Key Links:Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card Starwood Preferred Guest Business American Express card I mentioned yesterday that I was going to be giving away 60,000 Starwood Starpoints — 30,000 apiece to two lucky winners. American Express offered the points to help you “stretch your summer” with a last-minute getaway. Two summers ago American Express introduced a 30,000 point signup bonus on their Starwood cards for the first time. I got the card for the first time in 2001 — with no signup bonus at all. Way back in May 2002 when I first started this blog I wrote, “the credit card I recommend most often for earning miles is the Starwood American Express, because points transfer 1:1 into most airline programs and you get a 5k mile bonus for transferring 20k points — equivalent…
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1000 American Airlines Miles Per Day with Budget Car Rental
Two weeks ago I posted about a big rental car mileage bonus running through the month of August: 3000 American miles on a 1-day rental or 5000 miles on a 3-day rental with Avis airport locations in the US and Canada using coupon code MUAA035. Pizza in Motion highlights a deal that’s even better for rentals of 6 days or longer and that will be the best offer on most rentals come September: 1000 American Airlines miles per day with Budget through September 30 when renting 2 days or more from airport locations in the US and Canada using coupon code MUAZ013.
Marriott Adds Possibility of Suite Upgrades for Elites at Asia Pacific Hotels
In May, Marriott Rewards reduced their minimal elite upgrade benefit language with the condition that Golds and Platinums were entitled only to a one category room upgrade. This likely didn’t change much in practice, but it was disconcerting to see the language of their benefits being reduced at a time when other programs were becoming more generous. Marriott has the toughest top tier to qualify for at 75 nights. Hilton recently removed the suites exclusion from Diamond upgrades, though Diamonds at Hilton aren’t entitled to suites. Starwood has long given their top tier Platinums the right to standard suites that are available at check-in, and now they’ll confirm that upgrade a few days in advance giving Platinums who earn their status by nights (rather than stays) 10 nights a year where they can express priority…
60,000 Starwood Point Giveaway – and the Return of the 30,000 Point Starwood Amex Signup Bonus
I got word that American Express would be bringing back the 30,000 point signup bonus for the Starwood co-branded credit card beginning Tuesday, August 7th. Two summers ago American Express introduced a 30,000 point signup bonus on their Starwood cards for the first time. They repeated it in 2011. 30,000 points may not seem like a ton in a world of 50,000 and 100,000 point bonuses. But Starwood points are the single most valuable currency there is, in large measure due to their flexibility. And historically the available bonuses were quite low. In 2006 at the same time they brought out their small business card they bumped the signup bonus offer to 10,000 points. The standard bonus had been 4000 points, but there were also 6000 point offers. In fact, when I first got the…
Why I’m Disappointed By Hyatt’s New Promotion — And Why I’m Liking it More and More
Last week I shared the details of Hyatt’s new promotion which kicks off September 1. I wasn’t especially excited, most of the reaction to the post was similar, and I even called it “better than a hole in the head.” I’ve come to reconsider that view. The offer is 5000 bonus points after 5 nights and then 10,000 additional bonus points for each incremental 5 nights stayed during the promotion period — up to a maximum of 35 nights. If you have a Hyatt Visa you get 20% more bonus miles from the promotion. That’s similar to what they did earlier in the year as well. Don’t get me wrong — this is the least generous Hyatt Gold Passport promotion in awhile. Here are recent points promotions they’ve offered: Last spring they offered 10,000 points…
Just When I Think I’ve Finally Figured Out the Mysteries of Breakfast…
My first stay at the Andaz Wall Street I was given three different and conflicting stories about the breakfast benefit: My wife checked in ahead of me, I had told her that I wasn’t sure what the breakfast benefit was at this Andaz so she asked and emailed me right away. They told her that the benefit was applicable in the restaurant or room service, “$50 per person, so $100 for two.” When I arrived at the hotel I was greeted by a staff member who made me a key and swapped credit cards on the room (I wanted my Hyatt card down), I asked to verify and was told the benefit was $50 per day for the both of us. I mentioned the conversation my wife had earlier, the staffer looked up who checked her…
How They Get Inflight Wireless Internet into the Plane
I love my inflight wireless internet, I’ve argued that it’s better than a first class upgrade at least on a medium-haul domestic flight. Via AAdvantageGeek, here’s how the wireless inflight internet gets installed:
Things You May Not Have Known About United Airlines
Christopher Elliott visits United and files an interesting report. The number of elite passengers on a flight factors into the flight’s priority during weather and air traffic delays. (I believe that generally the number of connections, and whether connecting passengers can be re-accomodated, takes on a greater importance.) The flat tire rule still exists, if you miss your flight but show up at the airport within two hours of your scheduled departure, you can stand by for the next flight at no charge. No guarantees you’ll get on to that next flight, but there’s no charge to be re-accomodated if you can. Of course it might still be worth making a same-day confirmed change before missing your flight. United keeps Economy Plus because it’s profitable. Unsurprising, but has been interesting to watch the evolution. When…
Good Lie Flat Business Class Award Space to Asia Using Delta Skymiles
Delta Skymiles partner China Southern is introducing an Airbus A380 on the Los Angeles – Guangzhou route starting October 12th. They’ve got a new lie-flat business class product, and award availability (per Expertflyer) appears to be wide open. You can fly to destinations beyond Guangzhou without too much difficulty, as intra-Asian award space tends to be pretty good. Delta does add fuel surcharges onto China Southern award tickets, but they’re usually pretty modest — under $300 in most cases rather than $500 per ticket (in addition to taxes). And if it gets you business class award space using Delta miles, you’re already way ahead of the game. Of course, this does require you to find a Delta call center agent that has heard of China Southern, believes that China Southern is a Skyteam member, and…
US Airways Offers Food Delivery to its DC Club Lounge. Sort of.
During the oneworld MegaDO in Dallas I had the opportunity to talk with the food and beverage manager for the American Airlines Admirals Clubs. Now, American clubs are generally nicer (better furnished, in better condition) than United and US Airways lounges. But they have almost no complimentary snacks. Instead they offer paid food options. And the quality of those options vary widely across clubs — even across different clubs in the same airport. The D30 club in Miami, for instance, has a kitchen and a room with food display where you can purchase meals and snacks. Everything is nicely plated on dishware rather than pre-arranged in disposable plastic containers. The D15 club does not. My suggestion to American was, why does it make sense for them to be in the food preparation and storage business?…
