US Airways is running a 100% bonus on purchased miles through September 30. For the past several years US Airways has been the industry leader in selling miles cheap. Offering a 100% bonus just meant, more or less, meant that it was a day of the week that ended in “day”. With this offer they sell 20,000 or more miles at 1.88 cents apiece. Of course US Airways miles aren’t as cheap as they used to be or even as cheap as they used to be. And you can’t get 90,000 mile Hong Kong awards in business class anymore. But now that those are 110,000 miles, you might as well go for first class which is just 120,000 miles roundtrip. Hard to argue first isn’t worth it, for just 5000 miles more each way. I’m…
American Expanding Asia Flying With Dallas – Beijing Announced for Next Year
American announced that it plans to begin Dallas – Beijing service next year, talking advantage of allowable frequencies between the US and China that aren’t currently being used. Beijing flying adds to the Hong Kong and Shanghai service from Dallas that began in June, and to the Seoul and Tokyo Narita service that’s already been in place. American is adding a more substantial Asia presence than before, a presence US Airways never had at all. The press release doesn’t mention a start date for the service, but does note that the route will be operated by a Boeing 777-200… which will mean their new business class product but no first class. What’s important here, I think, is that it’s a new Asia route announced by new management. Pre-merger American went forward with Dallas – Shanghai…
While Air Canada Warns Pilots About Porn, Other Airlines Use it in Their Ads
Air Canada is warning pilots to stop leaving porn in the cockpit. Because pornography is meant for airline advertising only. Here is VietJet’s sexy airline ads — a ‘leaked’ campaign with flight attendant models in bikinis. There are ‘complaints’. Which is the same thing as ‘buzz’ which is, after all, the point. I’m not sticking the photos on my blog, you can click through to the article if you’re looking for that. I’m more interested in the marketing angles here. VietJet has gotten in trouble – with government fines – for doing this before. But the fines were less than US$1000, so they were clearly worth the free advertising they got ’round the world and reputational effects — all free once they had done the deed and hired some PR folks to purposely get them…
This Airline Excuse Always Means Customers Are Getting Hosed
Earlier this week American changed its checked baggage policy effective October 1. Like US Airways, it will no longer interline bags on separate tickets although they’re a little more generous than legacy US Airways — because they’ll still do it if the flights involved are on oneworld airlines. They’ve at least now informed travel agents of the change, via the following message: Of course, most customers don’t know, and it’s a mere days away. Here’s what is just icing on top of the change — the purported reason, to align themselves with other airlines in the industry, as though that’s a value in and of itself. And what other airlines, exactly? United will still allow this. Delta will not, and the new American policy is similar to British Airways’. So it’s true that American isn’t…
The End of Lifetime Star Alliance Gold Disaster is Confirmed, Here’s What to Expect from a New Program
A couple of days ago I shared that it appeared Aegean Airlines Gold status would no longer be for life. The full details are out, and I — and many others — are about to get one last year of Star Alliance Gold status.
Emirates A380 First Class Award Space Wide Open This Winter – Act Fast!
The easiest way to search for award space is with the Alaska Airlines website, since Alaska is a partner of Emirates and allows searching their space online. They also show an award calendar. Historically they have only shown a subset of the space that Emirates makes available. Expertflyer shows space, at least as offered to Emirates’ own Skywards members (and Emirates Skywards is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards — but does add fuel surcharges where applicable). What’s interesting is that the Alaska Airlines website seems to be showing availability hat matches Expertflyer. Right now, even to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members there appears to be very very good award space this winter in first class for two passengers on several routes between the US and Dubai — routes served by Emirates Airbus…
Here are the Top 10 Ways to Earn Miles — Several Are Quick and Easy
Yesterday I wrote about the 11 greatest miles and points deals ever. Some folks had their own, and there were plenty of amazing opportunities I didn’t add to the list — like how I used to earn 80,000+ miles at a time opening and funding Citibank checking accounts with a credit card (you couldn’t use Citibank credit cards to do this, and after enough accounts they’d say you could not do it anymore!). What some folks asked me for was, what are the best ways to earn miles today? You can’t get 20,000 Delta miles for a Bosley hair restoration consultation anymore. And the United-Safeway partnership no longer gives you miles. You can’t get a free Airtran flight for 64 Coke cups from Wendys. And yet I’ve never earned as many miles as I do…
Swiss Outlines its Fleet Plans: Keeping First Class, Adding More Flying to the U.S.
Business Travel News carried a piece on Swiss’ U.S. and fleet plans based on an interview with the airline’s senior director for the Americas, suggesting that the airline wants to be high-end. Swiss aims to “be closer to our customer and have a higher product point” with new aircraft. “When you have a fleet of 90 aircraft, its easier to get there,” They plan to deploy six new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to the Western U.S. and East Asia. They do not plan to add premium economy, but do currently plan to keep offering first class. Sadly, Swiss first class redemptions are available only to Miles & More elite frequent flyer members and not at all to partner airline frequent flyer members. Swiss currently flies to Boston, Chicago, New York JFK, Newark, Los Angeles, Miami and…
American Drops their El Al Partnership November 1
El Al is losing its only US frequent flyer partner. The American Airlines website announced this change: If you’re flying El Al after October 31, you won’t be able to earn American miles for it. And you won’t be able to use American miles for El Al tickets after that date either — all tickets must be issued by then. El Al announced the end of the relationship as well. I have to imagine this was initiated by American. American was El Al’s only US partner, and gave them feed — bringing passengers to and from their US – Israel flights. American wasn’t getting much traffic from El Al, since they offer only 14 flights each week to the US and only some of the passengers on each connect onward. American does now fly to…
The Department of Transportation Wants to Regulate Google, to Make Sure You Know About Baggage Fees!
Back in May the Department of Transportation filed a “notice of proposed rulemaking” laying out the direction they intended to take with new rules for how airfares are displayed… everywhere. As airlines have added on lots of fees, and new websites have popped up that search for travel, the Department of Transportation has been considering whether to regulate the way that fees show up (at the front of the booking process next to ticket prices, or just shown on an airline website?) and whether consumers have to be informed about the way websites sort the options that are displayed and whether or not all possible airline options are displayed. More disclosure is usually considered a good thing, but telling every consumer the same information that may or may not be relevant to them on every…
