United is making elite status harder to get, especially top tier elite status. They’re changing the upgrades top elites earn when they keep flying United beyond what it takes to earn their status.
Customers who continue to earn 1K (100,000 mile flyer status) under more stringent rules will have fewer people to compete with for upgrades, those who drop down a status level will hate these changes.
Conventional wisdom is that you cannot fly in the U.S. with weed. Colorado Springs airport installed amnesty boxes so that passengers could leave their weed rather than break the law (free pot for airport employees).
Now though LAX has posted an official policy that you can bring pot through security at the airport.
A woman flying United from Sydney to San Francisco on Monday was told by a flight attendant that the allowable standard for babies crying on the airline’s planes is five minutes.
She was also given plenty of parenting advice from a flight attendant who clearly suggested she didn’t know what she was doing with her child.
Yesterday an American Express executive offered what seemed like the next step they would take in managing crowds at Centurion lounges: advance reservations via mobile app.
American Express reached out to suggest that booking via app is an example of something they’ll consider not something they currently plan to implement.
Last summer Eurowings — Lufthansa’s low cost carrier — started flying non-stop between Cologne, Germany and Seattle twice weekly. At first it seemed like they were receiving a warm welcome into the market. That didn’t hold true this week, though.
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.
British Airways is offering double points through the end of the year. This applies to all British Airways flights, as well as to British Airways codeshare flights on American Airlines, Iberia and Finnair when traveling between the US and Europe. Registration required.
I love double miles. There are three things, however, that I do not like about this promotion.
The new American Airlines configuration for the Airbus A321 will have 20 first class seats (one more row of first class) and 176 coach seats.
American will begin taking delivery of Airbus A321neo aircraft in January (‘new engine option’) and they’ll have this new configuration. Then, as I reported back in August, American will begin to retrofit existing Airbus A321s (A312ceo or ‘current engine option’).
American Express closed the Dallas Fort-Worth lounge, and today it re-opens in a new location.
The new lounge has all of the amenities of the old lounge with some additions and mostly more capacity for guests. There’s the buffet and full bar, complimentary spa treatments, conference room and family room, and an three shower rooms.
No matter how much space you get, it isn’t enough if you offer a good product. Demand forecasts always underestimate how many passengers will want to visit lounges, and how much time they’ll spend, when a qualify lounge is on offer.
American Express has a new approach coming: advance reservations via app.
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 »
