News and notes from around the interweb: 11 Cool Things from the Comsumer Electronics Show That Will Make Travel Better Cyprus Airways shuts down. I flew them in 2007 as part of the Alitalia $33+tax business class mistake fare, and much enjoyed them (and my time at the Le Meridien Limassol). United is putting out new special-edition destination-specific amenity kits Anthony Bourdain hits the airport In ‘n Out Burger at LAX every time he goes through Los Angeles. Just like the rest of us. Passengers flying out of Seattle today on Alaska Airlines get a free cocktail. Register to earn double base points on JetBlue for flights booked and flown by March 8. The points do count towards status. (HT: Free Frequent Flyer Miles) You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and…
The Government Will Now Require Airlines to Permit Instruments As Carry Ons
The Department of Transportation is focusing on the truly important issues of the day. On Monday they published a final rule that will require airlines to permit small instruments as carry on items. The rule will also require airlines to allow customers to purchase seats for larger instruments. The American Federation of Musicians is pleased. “For many years, [American Federation of Musicians] members have been subject to very arbitrary and contradictory size and weight requirements imposed by each airline for musical instruments that are carried on board the airplane or checked as baggage,” AFM President Ray Hair wrote in a letter to the organization’s members. “Airlines will now follow a consistent policy for all musicians traveling with instruments.” Note that this new rule will do nothing to: Prevent United from breaking guitars that are indeed…
10 Great Ways to Save Money on Rental Cars
Airlines and hotels get most of the ink in travel and in terms of getting the best deal. And when I write about rental cars that seems to generate the last interest. But I rent cars, on many trips I’m in the car longer than the plane and if the trip is long enough I can spend as much on airport taxes and gas as on my ticket. Cars shouldn’t just be an afterthought. Here’s how you can save money renting cars:
Review: Qantas First Class Lounge, Sydney
Must-read Earlier Installments: Singapore, Cathay, and Qantas First Class.. Some of the Best Meals of My Life, and a Tour of Hyatts in Bangkok, Singapore, and Sydney Inside the New Oneworld Lounge at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal Cathay Pacific First Class, Los Angeles – Hong Kong Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Bangkok Grand Hyatt Bangkok: Suite, Club Lounge, and Facilities Thai Molecular Gastronomy at Sra Bua in Bangkok Getting Custom Tailored Suits Made in Bangkok at Empire Tailors Nahm at the Metropolitan: the Best Thai Food in Thailand? Thailand’s Iron Chef Cooks Ancient Recipes in a Deserted Top Notch Restaurant Eating The Best Local Thai Dishes in the Bangrak Neighborhood of Bangkok Louis Tavern CIP Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Bangkok-Singapore Grand…
Why Airline Frequent Flyer Programs Have Gotten Less Generous (It’s Not the Reason You Think!)
One of the most widely held views of my readers is that frequent flyer programs have become less generous because of airline mergers — there’s less competition. It’s an interesting view, although I’m not sure that it’s a correct one. We very much still have competition from: Delta/American/United/Southwest (4 huge domestic players) Alaska/Virgin America/JetBlue/Frontier/Spirit/etc (real domestic competitive role players) Most customers at most airports have real choice in whom to fly. There are hub captives, for sure (which is to say, one airline offering the most service and the most non-stop options so consumers spending other peoples’ money make purchase decisions based on convenience) and there’s not much serious competition for hubs — outside of New York (Delta and United, and to a lesser extent American and JetBlue), Chicago (American and United), Los Angeles (Delta,…
Accor Hotels Secret Loyalty Manual Uploaded Publicly to Google Play. Here’s What it Says..
When loyalty program manuals that are given to hotels leak, they make for interesting readings — about the economics of the program, what hotels are expected to deliver, and how programs ensure (such as through fines) that hotels comply. I’ve written about several of these in the past: Secrets that Holiday Inn Express Tells Hotel Owners Secret Rules of the Club Carlson Hotel Program Best Western’s Hotel Manual Revealed The Le Club Accorhotels Manual turns out to be available free on GooglePlay Books.
Buying Gift Cards With Gift Cards, Earning Miles Paying Rent (for Free!), and Bill Boeing Dies
News and notes from around the interweb: On New Years Eve (so you may have missed it!) I wrote about a new way to earn miles for paying rent. The service has just eliminated fees! This won’t last: earning rebates buying eBay gift cards with eBay gift cards Bill Boeing, Jr. has passed away. He never worked at Boeing. His father, of course, left the company after the government broke it up (it was not only an aircraft manufacturer but also the parent of United Airlines and United Technologies). India’s second-largest budget airline, SpiceJet, is working on a bailout. Oman Air has initiated a cost-cutting program aimed at stemming losses. JetBlue has announced Portland-Anchorage service. Not a route I would have predicted, but they’ve done Long Beach – Anchorage and Seattle – Anchorage (another one…
Did British Airways Wednesday New York – London Departure Go Supersonic!?
The Daily Mail reports on BA114. The British Airways 777 hit 745 miles per hour — BA’s call sign isn’t “speedbird” for nothing! What’s more, the flight was reported to have flown at speeds of 745mph relative to ground speed. The speed of sound at sea level is 761mph. Several flights are reported to have made the journey from New York to London yesterday in around five hours 20 minutes due to the 200mph North Atlantic jet stream. I’m not an expert on such things, but I believe that sound travels slower in air than at sea level. I’ve googled references to the speed of sound ‘on earth’ being 750 miles per hour. The Daily Mail claims that this Boeing 777 at 745 miles per hour exceeded the speed of sound. Perhaps knowledgeable readers can…
Review: Quay, Sydney’s Famed Restaurant Overlooking the Opera House
Must-read Earlier Installments: Singapore, Cathay, and Qantas First Class.. Some of the Best Meals of My Life, and a Tour of Hyatts in Bangkok, Singapore, and Sydney Inside the New Oneworld Lounge at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal Cathay Pacific First Class, Los Angeles – Hong Kong Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Bangkok Grand Hyatt Bangkok: Suite, Club Lounge, and Facilities Thai Molecular Gastronomy at Sra Bua in Bangkok Getting Custom Tailored Suits Made in Bangkok at Empire Tailors Nahm at the Metropolitan: the Best Thai Food in Thailand? Thailand’s Iron Chef Cooks Ancient Recipes in a Deserted Top Notch Restaurant Eating The Best Local Thai Dishes in the Bangrak Neighborhood of Bangkok Louis Tavern CIP Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Bangkok-Singapore Grand…
Don’t Mess Up The New Hyatt Promo By Making This One Simple Mistake
Hyatt revealed their new promotion for the first quarter. And while the offers are targeted and vary by member, on the whole they seem more lucrative than what Starwood and Marriott are offering. Nothing world-changing, but definitely worth registering for. Here’s the thing. You go to the promotion page. You’re required to enter your Gold Passport number, in order to be presented with the promotion. But you aren’t registered for it! Normally when you input your account number and click enter, you’re good to go. But Hyatt has inexplicably programmed an extra step. You enter your account number, click enter, and then have to enter your account number again (although it should be pre-filled in for you) and hit enter to register! I’d bet that Hyatt loses a lot of people at this last step,…
