Delta this week opens its very first dedicated business class lounge – a concept that both American Airlines and United Airlines have had for years. Premium cabin customers flying on ‘Delta One’ routes will have access to what looks like an incredible experience… and one that’s going to be replicated in Boston and Los Angeles in the coming months.
Bilt is back! The last few Rent Day deals have been great for some members, but not up the alley of the miles, points, and status crowd. For July Rent Day, it’s one for us, plus the start of a new monthly aspirational deal for foodies too (and yes, the usual offers like points trivia, free rent giveaways, and double points for spending on the Bilt Mastercard are back too).
In an internal American Airlines Jetwire for employees, the company shared what happened to a group of school children visiting Washington, D.C. from Bermuda on June 15th.
A passenger on a Singapore Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Singapore has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for stealing nearly $90,000 from another man on board, out of the overhead bin.
The Chinese citizen was charged with theft, carrying undeclared cash of over $14,783.44 (SGD $20,000) into the country, converting stolen funds into casino chips, and also wire fraud for trying to transfer the funds to China.
Filed under “this is why we can’t have nice things,” some Companion Pass holders try to get their companion’s travel for free without paying for their own ticket at all.
It’s now possible to change an itinerary online even if it includes flights that have received a complimentary upgrades. You don’t keep the upgrade when making flight changes, however. And there’s a catch to the process.
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.
While American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have used all their lobbying might to try to get the federal government to shut down competitor JSX – because JSX offers a product that consumers prefer to their own – the origin of the fight against JSX stems from the big pilot union. And it wasn’t even JSX they were really concerned with.
The American Airlines experiment in selling direct, and pressuring travel agents to adopt technologies (that don’t always work well) in order to offer ancillary sales like paid seat assignments – as well as a decision to back away from managed corporate discounts – didn’t just mean reduced revenue for the airline. It may also have been securities fraud.
Southwest Airlines doesn’t pre-assign seats. Once you board you can take any open seat. There’s no rule against saving seats for other passengers. And it’s perfectly acceptable to subtly discourage other passengers from sitting beside you, though if they want to take the empty seat next to you they can. In this Hunger Games world of Southwest Airlines seat selection there’s basic game theory to defend and expand your turf – from saving seats, to boarding early, and figuring out whom you may want to sit next to you (if someone has to).
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 »
