Ted Reed , “Why Dump Smisek?” considering that United is hardly the first airline to fly a route at the behest of a politician, or more broadly to bestow favors and favored treatments on politicians.
I think it’s wrong to excuse the behavior because ‘everybody does it’ but it turns out to be far more common than you’d think.
I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Supposedly then-Priority Club (now IHG Rewards Club) and their associated brands like Holiday Inn and Intercontinental recorded customer service calls to their 800 number — as most companies do — but between March 1, 2011 and July 18, 2012 they allegedly didn’t inform callers they were doing so.
And now they’ve settled a class action where folks completing quick eligibility forms are expected to get $100.
Starwood is a 20% bonus on purchased points. Starwood points are the most valuable loyalty currency, and there’s leverage in any bonus they offer, however I don’t think this offer is cheap enough to justify buying.
One Mile at a Time “If you have a driver’s license from New York, Louisiana, Minnesota, or New Hampshire, you may soon need a second form of ID to get through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.”
Except.. full implementation of the Real ID Act for air travel in January of next year just Ain’t. Gonna. Happen.
With Uber’s new partnership with Hilton, you can remind yourself to request an Uber when leaving the hotel through the Hilton app. Gee, I’m always forgetting that part.
Virgin America is the latest travel provider to tie up with Uber, and their new partnership comes with free Uber rides to the airport (with ticket purchase) and concert trip giveaways.
British Airways is running an award sale for the back half of this month — cash and points transatlantic awards start at just 5460 points roundtrip. And that turns out to not even be a good deal, believe it or not…
75% Bonus on Purchased United Miles Through September 30
United was offering a targeted 75% bonus on purchased miles, but now it appears open to everyone.
The next time an airline tells you they want to run an inprofitable route for ‘aircraft utilization,’ be suspicious.
With Jeff Smisek departing United — the proximate cause being his dinner with Andre Samson, but the departure representing an opportunity to break from the past several years and get a fresh start. Because the airline has been plagued with problems, largely stemming from top leadership.
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 »
