In an earlier career incarnation, I was a fundraiser. In fact, I wrote new donor acquisition letters (“direct mail prospecting”) under the signatures of two Majority Leaders of Congress and a future Vice Presidential candidate. About 15 years ago I attended a talk on direct mail fundraising, and remember the story of one of the most legendary and successful pieces of fundraising mail on either side of the aisle. It was written under the signature of then-North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, and effectively just said something along the lines of: I’m locked in an important battle with liberals and don’t have time to write more. I need your help right away, I’d appreciate if you could send a gift and will update you with news soon. That was it. One thing learned in direct mail…
US Airways Will Raise the Price and Limit Your Ability to Buy Elite Status Starting March 1
Some pretty big news this afternoon. US Airways lets you straight-up buy elite quaifying miles or segments. With the Dividend Miles program there’s frequently no need to ‘mileage run’ or take extra flights just for the miles in order to reach status, it’s usually cheaper just to have them charge your credit card. In fact, you can go from 1 mile flown to top tier Chairmans Preferred (100,000 mile flyer) for a flat $2999. Compare that to Delta where they want you to fly 125,000 miles with minimum ticket revenue of $12,500. US Airways has a history of unconventional means of qualifying for elite status. At the end of 2006 they offered an ‘everything counts’ promo where even miles from sending flowers and renting cars counted towards elite status. That way they wouldn’t have mileage…
Points Make You More Attractive. Irresistible, Even.
Points make you really attractive to any potential romantic love interest. This hobby will clearly spice up your dating life. Everyone around you will swoon. It’s the perfect ice breaker at parties, and will make you the most interesting person in the room. Every time. Just watch the whole thing to the end: You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t miss out!
You May Have Already Won… The Results of My Gift Card Giveaway
On Monday I posted a giveaway of (2) $100 gift cards. I ran it for 24 hours, and had over 1000 entries — answering either what they would do with the prize, their best travel tip, or the most valuable thing they’ve gleaned from this blog. I drew the winners with the help of Random.org and have now contacted the two winners. The first winner is Sam: I would use the $100 gift card to have a steak dinner with my nephew who is a marine stationed in San Diego next week when I am visiting him. He just got back from Afghanistan. Before he went to Afghanistan, we had a great steak dinner (he had a 24 oz bone in rib eye) and I promised him that we would do this again when he…
Club Carlson Reduces Points-Earning, Increases Prices on Reward Nights, and Starts Counting Free Nights Towards Elite Status
2013 was the year of hotel devaluations, requiring more points to redeem reward nights. Hotels are generally full, and prices up, so hotel loyalty programs haven’t needed to be as generous. Devaluations took various forms — new award categories, wholesale point increases, shifting categories, and structural changes. And they were doing in varying degrees, at the extreme end was Hilton’s absolute bloodletting. Some gave notice, others did not. Meanwhile Club Carlson, the loyalty program for Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn, and Country Inns & Suites, didn’t make a move. Until now (HT: Hans) There are some positive changes, but the biggest change from my perspective is increased award prices for many hotels and a new top tier redemption category. Here’s the summary they sent by email: More Redemption Options Club Carlson is introducing premium room…
25% Off JetBlue Award Flights
Book by tomorrow and you can get 25% off JetBlue award tickets. You have to travel between March 4 and April 9, 2014.. but not on a Friday or Sunday. They won’t discount below 5000 points, so super cheap flights won’t benefit. If you were going to redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points in the near-term for qualifying flights, you’ll benefit by frontloading (as long as your plans are firm) and doing so over the next day. (HT: Everyone, but I think Wandering Aramean was first.) You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t miss out!
Capital One Changes its Terms: Now Has the Right to Show Up At Your Home or Office
Chip points me to this item in the Los Angeles Times. Credit card issuer Capital One isn’t shy about getting into customers’ faces. The company recently sent a contract update to cardholders that makes clear it can drop by any time it pleases. The update specifies that “we may contact you in any manner we choose” and that such contacts can include calls, emails, texts, faxes or a “personal visit.” As if that weren’t creepy enough, Cap One says these visits can be “at your home and at your place of employment.” The police need a court order to pull off something like that. But Cap One says it has the right to get up close and personal anytime, anywhere I’m certain that Capital One itself doesn’t intend to visit your home or office, I…
First-Hand Account of the Ethiopian Flight Hijacked by Co-Pilot to Switzerland
It’s hard to even imagine the experience. The plane was hijacked one hour after take-off. This is how it went down. After entering the plane, I went to my seat: economy class, window-side and next to the right wing. As it was around midnight, I quickly fell asleep during take-off. I was waken up an hour later due to the sound of all the oxygen mask going down. I immediatly thought « what the… » I looked at my neighbor, she seemed as confused at me: the plane was not behaving oddly so I thought it was a simple technical glitch or somebody pressed the wrong button. Everybody looked at each other, thinking what’s going on. Suddenly, a deep and angry voice talked through the cabin radio: “SIT DOWN, PUT YOUR MASKS ON, I’M CUTTING…
Self-Checking Baggage Plays an Important Role in Debates Over Future Technology and Economic Growth
Tyler Cowen flags a National Bureau of Economic Research paper that’s skeptical of the ability of automation to replace human labor; limitations on technological advances thus limiting future growth. This lack of multitasking ability is dismissed by the robot enthusiasts – just wait, it is coming. Soon our robots will not only be able to win at Jeopardy but also will be able to check in your bags at the sky cap station at the airport, thus displacing the skycaps. But the physical tasks that humans can do are unlikely to be replaced in the next several decades by robots. Surely multiple-function robots will be developed, but it will be a long and gradual process before robots outside of the manufacturing and wholesaling sectors become a significant factor in replacing human jobs in the service…
The Secret to the Perfect Trip Report, Revealed!
I’m working on a report of my recent trip to Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Macau — some great first class flights, a couple of airlines I haven’t flown before, some new hotels and some amazong food recommendations (plus the local attractions I hadn’t visited before). Trying to figure out the best way to share this information with you, I decided to ask for reader advice. I’ve found that my trip reports bring out varied reactions, some people love them, others don’t find them useful, and I wanted to know how to deliver the best content that would serve you – my readers – best. And combing through the comments, it’s clear that I now have the secret to writing the perfect trip report. I should stick to the flights and hotels, and ignore the…
