Transatlantic business class space to Europe using miles from a Star Alliance airline like United or Air Canada is often easiest to find into and out of Brussels… both on United and on Brussels Airlines. Brussels Airlines has been a Star Alliance member for four years but with award space only in the past few days made searchable on United’s website. (Previously you could search it using the ANA, Aeroplan, or FlightStats websites.) Ironically United.com adds this functionality two months after United proactively removed Singapore Airlines award space from their website (and lied about it being Singapore’s fault). And, of course, after United jacked up the price of partner awards. Check it out yourself, though — for quite some time I’ve been pointing out how good the award availability is. And since Brussels Airlines hubs…
Camera Falls from a Plane, Lands in a Pig Pen. Watch What Happens Next!
Supposedly this camera fell out of the sky and into a pig pen. Fortunately it didn’t crash down (and kill) any pigs. Watch the end. I’m somewhat skeptical of this, or at least surprised that it landed facing upwards, in working order, having come down from the sky. Supposedly it was found by the farmer eight months later and posted to Youtube. At this writing it’s been viewed over 4 million times in 3 days. (HT: Ron S.) You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t miss out!
There’s Fantastic Delta Business Class Award Space to Europe for 2 or More People!
Delta miles are notoriously difficult to use. They’re called SkyPesos for a reason. There are a lot of other things I don’t like about the program, like the lack of international first class awards and the lack of one-way awards at half the cost of roundtrip, as well as a pricing engine that is frequently broken, charging more miles for an award than required. But Delta miles can be used, and used effectively. Often they have partners with reasonably good availability. At the Frequent Traveler University event back in September, Lucky from the One Mile at a Time blog put me on the spot and in an auditorium full of people made me book a business class award to Delhi on specific dates. I put together something with Skyteam members Saudia on the outbound and…
Barclaycard Now Issues the Hawaiian Airlines Card
I’m not sure how I missed this — Hawaiian Airlines used to offer a co-brand credit card through Bank of America but that product disappeared for new applications sometime back in the fall. And then apparently around the beginning of the year Barclays appeared with a HawaiianMiles credit card. I spoke with Barclaycard yesterday and learned about the product for the first time, although Googling around it seems others were aware of it last month. Apparently they’ve been in a soft launch for the card, and the public marketing begins in earnest next week. At this time I do not receive any referral credit if you sign up for the card, I’m just reporting on a new product that I didn’t realize was in the market. There’s a personal MasterCard and a business MasterCard. Both…
Etihad Honoring Their First Class Mistake Fare… Grudgingly
A week and a half ago Etihad had a mistake fare, offering first class roundtrip between Colombo and Dallas for ~ $1450. One way was available for about two-thirds the cost, but you had to originate the trip in Sri Lanka either way. Etihad is honoring the fare, as I expected. They’d have had challenges with US regulators if they didn’t. But they’re being as restrictive as possible with it. No changes, but that’s to be expected, changing a ticket prior to departure will generally cause a reprice. No chauffeur service, Etihad gives business and first class passengers complimentary car service but that won’t be given to folks flying these tickets. No “bonus miles” although it’s not clear what that means, whether that’s no class of service bonus when crediting to an Etihad Guest account…
100,000 Miles Down the Drain, a Bad Weather Plan B, and an Actual Mileage Addiction (Bits ‘n Pieces for February 12, 2014)
News and Notes from Around the Interweb: Fast, fast, fast: The 100,000 mile British Airways Visa signup bonus that I wrote about yesterday seems to be unavailable. It’s still on the British Airways website, but the application won’t come up when you click through. Possibly dead, possibly a temporary glitch. If the former, that was quick! (HT: Miles in the comments) Cheaper than you think: Yankees pitcher charters a 787. It cost $200,000 from Japan to New York, even with the plane flying back empty. Robert Palmer Was Right: (Might as well face it, you’re addicted to miles.) I was asked to contribute a piece on extreme miles behavior for an addiction and recovery website. A little bit tongue-in-cheek, and surprisingly (?) controversial. Bad Weather Plan B: Using airline 24 hour cancel rules to buy…
Worst Case Scenario: How to Rescue Your Trip During Bad Weather
This has been one crazy winter for travel. And we’re back with a ‘crippling ice storm,’ a ‘state of emergency,’ ‘historic storm,’ a storm that ‘will make last month’s storm look puny’. If you’re traveling this week, here are some things you can do to handle the challenges ahead in the best way possible. Hang up, call back if you don’t get the answer or help you want. Have the airline call you. Hold times can be long. Elite phone numbers are usually better, but during weather events those can be interminable too. Try non-U.S. call center numbers — Skype an Australia, U.K., or Singapore phone number for instance to get through. Or if your carrier offers you a call back option, have them call you back — whether you think you need to talk…
American Confirms Citibank as Exclusive Card Issuer Going Forward
Last month I wrote that the US Airways card from Barclays is not going away with the American – US Airways merger. That was based on comments from Barclaycard’s managing director of co-brand partnerships. Today Citibank confirmed the same — that they will be the exclusive issuer of new American AAdvantage cards once the US Airways and American frequent flyer programs are combined in 2015. Bank of America and Barclays will still service their existing cardmembers for the time being, but won’t be able to issue new cards. American and Citi made the announcement formally today (I haven’t yet found the release online) that following the integration of American’s and US Airways’ programs Citi will be the exclusive co-brand card issuer. That was never really much in doubt, American and Citi have partnered since 1987…
Airlines Duel Over the Best Food in Economy, the February 15 Deadline, Woman Offers Inflight Sex, and More Sochi Hotel Goodness (Bits ‘n Pieces for February 11, 2014)
News and notes from around the interweb: Malaysia Airlines is taking heat for the quality of the Nasi Lemak (a national rice dish) that it served in economy on a ~ 750 mile flight. The carrier promises to take “mmediate measures to improve the quality of its in-flight meal.” Meanwhile rival discount airline Air Asia (tagline: “Now everyone can fly!”) touts the quality of its own nasi lemak. Imagine such a rivalry in the U.S.! (HT: uggboy on Milepoint) Starwood is offering double points for eating at their hotel restaurants when you aren’t staying there as a guest. Woman went berserk on a Delta flight when another passenger turned her down for sex. Perhaps Delta’s planes just didn’t offer convenient places to join? If you got in any Hyatt Gold Passport reward night reservations before…
Air New Zealand’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Safety Video Is Live!
On Sunday I mentioned that Air New Zealand was about to debut a new safety video, Safety in Paradise, marking 40 years of flying to the Cook Islands — a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit safety video. And I posted a ‘making of’ video. Now the safety video itself is live. And they declare ‘the beauty of safety’. It’s all the traditional safety instructions, in bikinis, on a beach. And it has a good sense of humor about itself. Are you more likely to look up from your book (or, in the States, electronic devices) and pay attention to a non-traditional safety video? You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s…
