Starwood’s Starpoints are already the most valuable loyalty program currency.
They have the most airline transfer partners where points transfer 1:1 and of course when you move Starwood points into 20,000 miles you get 5000 bonus miles. That gets you effectively a 1:1.25 transfer ratio with most airline partners.
Now, Starwood has added a new transfer partner and it’s a really useful one: Korean Air Skypass.
Virgin Australia has launched its 1-2-1 all aisle access reverse herringbone business class seating onboard their Airbus A330 aircraft. The first reconfigured plane has taken flight, and the airline expects to finish A330 conversions by the end of October.
Virgin Australia’s fleet of Boeing 777s (which are the aircraft used on US routes) won’t be reconfigured until winter.
With Sun Country ending service at Lansing, that means the end of non-stop service from Michigan’s capital to Washington National airport and indeed the end of non-stop service to the DC area and even the Northeast.
National airport is slot controlled, but Sun Country had an ‘exemption’ from slots for their flights rather than having their own slots. American Airlines is petitioning the FAA for a slot exemption so it can serve this market in Sun Country’s place, arguing that it’s an important market to preserve service in.
Christopher Elliott argues in the Washington Post that rewards credit cards aren’t worth it because of the ‘headache’.
He doesn’t just think you should avoid loyalty programs and credit card benefits (his usual tact). He thinks the government ought to step in (“it’s time for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to say, “Enough is enough.”).
Governor Scott Walker has credit card debt that he’s paying over 27% interest on. We know something about his credit card choices, his financial decision-making, and hit fitness for becoming President… maybe.
But why oh why doesn’t he apply for a 0% balance transfer card?
I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
This video is mocking, but I think it’s really sad…a woman allegedly “wouldn’t put her growling dog in its carrier, got belligerent with the flight attendant” and so the United Express plane returned to the gate. Cops removed her from the flight, and she put up a flight. You can hear shrieks. The man traveling with her takes some time to decide whether to follow her off the plane.
Perhaps all she needed was a fake letter from a doctor claiming her dog was an emotional support animal.
Last night I flew Washington National to Dallas and when it was time for one of the crew up front to use the lavatory, normal procedure was followed to block the aisle. Only our pilot didn’t take care of business. He spent 20 minutes flirting in the galley.
It wasn’t all that long after meal service. Small children sitting in the cabin needed to go to the bathroom. So did the woman across the aisle from me. You could see them squirming in their seats.
I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Last night was my first opportunity to try one of the new domestic first class dinner entrees that American rolled out August 1 (although I remain happy with the entree salads that rolled out May 1, up until yesterday I’ve only been on breakfast or lunch flights in August).
Here’s what the steak and lobster mac and cheese looked like in the test kitchen…
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 »
