Last week I described United’s system for denying awards on its partners, StarNet. Airline partners offer award seats, United won’t book them, and its representatives say the award “isn’t available.” I didn’t manage to get United to book first class award seats between Bangkok and Europe. But Lufthansa seats were easier to secure. I knew the flights I wanted, the ANA award search tool showed them as available. And when the United outsourced customer service rep said she couldn’t “see” the flights I gave her the flight numbers and she entered the request — they came back confirmed. The best hint, it seems, that United is ‘filtering’ an award for a given flight is that the rep won’t just say “there aren’t any award seats on that flight” or “all I have is coach on…
General
Category Archives for General.
The Chase Churn is Over
For years frequent flyers got mileage-rich signing up for the United Visa fee-free the first year, scoring the signup bonus, cancelling, and then signing up again. Chase, which issues the card, finally closed that opportunity. However, lesser known to the frequent flyer universe, other Chase cards could continue to be ‘churned’ — the Priority Club, Marriott, British Airways, and Southwest Visas, for instance. That appears to be no more. There are confirmed reports with the British Airways and Priority Club Visas that Chase is sending repeat cardmembers a letter saying that they won’t be getting the signup bonus miles. I assume this extends to all Chase products, or at least to all Chase mileage products. It’s a sad day, indeed. Chase joins American Express at (quite reasonably) refusing to give out signup bonuses more than…
Korean Air Skypass Introduces Expiring Miles
Miles earned on or after July 1, 2008 will expire after five years. Previously, miles never expired.The announcement claims that miles in the majority of international programs expire after 18 months or three years. What they don’t say is that any activity in an account with most of those programs will extend the validity of those miles another 18 months or three years.That doesn’t seem to be the case with this new change to Skypass. Instead, they’ve gone the route of programs like Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles — use ’em or lose ’em.
Hyatt Elite Status Double Credit Promo
Hyatt is offering double credits towards elite qualification on stays during the first three months of 2008. Registration required.
Singapore’s New First Class
Singapore’s A380 really is amazing in first class, as this trip report from the recent inaugural flight clearly shows. Good luck getting an award seat, though. Singapore isn’t an easy redemption in first class to begin with. Their premium product is near impossible. And it’ll be awhile until there’s a full A380 fleet as well.
Airline Route Map Tool
Flyertalk member cockpitvisit has created a Windows downloadable program to see a graphical depiction of the route maps of over 100 airlines. It’s interesting in its own right, to be sure. But for me it’s a useful tool in coming up with award itineraries. Say, for instance, that I’m trying to book a premium class award with United miles and I’d like to include a transpacific segment on Signapore airlines. I may already know that Singapore flies from LAX to Tokyo, Tapei, and Singapore. And from San Francisco to Seoul and Hong Kong. But I could easily have forgotten the option of flying Vancouver to Seoul. Here’s the download link for the zipped file, a screen shot of the program, and the Flyertalk thread discussing it. Admittedly for the true airline geeks among us.
Presidential Primary Loyalty Points
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…
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…
