Three weeks ago Hyatt changed their terms and conditions to say that category 1-7 free nights are not valid for any property “not included by Hyatt (in its sole discretion) in the category 1-7 classification system.”
We can therefore surmise that without such a change uncapped free nights would have included Miraval, which so far is the only hotel Hyatt has outside the classification system.
I received a pitch for a consulting firm’s new study, Premium Travel Reward Credit Cards: High Profile but Unsustainable, which argues that high reward, high fee cards are an unsustainable business.
In some ways this is important because it counters the Joe DeNardi claim that airlines are worth substantially more than the market values them at because the frequent flyer programs are so profitable. I’ve argued that rather than being able to expect 4% annual growth or higher it’s more likely that programs will face both revenue and cost pressures in the future.
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American Airlines partner Royal Jordanian has some fantastic fares between their U.S. gateways — New York JFK, Chicago, Detroit — and the Mideast.
You can fly to Amman, Jordan for $499 roundtrip — this is a $130 base fare in each direction plus taxes and fees. Or you can fly to Tel Aviv, Israel for $529 — a $161.50 base fare in each direction.
In my entire life though I’ve never wanted into an airport lounge — let alone a U.S. airline’s lounge — as badly as this passenger desperate to get into the American Airlines D/E Admirals Club in Charlotte after closing.
Sometimes the police respond to an incident and it’s the airline crew they’re forced to remove.
Six Port Authority police with guns responded, interviewed crew in the jetway, but made no arrests. However the employees who fought were ordered off the aircraft and the flight was delayed two hours — which just means that it was departing LaGuardia.
Austin’s airport is known for only local food offerings, well except for Schlotzsky’s Deli & Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s pretzels. I don’t love Austin Java coffee. Salt Lick barbecue isn’t great barbecue and it doesn’t translate well to the airport (the DFW airport location is worse). Options should get better, though. We’re getting a Second Bar & Kitchen (downtown location is very good upscale bar food). Now comes news of tacodeli and Peached Tortilla (very good Asian fusion) outposts, both local stars, and Jo’s Coffee well-known for the “I love you so much” wall at its South Congress location. In Austin you’re either a Tacodeli or a Torchy’s fan. I’m somewhere in between. Torchy’s has better guacamole and queso, but Tacodeli uses much better ingredients for its tacos. Cat's out of the bag. #openingsoon #austinbergstrom…
Former US Airways President-cum-American Airlines President Scott Kirby is now President at United.
And he knows that the airline is in control of their cost of redemption, and that any miles sold above that cost generates profit.
Have you ever lost out on an upgrade because that last first class seat was taken by a cat, or a pig?
This morning I wrote about customers at the San Diego airport being told — at the end of Comic-con — that they wouldn’t be allowed to put comic books in checked luggage.
The TSA reached out to me with the Shaggy Defense. Wasn’t them.
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 »
