At the beginning of the month I blogged about the Star MegaDO launch party in DC, that was where details of the upcoming event were revealed for the first time. It’s the ultimate frequent flyer adventure, where 150-200 enthusiastic folks get together, charter an aircraft, and go on behind-the-scenes tours of airlines and aircraft, while picking up swag and tons of miles and elite status along the way. To get a feel for what a MegaDO is all about, you can read a sample of some of the past media coverage. January’s oneworld MegaDO was featured on the front page of the business section of USA Today and also in an Associated Press story that hit about 70 papers. The January domestic charter portion of the trip sold out in under 20 minutes. It’s a hot ticket. This upcoming event in…
About Gary Leff
My Best Upgrade Yet at My Favorite Hotel in New York
Monday morning, Million Mile Secrets tweeted: As good as @garyleff says they are! http://ow.ly/i/IMrJ He was referring to the lemon poppyseed pancakes at the Andaz 5th Avenue. I read this tweet just as I was walking out the front door of that same hotel. I had checked in late Sunday night for a one-night stay. As regular readers of this blog know, I’m a regular guest at that hotel, it’s my favorite place to stay in Manhattan. The rooms, and the bathrooms, are large by New York standards. All guests receive complimentary internet and non-alcoholic beverages from the minibar (I’m just grateful for the 3 bottles of water, replenished daily). There’s of course a refrigerator in the ‘library’ portion of the lobby to get free coffee, water, and whatnot as well. And there’s free snacks…
A Weekend Stay at the Excellent Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle
I spent last weekend at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle (unsurprisingly located on the corner of Olive and 8th). It’s a lovely hotel, far preferred over the Grand Hyatt in Seattle, and a place I plan to return to when I’m in the area. Everyone was friendly, the rooms still feel modern and new, the restaurant is good and it was conveniently located for me. I had a regular room, though they assigned it on the top (17th) floor. I did have a chance to see one of the suites that are offered when Diamonds confirm their upgrade in advance with a suite upgrade certificate and it was quite nice, a very large living room and dining room area, and an extra large bathroom with separate tub and shower as well as dual…
8 TSA Agents at a Single Airport Fired for Sleeping on the Job
Just your average Wednesday: The employees were captured on videotape failing to follow standard operating procedures for screen checked bags, the agency said, adding that some of the screeners were videotaped sleeping in the bag room. Unlike security checkpoints where passengers are screened, bag rooms are out of public view. The investigation is continuing, and action may be taken against additional employees, the TSA said. They were caught on videotape, but their union plans to appeal the dismissals and seek their reinstatement. This is the same airport where a TSA agent was placed on paid leave for stealing a CNN camera and selling it on eBay. Still, we should remember this represents a few bad apples who in no way undermine the hard work that thousands of men and women at the TSA do to keep…
Media Coverage for My Award Booking Service
In Sunday’s New York Times travel section, Michelle Higgins writes about services that will help you get the most out of your miles. ANY traveler who has tried to use frequent flier miles for a free ticket knows how frustrating that process can be. On top of the blackout dates and limited availability, there are fees for everything from fuel surcharges to last-minute bookings. Spotting an opportunity, a handful of frequent flier fanatics are using their expertise to hunt down and book those award seats for you. “When you do this all day you begin to know which routes have availability, and the ins and outs of the computer systems,” said Gary Leff, a mileage hound who started BookYourAward.com about three years ago. Business has been so brisk he recently took on a partner. She…
Why Orbitz Charges Mac Users More for Hotels — And Why That’s a Good Thing
There’s been a tremendous amount of misreporting. Orbitz is not charging users of Apple computers more money for the same hotel than they charge PC users. Their data tells them that Mac users tend to stay in more expensive properties, so when choosing which hotels to highlight they recommend more expensive properties. In other words, they’re trying their best to guess at what their customers will most want. Now, Orbitz receives an average of 20% – 30% commissions on the hotel nights that it sells. The more expensive the room, the more money they make, but that is not the motivation here. If Orbitz sells a room they earn a commission, if they do not sell a room, they earn no commission. Travel websites make money by coming up with what their customers want, otherwise…
Airline Mergers, Alliance Integration, and Online Award Booking
Apparently when it becomes possible to transfer points between bmi Diamond Club and British Airways Avios, BA accounts set up for family membership won’t be eligible to do the transfers. Presumably this restriction will have to ultimately be lifted at such point as BA just shuts down Diamond Club. In the mean, you can of course de-link family accounts if you wish to make the transfers. With South American airlines LAN (a oneworld member) and TAM (a Star Alliance member) under common ownership, the world has been waiting with bated breath for a decision as to which alliance the jointly-owned airlines would belong to. The smart money has been on oneworld. This eventuality became glaringly obvious when representatives from TAM were not on hand for the Star Alliance announcement of South American airliens AviancaTaca and…
Air France First Class Upgrades 50% Off Through August 31 (Flying Blue Elites Only)
Air France only allows first class award redemption to be available to its own Flying Blue elite members, not to partner airline frequent flyer members. And its own frequent flyers have to spend the rule-buster amount of miles to redeem. It’s a ton of miles, and the product is generally several standard deviations behind the top first class products in the world. But at least spending more miles also means it’s available pretty much whenever you want it. You also have to be a Flying Blue elite member in order to upgrade from business to first class. But for Flying Blue elites first class upgrades are 50% off for bookings made by August 31, travel in July and August. Flying Blue Platinum, Gold and Silver members can save 50% on the Award Miles usually required…
Marriott Rewards Elite Room Upgrades Now “May Include Suites”
For several years the Marriott Rewards program specifically excluded suites from the upgrade benefit offered to elites. They added the exclusion to avoid confusion, for absence of doubt a suite upgrade was simply not a benefit of the Marriott Rewards program. Some individual hotels might do it from time to time, either because the regular rooms were full and someone had to be upgraded or because of sheer generosity. But no elite was entitled to an upgrade to an empty suite. Then last month they restricted the upgrade benefit even more, specifying that an upgrade was to “the next room category level” only, “[s]uites are excluded.” Marriott’s Gold level requires as many room nights as top tier status with Hyatt, Starwood, and Hilton. Marriott’s Platinum status requires a whopping 75 nights. And per the terms…
Is Inflight Wireless Internet Better Than a First Class Upgrade?
Earlier today tweeted something that’s probably pretty controversial to frequent flyers: @AmericanAir upgrade didn’t clear — but I’d rather have my exit row aisle with @Gogo internet than a first class seat without connectivity! Most of the time of course this is a false dilemma. As an Executive Platinum on American, I generally clear my upgrades. There are three distinct differences between United’s 100,000 mile flyers and American’s in this regard: United’s 100,000 mile flyers are not top tier elites, United’s Global Services is the top elite level and that’s not earned from straight miles flown. At American, flying 100,000 miles puts you in the top elite tier. United privileges full fare elite passengers over higher-level elites on mid-tier fares. A full fare silver trumps a middle-fare 1K. American is status (with full fare tickets…
