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American Express Plenti Launches, Lets You Earn Rebates at Many of the Places You Shop Anyway

by Gary Leff on May 4, 2015

May 04 2015

The new American Express free to join coalition loyalty program Plenti has officially launched and is taking signups. I broke details on it back in mid-March. I’m looking forward to earning points (worth a penny apiece) for activities across retailers I undertake already — like earning off of my monthly AT&T bill and for buying gas. Initial direct earning partners: Examples AT&T: 1 point for dollar on monthly wireless bill (requires paperless billing) and 1 point per dollar on devices, accessories, and other products at AT&T-owned store locations. Exxon: 1 point per gallon of gas and 2 points per dollar on non-fuel purchases. Mobil: 1 point per gallon of gas and 2 points per dollar on non-fuel purchases. Rite Aid: There will be rotating product offers. Enterprise, Alamo and National: 1 point per dollar on…

Another Club Carlson Devaluation Coming June 1

by Gary Leff on May 4, 2015

May 04 2015

Last year Club Carlson reduced elite bonuses, moved many hotels up in reward category, and introduced a new more expensive top redemption tier. A month ago Club Carlson announced the elimination of the last night free benefit on award stays for members with their co-brand credit card. Now — effective June 1 — Club Carlson is changing categories for hundreds of hotels. Via Well Traveled Mile, 212 hotels get more expensive and 117 get less expensive. The increases are centered in Europe (where 128 – more than half the total – go up and only 27 go down). Asia Pacific gets less expensive (9 go up and 40 go down). None of this should really be surprising. The Club Carlson program was ‘overindexed’ (to use Jeff Diskin’s the awkward phrasing). You can generally expect offerings…

You Can Now Earn American Miles on All Etihad Flights

by Gary Leff on May 3, 2015

May 03 2015

No more route or codeshare restrictions, you can now earn American miles for all Etihad flights on paid eligible fares. That’s good news for the American-Etihad relationship, and the likelihood of maintaining that relationship.

The Nobel Peace Prize for Frequent Flyer Programs Goes To..

by Gary Leff on May 3, 2015

The El Al and Saudia frequent flyer programs were co-winners of an award at the Freddies in Atlanta last week. Here’s the story that led to that, and the staging of the presentation.

Starwood’s CEO Has a Unique View on Loyalty

by Gary Leff on May 3, 2015

May 03 2015

Adam Aron no longer has ‘interim’ in his Chief Executive Officer title at Starwood. He launched Pan Am’s first frequent flyer program. As Hyatt’s Chief Marketing Officer he launched Gold Passport. I had the pleasure of interviewing him on stage at the Travel Executive Summit on Thursday in Atlanta. Aron was Senior Vice President of Marketing at United and I got to tell the story about his economy meals partnership with McDonalds (the associated happy meal toys available on United’s Orlando flights are still available for sale on eBay). United replaced the galley carts to keep the burger warm while the lettuce and bun stayed cool. He was CEO of Norwegian Cruise Lines, of a chain of ski resorts, and later went into private equity. He became part owner and CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers.…

A Credit Card Executive Denied His Signup Bonus and Barclaycard Partnering with American Express

by Gary Leff on May 3, 2015

May 03 2015

A credit card executive from one bank tells about being denied the signup bonus for a card from another issuer. Barclaycard and American Express partner in an unexpected way. And what will we see when the United-Chase deal comes up for renewal?

Did American Quietly Improve Million Miler Benefits?

by Gary Leff on May 3, 2015

Reports are that American AAdvantage million milers now receive a higher upgrade priority…

Delta Adds More Blackout Dates to its Terms and Conditions

by Gary Leff on May 3, 2015

Partner award travel on Korean Air using Delta miles has blackout dates, and those are now more transparent – published in the SkyMiles terms and conditions. Here’s what that means.

United’s Throwaway Ticketing Lawsuit Thrown Out of Court — So They’re Threatening Customers Instead

by Gary Leff on May 2, 2015

May 02 2015

United’s lawsuit against Skiplagged, the site that helps consumers save money on airfare through ‘throwaway ticketing’, has been dismissed on jurisdictional grounds. But United is warning their customers that they’ll shut down mileage accounts if you try it.

New Boeing 787 Software Glitch, Woman Arrested for Inflight Theft, and More

by Gary Leff on May 2, 2015

May 02 2015

A collection of interesting links you’ll want to see, many you’ll want to click.

American Express Plenti Launches, Lets You Earn Rebates at Many of the Places You Shop Anyway

Another Club Carlson Devaluation Coming June 1

You Can Now Earn American Miles on All Etihad Flights

The Nobel Peace Prize for Frequent Flyer Programs Goes To..

Starwood’s CEO Has a Unique View on Loyalty

A Credit Card Executive Denied His Signup Bonus and Barclaycard Partnering with American Express

Did American Quietly Improve Million Miler Benefits?

Delta Adds More Blackout Dates to its Terms and Conditions

United’s Throwaway Ticketing Lawsuit Thrown Out of Court — So They’re Threatening Customers Instead

New Boeing 787 Software Glitch, Woman Arrested for Inflight Theft, and More

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About Gary Leff

	Bilt Mastercard® Earn Points Paying Rent (up to 100,000 each year) plus earn 3x at restaurants; 2x on travel; as long as you make at least 5 purchases per month. No annual fee.
	Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months (See rates and fees)
	Citi® / AAdvantage Business^TM World Elite Mastercard® Earn 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening. AAdvantage miles are the currency I've redeemed most.[See rates and fees]