News and notes from around the interweb (err, mostly blasts from the past of View from the Wing: One of the strangest things you’ve been able to redeem miles for (breast implants). How to think about an All You Can Eat buffet Hilton’s big devaluation this year shouldn’t have come as any surprise since they were the only program to actually devalue during the Great Recession too. Planes should be driven more like cars. The recipe for Cathay Pacific’s signature cocktail Congratulations to Online Travel Review for his 10-year blogiversary. You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest…
About Gary Leff
The Night Before Christmas Flight Safety Briefing
Many flight safety briefings are done by video nowadays, at least on aircraft equipped with inflight entertainment. But flight attendants used to do safety briefings live. In fact on a recent flight where the video wasn’t working the flight attendants were quite proud of themselves for ‘saving the day’ and averting a lengthy delay when the video didn’t work, they went ‘old school’ and did it themselves (they were quite nervous and out of practice). As long as all of the relevant information is included in the briefing, the particular verbiage isn’t dictated. So I’ve been on plenty of flights where it deviated from the standard script. Back in 1999, I think, I first heard “‘Twas the Flight Before Christmas” and it went something like this: Twas the night before Christmas on this [airline] aircraft…
Best Introductory Mileage Tips, The Inn of Bethlehem Reviewed On Tripadvisor and Questioning Airport Security (Bits ‘n Pieces for December 24, 2013)
News and Notes from Around the Interweb:Great basic lessons for earning and using miles from Scott Mayerowitz and Travel and Leisure 7 Reasons the TSA is Worse Than You Think (HT: Bill L.) US Airport Security is Just a Show (HT: Don H. The new American-US Airways merger commercial. Not very inspiring. Review: “The Inn” Bethlehem, Judea (HT: Jane F. You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t miss out!
Hyatt Eliminating Stay Certificates, Weekend Certificates, and Spa Certificates January 7
For a long time Hyatt ‘Stay Certificates’ were a great way to buy Hyatt stays at a discount. For many hotels, Hyatt would let you make a reservation with what’s effectively a gift certificate that they would sell for less than the price of the room on the Hyatt website. Then, once you had a reservation in hand, you could buy the gift certificate. These stays wouldn’t earn points or elite credit, and weren’t always available, but could get you room nights in some very nice hotels at substantial savings. Back in January they fiddled with the pricing a bit, but overall these certificates remains ‘one for the arsenal’ at least. I did know they were re-evaluating their gift card (buy a card that serves as cash to pay for your stay) and stay certificate…
American’s New Pimped Out Domestic Product… Now Onboard the 737!
When I went out to see American’s new Airbus A319 this past summer, I loved the new inflight product — but did not like that they had only 8 first class seats aboard an aircraft that would be primarily replacing an older plane (MD80) with 16. In fact, though it looked like a great ride, my intention has been to avoid flying it — I love my upgrades too much. What I didn’t realize was that the product I saw first on he A319 is in fact the new standard domestic offering. So I walked aboard a new 737 — so new that Gogo’s inflight wireless hadn’t even been installed yet — and was confused for a short while what kind of aircraft I was flying. This is the new domestic first class — onboard…
Marriott New Member Stackable Free Night Bonus!
Marriott is offering new members a free night at any category 1-5 hotel for staying twice at participating hotels within 120 days from the end of the month in which you join. That is of course in addition to the MegaBonus free nights category 1-4 (for most) after each two stays up to two free nights, between February and June. Marriott is a great program for triple, quadruple, and quintuple dipping such as buying Marriott gift cards at office supply stores (to earn 5 points per dollar) or buying at an even bigger cash discount — plus making your reservation through a shopping portal like the Ultimate Rewards Mall to earn additional points, on top of the usual points in the Marriott Rewards porgram earned through stays. Once this new member promotion ends, it’s still…
Frequent Flyer Lonely Hearts, Celebrating Travel for the Holidays
Two blog readers in a long-term relationship are on a break from each other. One wrote a poem to the other for the holidays, and decided to share it. I don’t know much about the relationship, other than that I met the person who wrote the poem at a frequent flyer seminar event two years ago just before the couple traveled to Asia in Cathay Pacific first class on points. In whatever direction things take, I hope they both find their hearts in their love of travel and adventure. My best to them, and to all of my readers out there, my best to you! Christmas is a time for giving, and reflecting on the year we’ve had Which as you know, started off quite well, but has ended fairly sad. You see, it feels…
Why Fuel Surcharges Won’t Spread in the US and Make Award Tickets More Expensive
Miles and points were once seen as a reward for loyalty, a customer to be treated better and more flexibly when reaping the fruits of travels. In recent times though airlines have become more draconian with change fees and some have sought to gouge customers with accumulated miles for cash co-pays when booking awards under the guide of ‘fuel surcharges’. Instead of offering ‘free’ travel the notion is that miles cover just the ‘fare’ and not add-ons. Only a few airlines in the US, and for travel on a few partner carriers, impose these fuel surcharges on customers booking award tickets. But they’ve been a specter haunting programs for some years – a risk of future devaluations. But the very existence of fuel surcharges is an historical and technological accident. And recent program devaluations actually…
Which Airline and Hotel Program Will Link Up Next?
A new concept that took flight this year was the airline-hotel loyalty program partnership. Hotel programs have long offered the ability to earn airline miles for stays. Hotel programs have also pitched airline elites with complimentary status in the hopes of luring business. There have been points transfer bonuses, and other tie-ups like even the ability to earn Delta elite qualifying miles through Hilton stays. But what was new year this was the closer relationship — both points-earning and elite-recognizing — in exclusive one-on-one partnership between airlines and hotels. Delta and Starwood introduced Crossover Rewards at the beginning of the year and then added it to in the late summer with complimentary upgrades at the gate on Delta for Starwood Platinums. United and Marriott hooked up with RewardsPlus, Marriott Platinums getting United Silver and United…
The Holidays Are a Time To… Book Award Travel: the Deadlines and Opportunities You Need to Know About
Take the next few days with family. But while you’re together with your family, talk to the people you travel with and plot out what sorts of award redemptions you may want to make in the coming year. Making your bookings soon could save you a whole lot of points. United MileagePlus awards go up, up, up in price on February 1, especially for international business and first class partner awards where some redemptions increase by more than 80%. The price of Hyatt Gold Passport awards is going up January 7, and it’s worth booking now especially for the 13 hotels most affected by price increases (and if you want to redeem your points for suites whether on paid nights or awards). US Airways leaves Star Alliance March 30 and joins oneworld the next day.…
