Airlines have long been willing to give you status or at least an easier path towards status if you have already demonstrated value as a customer by earning status with a competitor. Since they want your business, they don’t want there to be barriers to getting it — like that you are treated well with your existing status but would have to start from scratch if you switched. What’s interesting though is that even in a changing world of what airlines view as being a valuable customer — both United and Delta have introduced revenue-based minimum spending requirements to earn elite status — there haven’t been similar changes in what it takes to be viewed as a valuable customer of someone else. Now granted, at least United is not doing this well since it cannot…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for July 2014.
Since Very Few People Read this Blog on Saturday Evening…
Since tonight it’s just the two of us, I thought I’d give away money.
Click Here for Cute Ponies. And a Panda. No, Really.
LAN flew 50 Argentine Polo Ponies from Miami to Madrid this past Sunday. The ponies were participating in the Polo Summer Season in Sotogrande, Spain, and the journey required specially equipped stalls and they were accompanied by four human minders. LAN of course does not normally fly this route, it was handled with a Boeing 777 Freighter. I didn’t realize LAN’s Cargo operation had this dedicated aircraft, and explains why the ponies weren’t flown on oneworld partner and Spain-based airline Iberia which services the route twice daily (American flies Miami – Madrid as well). Iberia, though, did provide the grand houndling in Madrid where the horses continued by truck. LAN Cargo’s Boeing 777F can handle up to 78 horses, and has carried giraffes, rhinoceros, elephants, dolphins and wallabies (oh my!). Of course ponies are nothin’…
Spirit Airlines Tries Not to Use the Bathroom in a Field
This Spirit Airlines crop ad, in a Kansas City field, isn’t a sign from extraterrestrials. It’s a guy holding himself and trying not to use the lavatory. Actually, no it’s not. It’s not this guy: It’s this one: It’s a part of Spirit’s “Bare Fare” campaign. They don’t give you free water. Or a standard size carry on bag (let alone free checked bag). They don’t give you a free boarding pass at the airport. This Spirit Airlines video form their ‘Bare Fares’ campaign tries to explain just how generous they are: They’re doing their best to distract you from the way their fares don’t include what other airline fares do with a woman in a bikini. The video asks, “Is anyone even reading this?” (Note: the FAA does require them to provide a seat,…
New Marriott Rewards Features, and Obama Cuts in Line for Food
Apparently Obama cut in line at Franklin Barbecue. Even Anthony Bourdain waited the three hours in line while taping his show. Owner Aaron Franklin says no one has ever cut in line before. The President could have avoided this political scandal by just attending a frequent flyer event there. Marriott introduceds SPG Moments Flash Perks (redeem points or cash for experiences) and Local Perks (experiences during hotel stays). Catch Me If You Can It seems that Mitt Romney flying coach is a thing. Up to 5000 Aeroplan reservations for each new Air Canada booking between Canada and the U.S., Europe, and Asia Study says standing-only airplanes could fit more passengers. Someone spent time on – and someone else presumably funded – that study. It won’t make this any more likely to happen, however. (HT: Alan…
Friday Open Thread: Come Discuss What’s On Your Mind
This is an open thread, I would love to hear what you’re thinking. What have your travels been like this week? What are you wondering, or what would you like to know? Booked any great awards? Frustrated with your airline or hotel program? How’s your team doing? The comments are yours to do with as you wish, please express yourself, and I may drop in here or there with answers or use your suggestions as a jumping-off point for posts. Hope you’re making it through the week! You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t miss…
Last Chance for Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Annual Bonus?
7% Annual Bonus Is No Longer Offered. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Last week I flagged that one of the really neat benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, a 7% annual bonus on points earned in the previous year, was no longer being listed on the Chase website. Chase confirmed the benefit was still in place. At the time I wrote that one of the things that makes points less valuable than cash is that you can earn a return (interest, investment gain) on cash but points have a tendency to lose value over time (award chart inflation). Chase’s solution to that, with its Sapphire Preferred Card, is the 7% annual bonus on all the points you earned in the previous year. The card has a great signup bonus — 40,000 points after $3000 spend…
Air India is Now a Star Alliance Member: Here’s What Awards Cost and Where to Find Seats
Air India has finally joined Star Alliance. Air India was invited to join Star Alliance in 2007. Joining an alliance generally takes about 2 years. Air India couldn’t get their service and IT systems in order to meet base level standards of the alliance, and their invitation was suspended in 2011. Star was backed into Air India as their only choice in this huge market. As Air India’s original application to join Star crumbled, the alliance began talks with Jet Airways to become India’s Star Alliance member. At the time the Indian government made clear that they wouldn’t permit Jet to join an alliance until Air India did. (Kingfisher was slated to join oneworld, which is led by American Airlines and British Airways, but went bankrupt before they could do so.) Air India award space…
The Dwindling Options for Earning Shopping Portal Points for Travel Bookings
Several readers have emailed over the past few days about Orbitz and Travelocity no longer being a part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards mall. I’ve written for years that one of the easiest passive ways to earn points is to go through a shopping portal to make purchases you’re going to make anyway. And over the past couple of years some of the best, most lucrative shopping portal offers have come through the Chase Ultimate Rewards mall. Plus, Chase points are among the most valuable (in my opinion along with American Express Membership Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints) because of the variety of programs you can transfer the points to. I especially liked that going through the Chase portal earned 2 points per dollar with Travelocity, on top of the points you’d earn paying…
What You Need to Know – About United, Silvercar, Expedia, Amtrak, and Alitalia
Important things others are saying, and my own minor notes: United outsourcing customer service to the DMV at 12 more airports. Actually, on second thought, this could be an improvement. And here is Cranky Flier on the mess that is United and how management is looking in all the wrong places for a fix. From my things not to do list: Up to a 50% bonus on purchased Alitalia miles this month. Sivercar, the all-Audi rental company which includes wifi, tolls (you pay only actual toll charges), and gas refills (for a flat $5 fee you pay market rate), is adding Denver in August. They’ve just added Miami and Phoenix on top of existing Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco locations. See How I Made $12 on My Audi Car Rental, and How You…
