Monthly Archives for November 2020.
In Ireland bars in the Dublin airport remain open despite the country’s lockdown because airports are considered an essential service. So you’ve got people looking for some semblance of normalcy heading to the airport to drink – buying the cheapest ticket available to get through security.
As part of the launch of the new program Air Canada has just announced a new suite of credit cards. The airline re-acquired its program, after spinning it off 15 years ago, funding the deal by extending its relationship with its co-brand card issuers. Today we’ve learned about its new co-brand credit cards in Canada. Details on a U.S. program are still forthcoming. We also learn about a new airline redemption partnership.
Holding the cards make award pricing less expensive, and spending on the cards can help earn Aeroplan elite status.
Pre-departure testing is a requirement to travel to Hawaii, New York, and even much of the world where borders are at least partially open. Airlines have been working to get clinics open inside of airports, and to coordinate rapid turnaround testing for their passengers.
Airlines previously advocated for the government to do temperature checks of all passengers. The airlines themselves require passengers to fill out a health checklist as part of check-in, and require masks in areas of airport terminals they control and on board their planes. Airlines and airports have new cleaning regimes to address potential surface transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
But did you know that some airports have been trying to spend CARES Act money to set up screening regimes, and the federal government hasn’t allowed them to do it?
The best part of this has to be the phone call from the Trump campaign advance team, dialing up the Four Seasons in Philadelphia. “Hello, Four Seasons, how can we help you?” “Do you have availability for an event at 11:30 a.m.?” “Yes, we have space available.” “We won’t need catering, would you be willing to do it for a flat $10,000.00?”
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.
CVS Pharmacy is a trusted partner for Hawaii, and one San Diego family got their CVS test prior to travel. They arrived in Hawaii, presented their negative results, and were sent to quarantine anyway.
Facing the prospect of 14 days of quarantine, they decided to fly home. Once the family arrived back in California they got an email from Hawaii acknowledging the mistake and inviting them to leave quarantine.
In the U.S. you generally check into a hotel, provide a credit card, and many guests don’t check out. It’s polite to let the hotel know you’re leaving so they can clean and turn over your room for the next guest as early as possible. However about the only selfish reason to check out usually is to make sure you get a copy of the bill.
In many parts of the world, including Asia, checking out is far more customary and can take a surprising amount of time. They’ll run your credit card again with you present and insist you sign before leaving.
A man and his son were flying from Larnaca, Cyprus to Mancester, U.K. on British holiday airline Jet2. The father became aggressive with another passenger after being asked to wear his face mask. The men yelled at flight attendants and followed them into the galley, threatened to drag one of the cabin crew off the plane and also to urinate on other passengers.
And it all started out over a flight attendant’s meal – that the man’s son supposedly stole and ate.
Two police cars followed a Honda that stormed onto the runway at the Van Nuys airport on Friday. The driver moved erratically while waving one hand out the sunroof, another out the side window. Maybe he was steering with his knees, or not steering at all.
When the driver was finally caught around 9 a.m. he “cooperated with officers, but also rambled about being followed by the government and the Mexican cartel.”
Several airlines have allowed customers to convert cancelled ticket values into miles. The most useful so far for U.S. members has been the ability to transfer flight credits to miles with Southwest Airlines.
Alaska Airlines though has the most lucrative conversion offer to date but it’s only available through November 13.
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 »
