The biggest return on credit card spending is earning a card’s initial bonus. After that it’s either benefits that may be earned at specific thresholds on a card, or earning more than one mile per dollar on specific categories of spending. For me it’s about earning the elite benefits I care about, and some special perks on top that let me travel with my family more than I otherwise would.
The FAA has downgraded Malaysia’s air safety rating. This is a judgment about the government’s regulatory operation, and not about any Malaysian airline.
However the ‘category 2’ rating given means that Malaysia-based airlines cannot start new U.S. service or add to existing service. It also means that US airlines cannot codeshare with them.
Back in the spring American Airlines started soliciting volunteers in advance to be bumped off of oversold flights, asking what the lowest amount each would take in travel vouchers in exchange for traveling on another flight.
Now they’ve taken things a step farther keeping denied boarding compensation amounts secret, even in announcements at the gate.
They’ve tried to grow through strategic partnerships with MGM and SLH hotels, and through acquisitions such as Two Roads Hospitality which has given them Alila, Destination Hotels, Joie de Vivre and Thompson Hotels (as well as the nascent tommie brand).
Hyatt has actually tried and failed at other acquisitions. They were in the running for Starwood, probably even offering more money than Marriott, but their complicated stock structure (the Pritzker family retains outsized control) got in the way. Hyatt tried at the last minute to acquire NH Hotels but that door was already shut. They were also a bidder for Kimpton, but IHG beat them out by $100 million. (Hyatt was right not to overpay the way IHG did.)
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.
Weather at Chicago O’Hare is a mess today, with hundreds of flights cancelled. One flight that was supposed to make it in on time was American Eagle flight AA4125 from Greensboro, North Carolina. The Embraer ERJ-145 had pushed back six minutes early.
Thirty eight passengers and 3 crew were on board. The plane touched down on O’Hare’s runway 10L at 7:40 a.m. local time, which would have put it into its gate about 10 minutes late. However the regional jet skidded left off the runway.
IHG hotels – Kimpton, Holiday Inn, Intercontinental, and related brands – has launched a Cyber Sale running through December 17th, with extra discounts for Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up.
These rates stack with IHG’s bonus offer up to quadruple points.
Singapore Airlines has several different first and business class products in its fleet. Their Airbus A380s are in the process of being transitioned from an old business and first class to a new product. Singapore’s A380 business class is an evolution over the old lie flat seat, in which taller passengers still have to sleep at an angle rather than parallel with the aisle. Meanwhile the first class suite has a separate seat and bed and dividers can be taken down for passengers traveling together so that they have a double bed to share. New Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Singapore Suites for Passengers Traveling Together The long haul Boeing 777-300ER fleet began receiving the current version of its business and first class seats in 2013. Long haul Airbus A350s received a version of the same…
Captain Sully Sullenberger became a household name after US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the Hudson following a double bird strike during the climb out from New York LaGuardia. But did you know that his co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, is still flying for American Airlines.. and is still just a first officer?
He answered some questions about the fateful flight on a recent trip.
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.
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 »
