Hilton is about to launch a revolutionary product that several chains have been talking about for years: an iPhone and Android app that will let guests check-in by phone, assign their own choice of room, and use their phone as a room key. This gives the power of choice to customers, and cuts down on hotel staffing needs if it takes off. But there are several challenges, and one in particular that will make me wary of using it..
United Releases its New Safety Video: Hit or Miss?
United has a new, cute safety video they’re rolling out across the fleet. I have a few thoughts. Matthew likes it. My feelings are more mixed. At four and a half minutes it’s just too long. I want to be in the air already by the time the video is 80% done. United CEO Jeff Smisek isn’t in the video. That makes the video better, and means they’ll be able to use it into the future. Towards the end of the video, telling passengers to carry on just one bag and one personal item seems absurd given that they’re all already seated with baggage stowed when this is playing. The kangaroo is great. The United captain scolding the French restaurant patron is bizarre, a sentiment perfectly captured by the Frenchman’s expression as he tries to…
What Happens to Airports When They’re Abandoned?
Here’s a fascinating look, mostly in pictures, at The Tattered, Haunting Remains of Abandoned Airports. (Not JFK’s Terminal 2) There’s a pictorial of Nicosia International Airport in Cyprus, which ceased operations with the Turkish invasion of 1974 and Yasser Arafat International Airport in the Gaza Strip, operational from 1998 to 2001. I found this especially interesting, not sure how I hadn’t ever heard of it: Objekat 505, or the Željava Airbase, one of the largest underground airports in Europe, on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, constructed between 1948 and 1968. It was designed to sustain a hit from a 20 kt nuclear bomb. When airports are decommissioned, of course, their airport codes get reassigned. But they continue to live on at least for a brief time as Avianca LifeMiles glitches. (HT: Kevin…
United Airlines Headquarters Has Bed Bugs
As if things couldn’t get worse for United, their headquarters building has bed bugs. Chicago’s most recognizable building has a tiny problem it is trying to shake. Bed bugs were found on the 16th floor of the Willis Tower which is home to United Airlines. …The Willis Tower brought in K-9’s to detect the infestation and exterminators have visited the site several times. United says it will continue those efforts until the bed bugs are eradicated. The Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, will hold the name of London-based Willis Group through 2024 based on their 2009 lease although United is now the largest tenant in the building. I’m not sure whether bed bugs at United headquarters are better or worse than when a United Club at Dulles had rats, or when it…
Should Consumers Be Entitled to Use Corporate Codes, and Who is at Fault When They’re Called Out?
Christopher Elliott does a service with his Travel Troubleshooter column. I may not always be a fan, but there’s no question that he’s helped out many consumers.. even many that were very much undeserving of help. Today though he didn’t just help someone get compensation they likely didn’t deserve, he also appears to have cast unwarranted aspersions at a car rental website that helps with discounts — Autoslash.
140,000 Point Signup Bonus from Ritz-Carlton Rewards
I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies that can be converted into the same). I’ve written about the Ritz-Carlton Rewards co-brand credit card occasionally over the past couple of years. There have been a couple of really outstanding offers for it, like 70,000 points and no fee the first year, and 140,000 points while paying the steep $395 annual fee even the first year. But I haven’t seen either of those around in awhile. We Fly Free says it’s still possible to get the 140,000 point signup offer, which surprises me since he gives the…
Where Have All the Flights to Venezuela Gone, and Why Can’t You Get There From Here?
American, the largest US airline to Venezuela, is flying daily from Miami… with a 737. They shift up their schedule in the fall and return to flying New York JFK – Caracas just 5 days a week. Also with a 737. They bring back San Juan service too. Delta is flying a 737 to Caracas four times weekly with a 737. United flies daily from Houston only, also with… a 737. LAN is flying 2-3 times a week with a widebody from Miami, and of course there’s connecting service through Central America. But much of the lift between the US and Caracas is just gone. And the story here is simple.
Why the Andaz is My Favorite Hotel on Maui
The Andaz Maui is certainly an upscale resort, but it can still be a value for what you get. And most importantly for me, it’s much smaller than most of the big chain resorts. It’s not the sort of place where you have to head down to the beach at 8 a.m. to place a book on a beach chair if you hope to use one later in the day. It’s a nice hotel, that offers a lot, and while it is part of a chain it doesn’t exude that ‘resort factory’ feel. It’s still in a resort area, to be sure. It’s just down the street from Hilton’s Grand Wailea Waldorf property (itself a behemoth, albeit a nice behemoth). But once on property you get a much more boutique-y experience. In that way it’s…
Virgin Atlantic 65,000 Mile Signup Bonus Offer is Back
Virgin Atlantic and Bank of America are back with their standard biggest signup bonus. The most recent links for this offer don’t work any longer. They used to offer the card as an American Express (one of those oddball American Express cards not issued by American Express). Now it’s a MasterCard. It’s advertised as a signup bonus of up to 65,000 miles but I wouldn’t think about it that way. Reach rewards faster with up to 65,000 Flying Club bonus miles in the first year with the Virgin Atlantic World Elite MasterCard® credit card from Bank of America. The offer is: 20,000 Flying Club bonus miles after your first retail purchase 25,000 additional Flying Club bonus miles after you spend at least $2,500 in qualifying purchases Earn up to 15,000 additional bonus miles upon anniversary…
US Passport and Visa Issuance Computer Crash, Thousands Stranded Worldwide
A story that has gotten some play but not nearly enough is that the system for issuing US passports and visas has broken down. Passport issue times have slowed down, and visa issuance has broken down as a result. Foreigners looking for permission to travel to (or return to) the U.S. are stuck waiting. Problems began July 19, although it wasn’t the year’s first system crash. The Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) at the State Bureau of Consular Affairs “is currently experiencing technical problems with our passport/visa system,” …The issues, she said, have resulted in significant backlogs. Visas are approved, recorded and printed through the CCD. “Until the system comes back online, we are unable to print visas. While H1B status can be approved for 3 years (renewal once), the length of time that any given…
