Ever since Ethiopian Airlines joined the Star Alliance in December, there’s been great business class award availability to members of United and US Airways frequent flyer programs on Ethiopian’s direct service from Washington Dulles (via Rome) to Addis Ababa, with easy connections from there to the rest of Africa (it serves more destinations in Africa than any other carrier). The government-owned airline ferries plenty more Americans to Ethiopia for stopovers at a minimum than they did before joining the alliance. But Americans may not be aware that they’d better be careful how they call home– since the government there has banned Skype and other voice over internet services, according to al Jazeera. The penalty is up to 15 years of jail time for users. Prime Minister Meles Zenaw says the move is meant to ensure…
Philadelphia TSA Agents Fired for Bribery and Falsifying Results on Proficiency Exams
15% of the Ft. Myers airport TSA workforce were disciplined for failing to actually do screenings they were supposed to perform. Only five were actually fired. Now the TSA is now firing 7 Philadelphia employees involved in a bribery scandal where a supervisor demanded money for passing grades on an annual proficiency exam. TSA management at the Philadelphia airport removed 10 employees from security duties in November pending results of an investigation of bribery by the Homeland Security Department’s Office of Inspector General. So it took them 7 months to actually decide to fire these individuals. Instead of, you know, just firing them. That’s not how it works at my place of employment… I certainly wouldn’t be paid for seven months ‘pending results of an investigation’ of my paying bribes to have my proficiency results…
Air Canada Offers Status Matches to bmi Elites
This month I’ve shared my experience getting Turkish Airlines to match my british midland Gold status and also getting Aegean to do the same. My bmi Gold status was valid through December, but no longer a member of the Star Alliance it was not going to be useful to me — no more Star Alliance redemptions, no more cash and points redemptions on partners (there are fewer and fewer bmi flights and I don’t need to redeem on those), no more lounge access for domestic United flying. Here’s what I get out of Turkish: Turkish status lasts two years and they give you two years to re-qualify. Since I do not live in Turkey, the rules are 25,000 Status Miles in year one or 37,500 Status Miles in two years to requalify, and they will…
Introducing the Must-Have Karl Marx Mastercard
And you thought the Chase Sapphire Preferred card made a statement.. I’ve written extensively about the three different types of cards you want — those with the best signup bonuses, those that are best to put spending on (other than meeting minimum spend for signup bonuses), and those that are best for the benefits (that you don’t want to put spend on). But it turns out I’m missing a category of card. Some get their alma maters. Or their favorite charity. They get to affiliate with a cause and express themselves, and their alma mater may get a cut of the interchange fee. Reuters reports on a new card that those with access to East German credit cards may want to consider: the Karl Marx Mastercard from Sparkasse bank in Chemnitz in Eastern Germany. Some…
Three Great One Mile at a Time Posts
Ben was on a tear yesterday: You can book flights on Iberia using Iberia miles without paying fuel surcharges. If your Iberia and British Airways accounts have been open at least three months, you can move your British Airways points over to Iberia and redeem from that account to save on fees. American Express Membership Rewards points also transfer to Iberia, so it’s a way to use Amex points fuel surcharge-free on Iberia travel. The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Visa is available with 70,000 points after first purchase and fee waived the first year. That’s enough points for two nights at the lowest category Ritz property. The real benefit of the card is upgrades to club level three times a year, Gold status in their loyalty program (which has modest benefits), a $200 airline fee credit similar…
500 Free Delta Miles
Join Le Club Accorhotels with this promotion link by August 31, select Delta Skymiles as your preferred loyalty program in your membership profile, and enter your Skymiles account number. This offer is open to existing Le Club Accorhotels members as well, just use the offer link and change your preferred loyalty program to Delta and give them your account number. Update: the offer should still be valid but appears to be returning an error at this time.
50% Off Sale on the Park Hyatt Maldives
I reviewed the Park Hyatt Maldives extensively after my trip there in February. It was a phenomenal resort, in the middle of nowhere (with the good and bad that comes from that), and at the time I considered it to be one of the very best uses of hotel points. It’s a top reward category 6 property in the Hyatt Gold Passport program, 22,000 points per night, and that gets you a villa that frequently runs $1000 per night. Rates aren’t always that high, villas can often be had in the $750 range. And the property itself isn’t an inexpensive place to be — roundtrip air/boat transfers from the Male airport run ~ $400 per person. Food is expensive (though breakfast is included for all guests). Excursions are very high priced. But the points open…
What Part of Lifetime Didn’t They Understand?
I received the latest update by e-mail on the british midand Diamond Club program today. You can no longer earn or spend miles with Europcar or bmi hotels, and you can no longer earn miles with Purple Parking. Spending miles on Gifts and Treats goes away June 17. No big deal, partnerships and offers change. But it’s one small step in the continuing dismantling of the once great british midland Diamond Club program. I generally assume programs that offer truly superior value won’t last, or at least the superior offerings won’t, but I’ll enjoy them while they do. What I don’t like — more than anything else coming from a loyalty program — is changes without notice. Members earn their perks, privileges, and benefits. There’s an offer, they do what’s necessary to meet the conditions…
I Wish Buy On Board Really Looked Like This
Austrian Airlines has introduced per-order paid meals in coach from Vienna-based caterer DO & CO, the company which caters Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal and Lounges in Frankfurt (and First Class Lounge at New York JFK). My favorite thing about the First Class Terminal — besides the Mercedes or Porsche ride across the tarmac to the plane,, of course — is the wiener schnitzel. Now, at the fifteen euro price point and served within the constraints of onboard catering, subject to the reheating skill of flight attendants, and packaged to be provided at 30,000 feet I’m not sure what the implementation will ultimately be like. But the pictures sure look good. The menu is available on international flights to and from Vienna, except for Budapest, Prague, and Zagreb. And some will consider it a downgrade, as…
Priority Club 3rd Quarter Promotion “Stay X Nights, Earn Y Points”
Priority Club’s third quarter “stay x, earn y” bonuses are now out. As usual, there are three different levels — earn 5000, 10,000, or 15,000 points depending on how much you stay during the promotion period of July 1 through September 30. Pick the promotion that you’re most likely to successfully hit. Register here with the code of the offer you want. Code 4871, Stay 3 Nights – Earn 5,000 Points Code 4872, Stay 4 Nights – Earn 5,000 Points Code 4873, Stay 7 Nights – Earn 10,000 Points Code 4874, Stay 8 Nights – Earn 10,000 Points Code 4875, Stay 10 Nights – Earn 10,000 Points Code 4876, Stay 12 Nights – Earn 10,000 Points Code 4877, Stay 15 Nights – Earn 15,000 Points Code 4878, Stay 18 Nights – Earn 15,000 Points Of…
