Christopher Elliott does a service with his Travel Troubleshooter column. I may not always be a fan, but there’s no question that he’s helped out many consumers.. even many that were very much undeserving of help. Today though he didn’t just help someone get compensation they likely didn’t deserve, he also appears to have cast unwarranted aspersions at a car rental website that helps with discounts — Autoslash.
About Gary Leff
140,000 Point Signup Bonus from Ritz-Carlton Rewards
I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies that can be converted into the same). I’ve written about the Ritz-Carlton Rewards co-brand credit card occasionally over the past couple of years. There have been a couple of really outstanding offers for it, like 70,000 points and no fee the first year, and 140,000 points while paying the steep $395 annual fee even the first year. But I haven’t seen either of those around in awhile. We Fly Free says it’s still possible to get the 140,000 point signup offer, which surprises me since he gives the…
Where Have All the Flights to Venezuela Gone, and Why Can’t You Get There From Here?
American, the largest US airline to Venezuela, is flying daily from Miami… with a 737. They shift up their schedule in the fall and return to flying New York JFK – Caracas just 5 days a week. Also with a 737. They bring back San Juan service too. Delta is flying a 737 to Caracas four times weekly with a 737. United flies daily from Houston only, also with… a 737. LAN is flying 2-3 times a week with a widebody from Miami, and of course there’s connecting service through Central America. But much of the lift between the US and Caracas is just gone. And the story here is simple.
Why the Andaz is My Favorite Hotel on Maui
The Andaz Maui is certainly an upscale resort, but it can still be a value for what you get. And most importantly for me, it’s much smaller than most of the big chain resorts. It’s not the sort of place where you have to head down to the beach at 8 a.m. to place a book on a beach chair if you hope to use one later in the day. It’s a nice hotel, that offers a lot, and while it is part of a chain it doesn’t exude that ‘resort factory’ feel. It’s still in a resort area, to be sure. It’s just down the street from Hilton’s Grand Wailea Waldorf property (itself a behemoth, albeit a nice behemoth). But once on property you get a much more boutique-y experience. In that way it’s…
Virgin Atlantic 65,000 Mile Signup Bonus Offer is Back
Virgin Atlantic and Bank of America are back with their standard biggest signup bonus. The most recent links for this offer don’t work any longer. They used to offer the card as an American Express (one of those oddball American Express cards not issued by American Express). Now it’s a MasterCard. It’s advertised as a signup bonus of up to 65,000 miles but I wouldn’t think about it that way. Reach rewards faster with up to 65,000 Flying Club bonus miles in the first year with the Virgin Atlantic World Elite MasterCard® credit card from Bank of America. The offer is: 20,000 Flying Club bonus miles after your first retail purchase 25,000 additional Flying Club bonus miles after you spend at least $2,500 in qualifying purchases Earn up to 15,000 additional bonus miles upon anniversary…
US Passport and Visa Issuance Computer Crash, Thousands Stranded Worldwide
A story that has gotten some play but not nearly enough is that the system for issuing US passports and visas has broken down. Passport issue times have slowed down, and visa issuance has broken down as a result. Foreigners looking for permission to travel to (or return to) the U.S. are stuck waiting. Problems began July 19, although it wasn’t the year’s first system crash. The Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) at the State Bureau of Consular Affairs “is currently experiencing technical problems with our passport/visa system,” …The issues, she said, have resulted in significant backlogs. Visas are approved, recorded and printed through the CCD. “Until the system comes back online, we are unable to print visas. While H1B status can be approved for 3 years (renewal once), the length of time that any given…
The Most Important Meal of the Day: the Hotel Chains and Properties that Do Breakfast Best
Among hotel chains, Hyatt Gold Passport has the best elite breakfast benefit and Hilton has the easiest breakfast benefit to get. Perhaps the most generous elite offering was the Park Hyatt Aviara which wound up comping their Mother’s Day $95 per person buffet. Here are the very best breakfasts I’ve been provided for free as a result of elite status — the hotels that are the most generous, how they do it, and the lessons we can draw.
Is Hyatt Withholding Award Inventory at One of its Best Properties?
The Park Hyatt New York is one of the more anticipated luxury hotel openings of the year. It has 210 guest rooms and is accepting reservations for August 12 and beyond. But is it ever possible to redeem points for a room here? Is Hyatt playing games?
Black’s Barbecue Opens Up in Austin, How Does it Rate in the Smoked Meat Mecca of the World?
My favorite barbecue – anywhere – is Black’s in Lockhart, Texas. I believe barbecue is all about the meat, and that meat is brisket. Sauce shouldn’t be necessary, it just hides the taste of good barbecue. I’ve had Franklin Barbecue in Austin and it is amazing. Technically perfect, even. But I find Black’s brisket more flavorful. Austin-area barbecue has to be the most densely competitive enclave in the world, and that makes nearly all of it excellent. ‘Bad’ barbecue for the region is still ‘good’ in some objective sense, or at least relative to what you’ll find in most places. I was excited to try the new Terry Black’s in Austin, only just opened. This isn’t Black’s. This is Terry Black’s. And the subtle distinction underscores a huge family dispute. The two members of the…
JetBlue Considers First Checked Bag Fee as Soon as They Can Make the Tech Work
Skift reports that JetBlue is considering a first checked bag fee. The challenge they currently face is that they need upgrade their tech to offer different fare options. A fee may be part of JetBlue’s new fare structure, Powers said yesterday, as the New York-based airline creates classes of tickets whose price would include services such as one free piece of checked luggage. While fliers could still choose a cheaper seat, they would have to start paying for any baggage, not just their second suitcase. Only in the airline industry is adding a fee considered not nickel and diming customers. “If you chose to buy a bucket without attributes and show up with a bag, you probably should pay for it,” Powers said. “It’s a terrific way, and in a JetBlue-friendly way, of monetizing all…
