Via Lucky, Bloomingdales.com has the Tumi Voyageur Avignon 20″ carryon for ~ $150 (~ $179 + $13 in shipping + taxes – $50 with promo code SURVEY). Though I don’t know whether the promo code will mitigate miles earned through a shopping portal, Continental offers 3 miles per dollar through their shopping portal, and through tomorrow Continental Mastercard holders still receive double miles for such purchases. Of course, hurry anyway if interested, I don’t expect this deal to last. The bag actually does retail for $495. I don’t have an opinion as to its quality, but it’s as cheap as I’ve ever seen a Tumi carryon. Personally I think that Tumi has slipped a great deal over the past 5+ years, and it isn’t worth the full retail price, it commands it based on past…
American Introduces High-End Mastercard with Lounge Access, Help Towards Elite Status
American AAdvantage broke the news on Milepoint this morning that they’re launching a new high-end credit card through Citibank, the Citi Executive AAdvantage Mastercard. Key card elements are: Admirals Club Membership No Foreign Currency Transaction Fees 10,000 elite qualifying miles each year after $40,000 in spend Double miles on spend with American And then for elite members of the program, priority check-in and boarding and waived first checked bag fee. For the most part, these are benefits that their competitors offer through at least some of their card products. United, Continental, and Delta all offer cards that bundle lounge access. All of their major domestic competitors have cards which offer progress towards elite status based on spend. And it’s fairly standard across both airline and hotel programs to bonus spend with the bo-branded partner. It’s…
Did the Carmaggedon Cyclists Really Outrace a JetBlue Flight?
Tyler Cowen points to one of many news stories reporting that a group of cyclists “raced” the promotional JetBlue flight between Long Beach and Burbank and won. In the great tradition of the land of reality television, Los Angeles created its own. First came a clever marketing ploy from JetBlue Airways: $4 flights Saturday between Burbank and Long Beach airports. A flurry of Twitter activity ensued, followed by tough talk from the Wolfpack Hustle, a local cycling club, that six of its best riders could beat the 150-seat Airbus A320 — including drive time to and from the airports, check-in and security screening. In the end, the cyclists crushed it, cruising along the Los Angeles River to reach the final destination, the lighthouse in Shoreline Aquatic Park, in 1 hour and 34 minutes. The plane…
What Big Changes are Coming to the United Visa on Tuesday?
Frugal Travel Guy this morning offers clues about upcoming credit card bonuses. 1. He says that July 19 and July 26 are scheduled announcement dates. 2. He’s been “asked to remove ads for the United Mileage Plus Signature card and the Continental OnePass card by 4 PM on the 18th. Looking forward to sometime on the 19th” First, a bit about how he’s hearing this. He’s got ‘referral links’ up on his site, when you use those links to sign up for a credit card he’ll earn a commission. (I don’t really play at this, but it seems fair to me, as long as you’re still signing up for the best-available bonus might as well let a friend grab a commission for your doing so, and it’s a wonderful thank you for the information he’s…
Fronter Airlines Double Miles in September
Via Free Frequent Flyer Miles, Frontier is offering double miles in September. (Registration required with promo code DBLER.) You may have signed up recently for Frontier to take advantage of the 1000 mile signup bonus on offer through August 31. (You can no longer just sign up and immediately transfer out just 1000 points into other frequent flyer programs via Points.com, however.) The Frontier program has basic partnerships… a few car rental companies, several but not comprehensive hotel coverage (though they don’t keep their website updated, they say they partner with goldpoints plus but that program doesn’t exist anymore and has been called Club Carlson since March 31).. But what do you do with those miles you earn? To some extent Frontier Early Returns members suffer from what regular readers of this blog know that…
How The Jesus and Mary Chain Influence My Hotel Choices
I wasn’t sure what to title this post when I started writing it, a member on Milepoint asked whether they should cash out their Hyatt Gold Passport points at the Park Hyatt Tokyo or the Park Hyatt Vendome in Paris? I wrote a brief reply that set me off on a 90 minute long journey through Youtube trailers, clips, and music of various kinds, only slightly connected to one another. The PH Tokyo is one of my favorite hotels in the world. I’ll acknowledge it’s hardly tops in Tokyo. I disagree with those who make the fair point that the Grand Hyatt’s location makes it a superior property. It is a good property. But the Park Hyatt is special. Perhaps it’s emotional attachment, the same way that i will always love the Fairmont in San…
100 Free American Airlines Miles
Via Ben: KGB Deals (what a name!), which seems to be a Groupon-esque site, is offering 100 American AAdvantage miles to new members. It’s 100 free miles at no cost, other than emails in your inbox of course.
Man Awarded $12,000 for Air Canada’s Failure to Serve Him 7-Up in French
Via Marginal Revolution, a man asked an Air Canada flight attendant for 7-UP in French and received Sprite, claimed his right to be fully served by Air Canada in French was denied, and he won a $12,000 judgment. Here’s why he won. In the latest case, the Thibodeaus initially complained of eight instances in 2009 in which they did not receive services in French at airports in Atlanta, Toronto and Ottawa and aboard three related Air Canada Jazz flights between Canada and the United States. The Official Languages Act requires Air Canada to communicate and provide services in both official languages in the National Capital Region and elsewhere in Canada, “where there is significant demand for those services in the minority language and where it is warranted by the nature of the office or facility.”…
TSA Implementation of Nude-o-Scopes Ruled Illegal, But They’ll Continue Using Them Anyway
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled today (.pdf) that TSA implementation of nude-o-scopes was done in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act. Specifically, the Court ruled that the TSA’s policy that travelers must subject themselves to imaging machines or take a pat down was legally required to have gone through a public notice and comment period. Though the promulgation of this rule was done illegally, the Court isn’t requiring the TSA to stop use of the machines for primary screening. They’re just telling the TSA to go back and dot its I’s and cross its T’s. The TSA argued that they were just interpreting the statute directing the TSA to detect weapons that might be used by terrorists, and the general regulation that passengers have to do what the TSA says…
Hyatt Picking Up 24 New U.S. Hotels, Including 4 That Actually Look Pretty Good
Via Alan, Hyatt is acquiring 24 hotels. Now, 16 of the properties will become Summerfield Suites, and that interests me not at all. Sure, I suppose more properties that earn Hyatt points is a good thing, and especially at the inexpensive end of the spectrum when one needs a mattress run to maintain elite status or during a faster free nights promotion when two (cheap) stays earns a free night (at an impossibly expensive high-end property). But Summerfield Suites doesn’t excite me. What does interest me is that they’re picking up 4 Avia Hotels, the Napa property looks like where I’d probably stay when I’m in the area and it’s great that I’ll get status recognition when I do. I don’t know that I’ll get out to their Savannah, Long Beach, or Texas properties but…
