Monthly Archives

Dec 06 2015

Since the TSA doesn’t actually catch prohibited items going through security checkpoints with any regularity, there are worries that pushing people through PreCheck lanes that haven’t been pre-vetted is problematic. (Although these worries require you to believe that regular security is more likely to catch problems.)

So the TSA has scaled back ‘managed inclusion’ so that TSA employees no longer pick people out of line to send them through PreCheck. Instead, only TSA dogs (as interpreted by TSA employees) do so.

With fewer people going through PreCheck lanes, TSA has cut back their hours. But if PreCheck is closed, you’re not out of luck. Here’s what to do.

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Dec 05 2015

Wednesday’s Alaska Airlines Seattle – Santa Rosa flight landed on a deer. And passengers didn’t even know.

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Dec 05 2015

The single strangest policy of any frequent flyer program is being eliminated.

Some programs have expiring miles (for instance, miles earned today will expire in 3 years if unused). Other programs have expiring accounts (accounts will become inactive if there’s no earning or redemption within 18 or 36 months). In either case, activity in your account can extend the life of your miles or in the extreme only some of your miles will expire on a given date.

One airline has had a policy far more draconian than either of those things.

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Dec 05 2015

American Airlines announced on Twitter and on Facebook that they’ve joined Snapchat under the username AmericanAir.

While they’ve long provided customer service via social channels, American spokesperson Barbara DeLollis explains that they’ve “established a channel to learn and connect with our potential audience” rather than providing customer service on snapchat.

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Dec 05 2015

Hyatt Gold Passport has my absolute favorite hotel benefit: Diamond members get to confirm a suite at booking 4 times per year (up to 7 nights at a time). Instead of hoping for an upgrade close to arrival or at the check-in counter, you throw down one of your trump cards and your base-level room reservation confirms into a suite, provided that the hotel has base-level suites for sale.

There was a rumor about Hyatt changing the expiration rules on the upgrades given to Diamonds. The denial they issued elsewhere wasn’t especially convincing. So I got a more definitive statement.

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Dec 04 2015

Back in April British Airways was offering some phenomenal business class fares to Paris.

Fares that are almost as good are back! The new British Airways OpenSkies sale for New York – Paris stacks with the AARP discount and 10% co-brand Visa discount to get the price down to $1347 roundtrip… and even earn a 25,000 bonus mile transatlantic bonus if you travel by January!

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Dec 04 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.

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Dec 04 2015

Promotions giving out bonus miles for earning with a frequent flyer program’s partners used to be all the rage. Now, while most programs love the miles purchased by partners (more so than the miles earned by flying in many cases) they no longer bonus the activity as frequently — other than the occasional shopping portal bonus. And Delta in particular used to give out big bonuses but no longer seems to.

So it’s nice to see a partner earning bonus, and from Delta in particular, even if it’s a small one.

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Dec 04 2015

I explained ten years ago why points programs devalue. They’re private currencies without any binding constraints. The Supreme Court even limited your right to sue this year. Programs can do as they wish with impunity.

There’s tremendous value in frequent flyer programs but you should not save points now for some future day in which you might spend them.

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Dec 03 2015

Air India has started operating San Francisco – Delhi, and it’s almost one of the world’s longest flights.

The flight operates 3 days a week in each direction, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. And award availability is very good for 2 passengers. It’s wide open for two passengers in business class, and even in first class which is surprising because Air India usually only opens award space for 1 passenger in first.

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