Alaska Airlines gave free checked bags to everyone with a Mileage Plan number in their reservation in January. Now they’re running a limited-time offer of a free checked bag for their co-brand credit card holders from February 1 through April 30. Checked bag fees are one of the pain points of flying that irritate passengers most. And Alaska is even good with checked bags, having offered a baggage delivery guarantee since 2009. They currently offer 2500 miles or a $25 discount on a future flight if they don’t deliver checked bags within 20 minutes. (Pro-tip: the miles are worth more.) Alaska Mileage Plan miles are some of the most valuable of any airline. Alaska believes that continuing to award miles based on distance flown rather than revenue will be a competitive advantage for them. I…
About Gary Leff
Should American AAdvantage Members Be Worried Now That Joint Venture Partner British Airways Has Devalued.. Big Time?
With British Airways gutting their program — eliminating the principle that one mile flown earns one mile, reducing mid-tier elite mileage bonuses, and substantially increasing the cost of premium cabin award travel — I’ve had several questions about what this means for American AAdvantage frequent flyers since the two airlines aren’t just alliance members but are actually revenue-sharing joint venture partners across the Atlantic. When American and British Airways introduced the transatlantic joint venture in 2010 there was some frequent flyer program alignment. That is when American introduced US – London awards on British Airways (those has previously not been permitted with AAdvantage miles, so you had to fly from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean) but fuel surcharges started to apply on all BA awards. Previously American didn’t add fuel surcharges to those British Airways…
Here’s What Happens When Alec Baldwin “Gets Bumped” From First Class on Delta…
The Alec Baldwin story comes to us from the New York Daily News so it’s a bit hyperbolic. The lead is that Baldwin “was bumped to coach on a red-eye home from Sundance” although reading the story he appears to have had a first class ticket but he changed flights onto one without any first class seats available. Baldwin had been booked on a Delta flight out of Salt Lake City International Airport to Kennedy with his pregnant wife Hilaria, and their 16-month-old baby, Carmen. But according to a source on the flight, the family – who were weighed down with lots of Louis Vuitton luggage – switched flights last minute and ran into problems. Apparently Baldwin is not a fan of Delta’s revenue management procedures. So he and Hilaria and the baby moved back…
United Guts Partner Miles Earning and Looks at FAA Fines, Virgin Feeds Passengers McDonalds, and American’s CEO Speaks Too Much Truth
News and notes from around the interweb: United already destroyed its frequent flyer program as a means of rewarding actually flying on United. Now, as if there was any doubt this would happen, they have updated its charts showing the points you’ll earn for flying on its partners. And it isn’t pretty. In general you have to fly on one of the upper tier coach fares to earn full 100% flown miles. Most coach fares on partners will earn 50% or 75%. Even premium fares may not be bonused like they used to. (HT: Joe C.) The perfect storm? After a six hour delay on Virgin Atlantic at New York JFK, passengers were sent back into the terminal… after the New York City ban which kept transportation off the streets. Customers were given $15 vouchers…
How Hyatt Hotels Decide Whether to Make Cash and Points Awards Available: the Case of Their Best Resorts
Hyatt introduced cash and points awards a little over a year ago. You spend part points, part cash, and the awards represent fantastic value for category 2 through 6 hotels. By spending part cash for category 2-6 hotels, you’re ‘buying the difference in points’ for between 1.2 and 1.38 cents apiece. I consider Hyatt points worth 1.4 cents apiece. But here’s the kicker: while standard award nights don’t count towards elite status with Hyatt, cash and points awards essentially count as paid rates which means that they: Count towards elite status Credit as stays or nights for promotional points-earning Are eligible for Diamond Suite Upgrades, meaning they can be confirmed in a suite at time of booking (subject to availability) by Gold Passport Diamond members. The cash cost to ‘buy the difference in points’ with…
The False Narrative of Rewarding Expensive Fare Customers
In offering commentary on the major changes coming to the British Airways program, Lucky concludes, This change is pretty in line with what I expect from airlines in 2015: British Airways is being less rewarding to those on lower fares British Airways is being more rewarding to those on expensive fares “British Airways is being more rewarding to those on expensive fares” is what they want the narrative to be But I don’t think it’s quite accurate: Discount business fares earn less starting April 28 Silver elites earn less Premium cabin redemptions cost more So it’s not at all obvious that expensive fares come out ahead. For many it’ll be a wash (flexible business and first class fares earn more, but then redeeming for the same costs more) and for some (discount business fares, and…
Seven Years AND COUNTING to Install New Runway Lights in New York..
Some folks were surprised when American Express opened a Centurion lounge last summer in the Central Terminal at New York LaGuardia… because that terminal is slated to be replaced in 2021. Back in December I wrote that stacking bureaucratic projects would inevitably delay the project’s completion. I don’t think anyone believes that the new terminal will really open in 2021. Here, I think, is another great example of just how delayed aviation projects get. Funding for new runway lights at the three New York airports was allocated in 2007 and the project has not yet been completed. The idea is that “red signals to warn pilots of another plane nearby.” I don’t often find myself in agreement with Senator Chuck Schumer. But here he has a reasonable point. “The FAA must get this working, ASAP.…
Here’s Why Starwood Changed Their Terms to Distinguish Base and Bonus Points…
I noted several changes to Starwood Preferred Guest terms and conditions yesterday in addition to the change to make Platinum 50 night member Suite Night Awards an option (introducing other choices that a Platinum could pick instead if they prefer). One of those changes was to distinguish between base and bonus points earned by elite members in the SPG Pro program. I couldn’t figure out why the change in terms there, but as Chris Holdren from Starwood explained, it makes perfect sense. A Starpoint is a Starpoint is a Starpoint. When we introduced SPG Pro last year, we simply wanted to clarify the terms and conditions to account for earning calculations based on “base points” in any potential future promotions. If they run bonus promotions for SPG Pro, they want those point bonuses to clearly…
The Huge British Airways Avios Devaluation Coming April 28 That Won’t Affect Savvy Frequent Flyers At All
It’s been more than three years since British Airways upended their program, charging separately for each flight segment and basing award price on distance. The November 2011 no-notice changes meant that the British Airways program was no longer very good for long haul premium cabin travel. But it became useful for short non-stop flights, such as on partners like American and Alaska Airlines (and later, US Airways). This time we get three months’ advance notice of changes. The good news for US-based members of the program who transfer points in from programs like American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards for short non-stop domestic flights is that nothing will change, mercifully enough. Although one of the great uses of British Airways points – upgrades when flying BA – will get more expensive. The changes…
1000 Free Hilton HHonors Points for Joining
This EVA Air promotion has an interesting twist. Use the link for the promotion and if you aren’t already a Hilton HHonors member you get 1000 points just for signing up. Plus it’s an excuse to write out the name of the Taipei-based Star Alliance member airline’s mileage program name: Infinity MileageLands! No need to focus on EVA Air, though, or on its Infinity MileageLands program. Just know you can register here for a Hilton HHonors account and get 1000 HHonors points for doing so. (HT: Frequent Flyer Bonuses) You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals.…
