Not everyone likes miles and points collectors abusing the American Express Bluebird product. First of all, I want you to know my attitude towards credit cards and money in general. #1: Feel lucky when you are approved, good credit is a stroke of luck. #2: people who care more about the rewards than the credit line must already have so much money they dont know what to do with it. Now. You people are RUINING bluebird/serve by making amex’s security dept so paranoid that every linked credit or debit card or every vanilla reload is an attempt at getting points rather than legitimate usage, that me, a person who couldnt get a credit card if my life depended on it because george bush gave me a 399 credit score, gets limited every time I try…
My USA Today Op-ed: American/US Airways Should Respect Their Customers if They Want to Succeed
I offer this wish for the US Airways-American Airlines merger in today’s USA Today: respect your customers and don’t make short-sighted decisions at their expense. We can expect them to retain American’s IT infrastructure. That’s important. Integration of computer systems means pain for passengers. It can mean less pain (Ameriacn’s system), or a whole lot more (the US Airways system). Don’t dismantle American’s premium product. US Airways tried to charge for water in coach back in 2008. US Airways doesn’t serve meals in first class on 3 hour flights. US Airways has less legroom upfront and no extra legroom seating. Turning American into US Airways will chase away customers and cost higher-revenue business travelers and corporate contracts. Be honest with your customers. Don’t promise them “changes you’re going to like” the way United did before…
How to Use Your Miles or Earn More Miles in Support of Typhoon Relief
There are several miles and points offers — either for earning points for making a gift, or for using your points to make a donation — that support typhoon relief. Mommy Points covered this yesterday but since Hyatt and Hilton have added options since then I wanted to share the opportunities as well. Some of these are a reasonable idea, and other offers should be avoided. United MileagePlus United is offering miles based on how much you give to the American Red Cross, Operation USA, and AmeriCares. $50 donation yields 250 miles $100 donation yields 500 miles $250 donation yields 1000 miles That’s not a lot of miles for your giving, you don’t do this for the miles but if it gets you to pay attention to charity and pushes you to make a gift…
Matt Lauer Walks Into An Airplane Lavatory, and…
Lauer recalls on the Tonight Show: “I get up to go, and [a] guy kinda beats me in there, in the bathroom. So, I’m waiting and then someone waits behind me, and maybe one other person. The guy comes out of the bathroom, I acknowledge him and I go in. I shut the door,” Lauer said. “And there’s no turbulence by the way. This guy has urinated all over the seat of the toilet.” And thus the dilemma. “I can’t leave, because now they’re gonna think, ‘Matt Lauer peed all over the seat!’” Lauer said. So he felt he had no choice but to clean up this other guy’s mess. Me thinks he’s going on national television protesting just a little too hard that “wasn’t me.” But in any case that’s why you always wear…
Alaska Airlines Devalues its Award Chart
Alaska Airlines is increasing the price of some awards effective January 14 on its own flights and at this point not on partners. And the bulk of those changes are in the price of “rule-buster” (or extra availability) awards. Earlier this year I declared the death of the ‘double miles’ award, the idea of spending “double” so that any member could get any seat on any plane. Only American still offers this, and I predict that will not last. “Last seat availability” potentially trades off with a paying customer, it’s expensive for an airline to offer, and mileage programs have been bumping those prices up. Here Alaska is doing it even more than they already had done before. For Domestic (48 US states plus Alaska) awards they are increasing just the price of these last…
The Hyatt Gold Passport Devaluation is Really Just a 4% Hit to the Cost of Award Nights
The Hyatt Gold Passport award chart devaluation was big news this week. Coming after a huge devaluation from United and an interim devaluation from Delta, because they couldn’t wait for their June 1 and onward devaluation to take full effect, and in the context of this year’s total gutting of Hilton HHonors, I was prepared to hate — though possibly overreact — to what Hyatt has done. My major reaction was likely because the biggest increases in award nights, while centered on only 13 hotels, are increasing the costs of the precise hotels that I want to redeem for. And of course they’re increasing the cost of upgrades on paid nights as well. But if we’re going to understand what Hyatt has actually done, I think it also makes sense to look at the overall…
UK Girl Passes Through Turkish Immigration With Her Toy Unicorn’s Fake Passport
No idea how I managed to miss this. A couple were left stunned after their nine-year-old daughter managed to pass through Turkish customs officers – with a passport identifying her as a UNICORN. Emily Harris had taken a toy passport she had made for her toy unicorn, Lily, on holiday with her. And when the family passed through customs at Antalya airport to start their one-week holiday, flustered mum Nicky accidentally handed over the toy’s passport instead of Emily’s. …passport officials had even STAMPED the unicorn’s passport, granting it access to the country. …”The picture ID wasn’t even of Emily, it was of a pink unicorn. Original photo credit B. Matthews/Caters (HT: Reid) You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email…
Will the Next Great Investment Idea Be Found on Your Next Long Haul Flight?
Turkish Airlines thinks they can make you millions. Or at least they can take money from companies that want your millions, selling your time at a premium on the theory that you’re bored with little to do but pay attention to their pitch. This is a great idea, because startups that have been pre-screened by inflight entertainment companies always produce superior returns. And because the best investment decisions are often made at high altitudes, where you can’t ask any questions of the company making the pitch. Before your next award flight to or through Istanbul, remember: you were warned. (HT: @teamrainey) 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…
The 13 Hotels Most Impacted by Hyatt’s Award Chart Devaluation
When I wrote about Hyatt’s award chart changes yesterday, I noted that (in addition to increased prices for premium rooms, and especially for upgrades on paid stays), there were really only six hotels that were going to see really bad price increases. Those are the six hotels that will go from the current top award category six into the new top award category 7. Those hotels will go up 36% in price for a standard room (45% for a suite). Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Park Hyatt Milan Park Hyatt Paris Vendome Park Hyatt Sydney Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Hyatt Zurich In addition, the new Park Hyatt New York will open at category 7. These are the hotel price increases that hit me the most, I love Hyatt Gold Passport for their aspirational redemptions. These hotels…
US Airways-American Airlines Merger: Ten Things to Expect Next
Now that the Department of Justice has settled its anti-trust suit with American and US Airways, what can we expect to happen as frequent flyers? The deal is expected to close in December. US Airways will leave Star Alliance, quickly, and join oneworld. We don’t have a timeframe yet but it should be within a few months. That means if you want to book Star Alliance awards using US Airways miles, you will want to book those very soon. And any changes, once US Airways leave Star, will need to be onto airlines that are in oneworld instead. Once the two airlines are both in oneworld, they will also implement a partnership with each other, and they will likely make it possible to move miles back and forth between US Airways Dividend Miles and American…
