I’ve had AAA membership for awhile, largely because I book AAA rates at hotels frequently. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked for proof of membership at check-in, however. The Hilton and Hyatt websites both ask you to enter AAA numbers when making reservations online, they don’t check that an account is currently active but presumably check to see that the digits are plausible. AAA rates aren’t always the best, for instance there are often better corporate rates where if you were an employee of a given company you’d be entitled to a lower negotiated rate — which sometimes codes with added benefits like free or discounted parking, or a much more generous cancellation policy than standard reservations (such as 6pm on day of arrival rather than day prior to check-in). I’ve never been asked…
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Instant Club Carlson Gold Status for New Account Signups
Club Carlson is offering instant Gold status for new members of their program. Club Carlson is the loyalty program for Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn, and Country Inns & Suites. They’ve been aggressive with big bonuses over the past year and a half, and just introduced a credit card that gets you second night free on your award redemptions. This offer is targeted at Platinum and Gold members of the Jet Airways JetPrivilege program. Gold status gets you: 50% bonus Gold Points on your Club Carlson stays 2,000 bonus points for online booking Upgrades Early Check In and Late Check Out on request, subject to availability The offer is supposed to be available through March 31 but my bet is that it’s pulled more quickly than that. Club Carlson is usually pretty generous with status…
Suites, Treats, and Eats, a Malaysian Mileage Thanksgiving: Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur
Introduction: Constructing — and Re-constructing — the Award Trip American Eagle DC – New York and the New Nicest JFK Airport Hotel, the Hilton Cathay Pacific First Class, JFK – Hong Kong The Wing lounge in Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific Business Class Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Kuala Lumpur – Langkawi The Andaman Langkawi Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Langkawi – Kuala Lumpur Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur Things to See and Do in Kuala Lumpur Korean Airlines First Class, Kuala Lumpur – Seoul and the Korean Airlines First Class Lounge Seoul Korean Airlines First Class, Seoul – Washington Dulles I have a love-hate relationship with Intercontinental’s Royal Ambassador elite program. I’ve had the status since 2006. It’s been responsible for the majority of the very best upgrades I’ve…
Delta Goes on the Record About Revenue-Based Frequent Flyer Programs
USA Today covers the impending risk of changes to frequent flyer programs, moving from rewarding miles flown with an airline to the amount of money spent — turning the legacy frequent flyer programs of airlines like United, American, and Delta into the much more modest offerings of Southwest and JetBlue. The piece is titled Frequent-flier rewards: Change is in the air and Randy Petersen predicts this is going to happen: “I would suggest by this time next year there’ll be at least one, if not more, of the major carriers that have adopted this kind of new normal among frequent-flier programs,” says Randy Petersen, publisher of Inside Flyer magazine, which closely follows loyalty programs. “I think in five years we will have forgotten about the old system.” I’m quoted making the case, though, that the…
Suites, Treats, and Eats, a Malaysian Mileage Thanksgiving: Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Langkawi – Kuala Lumpur
Introduction: Constructing — and Re-constructing — the Award Trip American Eagle DC – New York and the New Nicest JFK Airport Hotel, the Hilton Cathay Pacific First Class, JFK – Hong Kong The Wing lounge in Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific Business Class Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Kuala Lumpur – Langkawi The Andaman Langkawi Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Langkawi – Kuala Lumpur Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur Things to See and Do in Kuala Lumpur Korean Airlines First Class, Kuala Lumpur – Seoul and the Korean Airlines First Class Lounge Seoul Korean Airlines First Class, Seoul – Washington Dulles It was a half hour’s drive from the resort. We pulled up to the terminal and it seemed larger than I remembers from my arrival five days earlier. Upon…
Strategic Value in the Alitalia Frequent Flyer Program
Head for Points asks if Alitalia has ‘the worst frequent flyer scheme’? Some programs have expiring miles (you have a certain number of years or months to use the points you accumulate). Examples here are Singapore Airlines Krisflyer which gives you 3 years to use miles you’ve earned, and Aeroplan which gives you seven years. Other programs have expiring accounts after 18, 24 or 36 months of inactivity. Any activity at all tends to be enough to extend the life of the account, resetting the clock on all of the miles you’ve earned. United and American are at 18 months, Alaska is at 24 months, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are at 36. My favorite whipping target, Delta Skymiles, does not expire its miles or make its accounts go inactive — although that policy was…
Suites, Treats, and Eats, a Malaysian Mileage Thanksgiving: The Andaman Langkawi
Introduction: Constructing — and Re-constructing — the Award Trip American Eagle DC – New York and the New Nicest JFK Airport Hotel, the Hilton Cathay Pacific First Class, JFK – Hong Kong The Wing lounge in Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific Business Class Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Kuala Lumpur – Langkawi The Andaman Langkawi Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Langkawi – Kuala Lumpur Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur Things to See and Do in Kuala Lumpur Korean Airlines First Class, Kuala Lumpur – Seoul and the Korean Airlines First Class Lounge Seoul Korean Airlines First Class, Seoul – Washington Dulles When Starwood first took over The Andaman in Langkawi, Malaysia I was intrigued. I’d heard of the property, seen it on several ‘best’ lists (for best beaches, spa, etc).…
Suites, Treats, and Eats, a Malaysian Mileage Thanksgiving: Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Kuala Lumpur – Langkawi
Introduction: Constructing — and Re-constructing — the Award Trip American Eagle DC – New York and the New Nicest JFK Airport Hotel, the Hilton Cathay Pacific First Class, JFK – Hong Kong The Wing lounge in Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific Business Class Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Kuala Lumpur – Langkawi The Andaman Langkawi Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Langkawi – Kuala Lumpur Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur Things to See and Do in Kuala Lumpur Korean Airlines First Class, Kuala Lumpur – Seoul and the Korean Airlines First Class Lounge Seoul Korean Airlines First Class, Seoul – Washington Dulles We were bid adieu on our way out of the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur by the same front office manager who had been on duty the night before when…
Suites, Treats, and Eats, a Malaysian Mileage Thanksgiving: Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
Introduction: Constructing — and Re-constructing — the Award Trip American Eagle DC – New York and the New Nicest JFK Airport Hotel, the Hilton Cathay Pacific First Class, JFK – Hong Kong The Wing lounge in Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific Business Class Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Kuala Lumpur – Langkawi The Andaman Langkawi Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Langkawi – Kuala Lumpur Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur Things to See and Do in Kuala Lumpur Korean Airlines First Class, Kuala Lumpur – Seoul and the Korean Airlines First Class Lounge Seoul Korean Airlines First Class, Seoul – Washington Dulles As we exited baggage claim a representative from the Grand Hyatt was one of the first ones spotted, with my name on a sign. I identified myself and he…
New Priority Club PointBreaks Hotels for Stays Through January 31
A new Priority Club PointBreaks list is out. These are the promotional awards where rooms at specific hotels are only 5000 points per night. While the offer is valid through January 31, the best hotels participating each round usually sell out quickly and are pulled in a few days. So if you want to redeem your points for one of these properties — or even might want to — it’s a good idea to make that booking right away. As of this writing there are no listed properties in Africa. There are 9 Holiday Inns listed in Europe. There are just 7 hotels currently listed in Asia including the Intercontinental Jakarta — which is the only included Intercontinental at this point (it’s possible that more could be added). I can only hope that the list…
