The single best benefit in all of hotel loyalty is, to me, Hyatt Gold Passport’s confirmed suite upgrades. Diamond members, four times a year, get to confirm at booking a suite on any paid stay booked on a Gold Passport-eligible rate. This way there’s no more hoping nervously at the check-in desk, it allows members to get the benefit they want most when they most want it. On a one-night business stay at a city hotel, on your own, odds are you don’t care about the suite … although occasionally you may plan to gather a group to plot, strategize, or just have some cocktails in which case the suite matters. But most of the time you’ll want it traveling with family, ,perhaps at a resort, and you can plan your hotel stay accordingly —…
American Announces 2012 Elite Threshold Rewards
American AAdvantage elite members who register are eligible to earn additional rewards for flying more than the minimum necessary to re-qualify for their current elite level. Golds who hit 40,000 get to pick one of 15,000 miles, 4 500 mile upgrades, 2 club passes, or a 10% off discount code. Platinums who hit 75,000 get to pick one of 25,000 miles, 8 500 mile upgrades, 4 club passes, a 15% off discount code, or gift Gold status to someone else. Executive Platinums who hit 125,000 get to pick two of 35,000 miles, 2 systemwide upgrades (eVIPs), a club membership, a 20% off discount code, or gift Gold status to someone else. The Executive Platinum perks are really huge — 70,000 miles or 4 systemwide upgrades or gifting gold membership and receiving a free lounge membership,…
What’s Next from Online Startups in Loyalty
I get a ton of announcements in my inbox, that’s why I publish a Yahoo email address publicly, as a catch all. Most of what I get, well, you can imagine I’m on a lot of lists. More emails go unopened than get opened, though I always try to make sure I don’t skip over reader mail. In fact, I do my best to answer all reader questions within 24 hours. What strikes me is that it’s really easy to sift through the junk from what’s useful, most junk or press releases have really clear subject lines that make it clear I don’t need to open the message. I did however get pinged n something this morning that struck me interesting, TechCocktail‘s South By Southwest Event has a #StartupLife ‘Peoples Choice’ award that you can…
Maximizing Miles in the Maldives: Cathay First, Eating in Singapore, and a Park Hyatt Water Villa – Eating in Singapore
Introduction Positioning flights to San Francisco, Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf, and Some Dim Sum for the Day Cathay’s New San Francisco Lounge Cathay Pacific First Class, San Francisco – Hong Kong The Wing and Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – Singapore A Grand Suite at the Grand Hyatt Singapore Eating in Singapore Dinner at Waku Ghin, Marina Bay Sands Singapore Airlines Business Class: Singapore – Male Transfer to the Park Hyatt Hadahaa, Maldives Park Hyatt Maldives – Part I Park Hyatt Maldives – Part II Park Hyatt Maldives – Part III Maldivian, Kaadehdhoo – Male Singapore Airlines Business Class, Male – Singapore Cathay Pacific Business Class, Singapore – Hong Kong Conrad Hong Kong Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – Chicago American’s Chicago Flagship Lounge and the Final Journey Home Some folks see Singapore as…
The TSA Responds But Doesn’t Deny How Easily Foiled Nude-o-Scopes Are
A video is circulating (which i posted yesterday) purporting to show how easy it is to foil TSA’s nude-o-scopes, rendering them useless as a tool for averting actual terrorists, they’ll catch only folks who aren’t actually out to purposely fool the machines like people who forget they’re carrying things through the checkpoint that they aren’t supposed to. The TSA has responded on its blog. They don’t deny the claims made in the video. Instead they say that they test the machines before rollout, the machines have detected stuff, the machines aren’t the only thing they do for security anyway. Oh, and it’s better to have (flawed, easily foiled) machines than not to have them (without factoring in cost and whatever else they might do for security instead..) And of course the machines are optional anyway,…
Maximizing Miles in the Maldives: Cathay First, Eating in Singapore, and a Park Hyatt Water Villa – A Grand Suite at the Grand Hyatt Singapore
Introduction Positioning flights to San Francisco, Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf, and Some Dim Sum for the Day Cathay’s New San Francisco Lounge Cathay Pacific First Class, San Francisco – Hong Kong The Wing and Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – Singapore A Grand Suite at the Grand Hyatt Singapore Eating in Singapore Dinner at Waku Ghin, Marina Bay Sands Singapore Airlines Business Class: Singapore – Male Transfer to the Park Hyatt Hadahaa, Maldives Park Hyatt Maldives – Part I Park Hyatt Maldives – Part II Park Hyatt Maldives – Part III Maldivian, Kaadehdhoo – Male Singapore Airlines Business Class, Male – Singapore Cathay Pacific Business Class, Singapore – Hong Kong Conrad Hong Kong Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – Chicago American’s Chicago Flagship Lounge and the Final Journey Home Singapore is one of the…
The Value of Starwood’s New Elite 24 Hour Check-in Benefit
Joe Brancatelli has a piece today on Starwood’s new 24-hour check-in benefit for Platinum members who stay 75 nights a year or more. The new benefits went into effect last week. Here’s how I described it: [T]he ability to check in any time, 24 hours a day, though this benefit is subject to availability. The request must be made at least 48 hours in advance in order to find out whether it can be confirmed. The request will be possible online or by phone. Checking time will dictate checkout time on a 24 hour clock, so if you check in at 5am then you must technically check out at 5am as well though hotels will often be more lenient than that, and as long as you check in after 9am you’ll still be eligible for…
Can Nude-o-Scopes Really Be Foiled By a Sewing Kit?
Via Matthew, Jonathan Corbett believes that the nude-o-scopes are easily foiled — supposed ‘threat items’ are displayed in black, and the background that people are shown against is black, so if you can simply cause an item to appear against the background it becomes essentially invisible to the machine. By sewing a pocket on the side of his shirt, he shows himself walking through these machines carrying metal objects. Here’s his video: I wish he was more matter-of-fact in his presentation, losing some of the editorializing at the beginning and end of the piece. But this is an important story, worth testing further and worth seeking TSA comment on. It’s suggestive, if true, of what most of us already know, that the machines are purely security theatre and an expensive federal procurement boondoggle. Sadly I’ve…
1000 Starwood Points for Quick Survey
Via SPG Champion on Milepoint, Starwood is offering 1000 Starpoints for filling out a quick survey: Starwood is looking for frequent travelers to complete a quick survey on your social media habits and work-life balance by Friday March 9th. Participants can earn 1,000 Starpoints® for contributing to this survey. Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3R3SJNV to complete it and you can expect the Starpoints to be credited within 30 business days. Employees of Starwood Hotels & Resorts and its franchisees are not eligible. Note: Please add your SPG account number to the field for name and email address. The last question only asks for name and email address but do be sure to include your Starwood Preferred Guest number in that text box. Update: That was fast! Yes, the survey is closed. Response was way greater than first…
Capital One Brings Back 100,000 Point Signup Matching Bonus
[Offer currently unavailable.] Capital One has brought back the 100,000 point signup bonus on their Venture card. The card earns two points per dollar, each point being worth a penny, roughly speaking it’s a 2% cash back card where the cash has to be spent on travel or on gift cards they offer. For folks who aren’t looking for premium cabin international air awards from their credit card spend — if you want domestic coach trips especially — then this is a reasonable card (though I still prefer the straight 2% cash back from the Fidelity American Express). Last year, Capital One offered this and it applied to both the personal and the small business card. You had to provide a mileage statement showing 100,000 miles in it to get your points matched to 100,000…
