Back in 2008 Venezuela’s currency controls were considered an airfare arbitrage opportunity.
But it was risky even then to holding Venezuelan assets, something underscored when the country nationalized a Hilton. (Not even a first in Venezuela for that brand.) Apparently Hugo Chavez didn’t like the hotel meeting contract, so he decided to take the hotel.
The news, and the stories I cover, can seem negative — and they often are. Tales of airline employees can paint them in a bad light, but the truth is that even where interactions go badly most employees are just following the rules given to them and using the limited tools they’re allowed to work with. There are people who lose their cool as well.
To the ones who don’t, who go the extra mile, like the Southwest ramp agent who saved Christmas for a little girl in Detroit, thank you.
Two months ago I explained that inflight wedding proposals have become completely de rigueur. There’s a frequent flyer program which even lets you redeem miles for an inflight proposal kit.
Instead if you want to be at all unique you’re going to have to actually get married on the plane.
Details on Bank of American’s new premium Visa product, the Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card, are now out and confirmed. The card will launch next month.
And despite the way the bank is pitching the card, and the Wall Street Journal is covering it, this does not appear to be a competitor to the Platinum Card by American Express or Chase Sapphire Reserve. It’s not in the super premium card space.
Ancillary revenue and customer segmentation are huge buzz words in aviation. It’s how already-profitable airlines think they can make more money. Segmentation usually happens when they sell you a ticket, do you buy basic economy, regular economy, or premium economy? But they also have you captive the full length of the flight. You may be bored. And you can’t ignore the sales pitches.
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.
Singapore Airlines has a new safety video, set not on a plane but in Singapore.
A Singapore Girl visits famous spots in Singapore — Boat Quay, The Intan Peranakan Home Museum, River Safari, Haji Lane, Capitol Theatre and Gardens by the Bay — and demonstrates safety instructions along the way.
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.
The Sheraton Atlanta Airport closed July 23. It was sold to the city and will be demolished as part of an airport expansion project.
I wrote on Monday that the terminal 4 American Airlines Club at LAX will be closed for renovations for a couple of months.
They decided that leaving the club partially open during renovations wasn’t working out well and was slowing down the project. So they’re going to close it on September 5. They won’t close it, though, before the new terminal 5 club opens later this month.
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 »
