During United’s earnings call last month they explained they would be tweaking Basic Economy fares.
The idea of Basic Economy is to offer such a bad experience that you’ll spend more money to avoid it. However when United first rolled out the fares they lost about $100 million — because customers were avoiding United.
The Hyatt Credit Card has been offering several value-added promotions on top of its usual benefits. In the fall of 2016 they also began experimenting with rebates for targeting kinds of spending. Now they’re offering a $30 rebate on drug store and grocery store spend.
Two weeks ago Delta announced a supposed crackdown on fake emotional support animals. All they really did in practice was say they’ll require advance notice, proof of health and vaccinations, and insist passengers attest that their animal can behave.
Since American and United do what Delta does American says they’re studying similar changes and United announced that they’ve copied Delta’s changes also to go into effect March 1.
Delta is offering free spa treatments in Atlanta for SkyMiles Diamond members.
Through July 31 Diamonds receive complimentary services at the Asanda Spa Lounges in Atlanta terminal E, New York JFK terminal 4, and the Seattle Delta Sky Club.
As long as passengers follow flight crew instructions, don’t obstruct other passengers, and are good at it then it’s fine for one passenger — first come first served — to practice yoga in the aisle. Violate any of these conditions and it becomes a problem, and potential flight diversion, and a matter for law enforcement that ends possibly dragging the yogi down the aisle (in an epic ‘assist’).
A few weeks ago I wrote that American is giving flight attendants a new tool to hand out onboard compensation for service failures. If something bad happens during your flight, they can give you AAdvantage miles on the spot.
We now know something about what situations are programmed for miles (and what will get you bupkis) and how much you can expect to get.
There’s a Vimeo video up about the new Starbucks credit card.
When the original Starbucks Visa was introduced 14 years ago it gave you an actual 1% rebate at Starbucks. The Starbucks Duetto Visa was sunset in 2010. I had hoped the new iteration of the product would be more lucrative.
American Airlines was the first US airline to let first class passengers pre-select their meals, having rolled it out in fall 2012.
Now American has rolled out pre-orders to coach on a test basis.
Hyatt reached out to let me know that two hotels would move up in redemption category at 9:00 p.m. Central this evening, meaning that redemptions will cost more points.
I love that Hyatt is proactively sharing changes even when those changes affect just two properties. I don’t love that Hyatt is sharing that information only with me and not with all members, and that they’re sharing it the same day the change is going to go into effect.
Haley Barbour — former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Governor of Mississippi, and lobbyist at Barbour Griffith & Rogers — was arrested earlier this month at the Jackson, Mississippi airport with a loaded .38-caliber hand gun in his brief case.
His gun was confiscated, he was arrested, and he made his flight.
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 »
