Frontier and Airtran now offer reciprocal earning and burning. In addition to mileage earning and award redemption, the two airlines are recognizing each others’ elite members with priority checkin, boarding, and security — plus Airtran elites get free DirecTV on Frontier flights. Glad I’m a lifetime Airtran elite.Update: Randy Petersen has thoughts on the alliance, and offers some important advice: One caveat, so don’t blame me if you mess up after reading this. The only way this works is if you do indeed book your travel on the airline partner, either Frontier or AirTran, within the airlines Web sites. Going to Expedia, booking a ticket and then trying to get cross program credit is not going to get you anywhere. This is similar to some of the restrictions that hotel programs have in that you…
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Hyatt increases redemption rates
As of December 29th, Hyatt is introducing a new higher award category (‘category 5’) for their most expensive properties. Currently the most points required for an award night is 15,000. The new category 5 will require 18,000 points for a single night. In the U.S. this includes the Park Hyatt DC, Hotel Victor. It includes the Park Hyatts in Tokyo, Paris, and Sydney. I get those. But Dubai?Here is the new award chart. You may want to make 2007 reservations now, before December 29, using the old chart…
Starwood’s New Bonus Points Promo
Starwood’s new quarterly promo is out. As usual, you have to register and then you’ll find out the offer you get. My offer in the Starry Nights Promo is You’ll earn 3,000 Starpoints after your third stay, 3,000 after your sixth stay and 3,000 after your ninth stay for a total of up to 9,000 bonus Starpoints. So 9000 points for 9 nights between December 1 and February 28. Registration is required by January 31.Some folks get 2000 points for every 2 stays up to 6000 points instead of 3000 points every 3 stays up to 9000. So as they say, “your mileage may vary.”
And you think it’s tough to spend YOUR miles?
I can’t vouch for the veracity of the piece, but Trinidad & Tobago’s Newsday reports that BWIA is not offering any additional mileage redemption seats at all through April 2007. PERSONS wishing to use their BWEE Frequent Flyer Miles to book flights on BWIA may not be able to do so until April 2007 because all mile bookings for confirmed seats on BWIA for the rest of the year and early next year have been filled. Yesterday, Newsday received calls from several concerned persons who said they contacted the BWEE Miles centre and were told that they may not be able to use their Frequent Flyer Miles to book tickets for the remainder of 2006 and possibly the first three months of 2007. Checks by Newsday with the BWEE Miles centre revealed that confirmed seats…
Mileage Programs Drive Airline Profits — and Not Because of “Loyalty”
In the second quarter of 2006 United reported net income of $111 million on revenue of $5.1 billion. $97 million of that — 87% — was from “United Loyalty Services,” primarily the Mileage Plus frequent flyer program. In the third quarter of 2006 United reported net income of $220 million on revenue of $5.2 billion. $112 million of that — 51% — was from United Loyalty Services. It’s reasonable to say that United’s frequent flyer program drives its profitability (though it’s certainly possible for the airline to lose enough money that even its frequent flyer program couldn’t make up the difference). Meanwhile, Air Canada’s Aeroplan frequent flyer program (which is a separate publicly traded entity) saw its third-quarter profit jumped 77 percent as it sold more Aeroplan Miles through its commercial partners. Aeroplan earned C$34.3…
Dining for Miles Bonus Offer Roundup
Free Frequent Flyer Miles points to a whole bunch of iDine/Rewards Network (dining for miles) bonus offers. Register and dine 5 times for at least $25 or more at participating restaurants by the end of the year to earn elite status in the United Mileage Plus dining program for next year. That means earning 10 miles per dollar spent next year (instead of 1 without an online profile or 3 with a profile). Register for a similar ‘fast track’ to dining elite status in 2007 with the Alaska Airlines program, difference being that qualified dines need to be $20 or more rather than $25. The American Airlines dining program is offering elite status for $250 in spending at participating restaurants by the end of the year. Set up an online account by the end of…
Bonus Starwood Points for Texas Stays
Starwood is offering progressively increasing bonus points at 15 participating Texas hotels for stays through January 13, 2007: 1,000 points for one night, 2,000 points for two nights and 3,000 points for three or more nights, up to 25,000 total bonus points. Registration required.
Starting to Look at Asiana Club
I’ve never really given much thought to Asiana’s frequent flyer program, even though I knew that they had an especially attractive to make and retain Star Alliance Gold status: you need to fly 100,000 miles with their program but you aren’t limited to a calendar year to do it — in fact, take as long as you need. What’s more, status lasts three years and you have those three years to rack up just another 40,000 miles to requalify. Easiest Star Alliance Gold there is. (One caveat — although given the generosity of the criteria for earning status not really a huge one for most — is that not all coach fare classes earn 100% of miles flown.) What makes the program even more interesting — and what I hadn’t realized — is (as outlined…
Avis iTunes Promo is Back
The Avis iTunes promo is back — through September 30, 2007. Registration is required, but when I tried to register it told me I already was — presumably because I registered for the last iTunes promo. Haven’t had a chance to verify that’s the reason yet.
A Much-Needed Renovation at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach
HotelChatter reports that the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach’s $45 million renovation will complete on December 21. (This hotel needed it!) Among the cooler innovations invisible televisions in the master bathroom – cleverly hidden behind the mirror and only visible when turned on–seven-jet oversized showers and free-standing soaking tubs with views of the ocean. I especially dig the televisions — LCD screens inside a mirror, the screen appears only when turned on and vanishes when turned off.
