I recently stayed again at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables. I’ve written about the property here, here, and here. While ‘just’ a city Hyatt Regency the staff is friendly, the rooms large (or at least I always get nice enough complimentary upgrades), and Hyatt Diamond free breakfast can be taken through room service. It’s a good hotel for the price in a location I frequently seem to find myself. On my most recent visit I was paying out of pocket. Several area hotels were sold out. And rather than finding a sub-$150 rate, the hotel was getting ~ $289. Gulp. Fortunately Hyatt Gold Passport has added cash and points awards that accrue stay credit and count towards promotional bonuses. That meant, as a category 3 property, I’d be paying $75 and 6000 points for the…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for April 2014.
Are Priority Security Lines Unfair and Undemocratic?
Law Professor David Post gets a bit unhinged over airport priority security lines. (Line breaks added for readaibility.) Traveling down here from DC, I had my usual angry reaction, when standing on the TSA security checkpoint line at Reagan-National airport, at what has become the norm: special treatment for First Class and other “priority” travelers. You don’t have to be an Occupy Wall Street-er to find this entirely outrageous. I get it that money can buy many things, and that that’s not an inherently bad thing – but one thing it should not be able to buy is improved government service. We have a word for that: ”bribery.” If passengers could pass $100 bill to the TSA agent on duty in order to get moved to the fast lane, we’d all condemn that heartily. Why…
Aircraft Blankets: Clean or Not? (aka “What’s Grosser Than Gross?”)
The following question about aircraft blankets was tweeted at me a few days ago: So I asked American Airlines what their procedure is. Here’s what they said: We have verified that AA does not ever fold a blanket, and we do not ever place used blankets or pillows back into a sealed wrapper. We have procedures to replace these used items with fresh ones throughout our system and throughout the course of an aircraft’s flying day. For example, here at DFW such used items are pulled from an aircraft by our contractors and sent to an industrial cleaning facility in South Arlington. They in turn launder these, seal and re-supply our inventory. This is all contractual and there is oversight to ensure procedures are adhered to. (Emphasis mine.) It’s a disgusting story. And we all…
40,000 US Airways Miles for $89 And How Long You Have Time to Act
There have been so many offers for the US Airways MasterCard, each slightly different, and often disappearing that I realize I’ve made some mistakes in my recommendations. I’ve pointed some readers to a 35,000 mile signup bonus after first purchase with $89 annual fee. But I realized this morning while writing about getting priority boarding on US Airways that there’s an offer for 40,000 miles after first purchase with that same $89 annual fee. It’s the best offer for the card that I know of. The card is marketing as ‘up to 50,000 bonus miles’ but 40,000 come after first purchase, the other 10,000 are generated by a costly balance transfer that you don’t want to take advantage of. I think this card is a great idea. There’s likely only about a year left to…
The Most Important Tip to Improve Your Rental Car Experience
This is so simple I’m almost embarrassed to lead with it, but it’s really important: Join a rental car company’s frequent renter program. I’m not going to tell you that it will get you Porsches or Lamborghinis. It will get you out of the lot faster. And it will help ensure you actually have a vehicle. You won’t have paperwork to do There will likely be a car pre-assigned to you, certainly ahead of those that aren’t part of the program I’m so spoiled by this, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to rent without a frequent renter number attached. I’ve rented mostly from Avis for years, and more recently from National. That means getting in a car and driving away, stopping only to verify your license (or, frustratingly with National, your credit card each time…
8 Things a United Elite Can Do Now That US Airways Is No Longer a Partner
A well-known DC-based reader asks what to do when flying US Airways now that his lifetime United status won’t get him elite privileges. My wife and I are United Premier Gold (for life via my [Million-miler status]) but we frequently fly from DCA to Sarasota on US Airways. She by herself more than I. Now that USAirways is no longer Star Alliance, we have lost our early boarding privileges, which are so valuable to avoid [gate] checking bags… Is there a credit card option that enhances boarding for her, me and us together when used to buy tickets? Any other ways to gain earlier boarding? (We are both Global Entry so we don’t need any privileges for security.) My recommendation is for you each to separately sign up for a US Airways MasterCard, the bonus…
United Gives Free Checked Bags Again to Star Alliance Silver Members
United used to give Star Alliance elite members really outstanding treatment — including economy plus seating for Gold members and a generous checked baggage allowance for Golds and Silvers. Long after economy plus extra legroom seating went away, Star Alliance Silver members lost their second free checked bag in March 2011. Star Alliance Gold members were reduced from 3 checked bags to 1, and down from 70 pounds each to 50 in October 2013. At the same time Star Alliance silver members had free checked bags taken away from them entirely Now the United baggage fee details page has been updated to show once again that Star Alliance Silver members — frequent flyers with the lowest-tier status level of their airline alliance partners — will get a free checked bag when flying United. Oddly, then,…
10% Off Virgin America Flights – Book Today Only
Book today and discount code MAY10 takes 10% off all non-refundable fares (including their various classes of service) for travel every day except Sunday between April 29 and May 21.
W Union Square New York: Good Enough for the Neighborhood
I do realize that lukewarm titles are the worst thing you can do when writing a blog. But that’s more or less the way I come away feeling after a one night stay at the W Union Square. It was a very serviceable hotel, generally clean and comfortable, and the staff were friendly. The room wasn’t cheap but it wasn’t outrageous by New York standards either, and it was very convenient for where I wanted to be that evening. In similar circumstances, I would return. New York City hotels are priced pretty high, though there are some reasonably decent hotels that can represent a good value. I love the Andaz 5th Avenue, of course. Since the last thing I was doing Wednesday night was the Amex Everyday launch party and I had a morning flight…
What’s Wrong With The Supreme Court Limiting Your Ability to Sue a Frequent Flyer Program?
The Supreme Court ruled this week that complaints against frequent flyer programs, that seek to impose an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing when pursued in state courts, are pre-empted by the Airline Deregulation Act. You can’t just sue a frequent flyer program and say that terms like an airline’s ability to deliver – or not deliver – benefits at its discretion isn’t reasonable. I won’t express an opinion on whether a state’s implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is an additional requirement imposed on contracts, or a frame with which to understand what contracts say. Nor will I express an opinion on what it would mean to pursue in state courts remedies only permitted under federal law rather than state law. I am not an attorney, let alone a specialist…
