Monthly Archives for March 2019.
Some airlines will provide you with special treats just for letting them know that it’s your birthday. Here are two that will provide cake for birthdays (anniversaries, too) for free, and two that charge for the request.
I’ve been a long-time opponent of buying travel insurance for small dollar trips. I wrote about the tricks insurers use to get out of paying claims as far back as 2007. And a decade ago I explained why it’s usually a bad deal.
Travel insurance can make sense for a ‘trip of a lifetime’ but the tactics used to sell insurance can be questionable.
Spirit Airlines offers one of the best deals in travel, their ‘Big Front Seat’ which is often very modestly priced above the regular seat. It can be less than $40 more for a recliner style seat similar to what larger airlines offer in first class. They call it ‘Big Front Seat’ for a reason though since all you’re getting is the bigger seat up front, not other services like checked bags bundled in.
The carrier has done as much or more than anyone else to drive down the price of airfare across much of the U.S. and in the last year especially they’ve improved their operation – completing flights and performing on-time. They even joined PreCheck.
However they have one of the worst frequent flyer programs on the planet.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Star Alliance member and United Airlines partner South African Airways is promising to check the licenses of all of its pilots — and obtain copies from a government regulator instead of pilots just bringing in copies themselves — after discovering that one of their veteran long haul pilots had been using a forged license for 25 years.
The passenger sharing the experience asked a flight attendant for help, but there were no empty seats on the flight. At this point the larger passenger is embarrassed, apologizing that he can’t just take a later flight. And the flight attendant “tells him that unless someone on the flight agrees to let him take up part of their seat, he’ll need to book another flight.”
That’s when our anti-hero proposes a Coasian bargain.
Here’s what I think if the most challenging thing with each of the largest airlines and hotel chains, a simple statement influenced by my idiosyncratic preferences — but I think they stand up:
It’s only been three years since Starbucks devalued their rewards program by moving towards revenue-based points earning. Gone was the ability to get outsized value from the program, for instance, by ringing up each item you’re purchasing separately.
Now we know that Starbucks is going to devalue the program again by moving closer to revenue-based redemption. Word is that redemptions will work as follows:
Airlines will frequently give you elite status if you have status with a competitor in order to make it easier to move your business.
Alaska Airlines in particular is quite aggressive, they will even match to their top tier MVP Gold 75K level when you email with proof of your existing status.
They also have a new offer out that does not require you to be a current elite flyer, just someone that has plans to fly cross country a few times.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
