When you buy tickets from an airline, or check-in online or at a kiosk, you may be asked whether you’d like to buy additional frequent flyer miles … usually some multiple of the number of miles you’ll be flying. This may go under the moniker, mileage maximizer. Since the offer is based on what you’re going to fly, at the time you’re a passenger, it’s natural to think you’re being offered some sort of limited-time ‘deal’. Usually you’re being charged ‘full price’ for the miles, some amount hovering around 3 cents apiece depending on airline. Sitting on hold for the Executive Platinum line at American just now I was told by the recording to ask the agent about Mileage Maximizer. I could buy miles for award tickets or upgrades. Never mind that my American and…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for November 2014.
Airline Change Fees Blamed for Spread of Ebola
Christopher Elliott suggests that airline change fee policies could contribute to an Ebola outbreak. No, really. The idea is that a passenger with Ebola might choose to fly because they can’t cancel without penalty. They’ll risk infecting others over their $200 airline change fee. He suggests the government needs to do something. [U]nless Ebola is contained quickly, it seems the travel industry’s cancellation rules, which themselves are slow to change, could collide with an infected customer’s aversion to losing a ticket credit. This may be the right time for the government to take a more active role to ensure Ebola isn’t spread by travel via air, land or sea because of shortsighted corporate policies. I am generally not a fan of buying trip interruption and cancellation insurance (a position I have held for quite some…
Travel Tip of the Week: Avoid Amateur Day at All Costs
Baseball Hall of Famer Wee Willie Keeler is possibly best known for his advice to batters, “hit ’em where they ain’t.” If he wasn’t one of the best hitters of all time, and likely the creator of the hit and run — and of course if he had been active a hundred years later — that advice could have made him a travel writer. Coming up on the holiday season we’re approaching peak amateur days. Among those peak days: The Wednesday before Thanksgiving The Sunday and the Monday after Thanksgiving December 23 (the business day before Christmas) December 28 (the Sunday after Christmas) I’ve made a habit of leaving the country rather than traveling domestically at these peak times. A couple of times in recent years I’ve gone to India in November (I like having…
You Can Get a First Class Upgrade Almost Every Time, Even If You Don’t Have Top Elite Status
Earlier this week I requalified for American’s 100,000 mile flyer status, Executive Platinum. As a top tier elite I usually get my first class upgrade, even on tough routes and flights. Although even as an Executive Platinum I know that there are still tough upgrades out there. For instance, I’ve been number 14 on the upgrade list when the door closed on American’s Washington National – Dallas flight at 5:30pm on Thursday. So if I care about a first class upgrade, I still have to be a little bit strategic. But once you start thinking strategically you realize you don’t have to be a 100,000 mile flyer to get a first class upgrade on domestic flights — even most of the time — provide you have a little bit of flexibility or are willing to…
Transatlantic Business Class for Just 20,000 Miles
Both Head for Points and Loyalty Lobby are writing about the Iberia award redemption sale. You care about an Iberia sale because: Iberia is an American Express Membership Rewards transfer partner. If you have an Iberia account that’s been open three months and has earned even 1 point, you can transfer British Airways Avios into Iberia. In some ways it’s not surprising to see this sale, since British Airways is having one. And I rather dissed that one. But what’s more interesting about the Iberia sale is: Iberia adds lower fuel surcharges to Iberia flights than British Airways does. There are even some routes in business class available Book by November 15 for travel between December 1 and January 31. With this sale, Madrid-Chicago is just 20,000 miles one-way in business tax. Expect taxes and…
How to Find Award Space and 20% Off December Flights
News and notes from around the interweb: The ANA website has been indispensable as a place to search for award space on Star Alliance partners. It’s had partner space the longest, and has generally been the most accurate. Four and a half years ago they clamped down on folks without any ANA miles using it to search space to put together awards. But there’s a simple workaround. Here’s a walkthrough of the workaround with graphics and arrows. This weekend only: 20% off Virgin America flights between December 3 and December 16. The rebirth of Peoplexpress was a very bad idea, and the airline shut down. How many tax dollars went to subsidizing it? Hardly the biggest waste ever — Midway Airlines had shut down before 9-11, but all airlines got federal payouts based on their…
No More Online Trading to Generate Miles, Website Tells Us Who Killed the Deal
The Forward Cabin flags that Loyal3 will stop accepting credit cards for stock purchases on November 18. Loyal3, the brokerage that’s handling Virgin America elite frequent flyers’ purchase of IPO shares, is best known in the travel community as the online brokerage that let you buy stocks with a credit card. As I noted back in March, I wasn’t big on the approach. Loyal3 doesn’t execute orders in real-time, so you aren’t buying at market at the time you initiate your order. They batch orders instead. I prefer to be the one doing the gaming, and that creates even more opportunity to be gamed. There’s price fluctuation risk, you couldn’t just buy and sell in real-time at the same price. So while you could buy and sell the asset, there’s risk, not how I like…
Boeing 737 Hits a Stray Buffalo on Takeoff, Everyone Except the Buffalo is Safe
A SpiceJet Boeing 737-800 hit a buffalo on takeoff from Surat enroute to Delhi. All 146 passengers and crew were safe, although the 737’s engine sustained damage. SpiceJet went to Twitter to explain, It happens to the best of ’em, like in September 1973 when a National Airlines 727 hit an alligator on landing at Tampa. 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 out!
Here’s the News You Missed.. But Wish You Hadn’t
News and notes from around the interweb: Robots Will Enable Pilots To Avoid Starting Engines Until Right Before Takeoff Berliners fly from metal shed while waiting for airport Reno airport is getting Guadalajara service and season London flights. The press release says that London service “is contingent upon US Customs and Border Protection approval of landing rights.” Of course, CBP doesn’t approve ‘landing rights’ – they have to agree to staff the arrivals facility. And you can’t make ’em do it. Air Armenia has suspended operations.. until December 20th. They blame the Russians, for cutting off air navigation service in Russia. Because the airline doesn’t pay its bills. Don’t like the idea of making an investment in the Virgin American IPO? Consider a strategic stake in Vietnam Airlines instead. The joint venture between Nok Air…
Should You Use a Credit Card to Earn Miles When You Pay Taxes?
Reader Gail asks, I have a lot of taxes to pay – which credit card do you recommend, if any? I pay taxes using my Suntrust Delta debit card… less than $3 for the payment, earns 1 Delta mile per dollar. Sadly that’s no longer available. You can still get an American debit card that earns 1 mile per 2 dollars and gets the low debit card fee. However they won’t process large charges the way Suntrust will with its $35,000 per day transaction limit. Credit cards, though, are too expensive to process to make paying with those worth it for the miles, but it can be worth it as a way to meet minimum spend for a big credit card signup bonus. You’ll pay at least 1.87% of your tax bill as a fee…
