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11 Takeaways From United’s New $18,000 Elite Status

by Gary Leff on October 11, 2019

Oct 11 2019

United Airlines has declared that miles no longer matter at all – a strange position for MileagePlus to take. Distance flown no longer matters for earning miles. Redeeming miles is more revenue-based with the elimination of award charts. And now even qualifying for elite status will be based on spending starting next year.

You can earn status by spending more than before and counting up the number of flights you take, or just based on spending alone. Here are 11 takeaways from this historic change.

Starting Next Year United Elite Status Will No Longer Be Earned Based on Distance Flown

by Gary Leff on October 11, 2019

united plane

Oct 11 2019

United will stop counting how far you fly for earning elite status. United will no longer have 25,000 mile, 50,000 mile, 75,000 mile and 100,000 mile status.

Instead – starting in 2020 for customers earning status for the 2021 program year – United will count how many flights you take and how much you spend. And if you want to earn status without taking a lot of flights, just spend more.

California Bans Single Use Plastic Toiletries From Hotels

by Gary Leff on October 10, 2019

soap dispenser bathroom

Oct 10 2019

Marriott and IHG have already announced that they’re getting rid of single use toiletries and replacing them with wall mounted bulk shampoo, bath gel, and conditioner.

Now customers in California won’t be able to vote with their feet looking for a more hygienic or luxurious alternative.

Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Plays Games With Award Availability, and Hyatt is Powerless to Stop It

by Gary Leff on October 10, 2019

Oct 10 2019

The Hyatt Centric Waikiki says they have ‘fewer than 20’ standard rooms, which means that less than 9% of their rooms are standard rooms and eligible for World of Hyatt redemption. However I couldn’t find a single date where they were making rooms available at all.

I reached out to Hyatt to see whether the property was in compliance with program rules for making standard rooms available on points whenever they were offered on cash. I also asked whether Hyatt has rules for any minimum percentage of rooms that must be considered standard?

Quirky Opportunities Redeeming Alaska Miles on Singapore Airlines

by Gary Leff on October 10, 2019

Oct 10 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.

Re-arranging the Deck Chairs of American Airlines Management

by Gary Leff on October 10, 2019

american plane

Oct 10 2019

None of this represents change for the airline, instead it’s a shuffling of roles and reporting. Interestingly this announcement of changes to leadership does not include the words Doug Parker. I might have expected Parker, under normal circumstances, to have a quote included in the release.

Success: Back-to-Back Southwest Airlines Status Matches (With a New Twist)

by Gary Leff on October 10, 2019

southwest plane

Oct 10 2019

I submitted a new status challenge request around 4 p.m. on Sunday and then before 8 a.m. on Monday I had already been approved for another status challenge. They’ve added a quirk I don’t recall from the challenge last time. Fortunately there’s a way around it.

The Simple Reason Airline CEOs Give to a Fund That Supported Roy Moore

by Gary Leff on October 10, 2019

flight attendants in red

Oct 10 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.

EVA Air Introducing New Ferragamo Amenity Kits Next Month

by Gary Leff on October 10, 2019

Ferragamo amenities kit

Oct 10 2019

Next month the Rimowa kits will be replaced with Ferragamo kits. An EVA Air spokesperson explains that Rimowa, which has been acquired by luxury behemoth LVMH, “is ending its cooperation with airlines on amenity kits.”

As a result EVA will “offer its new Ferragamo amenity kits to business class passengers on all long-haul flights. But work on design and content is still in progress. EVA does not yet have photos or sample kits.”

American’s Club Lounges Now Have Impossible Burgers and Mac and Cheese Bars

by Gary Leff on October 9, 2019

Oct 09 2019

Chicago O’Hare, Miami, Los Angeles and Dallas Fort-Worth have Impossible Burgers for purchase at $12. There’s also made-to-order ramen (“the Ramen Bowl shredded carrots, green onion, tomato and ramen noodles are prepared in the kitchen and warmed with the vegan lemongrass broth”) and some clubs lave local Destination Dishes on the Food for Sale menu.

The new “build-your-own mac and cheese stations…have a host of topping options, including onions, bacon and crushed chili cheese Fritos.”

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 »