Now that I’ve flown enough to re-qualify for American’s Executive Platinum status for next year, I figure I’m in a position to express an opinion on my biggest likes and dislikes about the airline and its AAdvantage frequent flyer program. There Are a Few of My Favorite Things: Gogo inflight internet. Delta has this too, and with even somewhat better fleet penetration. But compared to United and US Airways it’s incredible. Inflight internet has changed my life. I’d unplug on the flight and be desperately behind when I landed, with urgent messages to answer and calls to return. My flight time is now much more productive time. It’s why even the laggard carriers are getting on board with internet — not because usage fees will cover the costs of installation, but because it’s so crucial…
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When You Purchase a United Award Ticket, That Doesn’t Mean You Actually HAVE a Ticket
(And this rule applies even when the ticket is being issued at the full, correct mileage cost…!) I booked an award for a co-worker the other day that involved Qatar Airways. As I noted recently, it’s become increasingly difficult to use United miles to book awards on Qatar even though the partnership (which is ending) allows making bookings through September 14. Availability shows up on the website. But over the phone agents seem not to be able to find award space most of the time, and when pressed insist that Qatar is no longer a partner. That means you almost always have to book Qatar space on the website. But the website sometimes spits up when trying to make perfectly valid bookings. In this case I was looking for DC – Doha, Doha – Colombo,…
Bits ‘n Pieces for July 18, 2012
A survey of news and offers for the morning: A Skywest pilot, wanted for murder, tried to steal a regional jet to escape authorities. He creashed it on the ground instead. (HT: Seacarl on Milepoint.) bmi’s partnership with Virgin Atlantic ends August 31. It was a foregone conclusion that you would no longer be able to earn and redeem between these two airlines once British Airways acquired bmi. Wyndham Rewards is offering quadruple miles or points beginning with your second stay booked between July 17 and September 13 , 2012 and completed by September 20. The promotion is valid for up to four stays (stays numbered 2 through 5) and up to 3 rooms per stay. Registration required. Wandering Aramean flags that Alaska Airlines is offering 15 minutes of free Gogo inflight internet on all…
United Won’t Honor the 4 Mile Award Tickets to/through Hong Kong
I had posted originally that I didn’t think United would honor this, that it was a long shot, and that for all of the armchair lawyering about tickets being issued and DOT regulations that it at least wasn’t obvious to me that it was a slam dunk. And indeed, it wasn’t. United’s official word is that people can either pay the proper mileage price of the awards or cancel without penalty. Hi Everyone, over the weekend, we discovered a united.com programming error that allowed customers to obtain Mileage Plus travel awards to and from Hong Kong for as little as four miles roundtrip per person, substantially below published levels, which we disclose to customers. We have since corrected the error and will be in contact with customers who have tickets issued at the incorrect award…
“Do Not Call” the Airline or Hotel During a Mistake Fare, and Is There Strength in Numbers or Best to Keep a Deal Quiet?
Right after I posted an explanation of why there are very few airfare mistakes these days, we get two in a row — first tons of premium cabin award space available on Singapore Airlines (which looks like it’s being honored without any difficulty) and second United MileagePlus awards that touch Hong Kong for 4 miles (it’s too early to say for sure what will happen, though apparently at least two people have already flown on the deal). Both of these examples are consistent with my explanation — that ‘fat finger’ discounts where a zero or two are most commonly left off of a paid airfare are mostly a thing of the past. The system that airlines load their international fares into now contains a warning screen that flags fares that look too low. So it’s…
Is Delta Now Adding Fuel Surcharges onto Korean Airlines Awards? Perhaps Not.
Yesterday Lucky wrote that Delta had started adding fuel surcharges onto award bookings made with Korean AIrlines. Fuel surcharges are commonly billed to customers on award travel throughout the world. Nearly all European airline programs add fuel surcharges (usually several hundred dollars per ticket), with the notable exception of SAS Eurobonus which eliminated the practice a couple of years ago. Most Asian programs do as well. Most programs in the Americas do not. Notable exceptions are Aeroplan which began last year to add them to a majority of partner bookings, American which adds them to British Airways awards and a small one on Iberia bookings, and Delta which adds an ‘international origination surcharge’ to bookings originating from Europe (since their European counterparts add fees, they figure their European customers have little choice and they can…
Are United Award Bookings on Qatar Airways About to Go Away Early?
Matthew ran into an issue booking United MileagePlus award travel on Qatar Airways. Just weeks after Qatar award space became bookable on the united.com website, it was announced that the United-Qatar partnership was ending and awards would be bookable up until September 14 (for travel through the end of schedule as of that time). There are now lots of reports, though, that United’s telephone agents will no longer book the space, citing a memo they received that the partnership terminated early and award travel on Qatar is no longer bookable. The United website still stays bookings can be made through September 14, and the website shows the award availability as well. Qatar awards are still bookable online, and some folks have reported taking four or five phone calls to get it done offline. Bottom-line is…
Where Have all the Mistake Fares Gone?
Earlier in the week I wrote about comments I offered on the future of mobile for travel providers and how they’ll need to start understanding the revenue proposition for their investments (it will be more about reducing distribution costs and a defensive measure to avoid losing revenue to competitors than about unloading distressed inventory). After my comments the panel I spoke with someone who works for the Airline Tariff Publishing Company, the airfare clearing house that makes fares available to the computer reservation systems. We chatted a bit about mistake fares, and I must be the last person in the world to realize it, but he shared with me that about 3 years ago they implemented a simple system that’s done a lot to reduce the frequency that “fat finger discounts” (mistyping a price, often…
Up to 50% Bonus on Alitalia Flights Through End of Year
The Alitalia Millemiglia program is offering up to 50% bonus miles for flights taken through the end of 2012. Receive a 15% bonus on your 4th through 7th Alitalia segment credited to the Millemiglia program, a 30% bonus on segments 8 through 19, and a 50% bonus on your 20th segment and beyond. I haven’t found the offer listed in English, and oddly enough the Google translate of the Italian page suggested that the bonus was on Air France segments. Perhaps Google remembers when Air France was trying to buy Alitalia? I’m not a big fan of accruing points with Alitalia without specific, near-term uses. One of the ‘quirks’ of the program, I’m told to comport with Italian law (though I do not know if this is a law that Alitalia has pushed for, or…
American Automobile Association (AAA) Hotel Discounts
Heels First Travel describes getting AAA membership just for the hotel discounts. And that’s exactly what I do. Hilton sometimes has decent AAA rates, though I usually book their MVP rates. At Hyatt, where I stay somewhat frequently, AAA rates are usually approximately the same as prepaid rates but which are cancellable. I’m nearly allergic to non-cancellable hotel rates, unless I’m getting a monster discount such as order of magnitude 50% off via Priceline. I’m usually not willing to book a non-refundable rate for a mere 10% off unless it’s exceptionally close to check-in. So the AAA rate deal is worthwhile to me, I capture the savings while maintaining the flexibility. And after 3-5 room nights booked this way I break even on my annual membership. Now I can’t say I’ve ever been ‘carded’ or…
