Jun
25
2015
US Airways tweeted plane porn and called it an accident. Virgin America’s tweet was on purpose, and over there they just call it marketing.
Virgin America Just Broke the Internet With the Most Shocking Tweet Ever.
A Nose Under the Tent that Could Help Bring Competition to the US Airline Market
Jun
25
2015
European discount carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle has both lower costs than their US and European counterparts and lower fares. They fly to the US, and are awaiting approval for their even lower-cost Irish subsidiary to do so. US airlines (and labor groups) want to stop Norwegian also because of the airline’s lower costs.
Today’s big airline news is that Norwegian has announced that they will separately take advantage of Europe-US Open Skies agreements by flying from French Caribbean islands to the US using new Boeing 737s.
American Airlines Actually Sells International First Class Seats to Hong Kong
Jun
25
2015
Remarks by American Airlines’ Doug Parker and Andrew Nocella in Hong Kong celebrating the first anniversary of service there shed some light on the carrier’s current direction.
Making a big deal of a Hong Kong service anniversary — such that they sent the CEO and the Chief Marketing Officer — signal strongly that American values the Hong Kong route, and their Asia Pacific expansion.
They share thoughts on international first class, Tokyo Haneda, and the dispute with the Mideast carriers.
Is it Possible to Have Lounge Access on Arrival, or Only Departure?
Jun
24
2015
Are lounges for departure only or can you get in after a flight, too? Here’s when you can and why you’d want to as I answer a reader’s specific question of where they’ll go at London’s Heathrow airport.
Proposal to INCREASE Taxes on British Airways Awards, an 18 Month Old Sues Sabre, and American’s New Phone Agents
Jun
24
2015
A collection of the most interesting links you’ll want to see, many you’ll want to click.
No, Hyatt’s Confirmed Suite Upgrades Aren’t Capacity Controlled. Why Do You Ask?
Jun
24
2015
There’s been some confusion online about Hyatt’s suite upgrades, and especially about whether and how certain discounted rates can get into suites. There’s an incorrect notion out there, for instance, that capacity controls apply to Diamond Suite Upgrades when used in conjunction with cash and points awards.
But to correct the misunderstanding, I first need to walk through Hyatt’s suite upgrade options, how confirming upgrades work at a hotel level, and how cash and points awards work. Then it may make more sense why — as I have confirmed with Hyatt — there aren’t any capacity controls on confirmed suites with Hyatt.
Delta’s CEO the Most Cray Cray in the Industry? Claims Detroit World’s Best Airport.
Jun
24
2015
Delta CEO Richard Anderson may just be competing for the title of most cray cray in the airline industry with French Legion of Honor recipient and Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker.
A Sneaky Way Hotels Can Keep You From Booking Reward Nights: the Hyatt Regency San Francisco
Jun
24
2015
Most hotel chain loyalty programs offer rooms on points whenever a ‘standard room’ is available for sale.
The trick, though, is what a hotel defines as a standard room. Most members think of it as the ‘most common room’. Some hotels have played games with this. There might be just a couple of suboptimal rooms, that may not even be sold, but that could be called award rooms by a hotel looking to limit the number of guests staying on points.
Or they could try what it appears the Hyatt Regency San Francisco is doing…
Hilton Changing Reward Categories of Some Hotels July 8, and It’s 9-1 Increases
Jun
24
2015
After Hilton’s dramatic award chart gutting of nearly two years ago, there weren’t huge changes again this year.
Hilton decided to change the way they made changes to how they re-assign hotels to award categories. Instead of an annual change to tons of hotels (a schedule they really weren’t wedded to in the past anyway) they decided they would make rolling changes throughout the year. And instead of informing all members proactively of these changes, they would just post them on a web page in the name of ‘transparency’.
Lufthansa First Class Award Space Available!
Jun
23
2015
Lufthansa first class award space is almost never made available to partner airlines more than 14 days in advance of travel. If you want to book Lufthansa first class you either need to be using Lufthansa’s own Miles & More points (they’re a transfer partner of Starwood Preferred Guest) or waiting until close-in to departure and changing flights.
However…
