Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for January 2021.

Qantas CEO Says Australia Will Re-Open To Visitors In July. Government Says Not So Fast. What’s The Truth?

by Gary Leff

sydney opera house
Jan 05 2021

Qantas started selling international tickets – for New Zealand at the end of March based on an expected ‘travel bubble’ reciprocally permitted visits between the two countries – and July 1 for the rest of their international route network including the United States. The CEO of Qantas, Alan Joyce, said he expected the country to re-open to international travel at that time.

The government of Australia was none too amused with Joyce’s announcement but they didn’t deny it.

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Marriott Has A Gap Between Promises And Reality, And The Gap Is Growing

by Gary Leff

outside marriott hotel
Jan 05 2021

Before the pandemic there was no greater loyalty program with a gap between what it promised and what it delivered than Marriott Bonvoy. On paper it took the best features of Starwood Preferred Guest with the scale of properties of Marriott and merged them together. And yet the program has simply failed to deliver elite benefits consistently at the property level.

The irony of course is that before acquiring Starwood, Marriott Rewards wasn’t very generous with elites but they were consistent. The Marriott brand across the board was consistency. Now they’re the Forrest Gump of loyalty: you never know what you’re going to get until check-in. This have only gotten worse.

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Why Marriott Suite Night Awards Don’t Clear

by Gary Leff

Jan 04 2021

Just because a room is available for sale doesn’t mean a member requesting a Suite Night Award will be upgraded to it if Marriott forecasts that the room will be sold.

A room can be available 24 hours prior to check-in, but Marriott’s systems will still hold back the inventory to possibly sell to someone rather than upgrade the member into that room.

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