Hyatt Adds 56 Luxury Hotel Redemption Options to its Portfolio

by Gary Leff

large house
Jan 30 2019

Small Luxury Hotels of the World is a collection of independent properties, and it’s more of a booking relationship than a hotel chain. And Hyatt’s deal is something similar to what they have with MGM’s M life Rewards — let’s share customers, offering points-earning and redemption.

With over 500 hotels in 80 countries Small Luxury Hotels of the World held the potential to significantly grow the World of Hyatt footprint. In December they initially offered earning and redemption at 54 hotels. Now they’re adding 56 more properties.

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United Launches New Promise: a New Standard of Caring for Customers

by Gary Leff

united-plane
Jan 30 2019

I love the sentiment, but according to United’s announcement there’s not much to it behind service training for employees, free DirecTV on less than one third of mainline aircraft, and paying out lower bonuses.

Of course anything is better than the recent history at United of dragging and beating a passenger in the aisle, killing a dog in the overhead bin, and shoving a 71 year old man to the ground and threatening to take away his miles for complaining.

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Did the Passenger Who Forced a Flight Attendant Help in the Bathroom Buy ANOTHER EVA Air Ticket?

by Gary Leff

man raising hand on plane
Jan 30 2019

A week ago the world learned about one of the worst airline passengers any of us has ever come across, a man who flies to Asia and consistently asks for help in the bathroom — help that he may not actually have needed.

He’s been blacklisted by the airline but media reports suggest he’s managed to circumvent the ban and buy himself another ticket on the airline. I’m skeptical.

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Getting Non-Compliant Hotels to Honor Program Benefits: the Latest Victory

by Gary Leff

Jan 29 2019

Hotel loyalty programs face a unique challenge that airlines don’t. Airlines set the rules and provide the product directly. Hotels have to get properties which are often owned and even managed separately to comply, with benefits like upgrades delivered consistently by individual employees at a front desk perhaps thousands of miles away. They rely on individual hotels and even employees to comply.

As a result it can be like playing whack-a-mole with individual properties. And with hotels around the world, members may be experiencing things on the ground that programs don’t know about. Or if they see an issue raised in passing it may not resonate with all of the issues they’re facing.

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Hyatt Openng 40 West Coast Hotels Over Next Two Years

by Gary Leff

japanese style room
Jan 29 2019

Hyatt announced today that they would open 40 hotels on the US West Coast by 2021. They’re really just describing the current pipeline and there are a few things to note. We know about several of these properties already.

This significant growth in Hyatt’s footprint, however they’re stretching to get to their 40 and limited service is the name of the game.

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Airline Downgraded John Kasich – But He Wouldn’t Leave First Class

by Gary Leff

kasich
Jan 28 2019

Earlier in the month Alaska Airlines needed to bump a passenger from first class on a New York JFK to San Francisco flight for a pilot traveling to a duty assignment. The passenger they downgraded to economy was John Kasich, who just finished serving 8 years as Governor of Ohio and who sought the Republican nomination for President in 2016.

Only Governor Kasich didn’t leave the first class cabin, he sat down in another passenger’s seat instead.

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