Hotels Want You to Redeem Your Points Because They Make Big Money on Award Guests

Feb 14 2019

At Marriott and Hyatt the payment a hotel gets for your award night is not linked to the number of points you pay.

Most hotels actually want your award business. If you’re taking up a room that would otherwise go empty, it’s pure marginal revenue. And if you’re taking up a room on a night they’re full they get a large payment – generally equal to their average rate for the year, though not as high as the highest rate they might charge on that night. One hotel is even warning members about the impending award chart price increase for the property.

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Here’s What United’s Business Class Soft Product Was Supposed to Be

Feb 14 2019

United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz took the stage at Gotham Hall in New York nearly 3 years ago. He was new on the job and looking to make a splash advancing the narrative that his airline was turning itself around, righting the ship.

It always seemed clear that United wouldn’t sustain their new inflight offering. Although in some ways I expected that there would be more progress actually rolling out the seats before it was cut back so far.

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Businesses Have Credit Reports Too, Now You Can Check Yours for Free

Businesses have credit profiles, and most small business owners don’t check theirs. Capital One just launched a new service — whether you’re a CapitalOne cardmember or not — called Business CreditWise. It provides access to a company’s credit report with data from LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

The new tool lets business owners access credit details, “correct mistakes and understand what is impacting their overall credit report, free of charge.”

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Hilton CEO: Marriott’s Flubbed Loyalty Efforts are Bringing Him Customers – But He’s Likely Wrong

anna kendrick
Feb 14 2019

ilton’s CEO suggests that Marriott’s troubles have been Hilton’s gain.

Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta said on the company’s earnings call on Wednesday that the Honors program added 14 million new members last year, a 20% increase to a total of 85 million. He attributes that to guests shifting from Marriott. But that’s not at all suggestive of what he thinks it is.

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The Airbus A380 Program May Get Killed Tomorrow

airplane docked
Feb 13 2019

As a passenger the Airbus A380 is a special experience. Takeoff rolls are incredibly smooth. While they can pack in passengers densely most operators have offered incredibly luxurious perks on the plane — in part because it can be so much more difficult to fill an aircraft with 600 or more passengers so the cost to use space ‘inefficiently’ is low. No US airline has operated one.

The Airbus board is meeting and – barring a last minute rabbit out of a hat – could announce the end of A380 production as soon as tomorrow. Airbus has been signaling the possible end of the A380 program since 2014.

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Marriott Bonvoy Launched Today, Replacing Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest

outside marriott hotel
Feb 13 2019

Marriott has officially launched a new name for its loyalty program today. There’s no more Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards, or Starwood Preferred Guest. There’s now only Bonvoy.

We knew what Rewards meant. That’s all about earn and burn. Preferred Guest was all about how a loyal member is treated. Bonvoy literally has no meaning. It is not a word.

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