News and notes from around the interweb: Don’t miss my giveaway for hotel stays and Frequent Traveler University tickets. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone at Frequent Traveler University December 5-7 in DC! Canada’s Supreme Court ruled against allowing damages for the couple who wasn’t able to order an inflight 7-Up in French. Free parking when you fly out of Washington’s National airport. VOILA Rewards top tier elite status after just one stay. More success converting the Chase Hyatt Visa annual free night into Gold Passport points Accor’s offer of 5000 Aeroplan miles per one night hotel stay has been pulled early. Guess they realized it was too generous, probably pondered it while test driving a Cadillac. You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to…
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Category Archives for General.
Earn 5000 Bonus Miles on Your Next Delta Flight!
Next year Delta is only going to award miles based on the cost of a ticket. Right now though you can earn the actual miles flown on Delta plus 5000 miles for your next flight. The only catch is you have to credit the flight to Delta’s Skyteam partner Alitalia, registering for your new Alitalia Millemiglia account by November 28 and taking that flight within 3 months of enrolling.
Delta Will Eliminate Stopovers on Awards in January
This is my best read and advice, not something that Delta has officially confirmed, just something I believe they have tipped their hand on. Delta rolled out IT changes that caused stopovers not to price correctly a couple of days ago. Adding a stopover in Europe on a business class award cost 50,000 miles more than a roundtrip. Instead of 125,000 miles, stopping in Paris instead of just connecting there was 175,000 miles: It turns out that Delta didn’t mean to eliminate stopovers. Their IT just started charging more now.
ACT NOW If You Want to Take Advantage of a US Airways Trial Preferred Challenge
US Airways offers a paid status challenge program where you get temporary status for 90 days and then have an opportunity to fly to keep that status on an accelerated basis. At the beginning of the month US Airways eliminated the ability to buy miles towards status, which used to be a great alternative to mileage running for those last few flights you’d need to qualify. But how long will these paid challenges still be around? Reader Mike P. asks, Any thoughts or predictions on how long US Trial Preferred will be around? I would like to start a trial as late as possible so that much of the trial activity can be in earning year 2015. But then again, I’m nervous they will pull the program. Mike would like to fly his challenge in…
Delta’s Website Charging Tens of Thousands of Extra Miles for Awards: Feature or a Bug?
This morning I wrote that Delta had started charging more miles for stopovers on international awards and that one of two things were possible: An unannounced devaluation, with stopovers no longer permitted on a roundtrip award (even though no such announcement had been made and the website said stopovers were still allowed) A glitch with the pricing engine. I showed a pricing example, where a stop in Paris on the way to Prague cost an extra 50,000 miles on a business class award ticket. Drop that simple Paris – Prague flight and the price came back down. We didn’t’ have enough information to know which scenario it was though — unannounced devaluation, or technical glitch. As I wrote, Delta doesn’t appear to be pricing US-Europe awards correctly, stopovers are costing extra. It’s either an unannounced…
RANT: American Needs to Bring Back the Old Cookie!
This is probably the ultimate first world problem sort of complaint, but American has replaced the first class warm cookie of deliciousness with one that isn’t worth eating, and that I decline now every time. Perhaps that’s good — I don’t need it anyway — but I share my experiences and thoughts on this blog both large and small, I compliment the little things and criticize them too. Meal service isn’t just about whether there’s a meal, but what’s served. When I first started flying for work in the mid- to late-90s, lunch on a cross country flight might be a steak, served in courses after an appetizer of shrimp. I remember how controversial the ‘gourmet’ burger was on United in early 2001, and it was much better than the cheeseburger on American and Continental…
Giveaway: Enter Here for Frequent Traveler University Tickets AND HOTEL NIGHTS!
Frequent Traveler University, December 5-7, Hyatt Regency Crystal City (near Washington’s National Airport) This promises to be the largest gathering of frequent flyers ever, bringing together some of the best minds in miles and points and creating an opportunity for folks interested in the hobby to learn, trade tips, and build friendships (and networks for sharing knowledge offline as well). I’m excited to be helping to put it together, and I’m giving away two packages to FTU on the blog this week. Each of two winners will receive: A complimentary ticket to FTU ($149) 2 hotel nights for the event (valued at $99+tax per night) So that’s over $350 in value per prize, with two prizes, an all you have to do to enter is comment on this post as I explain below. And of…
American Just Announced Their 2015 Program and It’s REALLY Good! Here’s What You Need to Know That Isn’t On Their Website
American Airlines just announced when their AAdvantage program and the US Airways Dividend Miles program will be combined into one, and what the program will look like. I’m going to outline the program below, based on the announcement that American made and also based on clarifications that I got yesterday speaking with AAdvantage President Suzanne Rubin and members of her team. We’re Keeping the American AAdvantage Program, Mostly As-Is Throughout the past year the mantra at American, as they proceed with the US Airways merger, has been “integrate before we innovate.” The goal has to become one airline, not to make changes. So it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that they’ve basically announced that they are keeping the current American AAdvantage program, with a few minor tweaks. And while there’s going to…
No Notice Devaluation at Delta: No More International Award Stopovers?
lancexfang emailed me about an issue this afternoon that seems to be new today with Delta. (He also pointed me to the Flyertalk thread he started.) Delta international awards have allowed one stopover and one open jaw. In other words, you could fly Atlanta – Paris (stop for several day) – Prague (destination) and then return home to Atlanta. That’s an example of a stopover. You could also return from, say, Warsaw or from Paris. Then you would have a stopover as before and an open jaw, returning from a city other than the one you arrive into. Today Delta seems to be still allowing open jaws — but pricing stopovers at an extra mileage cost. Delta’s price for North America – Europe in business class is 125,000 miles.
Aeroplan Changes, Greyhound’s Premium Seats, and TSA Reminders for Halloween
How big a deal is loyalty program fraud? (HT: Abbas) Greyhound now offering premium upgrade to slightly less disgusting seats (The Onion via MrPickles) A TSA Halloween: “realistic replica items and props such as guns, scythes, pitch forks, chainsaws, butcher knives, grenades, axes, bombs, swords, machetes, and other realistic weapons are prohibited from being transported in your carry-on bags.” One Mile at a Time says that Aeroplan is going to eliminate the rule of flying no more than 5% over the published ‘maximum permitted mileage’ for a given origin and destination. That sounds great, but if they are only allowed to book itineraries that autoprice in the computer there’s lots of room for glitches.. or hidden award constraints that simply don’t price. We’ll know within a few days. Wyndham is offering 2015 bonus points per…
