Hotel Comes Under Fire For Helping Wealthy Guests Quarantine From Coronavirus

by Gary Leff

Apr 05 2020

While other hotels are closing, with no transient business, Swiss luxury hotel brand Le Bijou is setting up “quarantine apartments” based on what they’re learning about guests needs – in-room meals and COVID-19 testing, a private gym, access to medical care.

Le Bijou’s CEO says he noticed a drop off in three night bookings, but green shoots in the form of 14-day stays. He learned these were guests quarantining from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. And he realized there was an opportunity to stay in business by meeting guest needs. Some people are appalled.

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Delta Extends Elite Status, Club Memberships And Rolls Over Qualifying Miles To Next Year

by Gary Leff

delta airplanes on tarmac
Apr 05 2020

Everyone pauses in place and gets a do-over. That’s the message from Delta which announced an extension of elite status, club memberships, vouchers and more.

There’s a natural reason why Delta is first among U.S. airlines to do this – and an advantage they have in rollover qualifying miles that better positions them to still take advantage of their elite program when travel comes back.

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You Probably Already Have Face Masks At Home And Don’t Realize It

by Gary Leff

Apr 05 2020

In a huge about-face, the CDC is recommending that Americans wear masks when out in public. They want to preserve N95 respirator masks for health care workers who have the greatest exposure to COVID-19, but believe that the general public wearing lesser masks can help stop the spread.

If you’re a frequent traveler you probably have face masks. In fact you may have a bunch of them in a closet without even realizing it.

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For Those Who Truly Must Travel, Flying Is A Special Gift Right Now

by Gary Leff

insideairplane
Apr 04 2020

One woman had to fly last minute from DC to Boston to see her mother who was close to dying. She was the only passenger on board her American flight. She filmed the flight attendant making her safety announcement, “My name is Jessica and I will be your flight attendant, and we have Sheryl as our passenger today, living it up in first class. Everybody shout out to Sheryl, the only passenger on the plane.”

The experiences traveling today are some of the most human, as each person’s stories can no longer get lost in the millions of passenger hordes stampeding through airports the way they once did.

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Americans Trapped Behind The Iron Curtain Until Further Notice As Repatriation Flight Turns Back

by Gary Leff

passport getting stamped
Apr 04 2020

Aeroflot was scheduled to operate a flight from Moscow to New York JFK on Friday, where it would carry home Americans and bring Russians back to their own country. Full of U.S. citizens desperate to get home in a time of crisis, the plane pushed back and taxied out to the runway only to be ordered back to the gate, the flight cancelled.

Russia closed its borders as the Aeroflot plane prepared to depart. The Russian government then boarded the plane and confiscated passports.

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Video Explains One Of The Most Lucrative Mileage Exploits Of All Time

by Gary Leff

Apr 04 2020

You’d buy coins from the U.S. government at face value, pay by credit card, and get free shipping. There were ever-changing rules about how many coins you could buy and how often, but for a time it was unlimited – and some people bought seven figures worth.

The coins were heavy. You had to take them to the bank. And you had to track shipments. But that there was no net cash cost to the deal, and no real limit for awhile on how much you could earn, plus that it lasted in one form or another for about three years makes it an all-time classic.

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