Alaska’s Mileage Plan Members Losing Delta, But Gaining Much More

by Gary Leff

Losing the ability to redeem miles on Delta flights is a small hit. Delta’s transatlantic award availability can be pretty decent especially during low season and on really lightly booked flights.

The real hit is no longer being able to credit Delta flights — especially cheap Delta domestic first class flights — to a Mileage Plan account. It was possible to fly a decent reliable domestic airline in Delta while still earning valuable miles instead of earning SkyMiles.

There’s a big upside to all of this, though.

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Airline Sacrifices a Goat Before Bringing Turboprops Back Into Service

by Gary Leff

Dec 19 2016

Two weeks ago Pakistan International Airlines suffered a crash of an ATR 42 turboprop. After the incident they grounded their ATR fleet, and subbed in C-130 military cargo planes flying passengers on benches because those planes are able to operate at some of the country’s more challenging airports.

Before bringing the ATRs back into service, PIA employees sacrificed a goat next to a plane at the Islamabad International Airport.

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Etihad Announces Layoffs

by Gary Leff

airplane docked
Dec 18 2016

The US airline industry is at an all-time high for employment. US airlines are making a plurality of the world airline profits. Yet Delta, United, and American feel so threatened that they want the US government to protect them from competition by Emirates, Etihad and Qatar — raising prices on US consumers and reducing flight convenience and choice.

Meanwhile in the Gulf, Etihad is announcing layoffs.

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Starwood Ending Caesars Partnership December 31

by Gary Leff

Dec 18 2016

Three years ago — six months after Hyatt and MGM launched what practical amounts to hotel codesharing, with reciprocal earn and burn and elite status matching (that’s being somewhat diluted with the new World of Hyatt program) — Starwood and Caesars teamed up in a slightly less extensive deal.

However the Starwood-Caesars partnership is ending December 31.

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When Your Flight Cancels and the Agent Tells You Nothing’s Available, Just Say This

by Gary Leff

united
Dec 18 2016

But as time crept on and it was more and more likely things were headed south, I wanted to get away from the weather. That meant getting out of Washington DC that night, and heading South. I wanted the only seat I could get to some place warm.

I’d catch a few hours of sleep, clock in my 100th Starwood night of the year at a 3000 point airport Aloft.

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8 Simple Ways to Avoid Getting Scammed When You Travel

by Gary Leff

Dec 17 2016

I grew up in New York in the 1980s (and late 1970s), when it was a very different place than it is now. I never carried a wallet in my back pocket until the 1990s, having left the state. I didn’t even know people ever did that. The only time anyone has ever tried to pickpocket me was in an Indian temple in PJ, outside Kuala Lumpur. I’ve never had issues on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, even.

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