Review: British Airways First Class, Austin – London, Super Cheap Business Fare and a Mileage Upgrade

by Gary Leff

Mar 06 2016

This is a short trip report, British Airways first class enroute Paris and back in business class — a great opportunity to compare two very controversial products. Some say BA’s first class is really just a good business class. While not the over-the-top experiences offered by some Asian or Middle Eastern airlines, I found it to be solid. Business class, on the other hand, was… certainly better than coach.

Along with that another return to the Park Hyatt Vendome, which in many ways is an overrated hotel but that I also believe is one of the best award values going for a very nice hotel in a part of the city I much enjoy. Coupled with the benefits of a Hyatt Diamond, it’s still hard to beat in my opinion.

Upcoming installments will cover the Park Hyatt, Paris, and the return journey. This post covers planning and executing the flights and travel from Austin to London.

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Since You’re Not Supposed to Use Your Miles for Free Tickets Anymore, Here’s What to Do Instead

by Gary Leff

Mar 06 2016

Delta’s incoming President doesn’t want you to redeem your miles for free tickets. Instead he wants you to use your miles at a penny apiece for Stella Artois beer in the airline’s SkyClubs. That’s a bad idea.

Don’t use your points for a new LCD toaster. Do consider using your points (when it won’t break the bank) for an up close performance, with just a few other folks, by a world-renowned artist if that’s the kind of thing that interests you. Or go to the Oscars, because without the contacts your bank has when in the world would you ever get to otherwise?

Both Starwood and Hilton have some great new opportunities.

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1000 Free and Easy United Miles Plus Up to 2500 More Easy Miles

by Gary Leff

Mar 05 2016

Dining for miles is one of the easy and free ways you can rack up points. Register, use your credit card when you dine out, and if it happens to be at a participating restaurant you’ll earn miles automatically.

Through April 10 you can get 1000 miles just for registering to earn United miles for your dines. The best I’ve seen offered before a couple of times is 500 for joining. And if you haven’t taken advantage of it yet you should — there’s no reason not to. Plus tthere’s 500 additional miles for each of your first 5 dines of $25 or more (including tax and tip).

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How Real Airline Hospitality Can Make Flying a Regional Jet Feel Special

by Gary Leff

Mar 05 2016

Yesterday I flew United Express from Austin to Denver. It was a Canadair CRJ-700 operated by GoJet. Katarina was working the first class cabin. She’s been flying for only a month, and has probably worked about 50 flights. She’s still finding her confidence making inflight announcements. But she hustled, and she showed real care for her passengers.

And that made me think of Jenna. United CEO Oscar Munoz, a month in to the job and before taking medical leave, was traveling the United system on something of a mystery tour. And he was telling the story of a flight attendant he had come across.

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Boeing 787 Nose Gear Collapses, Flight Attendant Injured Yesterday

by Gary Leff

Mar 05 2016

Last year a Singapore Airlines Airbus A330 retracted while the aircraft was undergoing a check. Now, a plane can land without a nose gear if it really has to.

But a plane certainly isn’t going to be able to taxi out and take off without a working nose gear. Via Aviation Herald, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 flight ET-702 had finished boarding and was preparing for departure when “the aircraft settled on its nose after the nose gear collapsed.”

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Delta’s New President Says He Doesn’t Want People to Use Miles to Fly Free Anymore

by Gary Leff

Mar 04 2016

Incoming Delta President Glen Hauenstein, the key architect of the airline’s revenue-based this-and-that over the past decade (hint: Jeff Robertson was always a great cheerleader for the efforts, but not their driver), has declared the end of awards.

He told Bloomberg‘s Justin Bachman, “We want people to be able to use those miles not to fly for free but to control your experience,” says Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s incoming president and architect of the airline’s revenue plans.”

Instead of free flights he wants SkyMiles used at a penny apiece towards more spending on Delta products. And that’s the value many internally wanted to place on miles in a revenue-based redemption program.

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