News and notes from around the interweb: Last minute private jet flights on the cheap (HT: Alan H.) Bluebird increases daily load limit to $2500 per day. It can now be loaded up to $1,999.99 per day at Walmart registers, cutting required Walmart visits in half. Back in April it looked like the Suntrust Delta debit card, a tool I use to generate lots of miles, was no longer available. There was a limited window, though, to get the card in person or via online chat still. There are reports now that this window has slammed shut. Anyone still having success? TwoSmiles.com has 15% off gift cards — including Southwest Airlines gift cards — through July 7 using promo code FIREWORKS15. (HT: Julian B.) Better than usual Delta American Express Card offers. You can join…
About Gary Leff
Let’s Rename Washington National Airport!
In my Tourist Guide to Washington DC (the most important things to know in a nutshell, I’ve lived here for 18 years), I wrote that: You always want to fly into National airport (and not Dulles or Baltimore) when possible, all things (price, non-stop flights) equal. Nobody calls it Reagan National. This was a controversial claim, lots of discussion in the comments. I actually think it breaks down along the lines of how new you are to the area. It isn’t just tourists that call is Reagan, it’s also newbies. The airport was re-named for Ronald Reagan as a part of Grover Norquist’s very successful pitch to make a lot of money from conservative donors campaign to rename something for Ronald Reagan in every state. Now there’s a move to take away the name. And…
Where Are All the DoubleUp Rates at PointsHound?
A couple of days ago I wrote about booking website PointsHound increasing the airline miles they’ll award you for making hotel reservations. I surmised that, their having been acquired by Points.com, they likely have access to better pricing on miles and the economics now let them provide a greater incentive to you to book through them. What I like best about PointsHound is that they offer ‘DoubleUp’ rates. You can book through them and earn airline miles for the reservation, and as long as you’re booking one of these rates you will still: Earn points in the hotel’s program as well. Get recognition for your elite status in that program. Earn credit towards elite status with the hotel chain. PointsHound’s competitor Rocketmiles has historically offered more miles, but since Rocketmiles is offering only third party…
20,000 Starwood Points Transfer to 30,000 US Airways Miles This Month
Yesterday I shared that there’s a new bonus for transferring Starwood points into American frequent flyer accounts: 20,000 Starpoints yields 30,000 AAdvantage miles through July 31. It’s a 20% bonus. Starwood normally transfers 20,000 points into 25,000 miles with most programs. Under this offer that 25,000 miles multiplies by 1.2 into 30,000 miles. The same bonus is being offered for transfer of Starwood Starpoints into US Airways Dividend Miles. Here’s the email: The offer page is here. Starwood can post up to 79,999 points to a given airline mileage program during a 24 hour period. And of course you want to transfer in chunks of 20,000 to maximize your bonus. So don’t transfer more than 60,000 Starpoints (which will yield 90,000 American miles) in a 24 hour period. If you want to make a larger…
What Does it Look Like When the Best Airport in the World Builds a Brand New Terminal?
Singapore’s Changi airport tops most lists of ‘Best Airport in the World’ and for good reason. It features several gardens, including a butterfly garden. The shopping — and food options — are hard to match. There’s even a movie theater. You can take a free transit tour. And there’s a Crowne Plaza hotel linked to terminal 3 via covered walkway, and a transit hotel which doesn’t require clearing immigration. Changi airport opened terminal 3, the home for the bulk of Singapore Airlines fights and especially their long haul operations in 2008 (they are not the sole occupants of the terminal). The airport’s Budget terminal was opened in 2006 — and closed 6 years later. It will be replaced with a brand new ‘terminal 4’ expected to open in 2017. A rendering of the new terminal…
Uber Will Continue to Operate in Pittsburgh Despite a Court Order
Uber and Lyft received cease and desist orders to halt operations in Pittsburgh. The judges issuing the orders recognize they’re hosing residents. “We are not blind or deaf to the public opinion, at least in the Pittsburgh area, that the transportation needs of many individuals are not adequately met by currently certificated carriers. Nor are we unmindful of the potential benefits of the service proposed by Lyft,” they write. “…Therefore, it may seem to some that our order here is contrary to the public interest in the ability of individuals to secure transportation in a timely manner.” Uber intends to continue operating anyway despite the order. Uber and Lyft continue to operate in Virginia as well despite being ordered by the DMV not to do so. You can join the 40,000+ people who see these…
20,000 Starwood Points Gets You 30,000 American Miles This Month
Through July 31 there’s a 20% bonus for transferring Starwood points into American miles. From July 1 through July 31, 2014, simply convert your Starpoints® to American Airlines AAdvantage miles and earn a 20% bonus. As always, for every 20,000 Starpoints transferred within the same transaction, SPG® will automatically add another 5,000 miles. With the additional 20% mileage bonus offered by the AAdvantage program, you will receive a total of 30,000 miles from the transaction. Starwood can post up to 79,999 points to a given airline mileage program during a 24 hour period. And of course you want to transfer in chunks of 20,000 to maximize your bonus. So don’t transfer more than 60,000 Starpoints (which will yield 90,000 American miles) in a 24 hour period. If you want to make a larger transfer, break…
Always Double and Triple Check Your Awards!
I know these lessons well, I’ve had every mistake in the book made on the airline side. Was the correct name entered on the reservation? Was the correct flight booked on the right date? (Especially challenging for flights shortly after midnight.) Was the ticket actually queued to issue correctly? So many things can go wrong. It always amazes me that members in general are able to issue award seats at all, at least for those itineraries that are not bookable on an airline’s website. Given the number of mistakes an agent can make — and that is after, even, battling to actually find award space on the flights you’re looking for — it’s important to make sure all of the details are correct. And especially in the case of partner airline awards, to make sure…
Man Hit With 2000 Euro Bill for Scamming Lufthansa Lounge Access!
Six months ago the story went ’round about the Chinese man who ate free for a year. He bought a fully flexible ticket, changed his travel date each day, used the airport lounge for food and drink and then refunded his ticket at the end of a year. Lots of folks thought this was a brilliant hack. Although it certainly wasn’t new. Ever since September 11th and the requirement that you actually be flying same-day to go past security, there are people that have found it convenient to buy a refundable ticket, meet friends at their gate, and then refund the ticket rather than get a gate pass. And if doing that, you might as well buy an international first class ticket, to take advantage of any available first class lounge while waiting. Back when…
Your Next Flight May Land in a Totally Different Way
The thing I miss the most in my flying is listening to Channel 9 air traffic control on United. There’s a certain familiarity to the discussions that’s just soothing. The usual patter on approach of “descend maintain one two thousand” is going to change though — and at some airports is already changing. (HT: Alan H.) That’s because more airports are moving to bringing planes in on a steady path to the ground instead of descending, leveling off, and descending again. Leveling off involves cranking up the engines, which burns fuel. A steady glide to the ground burns less. And it allows descent to begin later, where the new approach pattern has been implemented descents begin a couple miles closer to the airport. Usually, planes approaching an airport drop altitude in steps, cranking up the…
