Marriott has the most exclusive top elite tier with published earning criteria. The Ambassador level requires not just 100 nights in hotels but also a minimum of $20,000 in spend, nearly impossible to achieve in many parts of the world with low hotel rates. Marriott is keeping the 100-night level, but increasing the spend requirement to $23,000 for 2023.
With that they are bringing back dedicated Ambassadors.
American Airlines will be introducing new amenity kits and bedding when they roll out their new business class suite in 2024. However they have a new set of amenity kits that are beginning to be used now.
We’ve seen American Express load up on merchant-funded offers to show substantial cash value to cardmembers, while raising annual fees. We’ve seen Chase do the same – think DoorDash and Lyft right before the pandemic, while announcing a fee increase on the Sapphire Reserve card.
These offers can be hard to make last. Eventually the brand reaches as many customers as they are likely to reach, and no longer benefits from offering continued discounts. So issuers need a funnel of new offers to replace the ones they lose.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
It’s now possible to earn Star Alliance Gold status through credit card spend alone, and to earn transferable Star Alliance points in the Star Alliance Rewards program.
Star Alliance has launched its first stand-alone credit card, in the Australian market. This is expected to expand.
It’s been several years since I’ve shared thoughts on effective philanthropy and donating miles. It certainly seems like we have more crises, more often, and more needs top of mind for help than ever before. I suspect that might not be correct in absolute terms, but the breadth of speed of information flow brings needs to the forefront constantly. And for many people, especially readers of this blog, miles may be an underexploited resource to help.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
A Southwest Airlines passenger had left their phone behind in the gate area. They’d already boarded their flight, and the plane had pushed back. A gate agent worked to get the phone down to the ramp. A ramp worker brought it out to the aircraft. They weren’t going to open the aircraft door. Instead, the pilot opened the cockpit window and leaned out. Stretched as far as he could out the window, the ramper jumped as high as he could to pass off the phone.
On November 14, 1992 Vietnam Airlines flight 474 crashed during a tropical cyclone as it approached Nha Trang. The Yakovlev Yak-40 aircraft was carrying 25 passengers and six crew. Only one person, a passenger, survived.
The sixteen year old Soviet-built aircraft had departed Ho Chi Minh City. As it neared Nha Trang Airport, it descended below its expected altitude. It hit trees and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed.
The month before the pandemic American Airlines lost 75,000 checked bags. Incoming CEO Robert Isom told an internal group of American employees just after that that “every lost bag is nearly $60.”
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
