May
24
2005
Virgin Atlantic is offering double points and elite status matches, sensing an opportunity to poach frustrated Qantas flyers.
Virgin Atlantic Gets Aggressive in Australia
About Gary Leff
25% Off Starwood Award Redemption for Platinums — AGAIN
May
24
2005
In the middle of the month, Starwood ran a promotion offering 25% off hotel night award redemption for platinum members. They apparently had some bumps in notifying members (though readers of this blog were well-informed). As a result, they’ve extended the offer. Via Starwood Lurker on Flyertalk:[T]hrough midnight Eastern US time on Monday, May 30th, Platinum members can make their plans online at spg.com and then call the Platinum Concierge line to make use of the FRED redemption code for a 25% off savings. The same Terms and Conditions apply that were in effect previously. This is for award stays booked through Wednesday, August 31st only.
A Repository of Information You’ll Find on This Site and Elsewhere
May
22
2005
QUICK PATHS TO STATUS American Airlines elite challenges, where you can earn status with only a little bit of flying. Delta Silver Status with a Single Flight Instant Hilton Gold status 2 United Red Carpet Club passes and Starwood Gold status for $10 ADVICE Myths and Reality Obtaining Airline Upgrades Upgrading at Hotels (by the way, here’s how to ask for the Presidential Suite). Whose Miles are the Most Valuable? Why you should spend all your miles now, and then earn more Dealing with Jetlag Best Mileage Earning Credit Cards How to find the best airfare deals How to find the best hotel deals Redeem your Priority Club points for the Presidential Suite at various Intercontinental hotels. HUMOR Tips for fighting terrorism You know you think about miles too much when… MILEAGE BONUSES 30 United…
Bonus Points for Hilton Stays
May
21
2005
Register by May 31 to earn 1000 bonus points on each of your next three Hilton stays between June 13 and September 30. You need to be a National Car Rental Emerald Club member, you can join with the $50 fee waived here.
I’m Such a Geek
May
20
2005
This actually sounds like a fascinating way to spend a few daysCard Forum is the largest event in the card industry, with nearly 1,000 card issuers, banks and service providers converging at the Omni Orlando Resort for three information-packed days of educational sessions and networking that focused on loyalty and multi-channel marketing, stored value/pre-paid, and credit and debit.
Is the Qantas Award Cupboard Bare?
May
20
2005
Back in November I reported that Qantas had gutted its frequent flyer award chart, with awards increasing in price as much as 92% (Sydney to New York-JFK in First class was going up to 392,000 points)! It should come as no surprise that Qantas frequent flyer members reacted to this news by booking as many international awards as they possibly could before the new point requirements went into effect, and as a result there are reports of very limited award availability — that most of the international awards on Qantas have simply been snatched up. It’s difficult to know the real numbers without a systematic award search, but the theory itself seems plausible.
$0 Fare from UK to US
Ripped from the FareAlert email list A great way to start the weekend… $0 base fare + taxes on American Airlines from London Gatwick and Manchester to Cleveland. Valid for travel from August 22-31, 2005. Bookable on Expedia and possibly other sites as well. Valid ONLY from the UK to the USA, not the other way around. Please see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434800 for more information.
America West and USAirways to Merge
May
19
2005
The press release is here. As expected, USAirways is essentially being acquired by America West, though the airline will operate with the USAirways name. Significant cash will be added to the merged airline through the deal, including $75 million from Air Canada. This participation suggests to me that the combined airline will be a member of the Star Alliance. Of particular interest to me, $300 million in a signing bonus and a loan from prospective affinity credit card providers for the merged company. Negotiations with credit card companies are still in progress. Bank of America currently issues the affinity cards for USAirways and America West both. Now, this is the part of the press release that I simply don’t believe: The $600 million in anticipated annual synergies are the result of route restructuring, revenue synergies…
XBox 360: the Next Free Electronics Offer
May
19
2005
Gratis Internet, the people who brought you the free iPod and free digital camera, have a new promotion for a free X-box 360. These folks are seriously quick — it was only unveiled a week ago. This thing has wireless controllers, HD gaming, iPod compatibility and online features out of the box. Now, it won’t ship for several months, but I’m hoping to be one of the first ones to get it through the Gratis free offer. After all, I’ve already finished all their other offers.
What would a USAirways-America West Merger Mean for the Two Frequent Flyer Programs
May
19
2005
Randy Petersen has a new post up on his blog, imagining what an America West-USAirways tie-up would mean for integration of the two airlines’ frequent flyer programs. He believes a merger or acquisition would be on the whole good for members miles would be far safer integration would happen over a couple of years with reciprocal space available upgrades for elites introduced quickly new redemption options would be introduced partners would be streamlined so some current relationships would disappear
