Aug
10
2015
I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Starwood Combines Two Hotels in One, Plus a Strange British Airways Avios Promotion
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for August 2015.
The Future of Frequent Flyer Programs: No More Credit Card Rewards But We’ll Use Our Points to Go to Mars
Aug
10
2015
Although I won’t make any claims about what the future of space travel will look like (I’ll leave that to @BoredElonMusk) there will absolutely be loyalty programs in the future in substantially the form that we have now.
The fundamentals of any system that encourages repeat business are precisely the core tenets of frequent flyer programs: recognize and reward (elite programs and rebates).
Credit cards will be less important for rewards in the future, because new technology will reduce the margins for processing payments (so banks won’t pay to incentivize transactions). But we’ll definitely be using miles for space travel!
Which Hotel Chain Gives You the Most Bang for Your Buck?
Aug
09
2015
Most of my analysis focuses on the hotel programs which deliver the best high end experiences. But what about someone looking to stretch their points — which hotel chain has the best bang for the buck at low and mid-priced hotels… the kind of places you might spend a week at fewer points than you’d get from a credit card signup?
Answering the Frequent Flyer Questions That Are On Your Mind
Aug
09
2015
I recently asked for reader questions and I’m working through answering those.
Here I’ve decided to take 3 in a single post, rather than writing a standalone post for each. What’s the greatest risk to United miles? How do you book the best value award on Bora Bora? Should you credit Etihad flights to American AAdvantage?
Read on for answers!
Getting to French Polynesia Using Miles
Aug
09
2015
“Trying to figure out how to get from Cleveland OH to Moorea and Bora Bora using United (or Star Alliance) miles. Can you help? Thanks”
First Class Passengers Get First Dibs on Overhead Bins
Aug
09
2015
American Airlines frequently begins boarding prior to posted boarding time, so when I am going to need overhead space I’m not just boarding 30 minutes prior to departure… I’m showing up at the gate several minutes before that.
Last Tuesday, though, my flight was nearly completely boarded when it was more then 35 minutes prior to departure. I got on and found all of the first class overhead bins closed. A flight attendant opened one for me, directly above my seat. It was empty.
Jennifer Aniston Paid $5 Million to Endorse Emirates, Honeymoons on an Airbus A380?
Aug
09
2015
Jennifer Aniston is apparently being paid $5 million to endorse Emirates according to Page Six.
Delta’s Richard Anderson vows never to watch Friends re-runs again.
Of course as with all things aviation-related in non-specialized media, there’s a bit of misreporting…
Tinder for Pilots and Flight Attendants (“Don’t Waste Your Time in Transit”) and More!
Aug
09
2015
I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Oh, Hi Teens! TSA Here. We Have an App Listing All Sort of Forbidden Toys.
Aug
08
2015
A 12 year old boy’s toy grenade was found by the TSA last week at Jacksonville airport.
And since a toy hatchet was also found on a teenager last week in Orlando the TSA is reminding parents and teens not to bring ‘realistic’ looking toy weapons through the checkpoint.
Happy 50th Birthday to Singapore: the Most Underrated Highly Rated Destination
Aug
08
2015
I haven’t spent as much time in Singapore as I have in Hong Kong or Bangkok, although it’s probably getting to be close. So many people tell me that they think of Singapore as ‘just a stopover’ or as ‘Asia light’ and I think they completely miss the point.
