airberlin Devaluing Miles September 1, Since Everything Else About Them is Falling Apart Anyway

Jun 02 2017

oneworld member airberlin’s topbonus frequent flyer program is not primarily a loyalty program. It’s a financing mechanism and backdoor way to control the airline itself.

In 2012 the topbonus program was spun off as a separate entity with 70% sold to Etihad for about a quarter of a billion dollars. Etihad overpaid. On purpose.

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Starwood App Gets Mobile Check-in, New Features, and Systemwide Rollout By End of 2017

Jun 01 2017

Starwood’s app now features mobile check-in at 22 properties which do not offer ‘keyless’ functionality, and they plan to expand this systemwide by the end of the year, and they have additional features planned for 2018.

While bringing this feature to Starwood properties is part of the integration work between Marriott and Starwood, continued development of the Starwood app including plans for new features next year, underscores the long timeline required to bring Starwood and Marriott together as a single brand and into a single loyalty program.

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