Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for May 2015.

Repeatable Bonus for Alaska Airlines Visa With $100 Statement Credit is Back

by Gary Leff

May 10 2015

The Alaska Airlines Visa is my favorite Bank of America credit card. And an offer that many thought was dead is still around if you know where to look. That’s true despite only having a 25,000 mile signup bonus most of the time. (They did once have a 50,000 mile offer and they’ve also done 40,000 mile offers but most often 25,000 miles is best.) Until recently there was a 25,000 mile signup bonus that also came with a $100 statement credit when you spent $1000 on the card within 3 months. That statement credit more than covers the card’s $75 fee. The fee isn’t waived the first year. On the other hand though, the personal card’s signup bonus often posts before your card even arrives in the mail – no purchase necessary (the business…

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DOT Will No Longer Make Airlines Honor Mistake Fares

by Gary Leff

May 10 2015

The DOT has unilaterally decided to ignore its published rules, and has provided guidance that it will no longer make airlines honor mistake fares — as long as airlines make consumers whole for costs they incur in reliance on those fares.

That’s a bad approach, ripe for potentially even more abuse than the requirement that airlines honor their fares. Here’s how consumers will take advantage of the rule, and other problems with the DOT guidance. And here’s why the DOT may change its mind again any day now…

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New York Shouldn’t Close LaGuardia Airport

by Gary Leff

May 09 2015

I’ve argued that the New York LaGuardia Central Terminal replacement won’t happen anywhere close to on schedule. There’s little question in my mind that the project will be a boondoggle.

Indeed, a week ago the project suffered another delay.

But that doesn’t mean, as an op ed in today’s New York Times suggests, that LaGuardia ought to be shuttered and air traffic sent farther outside the metropolitan area.

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The American Airlines Boeing 787. Here’s What It’s Like in Economy.

by Gary Leff

May 09 2015

Most people flying American’s new Boeing 787 aren’t going to be enjoying the flat bed business class seats with all aisle access.

Most passengers are going to be flying in American Airlines 787 economy. In fact, for the inaugural Dallas – Chicago flight on the aircraft I flew in coach myself. I flew up front for the return, Chicago – Dallas. That way, I could experience both and compare.

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Fuel Surcharges Aren’t As Bad As You Think. Here’s Why You Should Consider Paying Them.

by Gary Leff

May 09 2015

Readers naturally are wary of fuel surcharges, and I absolutely hate them. But you should be educated about how much they are for different destinations before dismissing them out of hand — some programs that add fuel surcharges also charge much fewer miles. It’s worth learning the sweet spots where fuel surcharges can be well worth the savings in miles.

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Actor Jeremy Piven Shows Us Why Long Tarmac Delays are Still a Problem – and Why They Aren’t the Airlines’ Fault

by Gary Leff

May 09 2015

We blame the airlines for long tarmac delays, when most of the time the drivers are bad weather and airport constraints or government constraints like security or immigration. Entourage’s Jeremy Piven flew British Airways from London, headed for New York JFK, but his flight was diverted due to weather to Philadelphia. He was on BA183, the 8:05pm departure from London, scheduled into New York at 10:45pm. They wouldn’t let passengers off the plane when it landed in Philadelphia because immigration facilities were closed. He shared the ordeal on Twitter. Surely forcing passengers to wait until the next morning for immigration to arrive is the wrong answer. And surely that’s not BA’s fault, either. The government will fine airlines for long tarmac delays, but airports need to be part of the solution and immigration and customs…

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