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Category Archives for General.

New Restriction on Transferring American Express Membership Rewards Points to Friends and Family

by Gary Leff

american express card
Jun 05 2019

Up until June 2014 you could transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to whomever you wish. At that time they instituted new restrictions without warning: they would only allow transfers of your points to people who have an authorized user card on your account.

That was always the rule but the website never enforced it up until that time. You could link anyone’s frequent flyer account to your Membership Rewards account and transfer points to it. Now there’s a new rule or rather a waiting period to transfer points to someone else’s account.

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Is Detroit Challenging Atlanta as the Most Corrupt Airport in the Country?

by Gary Leff

planes docked
Jun 02 2019

The airport’s former manager is in the midst of a federal criminal trial. James Warner is accused of “fabricating invoices, overcharging the airport for work performed by contractors and receiving more than $5 million worth of kickbacks during a four-year period” — which is even more than Detroit’s former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick took in payoffs.

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United’s Air Canada Award Availability Problem Fixed

by Gary Leff

lounge desk
Jun 02 2019

Last month I received several questions from readers about why United wasn’t showing award space on Air Canada that appeared to be available to every other Star Alliance partner?

If you called United and spoke to an agent they’d generally be able to ‘see’ the inventory (in other words, X and I buckets for economy and business appeared to have space) but they couldn’t book it. What’s more that’s at a time when Air Canada availability looked excellent when searching on other partner websites, like Singapore Airlines Krisflyer, even for tough-to-get flights like Vancouver – Sydney.

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Chase Surveying How to Redesign an Airline Credit Card

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
May 18 2019

Chase is surveying how to design an airline card. I’d normally think they would be look at the United product, since Chase and United have been in ongoing and vigorous discussions about how to improve their program (although the United card was recently revamped).

There are two references in the questions that suggest to me they could be thinking through the British Airways product: carrier surcharges on award travel and European destinations.

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Now Earn Hilton, Delta, and JetBlue Points – and Credit Card Rewards – When You Ride Lyft

by Gary Leff

uber map
May 14 2019

Hilton and Lyft have launched a new partnership. Just link your Hilton and Lyft accounts and earn 3 points per dollar on Lyft rides and 2 points per dollar on Lyft shared rides. This appears to stack with earning Delta miles and JetBlue points for Lyft rides, with credit card rewards earning, and with free ride credits earned paying with a World Elite Mastercard. Together that makes riding Lyft lucrative.

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The Barclays American Airlines Card Now Comes With a Companion Ticket as Part of Its Signup Offer

by Gary Leff

steward on plane
May 10 2019

Big changes to the Barclays American AAdvantage cards went into effect May 1. I’m looking forward to trying out the $25 per day inflight food and beverage credit from my Aviator Silver card this coming week. I’m up front, but I plan to ask for a flight attendant’s help springing for a row’s food and drinks in back. I’m going to use that benefit every single time I can because even if it doesn’t benefit me directly it will benefit some flyers’.

The Red card now has a companion ticket available to be earned after $20,000 spend as well. And it’s now also available as part of the card’s initial bonus.

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