Here I review Etihad’s new business class lounge (with temporary first class section) in Abu Dhabi International Airport’s terminal 3. Previous installments: Introduction, overview, and costs Star Alliance first class and business class lounges, LAX Etihad First Class, Los Angles – Abu Dhabi.. the 3rd Longest Flight in the World! Premier Inn, Abu Dhabi International Airport In the morning, after leaving the Premier Inn across the street from the airport, we found our way to the terminal via the outside rather than underground walkway. It’s a bit quicker, you cross the street instead of winding around the underground passageways. I was pleased to be leaving from the newer terminal 3 today (there’s a departures board outside the hotel lobby). Not only that I’d be having an aircraft with lie flat business class for the four…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for March 2015.
Will Chicago rename an airport for President Obama?
Rahm Emanuel now denies it. The topic came up as the mayor fielded a question on why he quickly proposed, then abandoned efforts to name a new North Side high school after Obama and the South Side’s Stony Island Parkway after the late Arthur Brazier, a revered African-American civic leader who founded the Woodlawn Organization and was pastor of the Apostolic Church of God for 48 years. …The mayor gave his answer in acknowledging he erred in seeking to name a North Side high school after the president, when Obama got his start in politics on the South Side. “Look, I made a mistake, and I was quick to change it. I’m not perfect. When I make a mistake, I hear it and change it,” Emanuel said. “And I don’t have a problem saying that.…
How to Make Money Booking Award Tickets for People
Reader J. Clifton asked, What is a good way for someone to get into award booking? After getting involved in this hobby, I’ve thought it might be a fun way to earn some extra money. I’m a big fan of developing multiple income streams, don’t quit your day job but trading idle time for a side business can really make a difference at the margin. And one way to know what skills you have that could be marketable is to ask what questions are people always asking you, or things they’re asking you for help with? If one of those things is how to use their miles and points, you may have a market. Do go in knowing though that: It’s actually harder than you’d think with all the possible problems you can encounter There’s…
How American’s Account Merging With US Airways Helps With Lifetime Elite Status
My US Airways miles have been combined into my American AAdvantage account. They started with Dividend Miles members who did not have an AAdvantage account Then transitioned members who had matched their AAdvantage and Dividend Miles accounts. They continue with those who may have had accounts in both programs but didn’t link their accounts. The data combination will continue for a few days, with sweeps to ensure completion and some upgrades still to post. With this progress made, bobbieddie asks, Gary – I just received my summary from AA re: the transfer and for the first time saw that I have 997,516 in my million mile balance account. I’ve never paid attention to this or even thought about it. Can you give me the highlights of attaining 1M miles status, benefits going forward, and where…
Stackable Hotel Discounts for Big Savings, Award Space to Europe for the Whole Family, and BigCrumbs Back to Life!
News and notes from around the interweb: Stackable promotion codes for booking hotels at a discount. These make TravelPony useful again. Amazing award availability using Star Alliance miles (United, Aeroplan, etc) for business class seats on Turkish Airlines and Swiss from Montreal and Toronto this coming November through January. The BigCrumbs cash back shopping portal is now MainStreetSHARES. Instead of straight cash back, your online shopping earns a share of company revenue, and your shares get you a piece of any payout if the company is acquired. (HT: Free Frequent Flyer Miles) How to protect yourself from hacks like the British Airways one. “It’s a major cost to the programs themselves. Members are always made whole and do not lose their points once the problem is identified,” says Gary Leff, co-founder of online frequent flier…
BOOKMARK THIS POST: Here’s a Link That Still Works for the 50,000 Mile Bonus US Airways Credit Card
A few days ago I explained the wind down schedule for the US Airways credit card, with the Dividend Miles program being folded into American AAdvantage. Barclays was only able to issue new cards for the Dividend Miles program. Existing cardmembers get to keep their cards and are transitioned into Barclays-issued American AAdvantage cards. But new AAdvantage personal credit cards can only be issued by Citibank. But just because Dividend Miles is over as a program, doesn’t mean that the US Airways credit card application links are gone. They’re only ‘mostly gone’. Most US Airways links are dead. In my earlier post I explained that ‘remind later’ feature on the application would generate a link that would still allow applications for 30 days. This link still works at least as of this writing. I would…
American’s New Upgrade Process is Working… Almost. Here’s What You Need to Know.
American is making some changes to its upgrade processes along with the merging of Dividend Miles into AAdvantage for a single frequent flyer program. Complimentary upgrades for all elites on flights of 500 miles or less (instead of requiring 500 mile upgrade certificates for all domestic upgrades, with complimentary upgrades only for top tier elites) No more ‘grace’ of 51 miles for 500 mile upgrade certificates — a 501 mile flight requires (2) 500 mile upgrade certificates. Auto-requesting of upgrades, the default it to auto-request an upgrade where it’s complimentary instead of having to proactively opt-in Per Traveling Better there are some glitches to this process that are being worked on. Elite ‘AAirpass’ (prepaid travel) members traveling with a companion cannot have upgrades requested online, and have to contact American to make their upgrade request.…
The Strange Reason American Now Requires You to Enter Your Last Name at Login
Now that US Airways Dividend Miles is being combined into American AAdvantage, the American website login process requires you to enter your frequent flyer number and password.. and last name. You can log into the American or US Airways sites with either your Dividend Miles or AAdvantage account number. If you were a Dividend Miles member and not an AAdvantage number you may not even know your new American Airlines frequent flyer number yet. Here’s why they need to know your last name.
The Weakest Credit Card Signup Bonus in History, 100 Free Miles, and How the TSA Knows You’re a Terrorist
News and notes from around the interweb: New Rocketmiles first time customer offer earn a minimum of 10,000 miles on a stay of 5 or more nights booked by March 29. Credit card signup bonus: A 2-liter bottle of soda The TSA’s checklist for Behavior Detection — my objections to the screening process mean I’m a possible terrorist. How Allegiant cuts costs. Employees fly standby even on company business — “if he is going to go meet with bankers” — which strikes me as just stupid (if really accurate). 100 free Aeroplan points — reset those expiration dates on Aeroplan accounts!
Ways to Maximize Your Miles Without Credit Cards
Reader WR asked for “[w]ays to maximize miles *without* use of credit cards.” I’ll take the question to mean, what are the best ways to earn miles without signing up for credit cards, or using credit cards as the means of earning miles (through bonus categories, or heavy spend – manufactured or not). I’ll allow that credit cards can be used as a payment mechanism for activities you’d do otherwise. There have been plenty of great opportunities over time. I’ll never forget earning 20,000 Delta miles for a Bosley hair restoration consultation (I had more hair back then). I used to benefit mightily from United’s GroceryMiles program with Safeway. And then there was dumpster diving. But there are lots of ways to earn miles today:
