CONFIRMED: American’s First Boeing 757 International Lie Flat Business Seat Being Installed Now

by Gary Leff

Aug 19 2016

All of American’s transatlantic business class flying is supposed to be done with fully lie flat seats. That’s part of their joint venture with British Airways, Iberia, and Finnair. And it’s the message they’ve been sending to their customers.

That was supposed to happen a long time ago. But it’s been significantly delayed and still isn’t being projected for Boeing 777s until the end of next year.

American also flies some Boeing 757s across the Atlantic and it was reported nearly two years ago that these would get lie flat seats, too.

Continue Reading »

IHG’s Gamified Hotel Promotion: Accelerate is Back

by Gary Leff

Aug 19 2016

IHG Rewards Club has moved to ‘gamified’ promotions with different pieces meant to incentivize behavior among members — with the specifics driven by data about your activity so far, like whether you’re a co-brand credit card holder or an elite.

You’ll have an opportunity to earn a minimum of 30,000 points between September 6 and December 15, but there are reports of much bigger bonuses.

Continue Reading »

Buy Hilton Points for as Little as Half a Cent Each

by Gary Leff

Aug 19 2016

Through September 16 Hilton HHonors is running a sale on Hilton points. You have to log in to see the offer, so it’s possible some people don’t get the full 50% off, but I haven’t heard from folks yet that are offered something else.

Hilton usually charges a penny apiece for points, so with this bonus is selling points for half a cent each. That’s tied for the cheapest I’ve ever seen (in June 2015 they offered a 100% bonus on purchased points).

Continue Reading »

American Has Improved Its Award Rules: Allows More Transpacific Routings to Indian Subcontinent

by Gary Leff

Aug 19 2016

Last fall I spoke with then-AAdvantage President Suzanne Rubin and suggested that with their higher award pricing (since March 22), they could loosen their routing rules somewhat. She indicated they were looking at that.

And it appears they’ve started to because back in April they started to allow flying Cathay Pacific or American Airlines to Hong Kong, and travel beyond to India and the surrounding region on Cathay Pacific, as a single award — instead of requiring you to fly via the Atlantic.

Now they’ve loosened this further.

Continue Reading »

ONE WEEK ONLY: 18% Discount on Delta Awards to Europe

by Gary Leff

Aug 18 2016

Delta is running a sale on awards to Europe in either coach or business class booked by August 25 for travel between September 23 and April 6. Europe travel is weak, and we’ve seen plenty of sales on paid tickets. In Delta’s pseudo revenue-based program that means spending fewer miles for those tickets, too.

Specific routes are on sale with a 7 night minimum stay and roundtrip booking required.

Continue Reading »

North Korea’s Air Koryo So Bad China’s Safety Regulator Clamping Down on Flights

by Gary Leff

Aug 18 2016

Air Koryo’s international operations mostly involve flights to China, but China is planning to place limits on those flights in light of an incident last month where an Air Koryo Tupolov TU204-300 from Pyongyang to Beijing made an emergency landing due to smoke in the cabin.

According to China’s civil aviation regulator, the “smoke had come from a call button located under the luggage rack on the right hand side of the cabin between rows 20 and 27.”

Continue Reading »

American Changes Checked Baggage Policy Again — For the Worse

by Gary Leff

Aug 18 2016

On June 1 the oneworld alliance (which includes airlines like American, British Airways, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and more) changed its policies so that member airlines no longer had to check bags to their final destination for passengers traveling on more than one reservation on a oneworld airline.

Member airlines also wouldn’t be required to check customers in to their final destination on the second reservation, either. Airlines still can do this and I asked American Airlines about any changes to their policy.

Continue Reading »