The Trump administration wants to fix air traffic control by throwing an indeterminate amount of money at upgrading aging technology. Their plan takes the approach laid out in the opening to The Hitchhikers’ Guide To The Galaxy.
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.
I’ve cleaned out my wallet and I’m not carrying nearly as many credit cards on a daily basis any longer. Still, my wallet is a great window in the spending choices I make every day. What gets a wallet slot, and what cards I have but keep in a drawer, go a long way towards illustrating how I put my mileage and spending strategies into practice. Sharing this also adds a bit to my transparency as I cover credit card rewards.
Here’s a peek into what’s really going on behind the scenes of my daily spending life.
American’s premium entry isn’t quite ready for prime time, though, and if the airline has their way service might not be very premium either. The business class doors aren’t certified for use yet, and the airline is still working on FAA approval to operate the plane with just 7 flight attendants rather than the current 8.
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin had to fill out a customs declaration when he came back from walking on the moon in 1969, because he left the United States and then ‘re-entered’. He also had to submit an expense reimbursement for the business trip too.
Emirates has one of the world’s best first class products. However booking these awards has become very challenging. A new restriction goes into place Monday, but there are three workarounds.
The Chicago Athletic Association building, a Venetian‑Gothic landmark, dates to 1893. It was a private men’s athletic club for the city’s Gilded‑Age elite. The building sat vacant for years, and narrowly escaped demolition.
Since it is not optional, it’s really part of the rate. They’re just breaking it out to make the rate look lower, to make you think you’re paying less or at least make you think their property is cheaper than it is when you’re comparison shopping.
Plus, since it’s collected on property even for prepaid rates sold through travel agency sites, they don’t pay commission on part of the rate. Put another away, all of the reasons to do this seem to essentially be fraud.
A few updates on earning points for mortgage payments. I wrote the other day about earning transferable points with no fee using the Mesa card. It’s better than I thought.
I’ve written about a Marriott that wants you to tip the front desk staff at check-in, and not even for an upgrade. They use a QR code, so the employee probably doesn’t even know right away that you’ve paid. The Hyatt Centric Boston was doing this too.
This really is spreading. Here’s Here’s the Fairfield Inn New York Midtown Manhattan Penn Station.
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 »
