Category Archives for General.
Marriott says guests can now earn points for skipping toilet flushes, raising the obvious question of whether this is about sustainability or simple cost cutting. Also in the roundup on April Fools’ Day: Amex kills the Platinum Saks credit, Qantas swaps in a first class cheeseburger, and San Diego’s Aspire lounge is getting much bigger.
News and notes from around the interweb: United Airlines adds pre-arrival Godiva chocolates to domestic first class. They used to offer these in premium transcon and long haul business class 30 years ago – but where you’d select out of a box. These are individually wrapped. Unfortunately it’s for April only, can’t keep up this investment too long (and probably only being subsidized by Godiva for a short bit). The Belgian chocolatier, like United, is celebrating its 100-year anniversary and will be featured onboard throughout the month of April. Specifically, United says the chocolates will be offered in domestic first class on flights over 901 miles, excluding those departing from Canada and Latin America. The chocolates will be presented as part of the pre-arrival service, about 90 minutes before landing. Flight attendants will serve them…
This wasn’t a TSA line — it was the crowd waiting to get into Delta’s lounge at LaGuardia. Also a fish on the DFW runway, the King of Thailand flying his own plane, and SiriusXM looking more obsolete by the day.
People are now showing up at the airport the night before the flight to get a head start on TSA security lines. Last chance for a free $50 (or 5,000 Bilt or Amex points). And American’s pilots back on the offensive against management.
A Delta regional flight attendant is running for Congress. She has become a full-time political figure with a labor-backed campaign, a sharp activist record, and a much tougher primary path than a flattering profile might suggest.
A senior Southwest captain says the airline fired him over “mean tweets” just 644 days before mandatory retirement. You can buy a retired DC-9 for $5,000, Porter adds a redemption surcharge, and a Senate candidate makes a mess of airline pricing.
Real Housewives star Kandi Burruss is reportedly splitting even credit card reward points in her divorce settlement. A baggage handler is filmed tossing guitars on the tarmac, Cathay and Singapore raise award prices, and a joke about Uniteds Relax Row somehow turns into a million-view threesome tweet.
American flight attendants raise concerns about ICE agents and deportees onboard, some experts argue airports should privatize screening to avoid TSA shutdown meltdowns, and a United business class meal draws brutal reactions online.
Marriott somehow wound up apologizing for causing incontinence with your credit card. Also an easy $50 Rakuten play before the referral offer ends, Delta’s plan to retrofit older cabins, and a temporary Admirals Club closure in Orlando after a pipe burst.
Canadian politicians are calling for Air Canadas CEO to be fired because his condolence message after the LaGuardia tragedy was recorded in English, despite French subtitles. Delta adds more Los Angeles–Florida flying, American closes its Washington National D concourse Admirals Club for renovation, and JonNYC hints American may copy Uniteds upgraded small regional jet strategy.
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 »
