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.
Featured Articles
Hotel Blocks Points Stays With Unmeetable Rule: Only Active Duty Military Over Age 80 Can Stay—Everyone Else Gets Turned Away
It appears that the EconoLodge Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina only honors award reservations for active duty military members and only for those active duty military age 80 or above. The hotel cancels points bookings without actually checking if members meet that criteria because, of course, with military retirement rules no one can.
Flight Attendant Finds Hidden Camera Still Recording In Her Layover Hotel Bathroom—Colleague Jailed For Planting It
The incident occurred in Singapore, where the 37-year-old flight attendant had placed a mini camera in a bathroom shared by crewmembers. Intending to covertly film his colleague, he entered the bathroom early in the morning and positioned the camera strategically, pointing it toward the toilet area, concealed beneath a towel.
American Airlines Boots ‘Defiant’ Blogger From JFK–London Flight—He Refuses to Release Tapes That Could Clear Him
Broken 767 Bed: United Dumps Groom From $4 000 Business Seat—Pilot Takes It To Nap
A United Airlines passenger’s complaint is getting a lot of attention after she and her fiancé booked business class seats from London Heathrow to Chicago, only to find that the airline bumped the fiancé to coach in favor of an employee.
Chinese Scientist From Wuhan Arrested Smuggling Biological Materials Into Detroit—National Security On Alert [Roundup]
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.
American Airlines Ends Mileage Upgrade Awards August 12, Switches to Costly Delta-Style ‘Instant Upgrades’ That Slash Value Of Miles
American Airlines is eliminating their mileage upgrade award chart August 12th. They’re replacing it with ‘instant upgrades’ using cash or miles. You’ll be charged a variable amount for upgrades, and you pay either the asking amount in money or the ‘equivalent’ in miles which will mean a low value per mile (almost certainly something around 1 cent per mile or a little higher or lower). This copies Delta Air Lines, and represents a significant hit to the value of miles for upgrades.
American Airlines Flight Attendant Claims ‘Defiant’ Travel Blogger Removed Over Bag Dispute—Here’s Their Side
On June 9, blogger JT Genter was kicked off of American Airlines flight AA106 from New York JFK to London Heathrow for moving a flight attendant’s bags out of the premium economy overhead bins and into coach.
The flight attendant whose bag was moved responded in the comments to my story about this.
You’re Not Marriott’s Guest—You’re the Target: Bonvoy Just Turned 237 Million Members Into Ad Revenue From Pepsi And Uber
If you’re a Marriott member, you shouldn’t think of yourself as a guest. Instead, you’re the product that Marriott sells to hotel owners. That’s why the head of one ownership group refers to Bonvoy members as “leads.”
The Miracle Of Seat 11A: Watch The Only Survivor Walk Away From Air India’s 787 Crash
There were 230 passengers and 12 crew onboard – and there was one survivor, who walked away from the crash. Thirty eight year old Ramesh Vishwaskumar Bucharvada, who was seated in 11A behind an emergency exit, is being treated at a nearby hospital.