General

Jan 18 2017

Singapore Airlines flew its first Airbus A350 out of Houston last night. Indeed, it was the first A350 in Houston period.

This is the new plane which will become the workhorse of the Singapore Airlines long haul fleet. They’re replacing a large Boeing 777 on the Houston run, and have also changed the city it connects in enroute to Singapore. Houston – Moscow no longer makes sense with low oil prices, so they’re flying Houston – Manchester – Singapore. And with a smaller aircraft they may be able to make the 5 times a week service work.

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Jan 18 2017

Everyone partners with Uber, it’s integrated into the United app and American had a promo. Presumably they’re earning off rides. Three hotel chains — Starwood, Hilton, and IHG — partner with Uber. But only Starwood’s partnership is worthwhile.

IHG and Hilton offer ‘ride reminders’ so that when you’re leaving the hotel you’ll remember that you need transportation to wherever you’re going. However with Starwood’s tie-in you actually earn Starpoints for riding Uber.

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Jan 18 2017

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

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Jan 17 2017

My bottom-line take is that American’s basic economy — fewer benefits and less flexibility at the lowest ticket prices — is going to be very similar to United’s and go farther than what Basic Economy pioneer Delta has done in taking away travel benefits.

That’s not surprising because American Airlines President Scott Kirby became the United President and was involved in United’s basic economy decisions. No doubt the work he did at American influenced those choices.

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Jan 17 2017

Via One Mile at a Time, and confirmed to me by American Express, a new Centurion lounge will be coming to Philadelphia later this year.

It will be in Terminal A West (international departures) above the current British Airways lounge. Construction is expected to start at the end of next month and they’re targeting an early August open.

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Jan 17 2017

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

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Jan 17 2017

Etihad will no longer allow through checking bags when traveling on separate reservations for tickets purchased February 1 onward.

Reportedly separate tickets that are sold into the same reservation will continue to allow through-checking of bags. Most separate tickets have separate reservations, but a competent travel agent can manage to include them in one PNR.

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Jan 17 2017

A report from Reuters suggests that Etihad could buy a 30% – 40% stake in Lufthansa and then eventually consider a “full blown” merger of the two airlines.

When codesharing between the two airlines was announced last month it was hinted that it could be the first of ‘deeper links’ to come.

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Jan 16 2017

When I was a kid I knew that “whether you’re going to heaven or hell, you’ll have to connect in Atlanta.”

It wasn’t until 1971 though that the airport got its first international flights (Mexico and Jamaica on Eastern Airlines). The first non-US airline to fly to Atlanta was Sabena in 1978.

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Jan 16 2017

Air New Zealand business class award space is wide open, you can book these seats with miles you likely already have, and this surely will not last.

Australia and New Zealand are among the toughest awards out there. So while May through September isn’t peak season for travel to New Zealand, many will want to take advantage and of course it’s easy to hop over to Australia from New Zealand and some will want to use these flights as part of a broader Pacific Islands trip.

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