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Marriott Increasing Points Prices of Over 1000 Hotels Should Strike Fear in the Hearts of SPG Members

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2018

Feb 08 2018

Devaluation just seems to be in their bones on the Marriott side, and the Starwood merger and Starwood Preferred Guest leadership appear not to have changed that. While they announced a reasonable set of category changes for Starwood the changes at Marriott are absolutely brutal: 21% of hotels are going up in category while just 5% are going down in category. The number of points required to redeem for a free Marriott hotel night is going up at over 1000 hotels effective March 6th.

Did Southwest Steal $25,000 in Donations From a Mechanic They Fired?

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2018

Feb 08 2018

An arbitrator ordered that a Southwest Airlines maintenance worker be re-instated and given back pay — minus funds he received during the time he wasn’t employed by Southwest.

That means his income from a job with an aviation school credits against the wages he would have earned. And it includes $25,000 donated to him via a GoFundme page.

Orlando’s Airport Considers Kicking Out the TSA

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2018

Feb 08 2018

Efficiency arguments aside we need this for accountability. It’s important to separate safety regulation from screening. The TSA shouldn’t be supervising itself. They should be focused on setting standards and monitoring compliance, and shouldn’t be certifying and monitoring themselves. TSA as its own regulator creates conflict and it creates poor performance.

Starwood is Reducing Their Booking Window, Changes Award Prices at 17% of Hotels

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2018

Feb 08 2018

Starwood is reducing the booking window — how far out you can make reservations — on February 11.
You’ll only be able to make reservations 350 days in advance instead of 550 (not all hotels loaded inventory 550 days out previously).

In addition Starwood has announced award category changes for 2018 which will go into effect March 6th.

Airlines Tell DOT They Want Consumer Protections Eliminated – There’s Little Reason for Alarm

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2018

Feb 08 2018

The Department of Transportation asked what rules should be repealed and airlines responded with their Christmas lists. Most of what they ask for won’t happen, and some of it is actually worth considering.

Downgraded Upgrades and Etihad Selling Off Planes

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2018

Feb 08 2018

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.

Seattle Flight Turns Around Because of Naked Passenger

by Gary Leff on February 7, 2018

Feb 07 2018

Alaska Airlines flight AS146 from Anchorage to Seattle took off early this morning but turned around and returned to Anchorage because of a naked passenger.

The plane departed at 1:29 a.m. and returned to Anchorage at 3:47 a.m. The airline explained the delay as “due to a passenger not following flight attendants’ instructions.”

1750 Rapid Rewards Points Worth $24.50 for $35 Flower Order

by Gary Leff on February 7, 2018

Feb 07 2018

A couple of days ago I wrote about the great mileage offers on flowers that abound around Valentine’s Day. There are 30 miles per dollar offers with United, Delta, American, and Hawaiian.

I noted at the time that you could get a flat 1000 Rapid Rewards points for spending $29.99 or more (plus shipping) at 1-800-Flowers. And that’s pretty good for Southwest. However there’s a new even better offer out of 1750 Rapid Rewards points.

Southwest Redeems a Ton of Awards But Credit Card Revenue Growth Has Slowed

by Gary Leff on February 7, 2018

Feb 07 2018

outhwest Airlines filed its 2017 SEC 10-K and shared some details of its frequent flyer program that may not already be common knowledge.

For instance whereas in 2016 American Airlines filled 6.3% of its seats on awards, Southwest fills twice as many of its seats with customers redeeming their points — and that’s increasing, too.

Air Traffic Control Fawns Over Monday’s American Flight Carrying the Superbowl Champion Eagles

by Gary Leff on February 7, 2018

Feb 07 2018

After the Superbowl, the world champion Philadelphia Eagles were flown home on an American Airlines-charted Airbus A330-200.

Naturally they left late, though I’m surprised they were just 47 minutes behind. D0 just doesn’t apply to the Superbowl champions.

Marriott Increasing Points Prices of Over 1000 Hotels Should Strike Fear in the Hearts of SPG Members

Did Southwest Steal $25,000 in Donations From a Mechanic They Fired?

Orlando’s Airport Considers Kicking Out the TSA

Starwood is Reducing Their Booking Window, Changes Award Prices at 17% of Hotels

Airlines Tell DOT They Want Consumer Protections Eliminated – There’s Little Reason for Alarm

Downgraded Upgrades and Etihad Selling Off Planes

Seattle Flight Turns Around Because of Naked Passenger

1750 Rapid Rewards Points Worth $24.50 for $35 Flower Order

Southwest Redeems a Ton of Awards But Credit Card Revenue Growth Has Slowed

Air Traffic Control Fawns Over Monday’s American Flight Carrying the Superbowl Champion Eagles

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About Gary Leff

	Bilt Mastercard® Earn Points Paying Rent (up to 100,000 each year) plus earn 3x at restaurants; 2x on travel; as long as you make at least 5 purchases per month. No annual fee.
	Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months (See rates and fees)
	Citi® / AAdvantage Business^TM World Elite Mastercard® Earn 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening. AAdvantage miles are the currency I've redeemed most.[See rates and fees]