Chase announced at its investor conference earlier in the week that they’ll be switching their ‘chip and signature’ cards to ‘chip and PIN’ later this yaar. Most US cards have only a magnetic strip on the back. That’s where card information can be found and read. In much of the rest of the world, cards have an ‘EMV chip’ with encrypted information. It’s much more difficult to steal data from. (And a magnetic strip is easier to reproduce, too.) In addition, some cards with chips require consumers to enter a PIN to validate a transaction instead of signing their name. A PIN number is harder to guess than a signature is to forge. So cards requiring a PIN (“chip and pin”) are considered more secure than those merely requiring a signature (“chip and signature”). Chase…
Silvercar May Be Expanding Soon to 3 New Airports
Rumor has it that Silvercar will be expanding to Phoenix, Seattle, and Denver by the end of the second quarter of the year. Silvercar is the new rental outfit that offers only Audis, and ‘includes everything’ – GPS, wireless internet, SiriusXM radio, and even toll tracking (you pay only the actual cost of tolls you use) and refueling at market rate (you don’t refill the tank and you’re charged the actual cost of gas plus $5). It’s a great experience overall, a premium experience, so can be priced accordingly. But I find many airport midweek rentals from the major agencies to be just as expensive and Silvercar is offering a better value proposition for many, certainly for all but the top-tier rental car elites (though they don’t offer miles). I made my first Silvercar rental…
Seven New Thoughts on How Bad Delta’s Changes Are And What You Can Do About Them
I’ve had a day to digest Delta’s changes, and crystallize my thoughts as I’ve talked to a variety of television, radio, and print journalists about the revenue-based changes that Delta is making to its frequent flyer program. I shared the guts of those changes yesterday, but having given them further thought I think I have a bit of a clearer take. We don’t know yet just how bad they are, because Delta won’t release full details. But they certainly aren’t good for the vast majority of flyers — even business travelers whose tickets cost an average of 20 cents per mile or less. (And even those paying more could still wind up coming out far behind when we see the scope of changes Delta makes to their new five tier award chart to be unveiled…
What the Envy-Inducing Stories About Fabulous First Class Air Travel Miss: the Trend is Really Away from First Class, and Towards Business Instead
The AP’s Scott Mayerowitz offers the mainstream public a look into the offerings in international first class. Airlines certainly offer premium passengers rarified experiences such as tarmac transfers to the plane, gourmet meals onboard and on the ground, top wines, and space — personal space in their seat and general separation from the masses. Although this last is a bit of a mischaracterization, I think — it’s less about avoiding the ‘sort of people who travel coach’ and more about avoiding lots of people which brings with it stress. Yet some of the most cherished new international first-class perks have nothing to do with meals, drinks or seats. Global airlines are increasingly rewarding wealthy fliers with something more intangible: physical distance between them and everyone else. The idea is to provide an exclusive experience —…
Ferrying a Plane to Afghanistan, Radio Clip About Delta Frequent Flyer Upheaval, and Big Changes at Qantas (Bits ‘n Pieces for February 27, 2014)
News and notes from around the interweb: A fantastic story of a pilot hired to ferry a plane from Arizona to Afghanistan. Supersonic Jet Throws Traditional Design Out the Window (HT: Rob R.) My comments last night on WTOP Radio about Delta’s frequent flyer program changes Yesterday I outlined Qantas’ troubles. Lucky outlines their plan which amounts to shedding older aircraft, delaying purchase of aircraft and laying off staff. We’ll see the end to 747s with first class (there are only 6 left). They’re eliminating international service from Perth, shifting widebodies away from most domestic service, and re-timing some flights for better aircraft utilization. This should help a little bit on the cost side but there’s nothing here to increase revenue, no fundamental shifts in business despite losing AU$250 million over six months. You can…
The World Is Really Paying Attention to Delta’s Revenue-Based Changes (And Read On to See My ‘Outrage Face’)
I appeared on ABC’s World News Tonight talking Delta’s planned shift on January 1 to a revenue-based frequent flyer program. A major evening newscast, time is short, I explained the changes early in the segment and then came back at the end and explained that they’re risky — that other airlines will wait and watch, and how consumers respond will offer some direction to Delta’s competitors. Now, I get pretty darned impassioned when anyone puts my miles in jeopardy… I had a little more time to talk ‘winners and losers’ on WTOP Radio tonight in my home market of Washington, DC. I spoke to a print journalist today, and put together a piece for Conde’ Nast as well. I’m not sure I remember the last frequent flyer program change (as opposed to ‘air travel issue’)…
40,000 Mile Signup Bonus for No Fee the First Year LifeMiles Visa
Avianca LifeMiles has a co-branded Visa offered by U.S. Bank here in the States. Usually the signup bonus is just 20,000 miles. But there’s a new offer with a 40,000 mile signup bonus. It’s also a $0 annual fee the first year. As with recent posts about the statement credit Citi Hilton Reserve Card and the Fidelity 2% card, this card does not offer referral credit to me (only the card with the smaller bonus does). Though LifeMiles has a history of tweaking their award chart pricing without notice, they remain one of the best programs in Star Alliance and thus most useful programs in the world given one-way awards at half the cost of roundtrip, a still reasonable award chart, and no fuel surcharges. Their call center customer service can be a challenge, they…
1000 Free Turkish Airlines Miles for Updating Your Contact Information
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, a surprisingly useful program, is offering 1000 miles for contact information updates to your account. Updates can be done online or via the call center. The offer is valid through April 30. 250 Bonus Miles for members who update their TCKN (Republic of Turkey Identification Card Number) . 250 Bonus Miles for members who update contact (business or home address or email) details. 250 Bonus Miles for members who update mobile telephone numbers. 250 Bonus Miles for members who update contact information and click on all of the E-mail Subscriptions boxes Details in each field have to be changed to earn miles for that activity. Turkish offers some cheap awards for flights on Turkish aircraft, they do add fuel surcharges to awards, and as I’ve written before their status is easy to…
Big Changes Coming to Qantas to Stem Losses
Qantas used to have more or less a license to print money. In the early part of the last decade its main domestic rival Ansett Australia had gone under. And it had strong pricing power on key long haul routes. Come the latter half of the last decade, its international routes were hemorrhaging but a near monopoly domestically helped hide losses. Qantas’ expansion in Asia, and its shift to a joint business venture with Emirates rather than British Airways, has helped shore up its international business to some extent (although mainline expansion in Asia has done less well than that of its low cost subsidiary). As has their cutback in routes offering international first class, and offering of more seats on the same planes as a result. But an increasingly competitive domestic market has caused…
The Best Cash Back Card Has No Fee — and Now Comes With a Signup Bonus
The Fidelity Investment Rewards American Express is a 2% cash back card where you deposit funds into a Fidelity investment account. It has no annual fee. And normally it has no signup bonus. Now you can get it with a $75 bonus for making $500 purchases within 60 days. For avoidance of doubt and disclosure, this card does not offer any referral credit to me of any sort, and I do not have this card myself. I’ve long written that it’s the best cash rebate card, most offer 1% or 1.5% or bonus only specific spend categories but this is 2% on all purchases. No signup bonus means it’s no all that leveraged for quick rewards. But it makes the opportunity cost of spending on a mileage-earning card where you earn just 1 mile per…
