Sheraton Still Awful After All These Years, Hilton And Marriott Strategic Moves Revealed In Government Filings

Feb 15 2024

Both chains report that 78% of their revenue comes from the U.S. Their international footprints are smaller than you’d think!

Marriott has more than twice as much booked liability for hotel award night redemptions as Hilton. But that does not mean “Marriott’s loyalty program generated a far higher total volume of rewards for members than Hilton’s did” since Hilton pays hotels less when members redeem than Marriott does.

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Gate Checking Madness: Why Bigger Overhead Bins Aren’t Solving the Airline Carry-On Crisis

inside plane
Feb 15 2024

You’re allowed to carry bags onto the plane – but only if there’s enough space on board. That’s the main reason it’s better to board planes early, rather than being last onto the plane. Priority boarding is a benefit to ensure you get access to carry on bin space – even though no one wants to spend more time on board the aircraft than they have to.

Overhead bins are stuffed full, and passengers are forced to gate check their carry on bags, even though airlines are installing bigger overhead bins – bins that are supposed to have enough space for everyone. And it didn’t used to be this way!

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Delta Flight Turns Back When Coach Passengers Were Showered With Maggots From The Overhead Bin

Feb 14 2024

Tuesday’s Delta flight 133 from Amsterdam to Detroit was forced to turn around an hour into the trip when maggots fell from an overhead bin onto passengers seated in economy.

Apparently a suitcase in the overhead bin contained rotten fish. It opened, and maggots spilled out. The fish was only wrapped in a plastic bag from a grocery store in the customer’s rollaboard. It wasn’t even packed in ice.

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Wide Open Award Space To Book Free Tickets On New Flight With World’s Best Business Class

first class beds
Feb 14 2024

Qatar has one of the best business class product in the world in its ‘QSuites’ that offer doors and movable partitions that allow two and even four passengers to travel together in their own space. Their QSuite is a fantastic hard product, and service and food in the air are outstanding.

Right now there’s amazing award availability for the new second flight they’ve added from Miami. You’ll generally find two business class awards Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays on flights QR781 and QR782 from September through December.

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Hawaii Service Used to Be So Glamorous United Airlines Offered Its Own Onboard Residence

man pointing to room in model united plane
Feb 14 2024

Hawaii service used to be something special. That isn’t really true anymore. It was an exciting development when Southwest Airlines added the state to its route map, especially for holders of the Companion Pass (designated companion flies for just the taxes whether you’re paying for your ticket with points or cash). But the product is standard Southwest — no meals or seat power — and the journey relatively long.

But did you know that Untied Airlines used to offer its own version of the modern Etihad Residence — a private stateroom on their Hawaii flights 70 years ago?

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