Via Online Travel Review, Heathrow is now so backed up with lost luggage — they can’t handle any more — that they’re shipping bags en masse to Milan and hope to sort out the mess over there. I’m not touching Terminal 5 next week, but I am transiting Heathrow with BA. Egads.
General
Category Archives for General.
ATA Ceases Operations
Via Joe Sharkey, ATA has ceased operations. I’m fortunate never to have had to fly the airline. And they withdrew from my home market some months back anyway. But the disruption is never helpful. I pass this along only because it may be important for some readers, one person emailed me that they only learned about Aloha’s demise from this site and they had travel booked in three weeks. Fortunately new intra-island fares remain not all that expensive, and they were able to purchase new ticket… Good luck to all those booked on ATA, and may the carrier rest in peace.
Lufthansa First Class – Beijing to Frankfurt
Beijing, China (PEK) to Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) 11:25 am Lufthansa 0721, Boeing 747, First Class, Seats 81C, 81A Scheduled Flight time: 10h 10m This was my best Lufthansa flight out of my four long-haul First Class segments – best food, best service, I didn’t sleep on the flight but the ten hours just flew by. We had a 10 minute departure delay which the captain came on to tell us “was not because of the new terminal.” Rather, a checked-in passenger didn’t board and they had to offload bags. Load in F was 5/16, and this time we had a wonderful crew eager to provide service and quick with every request. In fact, they were happy to adjust the speed of each course or provide things whenever you wished. The man seated in row 82 took…
Instant Gold Status from Marriott?
Marriott is sending Air France-KLM Flying Blue elite members an offer to sign up for a new Marriott Rewards account with instant gold status. The offer includes triple Flying Blue miles through June 30. Gold status should last for the first program year of enrollment. Signing up through this offer will generate an account number right away, but the actual signup will that 3-5 days to process, and it won’t be possible to create an online account until that’s completed. So perhaps there is a process in place for checking Flying Blue accounts against elite status, although this isn’t clear, so it remains to be seen whether anyone can use the link to sign up with Gold status. As they say, “your mileage may vary.”
Aloha Airlines Ceases Operations
Well that was quick, they just went back in bankruptcy on March 20th. Joe Sharkey points to United’s statement about their partner’s collapse. For customers who are flying on a United ticket, United will rebook them on an alternate flight where space is available, for no additional charge. For customers traveling on an Aloha ticket, United is offering discounted one-way fares through the end of April that will make it easier for them to return home.United will continue to honor reservations that AlohaPass frequent flier members have on a United flight. United will refund frequent flier miles at no additional charge to United Mileage Plus members who have an award ticket reservation on an Aloha flight. Apparently Aloha’s cargo operation remains profitable and will continue operation, being auctioned off in April. Update: Hawaiian is making…
Delta Double Elite Qualifying Miles
Delta is offering double Medallion Qualification Miles for Delta-coded flights booked at delta.com between March 31 and April 30, for travel through June 30, 2008. Registration required. With three months to fly under this offer, (the next level of) elite status will be a gimme for many. With just 75,000 qualifying miles for top tier, and with elite qualifying miles available to high spenders on both the personal and small business co-branded American Express card, Delta right now is the easiest top tier status to obtain among major US carriers. On the one hand, their program has gotten increasingly unfriendly. I’ve long said the only reason to focus on Delta is if you’re living in Atlanta and more or less captive. But top tier elites get many of the unfriendly fees waives (such as award…
Accessory for Concealing Cash While Traveling
I’ve been known to wear a discrete money belt when traveling, a regular belt with a zipper lining on the inside that lets me conceal perhaps 15 bills. But if you really want to be sure that no one takes your stash of cash, well, this may be the most brilliant (and truly frightening) invention ever. Dirty underwear, complete with skid marks, to hide you funds. I’m truly speechless, and yet in awe.
bmi Wants You To Know That They Don’t Operate Out of Heathrow Terminal 5
bmi is gloating over British Airways’ problems with the new Terminal 5 at London-Heathrow. bmi, London Heathrow’s second largest airline, is continuing to operate all flights as scheduled from its main hub at Terminal 1 despite disruption at the newly-opened Terminal 5. Problems at Terminal 5, which opened to passengers yesterday (Thursday 27 March), have resulted in significant delay and disruption to BA flights operating from the new facility. In contrast Terminal 1, which now has 40 per cent less passengers to accommodate following BA’s move to Terminal 5, is running like clockwork as is bmi, the principal competitor to BA at Heathrow. New bmi Diamond Club members receive 4,500 miles just for enrolling. That’s enough for a one-way flight within the U.K. or betweek the U.K. and Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, or…
Thai Airways Business Class: Denpasar, Bali to Bangkok
Monday, March 24, 2008 Checked out in the club lounge, and the hotel car was ready for us this time with our bags ready to load into it. A quick drive over to the airport and airport porter’s met us at the curb (there’s very few as aggressive in Bali in search of tips). This is one of those ‘failure of the last mile’ sorts of moments. The club lounge experience at the Intercontinental Bali – small issues aside – really is quite sublime. They provide you with complimentary transportation back to the airport. I understand they may not be able to leave the vehicle on the curb and come inside, but it seems easy enough to provide an extra staff member who could help you with your bags, through security, and to the checkin…
Delta’s Round of Junk Fee Increases
Lots of new fees in the airline industry, limited only by the creativity of the folks coming up with them. United, USAirways, Delta, and Northwest now have $25 fees for second checked bags, with various exemptions for various passengers. None of this is big news, it’s been written about ad naseum elsewhere. I’ve offered detailed explanations of the economics and motivations behind tacking on fees rather than straightforwardly increasing prices. For example here, here, here, and here. But a new Flyertalk thread yesterday shows Delta raising the ante to a new level. CRC one-visit pass to go from $25 to $30 Unaccompanied Minor fee to go from $50 nonstop/$100 connecting to $100 for all Pets in cabin fee from $75 to $100 Pets as checked luggage to go from $150 to $200 Curbside checked bags…
