Award Alert: Delta One Suites to Asia for the Whole Family (As Low As 47,000 Points Each)

by Gary Leff

first class seats
May 17 2019

Delta saver award availability to Asia, especially for two or more passengers, can be challenging. Right now though availability for late fall and winter is outstanding on a variety of routes, for the whole family — in some cases 9 or more saver awards.

Specifically flights out of Detroit, Minneapolis, Seattle, Atlanta and Los Angeles are bookable to Tokyo and to China (from Shanghai connecting options on China Eastern are good as well) for November through March.. Notably availability on the Detroit – Beijing, LA – Shanghai, and LA – Tokyo Haneda routes means flying Delta’s business class suites.

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Marriott’s CEO Was Surprised to Beat the Chinese to Buy Starwood

by Gary Leff

bonvoy
May 16 2019

When Marriott acquired Starwood hotels they beat out Hyatt, which may have offered a more financially attractive package but whose complicated stock structure (the Pritzker family has outsized voting rights) created complications, and Chinese conglomerate Anbang Insurance.

Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott, says he was surprised that they won the bidding and were able to make the deal.

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Business Class Fare Deal: New York, LA or DC to Moscow From $1650 Roundtrip (Star Alliance Airlines)

by Gary Leff

st. basils cathedral
May 16 2019

Business class fares are available from several US cities – including New York, DC, and Los Angeles – to Moscow from $1650 roundtrip.

Maybe you weren’t satisfied with the Mueller report and want to conduct your own on-the-ground investigation. Or you’ve always wanted to trace your family’s roots back to the Tsar. Either way this is one of the best sale fares I’ve seen to Russia.

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Southwest Flight Delayed Over a Vodka Joke

by Gary Leff

southwest plane
May 15 2019

Southwest Airlines flight WN478 from Sacramento to Los Angeles last Wednesday was in the midst of a three and a half hour delay. First a maintenance light forced the aircraft to return to the gate, and later the airline determined they needed to refuel the aircraft.

Flight attendants passed out water to passengers. A passenger “said something [like], ‘They should be passing out vodka because we’ve been waiting so long.'” And that led to an even further delay.

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