Hilton is the hotel program that devalued the most in 2013. Now, instead of showing members a list of all of the hotels changing categories in a single shot, they make changes as they go. And in the name of transparency, they just post hotel redemption category changes to a web page throughout the year. They don’t give notice to members of changes on that page. So I always try to keep a keen eye on it. Today I got notice that the Hilton Garden Inn New York-Times Square Central drops from Hilton HHonors category 9 to category 8 effective this coming Monday, November 11. Not a big change, and the only one just posted as I write this. But supposedly posting to this page was meant to increase transparency. How, exactly? Are members supposed…
About Gary Leff
Priceline Isn’t the Company You Think it Is
Marketplace interviewed me for this morning’s coverage of Priceline’s earnings report. “It’s not just William Shatner, but the whole company has to boldly go where no travel company has gone before,” says Gary Leff, who writes the viewfromthewing.com blog. “They haven’t quite figured out how to teleport themselves into the future of online travel.” Leff says Priceline’s third quarter earnings report will give a glimpse of the success of the company’s strategy of growth through the acquisition of other companies. Priceline as a company bears almost no relation to the brand that you think of — William Shatner, bidding for hotels and airfare. At one point years ago they were going to revolutionize travel — and everything else. They were going to be the platform to liquidate excess unsold inventory well beyond room nights and…
Double Elite Qualifying Nights, 250 Free Miles, and an Exploding Toilet Inflight…
News and notes from around the interweb: “The bathroom just exploded” onboard a Virgin Australia flight that had to return to LAX. Passengers say the toilets overflowed. The airlines claim it was the sinks. Either way, it apparently smelled. Very bad. Club Carlson is offering your choice of double points OR double qualifying nights through December 30. You must register and choose to take advantage of the promotion. (HT: Loyalty Lobby) 250 free Lufthansa Miles & More miles for downloading the IHG Rewards Club app. Wendy Perrin recommends London Heathrow layover hotels. To me the best choice is driven by which terminal you’re flying in and out of, and you take the one attached to your terminal when that applies (such as the Sofitel attached to T5). Hyatt confirms to me what was believed to…
A Day in the Life of Delta’s Porsche Tarmac Transfer Program
Last summer United started rolling out Mercedes tarmac transfers… something Delta started doing with Porsche in November 2011. United has a broader Miles for Mercedes tie-in as well. Of course this all follows on Lufthansa’s innovation, not just at their First Class Terminal in Frankfurt (since first class passengers wait in a different terminal from everyone else, there must be some way to get to the plane!) but also for passengers whose plane departs from a non-gate position and are waiting in one of the first class lounges in Frankfurt with the capability and also from the first class lounge in Munich under similar circumstance. Now American, through its partnership with Cadillac, offers tarmac transfers as well. Even though it’s no longer really a competitive advantage, Delta is promoting their offering with this new video…
The British Airways Cost to Redeem US Airways Flights to Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean Going Down
As I explained in British Airways Visa Drops First Year Annual Fee, Still Offers 50,000 Points, redeeming British Airways points for short non-stop flights in economy on American, US Airways, and Alaska Airlines are a great deal. You can spend as little as 4500 points one-way, instead of the “usual” 12,500 with US mileage programs. Premium cabins are relatively pricey though — British Airways charges twice the price of economy for business class awards, and three times the price of economy for first class awards. US Airways and American both call their domestic premium cabin ‘first class’. That means it costs three times as many points as coach. Washington DC – New York LaGuardia is 4500 points one-way in economy, 13,500 in first class. Dallas Fort-Worth – Austin is 4500 points one-way in economy, 13,500…
What Do You Do When You Grab a Mistake Fare to Europe and Asia for Someone, And…
Back in May there was an airline mistake deal, New York through Milan and onto Asia for ~ $130. For instance, When a mistake fare comes along, you have to move fast! You can’t dither, talk to your friends, think about whether you want to travel. You have to act. And buy. Right away. Here’s how to find airline and hotel mistake deals These are the all-time best airline and hotel mistake deals At the end of the day, you book non-refundable travel far off into the future. And then mistake or not, life intervenes. Jordan Axani booked one of the Milan – Asia mistake deals and then he and his girlfriend broke up. Her name was Elizabeth Gallagher and now he’s looking for someone else named Elizabeth Gallagher to travel with. Because the name…
Review: American Airlines First Class Buenos Aires – New York JFK
You’ll Also Want to Be Sure to Read: American Airlines Flagship Lounge, New York JFK American Airlines First Class, New York JFK – Buenos Aires Review: Park Hyatt Buenos Aires Eating Around Buenos Aires: Four Notable Meals to Consider In Search Of — and Forgetting — the Past in Buenos Aires American Airlines Admirals Club Buenos Aires I arrived at the gate a minute or two after boarding had commenced, and the crowd was descending on the gate. When I reached the front of the line I was flagged for additional questioning. Perhaps it was that I was in Buenos Aires for just a weekend, or perhaps it was that I didn’t have any checked bags, but I got several inquiries about what I had been doing there and also whether or not I had…
Frequent Flyer Elite Status Benefit: Get in On IPO Stock Pricing!
Virgin America is moving forward with an initial public offering of shares despite poor financial performance when the airline industry overall is doing well. Ultimately, Virgin America hasn’t succeeded because it doesn’t work to be a high cost, low fare carrier. And because they have neither the frequencies nor the reach to appeal to high fare business travelers. Initial investors have waited far longer than expected to get some of their cash out, and the financial markets have recovered enough that there may just be an appetite for a Virgin America IPO to allow them to do so. In the meantime Virgin America is pressing as hard as they can at the retail level — perhaps underscoring that the IPO isn’t exactly oversubscribed at the institutional level? Employees are being offered the opportunity to buy…
Starwood Just Became the First Hotel Chain to Let You Use Your Phone as a Room Key
Scott Mayerowitz writes about the Starwood mobile room key which has launched today. Your SPG mobile app is your room key if you wish, although only so far at the following 10 hotels: “W Downtown” is the New York property down by the World Trade Center. The SPG app has been updated to include new functionality. Your phone will use bluetooth — but requires actually being touched to the outside of the hotel room door in order to function because they don’t want you coming to the door from the inside, phone in hand, and accidentally opening the room to a stranger knocking.
Star Alliance Partners: Who They Are and How to Book Award Tickets With Them
Here’s your guide to booking award tickets on Star Alliance partners using your miles to travel on any of the 27 airlines in Alliance — along with resources for people looking to book these Star Alliance partners, how to find the seats, how to book them, and how many miles they will cost. These are the 27 Star Alliance partners that you can use your miles on. Basic Principles: Here are the three things to understand about your miles before we get started using them to travel the world using Star Alliance partner airlines. You can use miles you have in any Star Alliance program to book travel on any airline that belongs to the Star Alliance. You may have United miles, or Air Canada’s Aeroplan miles, or Asiana Club miles for instance or even…
