Let Shutterfly connect to your Facebook account (click the link and then click to allow) and then go to the same link again and they’ll give you a unique promo code for a free 8×8 20 page hardcover photo book valid through November 15 (regular price $30). They say they’ll charge you taxes, shipping, and handling. (Via Dan’s Deals)
About Gary Leff
Emirates On-board Showers
I’ve certainly experienced the higher end of travel. There aren’t many products and elite services on my ‘bucket list’ as it were. And I’m rarely jealous of others’ experiences. Until now. Here’s a photo report of the Emirates A380 first class shower. Seriously. Makes my upcoming visit to the Cabanas in Hong Kong after a first class arrival on Cathay look purely pederstrian. I just wish Emirates would start flying the A380 to JFK already… Update: Joe Brancatelli emails to let me know that Emirates had been flying the A380 JFK-DXB earlier this year, but they’ve shifted the aircraft up to Toronto where they’re only permitted 3 flights a week and they can better utilize the extra capacity.
American Airlines Up In the Air Movie Sweepstakes
I don’t usually post sweepstakes, but this is one I’d actually like to win. American is giving away a grand prize of tickets to the Up In The Air movie premiere, 700,000 AAdvantage miles, and $300 MasterCard gift card. Although if you win, you’ll want to study this blog post on how to dispute the fair market value of a prize for tax purposes… (Hat tip to @WanderngAramean)
Reporter Looking to Interview Frequent Flyers
Rrporter for a major news organization is looking for folks that have earned millions of miles through flying. Please email me — gleff -at- yahoo.com — if you’d be interested in talking to them. Their story is tied to the upcoming release of the film Up in the Air.
Free KLM Luggage Tags
KLM is offering two free design-your-own luggage tags in exchange for subscribing to their e-mail list. You can use a photo of your family, your favorite destination, or, to make it easier, you can choose from one of the images pre-selected by KLM. (Via Things in the Sky.)
Air Canada Aeroplan Progressive Mileage Bonus
Air Canada is offering up to 15,000 bonus miles for flights within Canada and between the US and Canada through January 31. (Registration required.) Here’s how it works: One-way flights Bonus Aeroplan Miles Cumulative Bonus Aeroplan Miles 3 3,000 3,000 6 4,000 7,000 9 8,000 15,000* Offer is valid with the following fare types: Executive Flexible, Executive Lowest, Latitude, Tango Plus and Tango. Note that not all routes are eligible: [E]ligible routes: Within Canada: Halifax to Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto Montreal to Halifax Ottawa to Halifax Toronto to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax London ON to Calgary Edmonton to Yellowknife, Toronto Calgary to Toronto, London ON, Yellowknife, Kamloops Vancouver to Toronto, Kamloops Kamloops to Calgary, Vancouver Yellowknife to Calgary, Edmonton Between Canada and the U.S.: Montreal to Las Vegas, Newark, New York-LaGuardia Las Vegas, Newark, New York-LaGuardia…
Free Sixt Rental Car Platinum Status
I was reminded by this Flyertalk thread that Sixt still comps status — rental car status based on airline or hotel status — and history holds true, there isn’t even any verification of your actual airline or hotel elite status. When I got my Sixt Platinum card (based on real status, but no proof submitted), it was valid for 4 or 5 years.
Venezuela Nationalizes Margarita Island Hilton
The private owners “imposed conditions” on holding a conference there last month with Moammar Gadhafi and Robert Mugabe. Even though seemingly on-face reasonable, the conditions couldn’t have been particularly onerous, and the hotel was already majority govenrment-owned. Nonetheless, it angered Hugo Chavez. “To hold the conference we had to ask for permission… and the owners tried to impose conditions on the revolutionary government. No way,” AFP quotes Chavez as saying. “So I said, ‘Let’s expropriate it.’ And now it’s been expropriated.” This isn’t the first time that Chavez nationalized a Hilton, previously taking the Caracas property. And yet foreign companies continue to invest and do business in Venezuela. So I don’t have tremendous sympathy for them, actually. According to the Hilton website it’s business as usual: Hilton Margarita & Suites is open and fully operational.…
Hilton Planning to Devalue HHonors Points January 15
With the worst hotel revenue and occupancy recession in decades as a backdrop, this Flyertalk thread broke the news that Hilton is devaluing their points. Hilton posted new points requirements on their website, but promptly pulled the information. [W]e do have an update to point redemption amounts and hotel categories beginning January 15, 2010. A representative of Hilton HHonors confirmed that a change was coming, but that they weren’t ready to share the details: Later this month we will be announcing the updated reward chart, which will go into effect mid-January 2010 In contrast, as a result of the recession, Starwood reduced the points cost of a large number of their properties this past February — and I fully expect that they will do so again this coming February. Hilton on the other hand appears…
United’s Unlimited Complimentary Domestic Upgrades: the Other Shoe Drops
As I posted yesterday, United is ending 500-mile upgrade certificates and going to unlimited complimentary upgrades. This change on its own is on the whole good for 1K (100,000 mile) flyers. They won’t have limited free upgrades, having to pick and choose which domestic flights to use them on. It’s not good for lower-tiered elites, who will now have to compete against 100,000-mile flyers (and Global Services members) on every flight. Unsurprisingly, though, this change comes along with some other tweaking which is not good. As speculated yesterday, confirmed regional upgrades go away. Currently 1K members get up to 8 of these a year (promotions aside) and they’re good for confirming a domestic (including Hawaii) upgrade at time of booking from any fare. While there are no more 500 mile upgrades to worry about, there…
