News and notes from around the interweb:
- How hotels assign upgrades, by a former Marriott rooms manager (HT: Doctor of Credit) One reason hotels tend to upgrade on shorter stays – beyond just easier availability for the premium room – is that doing so means they can assign more upgrades to game their satisfaction scores.
- Details of StarLux Airbus A350 first and business class
STARLUX Airlines reveals its new Airbus A350 First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy seats.
First two pictures – First Class
Third picture – Business Class
Fourth picture – Premium Economy pic.twitter.com/oDdMkGVAA6— Ishrion Aviation (@IshrionA) November 4, 2022
Another look at the First Class suite: pic.twitter.com/7jXUWAWzAe
— Ishrion Aviation (@IshrionA) November 4, 2022
- Amex Platinum now comes with Hertz Presidents Circle status (Capital One’s Venture X already had this benefit.)
- Richard Branson will no longer ‘turn girls upside down’ on planes
- Creating an icon: What it takes to become SIA cabin crew
- State Dept. gives law enforcement, intelligence agencies unrestricted access to Americans’ personal data (HT: @crucker)
- SunExpress, the all-coach airline owned by Lufthansa and Turkish and which flies largely between Europe and leisure destinations in Turkey, will become the newest airline redemption partner of Air Canada. You’ll be able to include them in Aeroplan award tickets (but you won’t be able to earn miles on paid SunExpress tickets).
- Love love love when pilots do this.
A @united Captian just welcomed his passengers first hand and thanked us for jumping through the hoops necessary to fly. In all my years of travel I haven't experienced such a warm welcome and I'm beside myself delighted . #DIA #customerservice pic.twitter.com/khps0PQaGG
— Ash 🇺🇸✌️❤️ (@ashthewayfinder) November 3, 2022
“Amex Platinum now comes with Hertz Presidents Circle status” I’m not sure I would consider that a benefit?
@ Gary — AMEX Platinum should also add 10x for all bail bondsman charges.
Luckily enrollment is required for that Hertz “benefit” or I would cancel the Platinum right away. Now way is it worth going to jail for owning a credit card.
Hertz President’s Circle status will only work out if it means getting a presidential pardon after being arrested due to the Evil Hertz Corp.
Best comment in the Marriott thread…
“I was a regular of a JW property. Got to know the FO manager and always got suite upgrades. I ended up having to marry her. So in a way I paid too much.”
>Richard Branson will stop ‘turning girls upside down’ on Virgin planes
But will he wear a skirt to show solidarity with all the “men” of Virgin that choose to?
The Starlux offering looks very interesting, even if lacking in some respects.
BUT….. with Taiwan essentially still isolating visitors for 7 days, although they don’t call it quarantine, what’s the point? Unless you’re just transiting.
I have seriously missed travel to SE Asia during the COVID pandemic’ and am happy to see Japan and HKG finally opening up. I have never been to Taiwan and want to go. However, having to stay in a separate hotel room from my wife for the first seven days??? That’s a non-starter. Unless this policy changes before Starlux tries to fly from the US, that route will be a non-starter.
Emergency legal fees 5X miles
Upgrading a short stay is so that premium inventory isn’t blocked for longer durations at a sub par price.