The highlight of The Private Room is the cooked to order menu, which you can take in the dining room or anywhere else in the lounge you wish. Servers come around to take orders and see if there’s anything they can get for you to drink as well. Service is a plus in the lounge.
Do Hotels Make You Prove You’re Eligible for AAA or Corporate Discounts?
Five years ago a couple of commenters noted being asked to show their AAA card at hotel check-in when staying on a AAA rate. I have never seen this happen myself.
Later that year when AAA sent me a renewal notice with the card I asked readers whether I should just pocket that to show ‘just in case’ or actually pay for the membership, universally the sentiment was ‘you use the discount you pay for the membership.’
For Domestic First Class Meals Quality is Better Than Quantity
Years ago there was a story about former American Airlines CEO Bob Crandall having olives removed from first class salads, saving $40,000 a year. Small savings add up across all an airline’s flights and passengers. So carriers are often very careful about their pennies in catering.
In the spring of 2001 United replaced steak at lunch with gourmet cheeseburgers. Today’s inflight burgers on domestic airlines are much smaller and I find with lower quality meal. They keep figuring out ways to push the savings envelope farther.
Free Hilton Status and a $4.3 Million Hotel Stay
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.
Hurry: Get Suites for the Price of a Regular Room Redemption from Hilton
Several Hilton properties offering suites, premium suites, or club lounge access rooms for the points price of a basic award room.
Incredible Crosswind Landing and British Airways Called Out By Government Over Bed Bugs
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.
OpenTable Devaluing Rewards Again — In Three Ways
OpenTable is devaluing its rewards program 3 ways, two and a half years since its last devaluation.
They may start to give up their primary competitive advantage — a critical mass of customers — although not right away, once it starts to frustrate those customers.
Man Arrested for Buying Too Many Gift Cards at CVS
A New Jersey man was arrested after buying multiple gift cards at CVS.
The police officer “observed multiple gift cards on the front seat of the vehicle.” And he was arrested for what the officer determined he intended to do with the gift cards.
How the Government Shut Down Could Make Air Travel Better
While a government shut down doesn’t interfere with air traffic control and TSA’s front line screeners — both considered essential — that the FAA’s registration office closes and that could delay new aircraft deliveries.
That would delay American Airlines taking delivery of more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with just 30 inches between seats, no seat back video, and shrunken lavatories that let the airline squeeze in an extra row of seats.
Drunk British Airways Pilot Pulled Out of Cockpit
A British Airways first officer onboard London Gatwick to Mauritius was pulled out of the cockpit on Thursday night prior to departure. Cabin crew had dialed ‘999’ for assistance after smelling alcohol on the 49 year old pilot. “Cops rushed onto the plane and headed straight for the cockpit. “The first officer was cuffed and led away. “A number of passengers were open-mouthed. The airline found a replacement pilot. They departed about 2 and a half hours late and made up around 40 minutes of that in the air. Everyone was safe. Although it’s striking that cabin crew smelled the alcohol and reported it, while the captain and the other first officer — who would have gone through preflight checks with the man — said nothing. Standards for pilot blood alcohol are far more stringent…