On one Southwest Airlines Tampa flight, 30 passengers boarded early and got better seats for free because they said they needed wheelchair assistance. Then they walked off the plane and all the way out the terminal themselves on arrival. They didn’t all need a wheelchair, but cracked a code.
British Airways is rebranding its Executive Club frequent flyer program, renaming it The British Airways Club. Along with this change, they’re revamping how earning elite status works and adding benefits between tiers, moving to revenue-based status and increasing the number of activities that help you earn status.
The Hyatt Regency Lake Washington in Renton, by Boeing’s factory, was financed in part by loans from Chinese citizens seeking EB-5 visas. The property suffered during the pandemic and was just sold out of bankruptcy.
What I will always remember President Carter for is this video of the former President walking through economy on Delta Air Lines. The effort was hardly a one-off, either, though if you were a United Airlines or American flyer you probably didn’t know it. The former Georgia governor was a regular on Delta Air Lines and its partners.
The hotel room wasn’t great, but that’s the base room at the property and what they were entitled to. The problem here is the disconnect between expectation and reality, the dismissive tone of the hotel towards Honors redemptions, and… the hotel manager’s appalling response.
Hilton Honors is offering some members 4,000 bonus points for a single stay taken any time within the next year – but you have to register by December 31st.
Once registered, any eligible stay within 12 months earns the points. The promotion has apparently been around for quite awhile but I haven’t seen it. It’s been in my account – and the accounts of many other members! – for some time but hasn’t generated much discussion. I saw it mentioned online, checked my account, and there it was.
Eligible members must complete 1 stay, within 12 months from registration date.
Example: Member receives email on March 1, registers March 5, the member has 12 months to complete 1 stay from March 5 to receive 4,000 Bonus Points.
Log into your account and there, under ‘points’ you will see ‘points promotions’. Select that and you’ll see whether it’s available to you.
Here are the offer terms:
This offer is only valid and exclusive to select members and is not transferable. To be eligible for this offer from Hilton Honors, member (1) must have received this offer directly from Hilton Honors, (2) register to participate using the same e-mail address associated with the promotional invitation by December 31, 2024 and (3) complete 1 stay within 12 months from registration date. For examples and further details, please see the FAQ page.
It’s 4,000 easy points – you don’t have to be a regular with Hilton. A once a year Hilton type like I am is enough to earn the bonus. And while I only value Hilton points at around half a cent apiece, this is still $20 for a stay you may do anyway. And I am far more interested in collecting Honors points now that they can be spent with SLH Hotels.
This is an aging property. It’s been kept up well, but it’s time to renovate. It’s no longer one of the top-end luxury hotels in the city. During non-peak periods, you’ll find the hotel under $300 a night though, which is a great price point for what you’re getting. They do consistently upgrade Globalist members when they can, though, at a minimum to a junior suite.
Hotels say that encouraging tipping saves them from paying higher wages. All that matters is that the employee gets more money, and that helps with retention. It doesn’t matter who does the paying.
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.
Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 departed New York for Miami on December 29, 1972. The Lockheed L-1011 crashed into the Florida Everglades. Both pilots and the flight engineer died, along with 2 out of 10 flight attendants and 96 of the 163 passengers on board. There were 75 survivors.
According to lore, one flight was cancelled after the ghost of Captain Bob Loft appeared and disappeared in front a three members of the flight’s crew. Another flight’s captain reported seeing flight engineer Don Repo in his cockpit. Repo told him there would never be another crash of an L-1011.
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 »
