Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for April 2019.

The Future of Credit Card Rewards

credit cards in wallet
Apr 14 2019

In many ways this is the golden age of rewards. There are big initial bonus offers, fast earning for spend, and rich benefits. And rewards expense is higher than ever for card issuers.

There are risks though, and challenges for issuers. Here’s how rewards are going to have to change to be successful.

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Hopper Claims JetBlue Will Drive Down Airfares 12% When They Begin Flying to London. That’s Absurd.

jetblue article
Apr 13 2019

The basis for this silly claim is, “[H]istorically, when JetBlue enters an international market, fares plummet by on average 12 per cent. Though it can be even more. Hopper pointed out that when the carrier launched flights from Fort Lauderdale and New York’s JFK to Trinidad and Tobago, it spurred savings on all airlines of up to 26 per cent.”

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San Jose Airport Will Combat Chick-fil-A With Rainbow Flags

chick-fil-a sandwhich
Apr 13 2019

San Antonio politicians decided to ban Chick-fil-A from opening in the airport over perceptions of the chain’s politics disagreement with the chicken restaurant’s donations to certain charities. Buffalo pressured concessionaire Delaware North to withdraw Chick-fil-A from its plans and will (disingenuously) paint the move as voluntary.

San Jose airport has a new approach.

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American is 95% Done Installing High Speed Internet: Where Aircraft Types Stand With Power and Wifi

american airline plane
Apr 13 2019

Both American and Delta have invested heavily in truly usable internet, which distinguishes them both from United whose internet rarely works when I fly them.

American says they are now 95% done with their project to install satellite wifi in their aircraft, and that they will complete the project by May. What that means is that if you’re flying an Airbus narrowbody (A319/A320/A321) or a Boeing 737 you should have fast internet on board.

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Hotel Owner Beats Fraud Charges After Disputing Victoria Secret Model’s Tax Bill on His Amex

credit cards
Apr 12 2019

HABITAS hotel and hospitality management group co-founder Oliver Ripley was charged with “grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and falsifying business records” over what appears to have been alleged as a fraudulent charge back on his American Express card. He has pled to a mere misdemeanor and claims it was all a misunderstanding.

He says that his then-girlfriend Victoria’s Secret model Sara Sampaio refinanced her Manhattan condo and was left “with a $48,000 tax bill” which he put on his American Express card. Then she left him.

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