Dragonair Business Class, Siem Reap – Hong Kong Turbojet, Hong Kong Airport – Macau and the Sheraton Macao Hotel The Venetian, Fernando’s, and the Ferry to Hong Kong Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Harbor View Suite Bo Innovation, Hong Kong Amber Restaurant, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific The…
