Patience Over For Marriott-Starwood Integration: Lifetime Status Must Be Re-Earned Each Year?

by Gary Leff

marriott promo
Sep 04 2018

IT is hard. No IT project ever has come in early or under budget. Things take longer than you think they will even accounting fro the fact that you know they’ll take longer than you think they will. However Marriott chose the date. August 18th. It was self-imposed.

It’s now been two and a half weeks. It’s past Labor Day. People are back at work, business travelers are about to start getting back on the road. The reasonable amount of patience that members have given has pretty well been exhausted.

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Airport VIP Meet and Greet, Priority Immigration Just Got a Lot Cheaper

by Gary Leff

airport bridge
Sep 04 2018

There are premium airport departure, connection and arrival services that you can buy all over the world. Some are offered by airlines, others by airports, and some by third party services. In fact it isn’t even always clear which is which.

I’m a fan of these offerings, but I like to see them affordable. I think that a meet and greet buggy service at under $50 for 2 people in Bangkok, including assistance from plane through immigration and with baggage claim (with handover to your transportation into the city) is a real value that more travelers would take advantage of if they were aware of the service.

At first world prices though it’s strategically useful to be aware of the option but not something most readers will take advantage of. Still it’s nice to see this option at a lower price than many vendors offer in Europe, and for less than the airlines are offering in the U.S. as well.

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Hyatt Under Fire for Hosting “Anti-Muslim Hate Group” But Are Boycotts Warranted?

by Gary Leff

meeting set up in hyatt
Sep 04 2018

At the end of the week Think Progress put out a piece critical of Hyatt for hosting the ACT for America conference at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. A petition with 100,000 signatures was delivered to Hyatt demanding they back out of providing a venue to the event this coming week.

I’m unfamiliar with the group, but they (along with half of America) are described by the Southern Poverty Law Center “as an anti-Muslim extremist and hate group.”

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Flights to Africa With Amazing Business Class Award Pricing

by Gary Leff

world map
Sep 03 2018

Royal Air Maroc is launching Miami – Casablanca service in April of next year. The flight will be operated 3 times a week with a Boeing 787. I believe this will be Miami’s only non-stop flight to Africa.

Here’s why you care. Business class awards are really easy to get, and really cheap, using miles you probably already have. And their business class seats are fully flat.

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Amazing $63 Fare From the US to Europe With Cheap Deals from New York/DC/Boston

by Gary Leff

primera air
Sep 03 2018

Like Norwegian and Wow Air , Primera offers super cheap fares across the Atlantic, they’re helping to drive down prices overall, and there are add-on fees for anything you may want on board whether it’s advance seat assignments or beverages.

For the passenger just looking to get on a plane, unconcerned with seat assignment, Primera can be even cheaper than the bigger transatlantic discounters. Right now they have flights from the U.S. to Europe from an absurdly low $63.

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This Worst Thing a Passenger Can Do Keeps Happening and We’re All at Risk

by Gary Leff

lavatory
Sep 02 2018

While passengers urinating on seat opponents doesn’t happen frequently compared to the number of flights and number of passengers each year, it happens frequently enough to make me wonder whether an airline would attract business by requiring passengers to certify that they’re potty trained, and to blow into a breathalyzer at the boarding gate. And it makes me wonder if airlines not doing this suggests they’d rather have the ticket revenue than discourage the behavior.

For fee-happy airlines like Spirit, Allegiant and United another approach could be onboard sale of Depends.

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How – and Why – You Can Almost Always Get Four First Class Award Seats to Europe

by Gary Leff

airline cabin first class
Sep 02 2018

I absolutely hate fuel surcharges. They’re a scam which is basically just a tax on frequent flyers’ loyalty. On some itineraries they can amount to $1000 roundtrip. Although bear in mind that you may pay lower fuel surcharges when you book two one way awards than a roundtrip.

When I’m in an absolute pinch I can talk myself into paying fuel surcharges for a first class award. I think of it as a discount coach ticket which doesn’t earn points but where I’m spending miles for a confirmed triple upgrade.

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