@GrantMartin tweets Looks like @garyleff is back on top. The battle continues! He’s referring to this blog’s Technocrati ranking (and as compared to his Gadling). I don’t pay attention to rankings, and I don’t even often check the stats package for this blog or Google Analytics. I just write and hopefully some folks find it useful or interesting. And I suspect that the rankings for what’s the most influential blog in all of travel must be off and highly flawed even. I’m even more confident in that judgment when I see that Technorati lists me as having the 16th most influential blog in Living. … just a hair behind MTV Style and Fashionista. I did once skip the velvet rope at KU DÉ TA in Singapore. But that’s as close to being one of the…
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Bits ‘n Pieces for February 8, 2013
News and Notes from Around the Interweb: One 787 was allowed to fly yesterday. Some Singapore Airlines flights are offering 2 saver seats in ‘suites class’ (redeemable with Singapore’s miles, which can be reasonably transferred in from Membership Rewards or Starwood). Currently these awards can be found on routes to and from London, Melbourne, Paris, Sydney, and Zurich. Lucky reports the news of Air Canada’s new business class seat, the introduction of premium economy, and squeezing 10 across instead of 9 in their 777 economy cabin. Another Alitalia discount, this time 20% off but excludes USA, Canada, UK, France, Holland, and Libya. Book by February 13 for travel between April 5 and May 31. Points on the Dollar doesn’t like Travelocity’s price guarantee for airline tickets.
Why Does Parker Get to Run the Show at a Combined US Airways/American Airlines?
Over at travelingbetter.com, EXP asks, As a layman, this is what I don’t understand: All of the reports that I’ve read indicate that rather than a merger, it’s actually AA that’s “swallowing” US. So, if AA is the stronger party (~75% equity vs. ~25% for US, keeping the name, the logo, the HQ, etc.), why does Doug Parker get to run the new company, essentially pushing out Tom Horton? If that’s indeed what ends up happening? Back in July, American’s Tom Horton was spreading the word that the merger was really his idea. That’s why July was the turning point for me in believing the merger was going to happen. Previously I thought it would be enough to forestall the merger that the combination wouldn’t actually make for a better, more profitable airline. But the…
Why in the World is US Airways Increasing Award Prices NOW?
It’s been 3 years since US Airways made major adjustments to its award chart. During that time they’ve been dubbed ‘the official consolidator for Star Alliance premium cabin fares’ because of the speed at which they’ve been printing miles on the cheap — through major promotions and offers to sell miles at a deep discount (through outright purchase or transfers from one account to another). In other words, the thinking has been that US Airways has offered up so many miles that they’ve become a way to buy miles and obtain ‘distressed inventory’ (which partners release as awards) across the Star Alliance. Basically they haven’t just been rewarding loyalty with miles, they’ve been selling partner award tickets for cash with miles as the intermediate form of currency. Given the production of so many Dividend Miles,…
Starwood/Delta News Even Bigger Than We Thought: Benefits and Earning Goes Both Ways
Yesterday news leaked that Delta was introducing benefits for Starwood Preferred Guest elite members: Golds and Platinums can earn 1 Starpoint per dollar spent on tickets (or a fixed 500 points per segment in some cases) and Starwood Platinums will receive many of the benefits of entry level elite status — priority check-in, priority boarding, and free checked bags. It turns out the leak was incomplete (and in one instance incorrect), and now we have the rest of the story. First, the relationship is reciprocal, because Delta elite members will also earn miles in addition to Starpoints on their Starwood hotel stays. And second because the rumor that Starwood Platinums would receive day of departure upgrades on Delta (after every last elite in the queue had cleared) was incorrect. Presumably that was discussed at one…
How To Make Sure You Really Have a Ticket When You Redeem Your Miles
This one seems obvious, right? You redeemed your miles for a ticket, therefore you have a ticket. The airline even sent you a confirmation e-mail so everything is all set, right? Not necessarily and certainly not guaranteed if you used United miles to book the award. I wrote about this problem back in May (“United Award Tickets on Asiana Sometimes Cancel Themselves and How to Make Sure You Don’t Get Shafted“) and then again in July (“When You Purchase a United Award Ticket That Doesn’t Mean You Actually Have a Ticket“). It’s a Long-Standing Legacy Continental Problem I learned quite awhile ago, under the old Continental system, that sometimes flights you book using your miles — especially when those flights were on partner airlines — just ‘disappear’. They were confirmed, they were promised to you,…
Bits ‘n Pieces for February 6, 2013
News and notes from around the interweb: Cathay Pacific is offering snake plush toys for online booking. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has issued a non-binding ruling that Asiana flight attendants should be allowed to wear pants. Delta Skyclubs offering reasonably priced bottles of Dom Perignon. But if it’s the ’03, it’s too hit-or-miss to take the chance still. American’s Board of Directors is expected to vote in favor of a merger with US Airways at the beginning of next week. Expectation is American Chairman Tom Horton to stay on as non-executive Chairman for a specified term and then leave the company.
Starwood Introducing Points-Earning and Status Benefits on Delta
Two weeks ago I noted a Starwood trademark for the term “Crossover Rewards” and this morning was alerted by this Milepoint thread that we now know what those are: benefits for Starwood elite members when flying Delta. Whether other travel providers will be included in the future is, as-yet, unclear although my guess is that Delta is first on-board and will remain so for awhile, as the exclusivity is what would have been enticing for them, a way to drive Starwood elite member business to the airline while Starwood provides more value to their members. Loyalty Lobby has the terms and conditions. While details aren’t online yet, they’ll be coming at both Delta.com and spg.com/crossover rewards. Starwood Elites Will Earn Points for Flying Delta Starwood Gold and Platinum members will be able to link their…
What Not to Do in First Class (or Any Cabin of the Plane, Really)
You should definitely not behave this way. And you should definitely not behave this way if you are a pilot who wants to keep his job. And you should definitely not behave this way if you are a pilot who wants to keep his job and have just returned from suspension for similar behavior. After drinking several whiskeys, the pilot grabbed the woman, who was sitting next to her husband in first class, announcing, “I want to f**** her,” according to The Sun. He attempted to get into the cockpit — even though he wasn’t part of the crew that day — declaring, “I want to rape the flight deck,” The Sun reported. He then collapsed in front of his passengers on the plane traveling from London to Japan, where he was scheduled to pick…
Hyatt’s Spring Promotion: 3000 Points Every 3 Nights
Loyalty Lobby speculated on Hyatt’s promotion yesterday but I’ve gotten it confirmed: Hyatt Gold Passport’s spring promotion will be 3000 points every 3 nights, up to a maximum of 45,000 points, between March 1 and May 31. In addition to earlier speculation, Hyatt Visa cardholders will earn an additional 20% bonus on top of that (meaning each set of 3 nights will earn them 3600 bonus points). Registration for the promotion will begin February 15. The link for this is not yet available. Club Carlson is offering triple points. Starwood is giving 2000 points every four nights. Hilton is double points or miles. I’d say that Marriott’s MegaBonus which offers a free night after two stays (capped at category 4) is probably the richest current promotion, with Hyatt’s second. Although for my purposes — I…
