Batik Air flew passengers stranded in Wuhan, China to Batam, Indonesia on Sunday. All 243 people on board had been screened for coronavirus prior to boarding. Then once they made it to Indonesia they were flown on board military aircraft to Natuna Island for quarantine.
Disembarking in Batam everyone was sprayed with an unknown substance, though individuals in hazmat suits had backpacks that read ‘ALHOKOL’.
A month ago a Ukrainian Boeing 737 crashed in Iran. Iran admitted they shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by mistake.
Air traffic control communications between Tehran airport tower and an Aseman Airlines flight show that Iran knew about the missile strike as it occurred.
The pilot of the Iranian domestic flight EP3768 from Shiraz to Tehran sees the missile and discusses it with air traffic control as the Ukraine International Airlines flight disappears.
At the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani in Waikiki the $33 per night resort fee includes a keiki (child) gift upon request.
It turns out the gift is a book“Dinosaurs Divorce, a Guide for Changing Families.” That’s right, the resort fee includes a ‘surprise’ gift intended to let children know their parents are breaking up. Hawaii used to be a romantic destination, but resort fees at the Princess Kaiulani turn it into something far darker.
American has announced a new codeshare relationship with Gol as well as frequent flyer partnership and an expansion at their Miami hub including to Latin America.
Gol wasn’t a great partner for Delta, which doesn’t have a huge presence in Brazil and so the opportunities to feed Delta flights were limited. Gol is a much better partner for American, which serves four cities from Brazil and flies to the country from four of its hubs.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
What movies are ok to watch on a plane and which ones aren’t? The National Center on Sexual Exploitation says that United is training flight attendants to draw a line, and training them to intervene when the line is crossed.
I was able to get some time on the books to speak with Matt Quale who is the President of Bask Bank to get the backstory on this new mileage-earning savings account and also put some questions to him about how he feels about people registering for a free account just to earn the miles – and how he plans to convert those customers into long-term savers.
He’s an American Airlines Platinum member and a Marriott Platinum rounding towards lifetime status (he’s over 7 years of Platinum and 500 cumulative nights with the program). So he gets what we’re after.
NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Kasie Hunt lost her Delta elite status, and it’s Donald Trump’s fault.
However if you’re dating problems with SkyMiles, the program really started going down hill in the waning months of Bill Clinton’s second term.
A year ago Capital One launched a relationship with dining reservations site Resy, setting aside tables at great restaurants for cardmembers. American Express went and acquired Resy and now American Express has a much weaker Resy partnership. Capital One quickly went out and partnered with OpenTable.
Yet somehow I didn’t even realize that before these things happened – a full 19 months ago – Chase launched a partnership with restaurant booking site Tock, which sells tickets to restaurants (top end restaurants with limited seating charge you in advance for pre fixe meals through the site).
With a ban on non-U.S. citizens and permanent residents entering the country within 14 days of having been in China going into effect, China Eastern has announced a suspension of its U.S. flights.
Coronavirus has claimed lives, infected many, and led to worldwide panic and turmoil in markets. If we’re looking for a bit of good news, though, Thailand may be seeing some success treating the virus with a mixture of anti-flu and anti-viral drugs.
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 »
