Monthly Archives for September 2022.
Here’s an adorable little dog flying American Airlines. But there is no way it is a service animal, and a pet in cabin (that requires paying a pet in cabin fee) must remain in their carrier under the seat for the duration of the flight.
Service animals aren’t ‘pets for someone with emotional challenges’ they are trained working animals.
Southwest Airlines will give you a companion pass valid for two months at the start of next year for booking just two one way flights or a single roundtrip.
Several readers asked me yesterday what to make of IHG hotels’ systems being down. I figured “it’s just poor IT” and things will return to normal eventually. That remains true, but the hotel giant acknowledges they’ve been hacked.
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.
90% of Americans say they’d choose not to fly an airline after a negative experience with customer support.
I’d like to believe that this were true. It’s coming from a company that sells customer support solutions, so it probably isn’t.
Marriott actually makes hotels pay them for the right to charge you a resort fee. Having just audited the franchise agreement for their AC Hotels and Westin brands, I found it fascinating that they charge a one-time $1500 fee, plus $550 per year, to hotels that bill customers resort or destination fees. Marriott also has the right to exempt elite members from paying resort fees, under their franchise agreement, but doesn’t do this.
American Airlines pilots know they’re going to get well paid in a new contract. The company has publicly offered a 17% raise. They want 20%, and changes to work rules that (among other things) keep the airline from altering their schedules and leaving them without lodging on the road. United’s pilot union agreed to a deal offering a 14% raise, but when they heard about what American’s pilots were on the verge of getting – and unwilling to take – they backed out of the deal wanting what American was getting.
Some pilots – including union leaders – are furious with what they appear on the verge of settling for.
On a recent Jet2 flight from Manchester, U.K. to Rhodes, Greece, an elderly woman slapped a member of the cabin crew because she was denied champagne. Another flight attendant restrains her. And the flight diverts to Munich, Germany where she was arrested.
Marriott claimed over 140 million members at the end of 2019. At some brands members represent about two thirds of revenue. Based on franchise disclosures, the average Marriott Bonvoy member pays AC Hotels a $200.74 daily room rate and at Westin hotels it’s a $185 daily room rate. Guests aren’t customers, they’re Marriott’s product – and the product that all hotel chains sell to hotel owners. While hotel chains push ‘book direct’ as a way of lowering costs, distribution isn’t free. Franchisees pay more for Bonvoy members than non-members, on the theory that Marriott is delivering these “leads” to hotels. And those fees fund points that members earn. For Westin in 2021, Marriott is charging 4.2% of “qualifying revenue generated by customers earning loyalty points or miles” for the cost of Bonvoy, not including bonus…
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 »
