US Frequent Flyer Programs: on the Brink United is devaluing its award chart. The program is still good for coach and business class awards, good for awards on United, but will not at all be good for partner airline awards in international first class. That’s why I need to look to alternatives. I do not expect a major devaluation from American. Obviously facts will prove me right or wrong on that. For now it is by far my program of choice, and especially so within oneworld. But I still want to prepare myself and think ahead. Delta of course has SkyPesos… a debased currency which does have strategic uses and that I do accumulate but that cannot get me excited at all, in part because of the limited quality airline products you can redeem for…
About Gary Leff
Audience Participation, Please: Let’s Hear Your Best Defense of the Value of Delta Skymiles
Delta Points probably just wants me to link to him, he’s trying to get under my skin this morning with his attempt to speak out for Delta in spite of what I consider to be their fundamentally dishonest award chart devaluation which went into effect yesterday with no notice. Even he has to acknowledge this a little bit: Now one thing I do agree with that I do find utterly idiotic and insulting is the complete and utter cop-out that the airline can not alert us in advance. If [doing so] were against the law [as Delta claims] other airlines would be sued for give their flyers time to adjust to a change. I agree Delta is not being honest about this fact and this is sad and upsetting. It is also insulting to us…
How an American-US Airways Anti-Trust Settlement Might Work
There’s discussion of an interesting settlement rumor on Milepoint, ostensibly about a structure of a deal that could bring an end to the Justice Department’s anti-trust lawsuit to stop the merger between American Airlines and US Airways. Here’s the gist: Slots Sell the 8 Washington Reagan slot pairs that JetBlue currently leases from American to JetBlue at a price approved by the DOJ Divest an additional 37 slot pairs at Washington Reagan to the federal government for the DOT and/or DOJ to redistribute as they see fit. Divest 10 slot pairs at New York LaGuardia to the federal government for the DOT and/or DOJ to redistribute as they see fit Sell to Virgin America the 15 slots (7.5 slot pairs) that Virgin America currently leases from American at a price approved by the DOJ Gates…
Will American Follow Suit and Devalue its Miles?
United’s award chart will be devalued come February, award prices are going up, up up. Big changes at United have many flyers considering alternatives. But it would be a shame to jump to a new airline to accumulate points, only to find that airline devaluing its own points shortly thereafter. That uncertainty is what’s holding many people back, and helping United. I’m going to predict there will be some adjustments to American’s award chart over the coming year, but that we will not see a wholesale devaluation like what United has done — not even close. American’s Award Chart Isn’t That Much Less Expensive Now for Many Awards, So There’s No Need to Raise Most Prices United’s changes aren’t as bad as they seem for many flyers. Coach doesn’t go up, or up very much,…
Delta Announces an Interim Devaluation for February Travel (Because Their June Travel Devaluation Was Too Far Away)
Delta Skymiles — already the least generous major airline frequent flyer program in the U.S. — has deservedly earned the nickname Skypesos. Nonetheless, the program leadership has announced that they believe the program is too rewarding today — notwithstanding that they already announced that they were making it less rewarding for travel June 1 oneward. (Delta announced award chart changes effective immediately, for travel beginning in June, back in mid-August.) Sure, the changes went into effect right away, but only for travel in summer 2014. The clear implication of announcing changes for travel beginning June 1 was that travel up until June 1 could be booked at the ‘old’ rate. And by setting the travel date about 9 months out, that meant that members could still earn miles and redeem them at the existing lower…
American Says You Don’t Have to Mileage Run for Next Year’s Status
American announced two different ways this morning to keep your current status or buy up to a higher level, and neither one involves getting on their aircraft. Bringing Back One Method, and Introducing a New One American has offered some sort of ‘buy back’ program for the past decade; a way for members who didn’t fly enough to keep their status in the next year to pay to do so (with a price that varied based on how close they were). There’s been some speculation that they wouldn’t for 2014, but they will. No doubt that while planes are full their not offering double elite qualifying miles during the year (when last year they offered that at both the beginning and end) means the elite ranks aren’t so swelled that letting members pay to re-up…
The Future Will Have Lower Award Prices and Better Availability..
…or so prophecies by a correspondent who mailed a letter to me at the Milepoint.com business address would seem to suggest. Dear Gary, I saw the newspaper article you were quoted in and wanted to write you a letter. As you know the economy has had its up and down’s which causes many to wonder what the future holds out for them and who really controls the world. Interestingly, the Bible explains why conditions in the world have gone from bad to worse and also explains what we can look forward to which is a world free of economic hardships, pain, suffering, injustice and war… The enclosed tract explains the above in more detail. It only takes a few minutes to read and is well worth your time. The old saying in aviation decades ago…
Lufthansa First Class Awards Available (Using United Miles) Next Summer
On the heels of United’s dramatic devaluation that goes into effect February 1, many folks are seeing their United miles are no longer so great for booking partner awards (although they’re still non-crazy for booking partner awards in business class). First class awards on partners are where the real changes come into play. A first class award, say Washington Dulles to Munich and back on Lufthansa, goes up from 135,000 miles to 220,000 miles. And of course first class awards on Lufthansa have become really tough to get. A couple of years ago they were everywhere, now they’re usually only bookable within two weeks of travel. Lufthansa has reduced the number of first class seats it flies and have severely restricted the ability for partner frequent flyer programs to book those seats. Since they’re tough…
Why You Should Go to the Bathroom Before Boarding Your Flight
Boarding lasts 20 minutes or so, if you’re in the gate area at the start of boarding and you have to ‘go’ you really should do it before getting on the plane. Sneaking into the lav while passengers are trying to get down the aisle slows things down. Sure, sometimes it’s necessary — maybe your inbound flight was late and you make it to your connecting gate just before they’re going to shut the doors and you have to go. But here’s the risk. If you do it right before takeoff, and it takes you awhile. . . Female passenger left trapped in lavatory on British Airways plane as it sped down the runway and took off: A female passenger found herself trapped in the lavatory on board a British Airways plane as it hurtled…
British Airways’ New Do It Yourself Electronic Baggage Tags
British Airways is testing new electronic baggage tags that will save time at the airport, like you can via a mobile boarding pass, without the need for waiting in lines to get help from people even when checking a bag. The initial test is being done this month on London Heathrow – Seattle flights with Microsoft employees. Unsurprisingly, they’re using Windows phones for this test but they’ll support other platforms going forward. Participants will use a specially adapted version of the British Airways app that will automatically update the bag tag with a unique barcode containing new flight details and an easy-to-see view of their bag’s destination – just by holding the phone over the barcode. You get a digital bag tag which you affix to your bag, and place your phone up to the…
