News and notes from around the interweb:
- Similar to an offer we see regularly from Vancouver, New Orleans will rebate $100 on 2-night hotel stays this summer. It’s hot an humid there!
- Rakuten will give new members $50 (5,000 points) after you make your first purchase of $50 or more. You can even spend the $50 on a gift card, and they’ll offer additional rebates on purchases through giftcards.com.
You can keep it as cash, or $50 transfers as 5,000 points to American Express Membership Rewards or points transfer 1:1 to Bilt Rewards (even better) if you have Silver status or higher in that program, but only 1:0.5 if you do not have any status. This offer appears to be valid through September 30, 2026.
- The Alaska Airlines flight attendants union (AFA-CWA) is big mad that Hawaiian intra-island flights will be operated by Alaska 737s.
- Who’s gonna tell them? (My favorite comment: ‘do they fly to Uranus?’)
- Istanbul in 1905 (HT: Astral Codex Ten)
- TIL the secretive J.P. Morgan Reserve Card – a Sapphire Reserve meant for Private Bank customers (generally $10+ million in assets on deposit) that includes a United Club membership – has a magazine.
“It’s hot an humid there!” (Has been before, so what’s changed. Could it be that this ‘golden age’ is nothing more than a second ‘Gilded’ age, and the plebs are struggling…)
On the Hawaiian 737 topic (because Alaska crews may be operating some of those interisland flights, which will be a potential conflict for Hawaii-based crews), I was just talking about that potential issue with Brett at Cranky, and he did not seem concerned. Turns out, AFA-CWA is very much concerned.
As much as I love that city and have lots of family in the surrounding areas, you’d have to pay me a lot more that a C note to hang out there this time of year. Very humid and muggy mixed with a lot of heat. Spring and fall are my favorite times to go.
@ Gary — OMG, the soot in the air in 1905! No wonder everyone was wearing long, black clothes. Makes Delhi’s air look clean?
To each their own. That said, I’ve been to 60+ countries and NOLA is one of my least favorite places. Even in the winter.
“The Tragically Hip were unavailable for comment.”
The New Orleans offer wouldn’t make me jump on a plane for a summer trip, but if you’re going to be in the area anyway, it’s not a bad deal. I see that there are decent 3-star downtown hotels that, with tax, are going for less than $170 for two nights on their website.
@David Moore — Really? New Orleans was that bad? I could certainly understand not everyone liking the French Quarter, but did you get on a trolley and go the Garden District? Perhaps have lunch there at Commander’s Palace with 25 cent martinis (on Rezy, these days). New Orleans is certainly one of the more interesting — and fun — cities in America.
A $100, golly, jeeez, whoopie !
Oppressive & persistent 76% swampy humidity — 92 Deg F to 100 Deg F. Index Africa HOT heat– bugs, mosquitoes–limited, if any outdoor entertainment as the locals who play in the outdoor bands etc all take the summer off.
It’s simply oppressive to go outdoors even at night it’s humid & seriously uncomfortable.
NOPE – a couple of great Southern NOLA meals is not worth enduring the inconveniences of July, August & Sept in NOLA..
NOLA’s French Quarter is simply among those places where once you’ve done it’s been there, done that, & Aint going back for more.
June, July, August & Sept is a firm NO freaking Way.
I can’t stand New Orleans. We stayed at the Royal Orleans hotel, which was nice enough. The mice ran through the morning breakfast dining room with abandon. There was a gay pride parade in front of the hotel. That was great fun as the crowd and participants clapped and cheered the colorful parade. It was the nude bicycle parade, escorted by the NOLA police, the next morning that turned me totally against New Orleans. Parents with little kids and all were on the streets. To each his own but it’s not something that I would want little kids exposed to. And don’t say, “Well that’s New Orleans. Don’t bring your kids.” If that’s the case, then make sure hotels and attractions note that kids under 21 are not allowed. As I told the captain on my flight back to home last year, the best two words for “The Big Easy” was, “V1…Rotate”!
@Win Whitmire — In that case, you may wanna keep the kiddos away from San Francisco’s Folsom Street around Sunday, September 20, 2026… (@MaxPower… *cracks whip*) To each, their own, indeed!
I was planning to be in New Orleans anyway and booked this deal. Got assigned a suite at check-in at the Mercantile Hotel for $103 a night all in on a weekend.
Right after checking in I received the gift card and also a second $100 gift card that can be used at any of 30 merchants including restaurants, souvenir shops, galleries and the French Market. Both cards are digital and easy to add to your phone’s wallet app.
If you’re able to get to the city easily it’s a fantastic deal.