According to Inside Flyer magazine (subscription required) the Barack Obama campaign has launched a points program for volunteers. Earning opportunities include marching in a parage or signing a supporter card (or getting someone else to do so) for 25 points, and working a phone bank for 50 points. They haven’t published a redemption chart, and BaltimoreSun.com cites the campaign’s online organizer as saying the points system is primarily a way for supporters to measure they impact they are having on the campaign. But really, this just formalizes a process that all campaigns have — what you give is a primary determinant of what you get. They could easily partner with the custom rewards engines at American Express or Diners Club, where enough points could be redeemed for a dream experience… Like Secretary of Commerce in…
General
Category Archives for General.
Spirit Air Figures Out Marketing
The front page of Spirit Air’s website is currently advertising a MILF sale — “Many Islands, Low Fares” — and an airline that’s really not otherwise worth writing about finally gets some buzz. (Hat tip to Rick Seaney.)
Amex Improves Award Flight Finder Tool by Adding Two New Airline Partners
Via InsideFlyer (subscription required), American Express has added Hawaiian Airlines and Virgin Atlantic to its ‘Flight Finder’ tool which allows you to search for award seats, transfer books, and book the flight in a single transaction.Previously, Airtran’s program was the only one incorporated into the Amex tool. If they keep adding partners, this will be an enormously useful technological improvement — simplifying the award booking process for Membership Rewards members. (Folks like me still don’t mind separating out award search from points transfers, especially with Amex partners that are ‘live’ – meaning that the points transfer happens instantaneously.)
Amtrak Reduces Value of Transfers to Choice Hotels
Back in October I singled out Amtrak Guest Rewards for real shame because of their poor customer service and history of making changes to their program with no notice whatsoever. Then, last month, I did flag Amtrak for offering something new of real value — transfers out to Choice Hotels at a ratio that would allow members to convert their points 1:1 into most airlines (because Choice hotels has a variety of airline transfers). 5,000 Amtrak yielded 25,000 Choice and then 5,000 miles in many programs. That was huge. Though, given Amtrak Guest Rewards’ history, I suggested anything of value like this couldn’t last. Then, yesterday, with no notice whatsoever Amtrak reduced the value of their transfers to Choice Hotels. Instead of getting 25,000 Choice hotel points for 5,000 Amtrak points, you now get only…
When Your Flight Goes Mechanical, Just Commandeer Another Plane
Via Online Travel Review, Robert Mugabe commandeered an Air Zimbabwe plane to take him to Mozambique, causing the plane’s passengers to have to wait six hours at the airport for their flight. No great surprise, that’s how things work in that part of the world (and his wife has been known to take the national airline’s planes on shopping trips), though I get annoyed at news stories referring to dictators as ‘President’ as though their governance entails some form of legitimacy. Still, the one thing that’s rather shocking is the non-chalant explanation for the whole affair:“Mugabe’s plane probably developed problems. Most Air Zimbabwe planes are not working as there are not enough parts to repair them.”
Bag for Taking Your Toileteries Through the TSA Checkpoints
TripAdvisor is giving away free Freedom Baggies. Since it asks for your Tripadvisor username and password, presumably one per person (or at least per member).
Zambian Airways Pulls Out of Harare: the Least of Zimbabwe’s Problems
Via Online Travel Review, Zambian Airways will stop flying to Zimbabwe effective November 30. Among the causes cited is Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation.British Airways, Swiss Air, Lufthansa, KLM, and Air France have also pulled out of Zimbabwe. I wouldn’t go as far as Jared Blank in saying that the country is “nearly cut off from the outside world.” I’m no expert on intra-African travel, but a quick check of Amadeus (and many smaller African discount carriers may well not list their schedules in the GDSs) shows Air Botswana, Air Zimbabwe, South African, Comair, Normandie Aviation, Kenya Airways, and LAM still flying to Harare. Air Zimbabwe even still flies twice a week to London-Gatwick despite previously having to cut its only profitable route out of fear that its Boeing 767-200 operating the route would be repossessed for nonpayment.…
Assorted Links
Megan McArdle on the causes of poor performing high speed trains in America. (Hat tip Marginal Revolution.) Robert Stack on the true meaning of Thanksgiving (getting bumped) (Hat tip Cranky Flier.) A Slate photo essay on the architectural history of U.S. hotels. (Hat tip Claire.)
Westin Kierland – Excellent Platinum Recognition
Earlier in the month I had my first-ever visit to the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa. Originally I had planned to stay at the Phoenician, but my wife sought to make spa appointments in advance and when she finally managed to have someone call her back they weren’t helpful or willing to describe their offerings. An unhelpful spa attendant before arriving even (when you’re looking to spend real money on additional premium services) didn’t bode well for the property. And since reports of upgrades there are mixed at best except during their lowest of low seasons in the dead of summer, we decided to bag the property and switch to the Kierland. Certainly the Westin isn’t as luxe as the Phoenician. Just looking at photos on the various trip review sites will attest to that.…
Two Thumbs Down for Little Skywest Annoyances over Thanksgiving
Skywest out of LAX was delayed for me on Wednesday evening last week. That’s a standard risk taking scheduled flights late in the evening, of course, as delays rack up through the day. And of course a brief delay on my final connection was the worst thing that happened to me on my way out for the Thanksgiving holiday, even though I flew out of Dulles around 5pm on Wednesday evening (and I know better!). Surprised when the announcement came on that a scheduled one hour-plus flight wasn’t going to have any beverage service “due to the short duration.” This wasn’t Los Angeles – Orange County (going away early in the New Year) or even LA – Oxnard. And it wasn’t on a turboprop, either. Certainly an hour-long flight on a CRJ can offer limited…
