I’ve written in the past about how much I like working with Air Canada Aeroplan, but an award that I booked yesterday really illustrates the power of those miles. Their award chart is on the whole pretty good, 80,000 miles for business class from North American to nearer points in Europe and 100,000 in first. For farther destinations like Greece it’s 100,000 and 120,000. A value on some destinations, competitive for others. South Asia — as far south as Singapore — is 120,000 miles in first class. Great value on its own, but where Aeroplan really shines is the routing rules: Up to 10 segments (not overly generous, but not cumbersome either) Transit either the Atlantic or the Pacific, or one ocean in each direction (round-the-world) Two stopovers — or a stopover and an open…
Department of Totally Obvious Unintended Consequences
Scott Mayerowitz details the first month consequences new rule on tarmac delays. With steep fines of up to $27,500 per passenger when a flight delays three or more hours on the tarmac, airlines are cancelling flights instead of risking coming out of pocket very deeply. Airlines appear now to be canceling more flights rather than risk multi-million dollar fines for keeping passengers stuck on the tarmac for three hours or more. While passengers won’t be trapped in hot, crowded jets for hours on end, they might be stuck waiting in terminals even longer, and getting to their destination hours, maybe even days later. Only five domestic flights in May waited on the tarmac for more than three hours, according to new data from the Department of Transportation. That’s down from 34 planes last May. At…
Could Virgin Group Start its Own Airline Alliance?
Wendy Perrin interviews Sir Richard Branson, who answers Steve Belkin’s question and says he would consider starting his own alliance. Steve imagines a world where Virgin hooks up with “Etihad Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Alaska Airlines, El Al…” I usually leave the industry commentary to Cranky Flier except where it touches on those things I’m uniquely positioned to speak on. But Wendy Tweeted this interview to me, and I couldn’t help but add my two pence. Virgin really is ‘left out’ of the current alliance game. They’re not joining oneworld, anchored in Europe by British Airways. Though they are 49% owned by Singapore, Star Alliance is pretty well anchored in Europe with Lufthansa and Miles & More partners Swiss, Brussels, Austrian, and soon-to-be British Midland.. in addition to LOT and Scandinavian, Croatian, Aegean, et al. That…
My So-Called Travel Life
I’ve had a few recent comments on here on the blog suggesting that I’m out of touch from my readers, that all I do is flying international premium cabins. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of my travels are really quite mundane, average experiences – not average for the leisure traveler flying once a year with family perhaps, but average for the frequent flyer I turn up for my domestic flight about an hour before departure. I pass through security like everyone else, though I certainly have my routines. Maybe there’s an elite line, maybe not, but lines are rarely bad when.I fly. If I’m not wearing a jacket I don’t even use a bin. I use a checkpoint flyer laptop bag, so I unclip it so it lays flat. Laptop doesn’t come…
Delta Reverses Themselves On Minimum Stay Requirements for Award Tickets…. Maybe
A week ago I posted that Delta planned to implement minimum stay requirements on award tickets booked at the ‘low’ (aka standard) level within 21 days of departure. The change was posted on their website as coming in August. A reliable source, who knows much more about these things than I do, emailed to let me know that the change had been pulled from Delta.com. And indeed, it’s gone off the page. I do not yet know if (1) they’ve reconsidered the decision after bad publicity, (2) it was just posted before they had intended to roll out the change, or perhasp (3) the change is being pushed back because the IT systems weren’t ready to implement it. This isn’t the first time that information has disappeared into a memory hole on the Delta site.…
The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Three Airline Alliances, or the Wall Street Journal Covers United Starnet Blocking
Scott McCartney‘s “Middle Seat” column in the Wall Street Journal today focuses on the benefits of alliances. The action, as Scott rightly notes, is all in upgrades, lounge access, and mileage accrual and redemption. He points out that oneworld top tier elites have access to first class lounges, not just business lounges, but that oneworld doesn’t currently offer an alliance upgrade product. And he offers my take on award redemption: “There’s little question that Star Alliance is the best for award redemption,” said Gary Leff, the member-elected president of FlyerTalk.com. “They’re the biggest alliance and in general their award availability is the best.” This then keyed off a discussion of United’s insidious practice of ‘starnet blocking’ — telling customers that award seats which its partners are offering are not available when they do not want…
US Airways Fast Track Towards Higher Elite Status Levels
Ben at One Mile at a Time points to a new US Airways promotion, “Hop, Skip, and Jump for Preferred Status“. And unbelievaby, no registration is required. The promotion offers the possibility of making Chairmans Preferred status from scratch in as little as 16 segments. But they’re not really mileage-runable. Book and travel between July 7 and October 10, and flights to, from, or between any of 8 “regions” as well as flights on the US Airways Shuttle and flights on one of 11 new routes each count as a promotion credit. Four credits will bump you a status level. Eight credits will bump you two status levels. Twelve credits, three levels. And Sixteen credits, four levels. So a Silver Preferred member who flies an East Coast flight, a West Coast flight, takes a Shuttle…
New TSA Mobile App – Introducing “My TSA”
I wish this was a witty programmer’s joke. But no, since it’s at TSA.gov I assume it’s real — though it’s almost hard to imagine that it is. “My TSA” gives you 24/7 access to information that passengers frequently request from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). “My TSA” provides a tool to find out if an item is allowed in your carry-on or checked baggage, information on ID requirements and liquids rules, tips for packing and dressing to speed through security, and real-time operating status for U.S. airports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Gee, really? An app to tell you what is allowed in checked baggage? Real-time waits at security would actually be useful. But since this is from TSA, you know that it won’t be useful. Wait times are reported by fellow travelers.…
Special Cash & Points Deal at Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs
Loyalty Traveler flags a deal at the Parker Meridien Palm Springs: Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs has a limited time Cash & Points offer for this category 5 hotel reducing the cash portion from $90 to $15 per night for weekday stays or $30 per night for weekends from July 6 through September 2, 2010. You must call 866-912-1169 to book this offer. Sure it’s the off season, but I don’t recall a hotel ever reducing the cash component of a cash and points award.
The Best All-time Mileage Promotions
Reader abcx asked in the comments [W]ill you write a post detailing the best promos since you’ve been doing this? I only got into this world big-time last year thanks to the US TIB promo. Of course, I know about the Pudding Guy, but I’m curious what other great promotions I’ve missed. A year ago I wrote a post detailing just that! Top 10 Miles/Points Program Deals of Times Past 10. Free status offers for Marriott Gold, Avis Presidents Club (still active…), Virgin Silver, Hilton Gold, Starwood Gold, Continental Silver just for becoming an AT&T customer. 9. Class of Service Bonuses on Upgrades (Earn more bonus miles on United than it took to upgrade US-Hawaii, the upgrade more than paid for itself). 8. 1-800-Flowers 100 miles per dollar with Delta. On December 30, 2003 1-800-Flowers…
