How Hyatt Status Matches Work Now

by Gary Leff

Jan 14 2016

Hyatt elite status matches and challenges were originally meant to be tools for Hyatt’s sales team to use in bringing business over. As they became public in social media Gold Passport publicly acknowledged and welcomed members into them.

A little over a year ago, Hyatt eliminated their fast track elite status methods. Then they brought them back as tools for Sales only. That’s because only a small percentage of people went on to maintain the status they were granted through these offers.

In June Hyatt began offering fast track to Diamond status again but without granting Diamond status during the challenge period.

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Major US Airports That are Growing, Those that Aren’t, and Why

by Gary Leff

Jan 13 2016

Here are the stats on the major US airports that are growing the most — and those that aren’t growing at all.

Growth at Dallas Love Field and Seattle should both come as no surprise. The end of the Wright Amendment in Dallas means airlines can fly to many more destinations. Indeed, airlines have greater demand to fly from the airport than the legal limit on gates there can support. And Seattle is seeing a massive buildup in flights by Delta, growth that is fueling even more flights from Alaska Airlines. My home airport of Austin is building more gates…

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Delta Business Class Award Availability Wide Open: Take the Whole Family to Europe this Summer

by Gary Leff

Jan 13 2016

Delta has had a well deserved reputation for offering members very little award availability, at least at any reasonable price (the ‘saver’ level). It’s hardly a new phenomenon.

Occasionally though award space at the low saver level on Delta’s flights open wide up. Right now you can use SkyMiles to take the family in business class to Europe for summer travel. You’ll find wide open availability most days for several seats on an assortment of routes this summer.

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Pay Your Rent for Less than a 2% Fee and Earn Credit Card Rewards

by Gary Leff

Jan 12 2016

I first covered Radpad over a year ago. The site allows you to pay your rent with a credit or debit card (for a fee).

At the time the fee to use a credit card was 2.99%. Generally not worth it, although in a pinch it could make sense if you needed some quick credit card spend.

Now they’ve reduced the fee for using a MasterCard to 1.9%… and that can be useful for earning rewards.

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Homeland Security Trains Hotel Workers to See Something, Say Something About Your In-Room Habits

by Gary Leff

Jan 12 2016

In the name of stopping sex trafficking, the Department of Homeland Security is “providing law enforcement with cover to convince citizens to spy on each other and report one another to police for perfectly normal activity.”

Here are some of the things that hotel workers may be on the lookout for. Check your own hotel habits.

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Airlines are Even More Profitable Than You Think. And the US Airlines are Taking in the Bulk of World Profit.

by Gary Leff

Jan 12 2016

The results of airline profitability over the most recent 12 months reported are interesting. American and Delta have brought in over $40 billion each in the last year. And by revenue Lufthansa Group (which includes several airlines) is actually bigger than United.

What’s amazing is that airline profits are located primarily in North America, and yet the US airlines claim to be underdogs. The low cost carriers are surging in both the US and Europe. That’s where the threat to the majors lies (not from the Gulf).

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