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…
Maximizing Miles in the Maldives: Cathay First, Eating in Singapore, and a Park Hyatt Water Villa – Cathay Pacific First Class, The Wing and Cathay Pacific First Class, Hong Kong – 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 I had originally booked a…
Up to 40% Bonus on Purchased Alaska Airlines Miles
Via NotiFlyer, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is offering up to a 40% bonus on purchased or gifted miles through April 15. Buy or gift up to 19,000 miles and receive a 20 percent bonus. Buy 20,000 – 29,000 miles and receive a 30 percent bonus Buy 30,000 – 40,000 miles and receive a 40 percent bonus The full 40% bonus brings your cost down from 2.75 cents plus tax per mile down to 2 cents per mile. Not worth stocking up for its own sake, but strategically useful, e.g. to top off towards a Cathay Pacific first class award to South Africa via Hong Kong (i.e. “the long way”) for 140,000 miles. Alaska is also a great opportunity for Qantas awards — Qantas opens its schedule about 355 days out from travel. Partner American Airlines…
Maximizing Miles in the Maldives: Cathay First, Eating in Singapore, and a Park Hyatt Water Villa – Cathay Pacific First Class, San Francisco – Hong Kong
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 Lucky recently said to me…
Starwood Relaxes Point Expiration Policy
Via New Girl in the Air, Starwood has made its point expiration policy more customer-friendly. Previously you needed hotel points-earning activity or points earned via a Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card every 12 months in order to keep your account active. Now you’ll just need points activity of any kind in your account during 12 months to keep that account active — transferring points to an airline, redeeming points, even earning a handful of points via Audience Rewards trivia will all keep your account active and extend your expiration date by 12 months. It’s not as big a deal as the across the board improvements to elite benefits (where everyone except Platinums staying fewer than 50 nights are unambiguously better off, and even those Platinums now have an option for free breakfast). But it’s…
Maximizing Miles in the Maldives: Cathay First, Eating in Singapore, and a Park Hyatt Water Villa – Cathay’s New San Francisco Lounge
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 We departed the Sheraton Fisherman’s…
The Wall Street Journal’s Strategies for Getting the Most of Your Miles (are Wrong)
Scott McCartney offers a lot of bad advice in the Wall Street Journal about the value of miles and what to expect from them. Seth does a good job pointing out the flaws. McCartney looks only at the websites of the airlines whose miles he’s trying to use (the Delta website is broken, the US Airways website doesn’t offer partner award options at all), the routes he’s searching with the miles he’s using aren’t really generalizable to mileage programs as a whole, and the conclusions he draws about the value of miles are erroneous (you shouldn’t just expect a penny a point in value from them). However, through my award booking service I have come across a large number of folks who approach things just the way that Scott does and that’s why they come…
Maximizing Miles in the Maldives: Cathay First, Eating in Singapore, and a Park Hyatt Water Villa – Positioning flights to San Francisco, Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf, and Some Dim Sum for the Day
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 Since I made the decision…
