Hang up, call back. The four most important words in travel. For some, perhaps, the four most important words in life. I know this lesson. I share this lesson. But I don’t always practice it. And I know better. Call center agents vary tremendously in quality. The airline computer systems they are working with vary tremendously in quality. When things aren’t going smoothly — when they are taking longer than they should, when an agent isn’t understanding your request, when they are not coming back with the correct answers right away, hang up and call back. Sometimes it’s tempting to ignore the rule. You’ve been on hold for awhile, you don’t want to do it again. Surely your request is straightforward and for something you’re entitled to. It has to be better just to keep…
How Bad an Airline is United? Just Ask its CEO
Jeff Smisek promised frequent flyers “changes we’re going to like.” And I don’t think Continental, now doing business under the name United Airlines, gets enough credit for two of the things that are actually good since the merger between the two airlines — The elimination of “Starnet blocking” or “throttling” (United used to tell customers that award seats on partner airlines weren’t available even when the partners were offering the seats but when United didn’t want to pay for them) Much more generous “award routing rules” or the ability to fly just about any way you want between two cities based on what seats are available with miles instead of being highly limited in what flights can be used. The reason they can’t really get the credit they deserve for these two items is because…
When Is It a Good Idea to Redeem Your Miles for Merchandise?
USA Today‘s Charisse Jones has a piece on the things you can do with your miles besides taking flights. There are the obligatory examples of using miles to purchase “Tumi luggage and MacBook Pro computers” as well as spending them at auction for experiences like Rod Stewart concerts. The piece offered two of my thoughts. “More options are good for frequent fliers,” says Gary Leff, co-founder of the frequent-flier community Milepoint.com, who’s noticed the trend building over the past three or four years. “Not everyone wants to fly throughout the year for business and be rewarded with another flight. Sometimes they’d just like to stay home and use their miles for a retail treat.” … Unique experiences, however, could be perceived as a better deal, Leff says. “When you’re leveraging the connections, the sponsorship, or…
Comment Here for a Chance to Win Free Hyatt Points & Vegas Experiences
Earlier in the month Hyatt Gold Passport announced a great new partnership with MGM’s M Life program. Gold Passport members can earn and redeem points at the 12 Las Vegas M Life properties. And starting in August there’s reciprocal status as well. Which is great, because I’m not an especially high roller so the M Life status will help me feel a bit more like Sinatra around that city or at least around MGM’s properties (“Don’t you know who I am?!” :). The major hotel chains are hugely underrepresented on the Vegas strip (though Marriott has Cosmopolitan and IHG has the Venetian). This hotel program “codesharing” fills a real gap — it instantly gives Hyatt the biggest major chain loyalty program presence in the city with the most hotel rooms of any other. And it…
Bits ‘n Pieces for June 25, 2013
News and notes from around the interweb It appears there is still a 50,000 mile signup offer for the Citibank American Airlines Visa (HT: Million Mile Secrets) Women’s breasts can undermine the TSA. National Car Rental plans to bring back their outstanding 1-2-Free promotion. American Express is offering 55,000 Delta miles and 20,000 elite qualifying miles for spending $5000 on their $150 annual fee Delta Platinum Business Amex. (25,000 miles and 5000 qualifying miles after first purchase, 30,000 miles and 15,000 qualifying miles after $5000 spend within 3 months, apply by July 7.) 11 Things We No Longer See on Airplanes 13 Things Americans Do That The Rest of the World Finds Bizarre Delta isn’t all bad. You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to…
Did You Win a Samsung Chromebook?
Last week I ran a contest to give away a Samsung Chromebook. I won it at a conference last month, and no doubt it’s the latest greatest coolest technology but I’m a one device kind of guy so I prefer my Lenovo Ultrabook. Why not let my readers benefit? The prize came to me from Gogo inflight internet, which I’m also a huge fan of. As Louic CK said, “you’re sitting in a chair in the sky” and it’s the most amazing technology. So with thanks to Gogo, I asked readers to pick their favorite post from this blog and share it in the comments. That way other readers might discover some posts they hadn’t seen but that their peers recommend, and I would get valuable feedback on what readers value most. I did learn…
Details Released for Spending Virgin Atlantic Miles on Delta
Delta and Virgin Atlantic have announced details for reciprocal flight earning and lounge access. This is the result of Delta taking a 49% stake in Virgin. There aren’t any details yet on using Delta miles for travel on Virgin Atlantic. This should follow shortly, but my guess is it’s the same as the existing award chart for the rest of Delta’s partners albeit with fuel surcharges. Details about spending Virgin Atlantic miles for travel on Delta are available on the Virgin website, however. I haven’t yet attempted to make a booking. Consistent with US disclosure requirements, they list the cost of taxes and fees for Delta redemptions. And they show it as being ‘from’ $5. Now, Virgin Atlantic is famous for the exorbitant fuel surcharges it adds to redemption tickets. In fact, though, they pass…
PointsHound Stackable Miles Bonus for Hotel Booking This Week
Rocketmiles is offering two stackable promotions that will let you earn 5000 bonus Virgin America points through July 15, 7000 if you are a Virgin America elite, on top of the usual miles earned for hotel bookings. PointsHound, which has hotels that you can still earn elite status and receive status recognition with, is also offering stackable bonuses this week. Normally being referred to PointsHound by an existing member get you 250 bonus miles with your first booking and the referrer gets 250 miles as well. I’ve arranged that folks signing up through my link will receive the full 500 mile bonus in their choice of participating programs. (You also get additional mileage earnng signing up through this link as you get a 60 day trial of ‘level 2’ points earning which is ~ 50%…
Alaska Airlines Now Has One-Way Awards on All But Two Partners — Cathay Pacific Becomes Possible!
Back in March Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan introduced the ability to book one-way and mixed partner awards online and for some partners. Initially you could book one-way awards on American. You could also book one-way at full roundtrip price on Delta, or mix and match American and Delta in a roundtrip. Then in April they introduced one-way and online booking for British Airways awards. Most partners were added earlier in the month, with online booking possible. I just noticed at the end of last week that one airline not previously on the list — Cathay Pacific — could now in fact be used to book one-way awards only those awards require calling Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Cathay Pacific awards are not bookable on the Alaska Airlines website. Here’s their one-way and roundtrip award chart for…
Get Instant Top Tier Elite Status With Accor Hotels
Instant Platinum (top tier) status in the Accor Hotels loyalty program comes around with some frequency, each time it does the signup link won’t stay active for long — sometimes a couple of days, sometimes just hours. Here’s a current offer for instant Platinum status. (HT: Loyalty Lobby) Note that the signup page is just a signup page, no indication on that page that accounts will start at the Platinum level, but indeed it’s currently working as of this writing. You must open a new account, it cannot be applied to existing accounts. And when you do so you must use an email address that’s not currently on file with them. Even if you don’t frequently stay at Sofitel, Novotel, Pullman, Mercure, and other related properties frequently, you never know when you might find yourself…
