Kiwi Flyer reports on the Alice in Wonderland world of ESTA, the US government’s “Electronic System for Travel Authorization.” Despite the initial promises of saving travellers time by replacing the green I94-W visa waiver entry form, for most the ESTA application is needed as well as an I94-W form. …I was on one of the trial flights the other day. …I received a card “I-94W is going paperless” which explains to any check in or gate agent who expects to find a green stub from the I-94W that I legitimately don’t have one. Hopefully it will be paperless for everyone soon. When ESTA was introduced, the legislation provided for future introduction of a fee for cost recovery. So far, ESTA is still free (unless you go to one of the many fake sites to register).…
About Gary Leff
Hilton Deflects Criticism of their Devaluation: Fair or Not?
Nicholas Kralev covered the Priority Club Luckiest Loser campaign this week. In the promo, Priority Club — which naturaly has had its own devaluations — calls out Hilton for the magnitude of theirs. And as I’ve noted before, it’s an especially deep devaluation at a time when hotel occupancy and room rates are suffering in unprecedented ways making the chnages uniquely egregious and difficult to justify. Kralev quotes Steve Sickel, who’s in charge of the Priority Club program: “In my 17 years in the loyalty business — first at Continental Airlines and now at InterContinental — I’ve never seen such a drastic devaluation,” Hilton downplays the changes: Hilton also sent me some numbers that surprised me. Of nearly 3,500 hotels around the world, only 354 were assigned a higher category in January, and 547 actually…
Which Visa or Mastercard Should You Carry?
Most of the very best rewards cards are American Express products. Take just a few examples: The Starwood American Express is outstanding, with a good hotel rewards program and lots of mileage transfer partners, not to mention the 5000 mile bonus for each 20,000 miles redeemed for. The more general American Express cards with Membership Rewards are incredibly flexible, they have fewer transfer partners than Starwood but in many cases points post instantly (e.g. to Air Canada Aerolan and Continental Onepass). The Hilton Surpass American Express offers Diamond elite status after just $40,000 in spend. Unsurprising that the most rewarding cards are frequently from Amex, since merchants pay higher fees and as a result there’s more money availablef or American Express to spend on awards. One of the more frequent questoins that I get is,…
Easiest Ways to Earn and Keep Star Alliance Gold Status, and the Hidden Award Values These Strategies Offer
Most travelers participate heavily in the frequent flyer program attached to the airline they fly the most, and that’s it. And for the most part that makes sense. First, because you want to earn enough miles for an award ticket before spreading yourself thin elsewhere. Second, because it’s the easiest thing to understand. And third, because if you’re flying enough to earn elite status the benefits of that status (upgrades!) are usually strongest with the airline connect to that program. But not everyone flies enough to earn status on their home program. Sometimes other partner programs with lower qualification thresholds would allow someone to earn status, when they wouldn’t crediting miles to the program of the airline they fly. [In one example, say you’re based in Los Angeles and fly both American and Delta a…
Would You Get Divorced and Remarried For a Good Suite??
Carrier.co.uk has a honeymoon offer at the Intercontinental Hong Kong of a complimentary upgrade to a Superior Suite on regular room booking.
Frustrations with United One-Way Awards and Other United Foibles
United one-way awards are bookable on-line only, not by phone. You can’t hold awards at united.com. Hence, you cannot put one-way awards on hold. If you don’t have enough miles in your account, you can buy miles. But mileage purchases can take up to 48 hours to post. (Why can other airlines do this instantly??) Normally not a big deal. While you normally need miles in your account with United to put an award on hold, you can put a United-only award on hold pending posting of purchased miles. (The requirement for miles in your account to hold an award is not one imposed by American and US Airways. And Continental only lets you put awards on hold when you don’t have enough miles in your account.) But since you cannot put a one-way award on hold, and you…
Worst Airline Ad Ever!
Via the Flying Pinto.
Best Current Avis Rental Car Mileage Bonuses
Avis is offering a progessively increasing Lufthansa Miles & More bonus for each rental, including one-day rentals. (Hat tip to Marty.) As a base member of Miles & More, Avis will reward you with: – 1.000 Miles for your second rental – 1.500 Miles for your third rental – 2.000 Miles for your 4th to 6th rental – 2.500 Miles for your 7th to 10th rental – 3.000 Miles starting with your 11th rental In addition, MIles & More elite members do even better — Frequent Traveller and Senators earn 1000 miles with their first rental, not just their second, and HON Circle members “receive double miles on the base promotion.” You can book here to prepopulate the reservation with the corresponding Avis Discount number for the promotion based on your status (or lack thereof),…
My Choice of Property in the Fresno Hotel Wasteland
Fresno is something of a hotel wasteland. There’s a Marriott Courtyard, a couple of Holiday Inns, the local Picadilly chain (which years ago was about as nice as it got), a Radisson, a couple of La Quintas, and a well-placed Hampton. Supposedly there’s a Hyatt Place coming. Not a lot as far as full service properties go. And with a penchant for Starwood properties, I wind up at the Four Points. I wish it was further North, it is it’s on Blackstone (a main drag, across the street from a mall that’s been surpassed many times over and that’s fairly dead, and near a Starbucks and the 41 freeway) about 10 minutes from the airport. The neighborhood isn’t the best in Fresno, I lived there at one point in Northwest and this isn’t Northwest. Not…
How Should I Run the Hilton Free Night Giveaway?
A couple of days ago I posted that I’m going to be giving away a free Hilton hotel night. The only thing I’m waiting for is to decide how to do it. In the comments to that thread some folks commented stuff lke make it one entry per reader or such. not much fun for those who can enter 50000000 times. When I gave away a travel power strip there were over 670 entries, many many from the same people. I was fine with that, but appears it didn’t play well with some of you (presumably the people who didn’t enter 100 times!). At the same time, I gotta tell you, the easiest way for me to do a giveaway is to have each comment be a separate entry, with no limit on the number…
