Last summer I wrote that a law firm was preparing a class action suit against British Airways over fuel surcharges. The case was filed and a federal judge has refused to dismiss it. Fuel Surcharges Briefly Explained Award passengers are frequently shocked to learn that their ‘free’ mileage ticket costs as much as $1000 in cash when redeeming points of certain frequent flyer programs. Fuel surcharges are a fixed amount of money added to a fare. The amount will usually be the same across all fares for a given city pair. In other words, all “New York – London” fares that an airline publishes will add the same amount for fuel surcharge. Fuel surcharges are an easy, efficient way for airlines to alter their airfares across a given market. They can change one number —…
500 Free air berlin Points
HEINEMANN & ME duty free shops are offering 500 points in the airberlin topbonus program just for registering with them. Until 31.12.2013: Become a HEINEMANN & ME member now and bag yourself 500 extra topbonus miles along with the numerous benefits. Simply register and receive double the benefits! Simply quote your topbonus card number when applying in a HEINEMANN Duty Free shop or online at heinemann-and-me.com – we’ll ensure that 500 extra miles are credited to your personal topbonus account. In addition, once you’ve amassed 1,500 miles with the topbonus bargain tickets, regular and especially attractive premium flights are waiting for you! air berlin is a member of the oneworld alliance, and has as its major investor Middle Eastern carrier Etihad. In addition, it has fairly interesting partners in Bangkok Airways, Hainan Airlines, and Virgin…
5 Reasons to Love Delta Skymiles
This morning I asked folks to come up with the best defense they could possibly muster for Delta Skymiles. The best, so far, I think comes from Frequent Miler who offered several good arguments: For those who enjoy puzzles, Delta.com can provide days of enjoyment while you try to piece together a saver level award. With other programs, its tough to part with your miles since they’re so valuable. No such issue with SkyMiles. Pay with Miles. At 1 cent per mile value, only Delta can make a credible claim that this is a good deal. One way and round trip awards for the same price. Most people see this as a negative, but instead you could think of it as a free return trip with each one-way award! The fact that they make award…
Devaluation Plan B: How I’ll Keep Flying International First Class on Miles For Years to Come No Matter What US Frequent Flyer Programs Do
US Frequent Flyer Programs: on the Brink United is devaluing its award chart. The program is still good for coach and business class awards, good for awards on United, but will not at all be good for partner airline awards in international first class. That’s why I need to look to alternatives. I do not expect a major devaluation from American. Obviously facts will prove me right or wrong on that. For now it is by far my program of choice, and especially so within oneworld. But I still want to prepare myself and think ahead. Delta of course has SkyPesos… a debased currency which does have strategic uses and that I do accumulate but that cannot get me excited at all, in part because of the limited quality airline products you can redeem for…
Audience Participation, Please: Let’s Hear Your Best Defense of the Value of Delta Skymiles
Delta Points probably just wants me to link to him, he’s trying to get under my skin this morning with his attempt to speak out for Delta in spite of what I consider to be their fundamentally dishonest award chart devaluation which went into effect yesterday with no notice. Even he has to acknowledge this a little bit: Now one thing I do agree with that I do find utterly idiotic and insulting is the complete and utter cop-out that the airline can not alert us in advance. If [doing so] were against the law [as Delta claims] other airlines would be sued for give their flyers time to adjust to a change. I agree Delta is not being honest about this fact and this is sad and upsetting. It is also insulting to us…
How an American-US Airways Anti-Trust Settlement Might Work
There’s discussion of an interesting settlement rumor on Milepoint, ostensibly about a structure of a deal that could bring an end to the Justice Department’s anti-trust lawsuit to stop the merger between American Airlines and US Airways. Here’s the gist: Slots Sell the 8 Washington Reagan slot pairs that JetBlue currently leases from American to JetBlue at a price approved by the DOJ Divest an additional 37 slot pairs at Washington Reagan to the federal government for the DOT and/or DOJ to redistribute as they see fit. Divest 10 slot pairs at New York LaGuardia to the federal government for the DOT and/or DOJ to redistribute as they see fit Sell to Virgin America the 15 slots (7.5 slot pairs) that Virgin America currently leases from American at a price approved by the DOJ Gates…
Will American Follow Suit and Devalue its Miles?
United’s award chart will be devalued come February, award prices are going up, up up. Big changes at United have many flyers considering alternatives. But it would be a shame to jump to a new airline to accumulate points, only to find that airline devaluing its own points shortly thereafter. That uncertainty is what’s holding many people back, and helping United. I’m going to predict there will be some adjustments to American’s award chart over the coming year, but that we will not see a wholesale devaluation like what United has done — not even close. American’s Award Chart Isn’t That Much Less Expensive Now for Many Awards, So There’s No Need to Raise Most Prices United’s changes aren’t as bad as they seem for many flyers. Coach doesn’t go up, or up very much,…
Delta Announces an Interim Devaluation for February Travel (Because Their June Travel Devaluation Was Too Far Away)
Delta Skymiles — already the least generous major airline frequent flyer program in the U.S. — has deservedly earned the nickname Skypesos. Nonetheless, the program leadership has announced that they believe the program is too rewarding today — notwithstanding that they already announced that they were making it less rewarding for travel June 1 oneward. (Delta announced award chart changes effective immediately, for travel beginning in June, back in mid-August.) Sure, the changes went into effect right away, but only for travel in summer 2014. The clear implication of announcing changes for travel beginning June 1 was that travel up until June 1 could be booked at the ‘old’ rate. And by setting the travel date about 9 months out, that meant that members could still earn miles and redeem them at the existing lower…
American Says You Don’t Have to Mileage Run for Next Year’s Status
American announced two different ways this morning to keep your current status or buy up to a higher level, and neither one involves getting on their aircraft. Bringing Back One Method, and Introducing a New One American has offered some sort of ‘buy back’ program for the past decade; a way for members who didn’t fly enough to keep their status in the next year to pay to do so (with a price that varied based on how close they were). There’s been some speculation that they wouldn’t for 2014, but they will. No doubt that while planes are full their not offering double elite qualifying miles during the year (when last year they offered that at both the beginning and end) means the elite ranks aren’t so swelled that letting members pay to re-up…
The Future Will Have Lower Award Prices and Better Availability..
…or so prophecies by a correspondent who mailed a letter to me at the Milepoint.com business address would seem to suggest. Dear Gary, I saw the newspaper article you were quoted in and wanted to write you a letter. As you know the economy has had its up and down’s which causes many to wonder what the future holds out for them and who really controls the world. Interestingly, the Bible explains why conditions in the world have gone from bad to worse and also explains what we can look forward to which is a world free of economic hardships, pain, suffering, injustice and war… The enclosed tract explains the above in more detail. It only takes a few minutes to read and is well worth your time. The old saying in aviation decades ago…
