This morning I flagged that Starwood had updated its terms and conditions to reflect new options for Platinums staying 50 nights. There will be new choices that members can pick in lieu of taking Suite Night Awards (the ability to express preference/priority for upgrades 10 nights per year). In other words, the Suite Night Award benefit will become one of several choices instead of automatic. I had reached out to Chris Holdren (Starwood’s Senior Vice President for Starwood Preferred Guest & Digital) yesterday, before the update to the Suite Night Award terms and conditions. He has since shared with me some additional details (line breaks added): On the Platinum 50 night benefit, we are changing this on March 1 to provide a selection of choices for our members who stay with us 50 nights a…
A New Mysterious Credit Card for Wealthy Investors, Cash for Opening a Checking Account, and How to Help Others Improve Their Credit Score
News and notes from around the interweb: $150 bonus for opening a SunTrust checking account in-branch. Merrill Lynch has a mysterious new American Express card for wealthy clients Flights from UAE to Baghdad Suspended After FlyDubai Aircraft Hit By Gunfire Apparently this is still a thing, though I wouldn’t do it: selling your credit card authorized user slots to help others’ boost their credit scores. A prepaid debit card that doesn’t seem to work well for just generating spend, but does seem to offer free Chipotle. Earn AAdvantage miles for hotel reviews. Not worth my time at 70 miles per, but some will do this. Marriott buying Canada’s Delta Hotels. Alaska extending free streaming inflight entertainment for two more months, starting to rent Microsoft tablets February 1. You can join the 40,000+ people who see…
More Changes to Starwood’s Terms and Conditions Uncovered
In addition to revealing new choice benefits, making suite nights an ‘option’ at 50 night level, Starwood’s terms and conditions updates contained a few other changes. Rules Now Allow 24 Hour Check-in Requests Online Instead of Just By Phone Platinums who stay 75 nights in a year are eligible for ‘Your24‘ .. a 24 hour check-in clock, based on availability. If you check-in at 11pm, you wouldn’t have to check out until 11pm. (And if you check in after 9am you’re still eligible for 4pm late checkout.) Starwood’s terms now say that this benefit can be requested with your reservation online, no longer having to call Starwood for the request. Distinguishing Between ‘Base’ and ‘Bonus’ Points for Elites Earning in the SPG Pro Program The new SPG Pro program “SPG Pro Travel Professional Booking” will…
Hyatt’s New Lifestyle Brand Revealed
Yesterday I wrote that Hyatt would be launching a new ‘lifestyle brand’. All of the major chains want one, they’re all trying to build one. They’re notoriously difficult – the notion of cool changes, it needs constant updating, and major lodging corporations aren’t always well-suited to capture whatever it is that that is. And when they build these brands, they can wind up adding to brand confusion with too many choices that aren’t clearly differentiated in consumer minds or aren’t well tied to the main brand (can you name all of Marriott’s brands — such that you’d always know when to add your Marriot Rewards account number, or if you’re a Marriott loyalist know to choose each of their brands over a competitor?). I suggested yesterday that I wasn’t sure how an upscale lifestyle brand…
Starwood Introduces New Platinum Benefit Choices for Those That Are Frustrated With Suite Upgrades
Starwood updated its terms and conditions to detail a new offering for Platinum members who stay 50 nights in a year with the program, allowing them to choose Suite Night Awards or something else. What Are Suite Night Awards? For the past 3 years Starwood has offered (10) ‘Suite Night Awards’ — an opportunity to confirm an upgrade up to 5 nights prior to arrival, rather than at check-in. These aren’t confirmed upgrades in the sense that Hyatt offers them to Diamonds. They aren’t confirmed at booking, where you get to guarantee them at the time you make a reservation. These should be thought of as ‘an opportunity to express a preference for when you get upgraded’, ten nights a year where you get to have priority for your upgrades. The problem seems to be…
Marriott Brown Palace Denver Just $41 All-in Per Night Including Breakfast and Upgraded Rooms!
Extreme Hotel Deals finds this rate, $41 per night, at the Marriott Brown Palace Denver on Fridays and Saturdays between May 8 and October 31. Indeed, $41 is all-in with taxes and there are multiple room types available with breakfast even thrown in. This is a well-regarded property, though I haven’t stayed there. It’s among the better ranked for the area on TripAdvisor, and part of Marriott’s “Autograph Collected”-branded properties. I would wait several days after booking before making non-refundable travel arrangements around this rate to ensure that Marriott plans to honor the bookings. Most of the deals I find at Extreme Hotel Deals aren’t especially useful to me, single night offerings where it’s unlikely I’ll be in a city when they’re available. Nonetheless I find their email list interesting at a minimum. You can…
Hyatt Launching 20 New Hotels as Introduction to a “Lifestyle Brand”
The Wall Street Journal covers plans for Hyatt, Loews, and Langham to launch new ‘lifestyle brand’ hotels in 2015. Hotel chains have shifted their idea of luxury to meet what modern consumers want. Younger affluent customers aren’t necessarily looking for ornate or historical French design or formal service. Even Ritz-Carlton has tried to update itself. W Hotels, I think, did a fantastic job catching the moment in the late 1990’s but has struggled to keep pace with the potential of the market or update itself to remain relevant. In trying to be “cool” and not just offer a luxury experience catering to a younger demographic, it winds up chasing its tail. Here’s the thing about “lifestyle” brands. Cool doesn’t last. The Ian Schrager hotels aren’t great places to actually stay, at least anymore. The original…
How to Survive Flying Through This Week’s Historic Storms and Other Weather Events
I went on television earlier today to talk weather and navigating flight delays and cancellations. I’d sum up my advice as, expect the unexpected, be proactive, and be nice. There are five basic things to do to travel well through flight delays and cancellations
Another Airline Abolishes Fuel Surcharges, Etihad Lights Money on Fire, and Another Flight to Cuba
News and notes from around the interweb: Etihad’s quest to build its own fourth global alliance buy buying stakes in money-losing airlines that will continue to lose money, but can be used to redirect traffic through Abu Dhabi, continues with Alitalia. Cranky Flier dissects the Alitalia turnaround plan and finds it strangely like all the past failed turnaround plans. Etihad is just the latest (and possibly last) deep pocket. If you have an award on Etihad, check your flight schedules. They’ve just re-timed a bunch of flights for March 29-onward. That’ll create better connectivity to some destinations, but may be highly inconvenient for folks who already have travel plans. Speaking of bailouts, Thai Airways will get one instead of being allowed to file bankruptcy. According to the Prime Minister who installed himself in last year’s…
Inside Flyer Ceases Publishing After 29 Years: Randy Petersen Retires
Inside Flyer magazine’s blog offers the story of Randy Petersen’s retirement from magazine publishing. The magazine launched a number of other activities that continue and thrive today. During our time, InsideFlyer accomplished something that no other publication of its kind has–we left a legacy. Among the things InsideFlyer created, funded and willed to be relevant to the frequent flyer included the Freddie Awards, FlyerTalk and BoardingArea, along with its grandchild Milepoint.com. On their consumer advocate legacy, InsideFlyer beat back the introduction of a Saturday night stayover requirement on flight awards from United Mileage Plus in 2000, we led the rollback of the US Airways Dividend Miles elite change to drop status bonus miles, we provided the major funding and support for SaveSkyMiles which beat back an effort by Delta to offer fewer miles flown on…
