Marriott has an award chart with each hotel assigned a category from 1 to 8. That determines the price you’ll pay in points for a standard room, as long as that room is available.
Every year Marriott re-categorizes hotels, moving them up or down, largely based on whether the rates are expected higher or lower than the previous year. There’s some wiggle room for adjustment, but changes largely track the hotel market. Here’s what’s happening March 4, 2020.
LAX is nearing completion of its Midfield Satellite Concourse. This is a 12 gate extension connected to the Tom Bradley International Terminal via a 1000 foot tunnel. As the airport prepares to open this new concourse this year they are looking for 500 people to become actors, playing the role of passenger. This will let them stress test the terminal.
Want to be one of the lucky few to see the new concourse before almost anybody else?
American Airlines flight AA1528 from San Juan to Philadelphia was delayed 7 hours and 45 minutes on Monday when pilot Mathew Stapula didn’t show up at the airport. He was killed outside a San Juan strip club early Sunday morning. American sent a new crew member to operate the flight.
The strip club was the scene of another fatal shooting in late September.
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.
As if China travel wasn’t already burdened enough by coronavirus fears, a concomitant drop in demand, and airlines cancelling flights, a major online travel agency group won’t even sell tickets in or out of China to passengers looking to buy them.
This doesn’t just give you a lot more miles than you’d normally earn on the cheapest fares, it serves as a reason to credit those fares to Alaska’s Mileage Plan program.
Alaska is already super generous with earning on premium cabin fares on partners, offering big bonuses as part of the program. But this promotion focuses on delivering the most value to customers flying the least expensive tickets – a real departure in recent times for the industry.
Marriott doesn’t have blackout dates. Award redemption is permitted on all dates. However hotels are allowed to have significant capacity controls for a handful of dates each year. Marriott is increasing the number of hotels that are allowed to limit award redemption at their busiest times.
Marriott made a change to its terms and conditions and it’s no longer only Marriott brands that can declare high demand dates where award redemption is limited. These redemption controls are now available in 2020 to all hotels within Marriott, including ex-Starwood properties.
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.
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 »
