Lucky notes an interesting rule change over at Air Canada for elite status qualification: at least 10,000 miles or 5 segments have to be flown on Air Canada in order to be eligible to earn status in the program. Flying 35,000 miles earns mid-tier status and Star Alliance Gold. So for, say, a US Airways passenger who hits just 35,000 miles in a year and flies routes and times where as a Silver they’re unlikely to be upgraded often, they may be better off crediting their miles to Aeroplan. They’re a mid-tier elite, instead of a bottom-tier elite, and they receive free lounge access even for their domestic flying in the US (access to US Airways lounges, as a partner Star Alliance Gold). Not to mention access to partner lounges (like the Lufthansa lounge at…
About Gary Leff
A Passenger’s Right to Recline Their Seat in Coach?
Picking up the meme from Road Warriorette and additional comments by Lucky I’ve given some thought to whether reclining your seat (in coach) is a right or a privilege? In other words, is it something you’re entitled to do independent of the wishes of the passenger behind you, or something you do only to the extent it doesn’t inconvenience them? What if you want to sleep and they want to eat or work on their laptop? Lucky says it’s his right but he doesn’t exercise it in coach on day flights, but does in first class, and that the problem is worse in first due to greater recline and only marginal better pitch (distance between seats, or technically from seat back to seat back). I understand where he’s coming from, I’m especially frustrated being scrunched…
Mileage Runs Debated on Video
Check out this hilarious YouTube video of two cartoon co-workers debating the merits (or idiocy) of mileage runs. Personally I’ve never been a fan of the pure mileage run. They’ve always been way too expensive for me to undertake — flying just to acquire miles to redeem — since the cost per ticket calculation that suggests acquiring miles from flying is worthwhile generally doesn’t incorporate the opportunity cost of time, which I place at a pretty hefty premium given my disparate commitments. That said, I am a fan of that short extra trip needed to bump up to the next elite level, especially if it’s for top tier, and especially if there’s a strong expectation of heavy flying in the next year. And I am a fan of discretionary travel to see new places, experience…
What An Airline Merger Looks Lke
Back from India where I had undoubtedly the worst first class flight segment I’ve ever experienced, and it wasn’t even on United. That’ll make for a good story, as will the United flight I had where I prompted the flight attendant to give everyone in the cabin who wasn’t a non-rev a Skykit. But there were some real highlights of the trip, too. But for now I’m catching up on ‘real work’ and so posting the past few days has been sparse. For that I apologize! Meanwhile, courtesy of Kevin I share with you this photo of a United aircraft painted in its new livery, the name remains the same but the graphics are all Continental.
More Media for the Expedia Free Flights to New York, Cancun, and Las Vegas Deal
Scott Mayerowitz at ABC New Travel covers the story nicely. I spoke with him yesterday, he had learned about the deal on this blog. I put him in touch with Matthew and Scott details some exploits on ths deal: Next month, Klint, his brother and his uncle are all flying to Las Vegas and staying in two rooms at a five-star hotel. The total cost: $44. Throw in a $200 food and drink credit and they are actually making $156 off the trip. …Then he started booking other trips for friends and family. Ultimately, Klint purchased 15 tickets, most of them for free. Mayerowitz gets Expedia to say they’re honoring the deal, though they wouldn’t comment further. The key takeaways from this deal, as with most, are: I have no ethical problem with these. Sometimes…
Free Cancun, Vegas, and New York Trips in the News
Our Expedia.ca special coupon for free trips made the news. Was it an early Christmas gift or a massive error? Deal hunters snagged nearly-free trips through Expedia.ca last weekend. One traveller, Colin Campbell, booked a return flight from New York to Toronto just in time for Christmas Eve for $40, taxes included. It also included a few days stay in a hotel. Expedia offered a $300-discount last weekend for a flight and hotel package to Cancun, Las Vegas, New York and the Mayan Riviera. So for packages just over $300, the trip was almost free after the discount. Some people bragged online about booking more than 10 trips before the discount was pulled offline. Expedia won’t say whether the promotion was a pricing error.
Even Better Free Marriott Gold Offer — Stay Just 8 Nights to Extend Your Status Through February 2012
Again Via TM Travel World comes this Instant Marriott Gold offer for 90 days doesn’t require you to enter an Air China Frequent Flyer number and only requires you to stay 8 nights within those 90 days to extend your Gold status through February, 2012. There’s a separate link for new members to join with Gold status and for existing members to upgrade their status to Gold.
Free Marriott Gold Status for 90 Days
Via TM Travel World, Marriott is offering free Gold status for 90 days. The offer states valid through February 28, 2011, so you may want to wait until you have Marriott stays planned. On the other hand, Marriott could pull the offer at any time so you might want to play it safe and grab the status now. They do want an Air China PhoenixMiles number on the signup page, though, so you at least need to enter one. The offer includes bonus Air China miles for Marriott stays. The offer is valid for existing and for new members, and is being marketing to Air China PhoenixMiles members but membership in the Air China program isn’t required (not that it would be hard to join if it were!).
Deviant Security Theatre Roundup
New TSA Slogans: If We Don’t Get Off, You Don’t Get On We Love Your Fly, And It Shows Alex Tabarrok reminds us that we tell children that their body is their own, they have the right to say NO, and that there are parts of their body that are private. Authority figures, for example, may also use threats of violence to engage in abuse against adults, for example, “you will be blown up unless you let me touch your genitals and take naked pictures of you.” Boing Boing brings us a children’s book, My First Cavity Search: Helping Your Child Understand Why He May Pose a Threat to National Security. Illustrated cover is priceless. Tyler Cowen thinks an arbitrary and punitive TSA is good for consumers who remain willing to fly because it’ll cause…
Free Flights to Cancun, New York, and Las Vegas
Expedia.ca (the Canadian Expedia site) has published a vacation package coupon — SAVE300 — that takes $300 off of any air/hotel package to Vegas, Cancun or New York. Take for example a $260 airline ticket to Vegas, add two nights cheapie off the strip $20 hotel nights and that totals $300. SAVE300 makes that $0. Book by November 21, 2010 for travel through December 31. (But who knows, Expedia might pull this sooner.) If multiple people are flying, book them separately so each gets the $300 off. (Yes that means there are hotel nights you never use.) If you can get it to price at $0 don’t worry about the dates, just book whatever dates you MIGHT need. Use the ones you want and don’t worry about the rest. Flyertalk thread and details as follows:SAVE300…
