Today’s assorted links and news items you won’t want to miss.
Mystery Remains Unsolved as FAA Concludes Investigation of Toilet Paper Falling From the Sky
The FAA sampled toilet paper that fell from the sky onto a Pennsylvania town.
The investigation sought to determine if a toilet’s lavatories had malfunctioned.
Finding the Right Credit Card, No Matter How Much You Travel
The New York Times has a useful piece that helps understand what makes a credit card useful for consumers, and identifies some of the best ones currently in the marketplace.
Are There Limits to What an Immigration Officer Can Ask You? This One Found Out the Hard Way.
Apparently he just wanted a date. The immigration officer started by asking probing and seemingly unnecessary questions “like how many children I have, do I drink, do I smoke or eat chicken”, the woman told Indian news channel Times Now. “He also asked me whether I sleep with other men when my husband is at work,” the woman alleged. The passenger was departing Delhi enroute to Hong Kong. Apparently her alarm bells only went up when she was asked “if she would like to have her third child with” the immigration officer. Eventually allowed to clear departure formalities, the officer followed her through the airport. He has since been arrested.
Lufthansa A380 First Class Awards Wide Open to and from Los Angeles/San Francisco
Lufthansa generally opens first class award seats to their partners only within 14 days of travel.
Their Los Angeles and San Francisco – Frankfurt flights are among the toughest to get, even then.
And yet right now most days currently have 2 first class award seats open from late November through March…
Two Simple Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Next Award Ticket, and How to Avoid Them
A reader made two mistakes booking his award trip that cost him a chance to experience Etihad’s First Class Apartments, the most luxurious cabin in the skies. What mistakes did he make, and how can you avoid them when you book your own award trip?
The Most Entitled Passenger Ever, Making Coach Better, and More..
Today’s key stories and more: An airline actually making coach better, the ultimate DYKWIA passenger, and a US cell carrier now offering free data and text in 15 key countries. Read on…
Why a 25% Discount on Purchased Starpoints Can Be Quite Good, and How to Scale It
Starwood is offering up to a 25% discount on purchased points. And even though it’s just a 25% discount, it can make real sense. Through May 31 here’s the tiered discount: 10% off 500–9,500 Starpoints 15% off 10,000–14,500 Starpoints 20% off 15,000–19,500 Starpoints 25% off 20,000 Starpoints This isn’t an uncommon offer — Starwood offered this in April and November of last year, and they offered it in 2013. But it’s also the biggest discount I’ve seen. The ‘normal’ price on Starpoints is 3.5 cents per point. Ouch. Fortunately, unlike airline miles, you don’t pay an additional tax on top. And there’s not also a ‘processing fee’ like many of the airlines charge. If you max out on the discount, and buy 20,000 points, it would cost you $525… that’s 2.625 cents per point. Still…
Coffee Spill Nearly Downs Serbian President’s Plane
A coffee spill, and an attempt to clean it up, caused a plane to plunge — fortunately for the President of Serbia who was onboard, control of the aircraft was regained, and the flight was aborted.
A New Way to Earn “5x Everywhere” for Sprint Customers
A mobile payment app that can be charged to your cell phone bill, so when you pay you can earn 5x for cell phone charges with your credit card — and double dip with rewards points, too!