Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for April 2015.

Google Flights WIll Let You Ask Them Anything

by Gary Leff

Apr 12 2015

The Google Flights team is hosting a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Thursday, April 16 at 12:00pm – 3:00pm Pacific. Google’s Most Useful Flight Search Technology The flight search piece of technology behind Google Flights is the ITA matrix, which they acquired four years ago. The nice thing about ITA’s consumer website – where you cannot actually buy tickets – is that it allows you powerful search tools. For instance, You can specify what city or cities to connect in. You can specify what airlines or even specific flights to fly (i.e. it will search all options between New York and Bangkok that include American’s Dallas – Hong Kong flight). You can do one-way, roundtrip, or multi-city search. You can search specific dates, a range of dates, or a month-long calendar search. You can…

Continue Reading »

Woke Up to a Hobbled Star Alliance Award Search Tool? Here’s What You Can Do.

by Gary Leff

Apr 12 2015

Star Alliance airline ANA just changed to a new reservation system. That’s a big deal because their website has been the most reliable way to search award space on all of the Star Alliance airlines.

Right now the site seems to be hobbled in its features and the flights it is showing. Hopefully just teething pains, but here are your options in the meantime.

Continue Reading »

Location and Opening of Centurion Studio in Seattle Revealed

by Gary Leff

outside lounge
Apr 12 2015

We now know when to expect the opening of American Express’ Seattle lounge, and where it will be. The Seattle lounge ‘studio’ will be coming in August or September, by gate B3, accessible to passengers of all airlines past security.

The lounge represents a departure from those that American Express has opened to date, smaller and with fewer amenities. Here’s what that departure means, and what comes next.

Continue Reading »

Let’s All Pity Our Neighbors in Europe as Their Rewards Cards Go Down the Drain

by Gary Leff

credit cards
Apr 11 2015

The EU adopted new rules limiting interchange fees, or the prices that payment networks can charge, for credit and debit cards.

I asked, are credit cards about to be killed off in Europe? The economics of credit cards as we know them are predicated on fees that go to the payment networks and banks in exchange for processing transactions.

Miles from Blighty pointed out today that Capital One has stopped issuing some rewards cards and is informing existing customers that their cards will receive less in the future….

Continue Reading »

The US Gov’t Finds Its True Role, JohnnyJet Finds Heaven, and a Trick If You Haven’t Combined American/US Airways Accounts

by Gary Leff

Apr 11 2015

News and notes from around the interweb: JohnnyJet visited Amanyara and Amangani. I’ve never taken a comped hotel stay, but I’ve never been offered one by an Aman resort, either. DOT, Commerce Department, and State Department will set up a website to hear US airlines’ hypocritical argument that the big Gulf carriers are too subsidized and shouldn’t be granted access to US markets. Because the US government should be taking steps to increase airfares, limit schedules, and depress service. The docket numbers, if you want to file anything at Regulation.gov, are: DOT-OST-2015-0082 (DOT) DOS-2015-0016 (State) DOC-2015-0001 (Commerce) Scoot, the low cost carrier owned by Singapore Airlines, is trolling Spirit Airlines for stealing their corporate branding. What it’s like to visit New York using a 1990s guide book. (HT: Marginal Revolution) If you haven’t already combined…

Continue Reading »

So Close and Yet So Far: A Currently-Available Mistake Fare I Can’t Quite Buy

by Gary Leff

Apr 11 2015

Hipmunk is mispricing tickets on Emirates. As reader David H and another reader who asked to be anonymous mentioned to me today, you can pull up all sorts of itineraries using Hipmunk – in business and first class, all over the world – that look like the best deal you’ve ever seen. Search for New York JFK – Nairobi (via Dubai) and you come up with $115 roundtrip itineraries. Change to business class and it promises prices of just $831. That’s cheaper than even a good deal in coach. Unfortunately when you click through from Hipmunk to the Emirates website to make the booking, you’re presented with the ‘real’ price. So when you ask for an itinerary like: And you’re presented with all options running just $3.68 roundtrip (!)… .. it turns out to be…

Continue Reading »

US Airlines Really Could Provide Better Service With The Tools They Have. Here’s a Start:

by Gary Leff

Apr 11 2015

A look at the inflight service standards from airlines around the world gives us a sense of things that can be done during a flight — that do not cost an airline anything at all — to make passengers feel more comfortable, more valued, and even… welcome.

US airlines have the tools to do these things, with simple standards. They just need to make it a priority.

Continue Reading »

Lightning Strike Leaves Hole in Nose of Plane, Flight Continues 8 Hours Anyway!

by Gary Leff

Apr 10 2015

An flight from Reykjavik to Denver was struck by lightning. It was only on arrival in Denver that anyone realized there was a gaping hole in the nose. Icelandair flight 671 was responding normally and there was apparently no indication of a need to divert. Lightning strikes aren’t uncommon, and planes are built to withstand them, though seeing the actual damage is striking. A little speed tape and should be good as new..

Continue Reading »