Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for December 2015.

Government Threatens Not to Accept Licenses from 9 States for Travel Next Year. And That’s Pathetic.

by Gary Leff

Dec 30 2015

The federal government has determined that some states are trying hard enough to comply with “REAL ID” drivers licenses. But it currently appears that 9 states and 3 territories will not have waivers from the law’s requirements as of January 10.

That does not mean residents of those states won’t be able to travel next year. It doesn’t even mean those drivers licenses won’t be valid at security checkpoints after that date — regardless of what happens politically, and it’s an election year.

But the federal government’s saber rattling on this issue is pathetic and a threat to freedom.

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ACT FAST: Plenty of Etihad First Apartment Award Space Open Abu Dhabi-New York JFK for 3 Passengers

by Gary Leff

Dec 29 2015

Back in May when Etihad announced that their Airbus A380 would be serving New York JFK – Abu Dhabi, award space was wide open.

For awhile Etihad stopped making award seats available on the New York JFK – Abu Dhabi route. It was still possible to secure awards London – Abu Dhabi and occasionally from Abu Dhabi to Australia. Recently they started releasing seats very close to departure (e.g. within a day of travel).

Now Etihad is releasing award space in advance again in first class on the A380 for Abu Dhabi-New York JFK. And when they do there’s as many as 3 seats available.

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American Releases Business and First Class Award Seats to Australia! (Even 4-6 Per Flight)

by Gary Leff

Dec 29 2015

Last week I wrote that American Lets Planes Go Out Mostly Empty Rather Than Letting Members Book Awards. Despite American’s new Los Angeles – Sydney flights going out mostly empty — 3/4ths empty in business class for instance, hours before flight — the airline wasn’t releasing any saver awards. Either day-of, or at any time over the course of the entire 331 day schedule. The premium cbains were going out full, occupied by nonrev travelers.

All of a sudden, with American’s revenue management folks back in the office, they’ve released some business and first class award space between now and the end of February, generally two seats per cabin per flight when available.

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Is TSA Refusing to Let Those With PreCheck Opt Out of Naked Imaging When Selected for Additional Screening?

by Gary Leff

Dec 29 2015

A week ago I reported that the TSA is taking away your right to opt out of naked imaging screening.

If you alarm inside the ‘advanced imaging’ device you get a thorough pat down. If you opt out, you go directly to that pat down. How requiring the imaging before the pat down is supposed to improve security (when TSA misses most things going through the checkpoint and the scanners are easy to foil by anyone trying anyway) makes no sense at all.

There’s been some speculation that –TSA only plans to deny opt outs to those on watch lists. But either by policy or practice, a reader reports a different experience.

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The Only Thing Consistent About Travel Loyalty Programs is Complexity. Here’s Why.

by Gary Leff

Dec 28 2015

There are no hard and fast rules, only tendencies. And the tendency to devalue – which isn’t universal – is consistent with the trend towards rewarding less across the board, tying rewards to spending (while rewarding even high spend less), and then making tweaks to the less rewarding model as business needs dictate.

Business decisions made in isolation compound over time taking what was once a simple program and making it complex. Multiply that out over tens of millions of members that a given program is trying to serve and tweaks along the way get made which only add to the complexity.

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