Great Summer Business Class Award Space for Whole Family Using Delta or Air France Miles

by Gary Leff

Dec 04 2019

Air France KLM is offering great award space between the U.S. and Europe for this coming summer. There are plenty of routes and dates where you can book business class awards for at least four passengers.

Often Air France and KLM awards can be booked using their own Flying Blue miles – easy to get, they’re a transfer partner of American Express, Chase, Citibank, and Capital One – however in this case most flights appear even to be bookable using Delta SkyMiles as well (Delta is an American Express transfer).

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Hyatt Moving to Peak/Off Peak Award Pricing and Increasing Value of Spending Points on Meals and Spa

by Gary Leff

Dec 04 2019

In a change that mirrors what other larger hotel chains have done, Hyatt appears to be moving closer to revenue-based redemptions and delivering average rather than outsized value for points.

Starting in March there will be new off-peak and peak pricing levels for each free night award and In late January they’ll improve the value of points for in-hotel redemptions, getting at least a penny per point in value.

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Wide Open Business Class Awards to Tahiti Through End of Schedule

by Gary Leff

Dec 04 2019

French Polynesia is one of the toughest awards in the world to book. In part that’s because there are only four flights between the U.S. mainland and Tahiti, and because three of those aren’t even operated more than 3 times a week.

It’s a desirable destination, perhaps one of the most naturally beautiful in the world. And right now you can book 2 business class award seats on about half the dates between now and end of the airline schedules.

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Business Class Deal: Many Cities in Europe From $1943 Roundtrip

by Gary Leff

coliseum
Dec 03 2019

The Premium Flights site flags that all three alliances – airlines with Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and oneworld – are running great fares from New York to Europe. I’m seeing $1943 roundtrip in business class, though Premium Fares suggests some fares as low as “starting at 1635$.”

These are available to Brussels; Amsterdam; Barcelona; Madrid; Milan; Rome; Lisbon; and Vienna.

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Hong Kong Airlines Parent Company Gets $568 Million Loan

by Gary Leff

hongkong airlines plane
Dec 03 2019

HNA Group has been under pressure from China to divest itself of assets and pay down debt. It had racked up over $100 billion in borrowing as it went on a worldwide acquisitions spree. However it has lacked cash to invest in its businesses. And some businesses have found it difficult to make interest payments or even – like Hong Kong Airlines – to pay employees and for fuel.

Hong Kong regulators have been inspecting Hong Kong Airlines for safety every couple of days, given its financial struggles, and finally gave them mere days to come up with cash or risk having the government shut them down. The deadline is Saturday.

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US Government Plans to Require All Citizens Leaving the Country to Get Mug Shots

by Gary Leff

Dec 03 2019

The Department of Homeland Security, along with several airlines, have been testing ‘biometric boarding’ at airports around the country. Error rates are significant as are system outages.

A year ago we learned DHS planned to require all citizens to have their photos taken in order to leave the country. Now it’s become officially part of the agency’s regulatory agenda.

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United Will Freeze Confirmed Upgrades Tuesday Night in Preparation for Launch of New PlusPoints

by Gary Leff

Dec 02 2019

United’s new PointsPlus upgrade program – which replaces regional and global confirmed upgrade certificates – is scheduled to launch on Wednesday.

Overnight on Tuesday nights the ability to confirm upgrades with existing regional and global certificates will be frozen in preparation for this launch. Then upgrades should re-open on Wednesday with a bank of points replacing existing upgrade certificates, and the ability to use those points in a more granular manner.

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