Nov
07
2019
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.
Google’s New Reward Points Program
Brand New Miami Turkish Airlines Lounge Open to Priority Pass
Nov
06
2019
Turkish has opened a lounge on the E concourse at the Miami airport yesterday. It isn’t listed on the Priority Pass website yet however they’re accepting Priority Pass.
Up to 50% Off British Airways Awards For Travel Through End of April
Nov
06
2019
British Airways is running a sale on award bookings departing the U.K. between 7 November 2019 and 30 April 2020 (book by November 21). U.S. members can book their one-way returns back from the U.K. using the discount.
Emergency at Amsterdam Airport Turned Out To Be “Oops”
Nov
06
2019
At Amsterdam Schiphol today the airport’s D concourse was cordoned off, and passengers and crew were evacuated from aircraft. Emergency vehicles were out on the tarmac.
The emergency turned out to simply be a false alarm triggered by an Air Europa flight.
Business Class Awards to Asia Wide Open for the Whole Family Using American or Alaska Miles
Nov
06
2019
Business class saver awards can be a challenge using American AAdvantage miles. American rarely releases saver inventory on their own planes, and they don’t have as many partners as United does (Star Alliance is bigger than oneworld).
Finding business class awards for more than one or two people is even harder. So when there’s business class award space to Asia for a family of four that’s really notable.
Doug Parker’s Plan For American Airlines to Make Money is to Copy Competitors
Nov
06
2019
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker spoke this morning at the Baird 2019 Global Industrial Conference, making the case for why the airline’s financial performance will improve. His message seemed to boil down to: we’re going to do what other airlines are doing, so our performance should revert towards the mean. In other words, by copying other airlines, if they make money American should too.
Hyatt Airport Hotel Has Boeing 787 Simulator You Can Use For $173
Nov
06
2019
Spending less than $300 for simulator time with an instructor is a great deal – a reason that some people may force an overnight for themselves at Haneda airport even. For an aviation geek there’s nothing like flight simulator time.
But what if I told you there’s an airport hotel where you can spend points to stay the night, that has a Boeing 787 simulator and where sim time is even cheaper?
How to Decide If Buying Back Elite Status is Worth It
Nov
06
2019
Airlines frequently offer elite status buy back (pay to get this past year’s status) or buy up (pay to get a higher status) offers. On their face they seem expensive. Here’s how to know whether they’re right for you.
There are two questions to ask about the elite status you’re considering.
American Express Slams Chase as 18 Months Behind
Nov
05
2019
While acknowledging that Sapphire Reserve caught them off guard and needing to respond aggressively, American Express claims to be way ahead of Chase.
Will California’s New Privacy Law Require American Airlines to Tell You Your Eagle Rating?
Nov
05
2019
Here’s how American Airlines scores its customers. American Airlines has a system called Helix that it uses to tell employees when to go ‘above and beyond’ for a customer. It’s used by reservations, agents at the airport, customer relations, baggage services and others as a way to know when it’s ok to spend more on a customer.
The goal of the system is to accommodate high value customers who are at risk of defecting to a competitor. Helix will display an Eagle ranking from 1-5 for each customer. This ranking is updated each day and depends on a combination of revenue and how badly you’ve been treated by the airline. You’re only going to get special treatment if your ranking is 3 or higher.
