Frequent Traveler University: December 5-7, Hyatt Regency Crystal City The next Frequent Traveler University, in partnership with USA Today, promises to be the biggest gathering of frequent flyers ever — topping even last April’s sold out event in Northern Virginia. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City minutes from Washington’s National airport. It’s a fantastic venue to support us all, and Hyatt has made available (2) $250 Hyatt gift cards for me to give away here. Gift cards that could be used on your stay during Frequent Traveler University! All you need to do to be eligible to win is leave a comment on this post.
About Gary Leff
Avoid Danger on the Road By Not Doing Anything Stupid!
Two years ago I wrote a really popular post on common tourist scams and a year ago I gave consolidated simple advice on how to avoid them. Some people like chance encounters on the road, and are open to ‘strangers in a strange land’ but I tend to be skeptical. If someone approaches me, offering to help me or wanting to get to know me, I tend to be curt because I assume ill intentions at least until proven otherwise. No doubt I can be criticized for missing out on opportunities, but it’s a strategy that keeps me safe. I grew up in New York in the 1980s (and late 1970s), when it was a very different place than it is now. I never carried a wallet in my back pocket until the 1990s, having…
What’s the Most Efficient Way to Manage Foreign Currency for a Trip?
My preferred method of getting foreign currency is to take it out of an ATM on arrival in another country. That way — even with foreign currency transaction fees — you’re getting a bank’s rate on the transaction rather than a retail rate. And I have an ATM card that doesn’t charge me foreign transaction fees. The most popular one of those among travelers is probably Schwab. And the way I’ve always converted leftover cash at the end of a trip is to use it to pay any hotel folio balance on my last day. Another trick is in many countries to add it to a Starbucks card. (Those two strategies, combined with a credit card that doesn’t add foreign currency transaction fees, keeps the excess cost of purchases abroad low.) But I don’t really…
3000 Mile Offer Extended, a Sneak Peak at a New Seat, and Detailing the New American Miles for Test Drive Opportunity
News and notes from around the interweb: Sign up for Rocketmiles if you aren’t already a member. Their first-time booking bonus of 3000 miles in your choice of program has been extended through December 12. The site awards lots of miles for hotel bookings, but doesn’t generally earn hotel program credit when you book. I consider this perfect for making bookings for non-status friends, and for when there’s not a good option available with one of my preferred hotel programs. Doctor of Credit speculates on the terms and conditions for the upcoming promotion offering 7500 American AAdvantage miles for test driving a Cadillac. A look at Lufthansa’s new premium economy seat. Yesterday I asked how American’s new announced thrice-daily Los Angeles – Atlanta service could make sense? One common piece of speculation, expressed in this…
Travel is Hard, and the Rules are Complicated: Celebrity Edition
Founding member of the Black Eyed Peas Will.i.am a.k.a William Adams can’t seem to get a handle on the myriad rules imposed by his carrier of choice, United Airlines, with whom he has a clear love-hate relationship. Back in the spring he was kicked out of a Global First lounge, because he was flying domestically. He’s a member of the United Club, and internalized their not allowing him in and telling him he was ineligible as being a result of his membership card being fake. Now this past week he was denied boarding for an international flight (I’m assuming Los Angeles – Shanghai) because he arrived within 45 minutes of departure. United requires check-in 60 minutes in advantage for international travel. Contra Will.i.am’s close tracking of United’s schedules, UA198 to Shanghai is a 1:05pm departure.…
The Biometric Future of Travel: Will Everyone Be Fingerprinted to Fly, or Will No One?
Alaska Airlines wants to scan your fingerprints at check-in: The sixth largest airline in the U.S. is pushing for shorter lines at the airport by scanning your fingerprint. It wants to replace travel documents like passport and driver’s license to let flyers get through check-in quicker. The airline says it has been testing a pilot program since August and is in the process of convincing the TSA that biometrics is safe. At the same time, the TSA has been under immense pressure to move more and more passengers through a trusted traveler process. They claim they meet that with 50% of travelers eligible for precheck, a figure that includes crew and not just passengers. They seem themselves as having tapped out the retail signup market, or at least being limited through those channels to arithmetric…
American Relents on Checked Bags: Will Continue to Allow Through Checking on Separate Tickets Through February
About three weeks ago American adopted a new poliicy that they would no longer ‘through check’ bags onto another airline outside of oneworld if the other airline travel was on a separate ticket. This came closer to aligning with US Airways (and Delta but not United). They delayed implementation fo the policy until October 15. Now they’ve pushed it off again — all the way until February. I do not know why they’d do this. I’d have expected that if they were going to change the policy, they would change the policy, as-announced. I see three possibilities. I’d rank the likelihood of each explanation in the following order: The IT just wasn’t ready and the fix was pretty far back in the queue. They realized the lack of notice was going to be a problem.…
The White House Prostitution Scandal: DHS Inspector General Learns 2nd Guest is Free for HHonors Members
When the secret service prostitution scandal first broke in 2012, Spirit Airlines ran a sale. But it turns out that wasn’t the only travel angle to the story, aside from the fact that it occurred in Cartagena. The story is back in the news because of a recent news report that the Administration was aware that one of their own advance team members (and not just secret service) had a prostitute spend the night at the hotel where the President would be staying. DHS inspector general’s office investigation found that he didn’t pay the hotel’s extra person charge for the prostitute who spent the night in his room. But it turns out he didn’t break any rules Why? [H]otel officials had waived a fee normally charged to guests staying overnight. Hilton Worldwide officials in Virginia…
Success Loading OneVanilla Debit Cards Plus How to Check Your Room for Bed Bugs
News and notes from around the interweb: Success loading a(n Amex) Target RED card with a Onevanilla prepaid debit card Plastc is another take on loading all your credit cards into a single card, like Coin which went public a year ago but is still hard to get in beta. Personally I’m waiting until an actual product release before jumping on. How to check your room for bed bugs Save up to 1/3rd on SPG award redemptions at Caesars hotels. Savings vary with rates, and wind up not being a great deal much of the time. When Vegas rooms are cheap, pay cash. The Thai Coasian Anti-Bribery Campaign, Moral Hazard Edition You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one…
American Airlines Los Angeles Atlanta Service… Why in the World Would They Do That?
American starts Los Angeles – Atlanta service March 5 (it becomes bookable this Sunday). They’ll offer three flights daily — Los Angeles Departures at 12:15am, 10:30am, and 3:20pm Atlanta departures at 7am, 12:50pm, and 6:55pm But.. why? This could help feed American’s Tokyo and Shanghai flights, and oneworld Pacific partners Qantas, JAL, and Cathay Pacific — although Qantas has a Dallas flight and JAL and Cathay Pacific have Chicago flights that might be more logical connections for Atlanta-based flyers. American Isn’t Competing for Atlanta Passengers With 3 Daily Flights What it isn’t is a play for Atlanta-based flyers generally. American’s New York strategy seems to be becoming the airline that brings passengers to New York rather than the airline for New Yorkers. They don’t compete strongly to United and Delta hub markets. They don’t try…
