As properties re-open in Las Vegas it looks like there’s a new opportunity for a surprise ‘gotcha,’ a COVID-19 surcharge. When destinations around the world that have re-opened, or that are looking to, are practically paying you to come, we’re starting to see extra charges not listed on the menu show up on bills in Las Vegas.
And yes – it’s identified as a “COVID-19 crisis” surcharge.
The airline industry makes for strange bedfellows.
Delta is rushing to save a key American Airlines partner, because that keeps it from being on the hook to repay the loan they guaranteed. However if they fail they will take partial ownership in Gol’s frequent flyer program, a key American Airlines partnership.
Currently the border closure lasts through June 21, though Canada has loosened restrictions somewhat to allow family members of citizens and permanent residents to return starting today.
However the ban is expected to be extended by both the U.S. and Canada into late July, according to sources on both sides of the border.
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The Vancouver Hotel Destination Association will arrange for you to receive visa gift cards for every night of your Vancouver hotel stay, up to the first five nights.
Earning Aeroplan miles is independent of payment method. That means you can choose any credit card to pay that is bonusing food deliver (or, like Capital One, that is letting you redeem miles at full value to pay for food delivery).
That means this is an entirely new, stackable, avenue of value for Uber Eats food delivery orders which is huge – especially since Aeroplan lets you redeem for Star Alliance awards on their website, at reasonable rates and many partners without fuel surcharges, and now including awards on Etihad as well.
I could see airline meal delivery services finally taking off. I’d happily pay for Singapore Airlines laksa or ANA ramen at home. Not Ural Airlines chicken or frozen Canadian airline Thai food. But I’d love to try Thai’s meals – if they succeed in the Bangkok market they’d probably be ‘good enough’ to expand and offer Thai frozen food internationally.
Here in Austin I’d happily stock my freezer with their stir fried tiger prawns with salt, garlic and chili. I’m not sure $8 in Bangkok having to pre-order and pick it up makes this a winning business strategy, however.
Austria’s government bailed out Austrian Airlines with about half a billion dollars, even after its German parent obtained a $9.8 billion aid package. Part of Austria’s bailout includes moves to protect the airline from competition, under the guise of environmental responsibility.
Last summer Lufthansa’s CEO declared that only the wealthy should fly arguing that the cheapest flights offered by competitors are “economically, ecologically, and politically irresponsible.” And all it took was a global pandemic to get those cheap flights banned.
Effective Monday American Airlines has taken away the tool airports, flight attendants, and reservations used to compensate customers when a crew member spills a drink on them, their seat is broken, or their inflight meal didn’t get loaded onto the aircraft.
To save money, instead of compensating customers when things go wrong, employees are supposed to show they care and acknowledge what the customer is saying… just not do anything about it.
Say cheese! The Department of Homeland Security revealed in a ‘privacy impact assessment’ published last week that TSA will begin using facial recognition for identity verification at airport security checkpoints.
They will photograph each passenger and determine whether it matches the photo associated with the identity document used for screening.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
