Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

[LAUNCHES MAY 10] JetBlue Introducing New 4-Level Elite Program, Plus Start Earning Benefits Before Achieving Status

by Gary Leff

Apr 17 2023

I love the choice benefits. I love that more activity than just flying counts towards status. And they’ve simplified elites receiving confirmed extra legroom seats. They’re finally introducing meaningful elite upgrades as well. Since benefits aren’t really based on waitlist or status priority, though, higher tiers seem a bit thin to me. 15,000 bonus points as a choice benefit at each level helps a little bit, but I’d like to see higher bonus point amounts at higher tiers.

Still, the path to Mosaic 1 is rich enough that I’m not bothered by requiring $50,000 in credit card spend to get there (and it’s about right at $5000 in travel spend). At the same time I don’t love the revenue-based rather than trip-based nature of the new program for those who do earn status by flying. I think they get plaudits for trying something interesting, even if they’re not first down this path. And they’re offering richer benefits than they ever have before.

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LifeMiles Transfer Issues Have Been Fixed

by Gary Leff

Apr 17 2023

Avianca LifeMiles is a popular Star Alliance frequent flyer program for U.S. members because they sell miles inexpensively on a regular basis, and because you can transfer points into their program from several different credit card currencies. They have generally reasonable redemption pricing and no fuel surcharges, though getting customer service when things go wrong can be challenging at times. There was a problem many members were experiencing this month where points would be transferred to the LifeMiles program, it would look to the bank program that the miles transfer went through, but account balances didn’t update. The program says this is solved. Daniel Paredes from LifeMiles shares with me that, The issue was related to some members who transferred points from other loyalty programs (such as Amex Rewards, Citi Thankyou Points, etc) to LifeMiles…

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Union Activist Blasts Delta Air Lines For Serving Starbucks. Leave Politics Out Of My Coffee!

by Gary Leff

Apr 16 2023

Now, the idea that Starbucks somehow signals quality is strange. And the brand alone doesn’t matter most, when United served Starbucks it was a special light brew because too many passengers were overwhelmed by deeper flavors. They worked to serve the lowest common denominator taste. But any issue you may have with Delta now serving Starbucks should really be about would you like a cup of it on board?

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Customers Getting Scammed Calling Fake Airline Phone Numbers (Even Amex Gives Out The Fakes)

by Gary Leff

older gentleman taking a selfie with smartphone
Apr 16 2023

A passenger bought Singapore Airlines tickets online and then decided to call their U.S. customer service line to change their seat assignments. They looked up the number on their American Express statement underneath the charge, since they happened to be logged into the Amex website, and came up with 800-742-3333. The agent picked up right away and informed them a seat change costs $200.

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Man Orders First Class Passenger Not To Recline His Seat, Demands Flight Attendant Crackdown

by Gary Leff

economy seats
Apr 14 2023

A frequent flyer on Reddit asks whether they’re a jerk for reclining their seat. As background, they’re 6’3″ and in first class, and they try to be polite – making sure the person in the seat behind them “doesn’t have a laptop out… then slowly recline[s their] seat back.” And they still wound up in a hostile encounter with a passenger when they did it. They gave in the first time, and kept their seat straight, until after the meal when a flight attendant gave them ‘permission’ to try again.

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DOJ: Polar Air Cargo Required Customers To Pay Bribes For Shipping. They Even Had A Bribery Price List!

by Gary Leff

Apr 14 2023

Atlas Air subsidiary Polar Air Cargo, 49% owned by DHL, has apparently been requiring kickbacks for shipments for over a decade. Several of their executives – including the Chief Operating Officer, VP of Operations and VP of Marketing, are now under indictment.

According to the government, if you wanted to ship with Polar you’d have to pay shipping rates plus a bribe.

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5 Secret Trips To Upgrade To First Class. You’ll Look Like An Idiot Trying Them, Though.

by Gary Leff

first class cabin
Apr 13 2023

There’s a certain genre of travel article that gives advice on how to upgrade your flight, with advice that’s nearly always wrong or at least highly misleading.

Here’s the latest piece on how to “blag” a free upgrade to first class “because you deserve to travel like Beyonce’.” And they’ve consulted “travel insiders and airline experts” to show you how to do it. You’ll know what your fellow passengers are reading when they look like an idiot at the airport.

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FARE ALERT: Business Class New York – London From $1585 Roundtrip On New Alitalia

by Gary Leff

london shot from drone
Apr 13 2023

ITA Airways, the ‘new’ Alitalia, is running a fare sale between New York and London via Rome. Business class tickets are available as low as $1585 roundtrip when purchasing for travel in August and beyond. That’s roughly half the price you’d expect to pay for a non-stop, and more than $1,000 less per passenger compared to connecting itineraries on Aer Lingus and Austrian.

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