Check out this hilarious YouTube video of two cartoon co-workers debating the merits (or idiocy) of mileage runs. Personally I’ve never been a fan of the pure mileage run. They’ve always been way too expensive for me to undertake — flying just to acquire miles to redeem — since the cost per ticket calculation that suggests acquiring miles from flying is worthwhile generally doesn’t incorporate the opportunity cost of time, which I place at a pretty hefty premium given my disparate commitments. That said, I am a fan of that short extra trip needed to bump up to the next elite level, especially if it’s for top tier, and especially if there’s a strong expectation of heavy flying in the next year. And I am a fan of discretionary travel to see new places, experience…
What An Airline Merger Looks Lke
Back from India where I had undoubtedly the worst first class flight segment I’ve ever experienced, and it wasn’t even on United. That’ll make for a good story, as will the United flight I had where I prompted the flight attendant to give everyone in the cabin who wasn’t a non-rev a Skykit. But there were some real highlights of the trip, too. But for now I’m catching up on ‘real work’ and so posting the past few days has been sparse. For that I apologize! Meanwhile, courtesy of Kevin I share with you this photo of a United aircraft painted in its new livery, the name remains the same but the graphics are all Continental.
More Media for the Expedia Free Flights to New York, Cancun, and Las Vegas Deal
Scott Mayerowitz at ABC New Travel covers the story nicely. I spoke with him yesterday, he had learned about the deal on this blog. I put him in touch with Matthew and Scott details some exploits on ths deal: Next month, Klint, his brother and his uncle are all flying to Las Vegas and staying in two rooms at a five-star hotel. The total cost: $44. Throw in a $200 food and drink credit and they are actually making $156 off the trip. …Then he started booking other trips for friends and family. Ultimately, Klint purchased 15 tickets, most of them for free. Mayerowitz gets Expedia to say they’re honoring the deal, though they wouldn’t comment further. The key takeaways from this deal, as with most, are: I have no ethical problem with these. Sometimes…
Free Cancun, Vegas, and New York Trips in the News
Our Expedia.ca special coupon for free trips made the news. Was it an early Christmas gift or a massive error? Deal hunters snagged nearly-free trips through Expedia.ca last weekend. One traveller, Colin Campbell, booked a return flight from New York to Toronto just in time for Christmas Eve for $40, taxes included. It also included a few days stay in a hotel. Expedia offered a $300-discount last weekend for a flight and hotel package to Cancun, Las Vegas, New York and the Mayan Riviera. So for packages just over $300, the trip was almost free after the discount. Some people bragged online about booking more than 10 trips before the discount was pulled offline. Expedia won’t say whether the promotion was a pricing error.
Even Better Free Marriott Gold Offer — Stay Just 8 Nights to Extend Your Status Through February 2012
Again Via TM Travel World comes this Instant Marriott Gold offer for 90 days doesn’t require you to enter an Air China Frequent Flyer number and only requires you to stay 8 nights within those 90 days to extend your Gold status through February, 2012. There’s a separate link for new members to join with Gold status and for existing members to upgrade their status to Gold.
Free Marriott Gold Status for 90 Days
Via TM Travel World, Marriott is offering free Gold status for 90 days. The offer states valid through February 28, 2011, so you may want to wait until you have Marriott stays planned. On the other hand, Marriott could pull the offer at any time so you might want to play it safe and grab the status now. They do want an Air China PhoenixMiles number on the signup page, though, so you at least need to enter one. The offer includes bonus Air China miles for Marriott stays. The offer is valid for existing and for new members, and is being marketing to Air China PhoenixMiles members but membership in the Air China program isn’t required (not that it would be hard to join if it were!).
Deviant Security Theatre Roundup
New TSA Slogans: If We Don’t Get Off, You Don’t Get On We Love Your Fly, And It Shows Alex Tabarrok reminds us that we tell children that their body is their own, they have the right to say NO, and that there are parts of their body that are private. Authority figures, for example, may also use threats of violence to engage in abuse against adults, for example, “you will be blown up unless you let me touch your genitals and take naked pictures of you.” Boing Boing brings us a children’s book, My First Cavity Search: Helping Your Child Understand Why He May Pose a Threat to National Security. Illustrated cover is priceless. Tyler Cowen thinks an arbitrary and punitive TSA is good for consumers who remain willing to fly because it’ll cause…
Free Flights to Cancun, New York, and Las Vegas
Expedia.ca (the Canadian Expedia site) has published a vacation package coupon — SAVE300 — that takes $300 off of any air/hotel package to Vegas, Cancun or New York. Take for example a $260 airline ticket to Vegas, add two nights cheapie off the strip $20 hotel nights and that totals $300. SAVE300 makes that $0. Book by November 21, 2010 for travel through December 31. (But who knows, Expedia might pull this sooner.) If multiple people are flying, book them separately so each gets the $300 off. (Yes that means there are hotel nights you never use.) If you can get it to price at $0 don’t worry about the dates, just book whatever dates you MIGHT need. Use the ones you want and don’t worry about the rest. Flyertalk thread and details as follows:SAVE300…
United Won’t Reduce Confirmed Domestic Upgrade Certificates for Top Level Elites in 2011 After All
United is backing off of their just-announced changes to Confirmed Regional upgrade earning. Earlier in the week they said that beginning in 2011, Mileage Plus members who flew 75,000 miles would receive 2 confirmable-at-booking domestic upgrade certificates (valid even on Hawaii and JFK-San Francisco/Los Angeles “p.s.” routes) and an additional 2 confirmable upgrades for each 25,000 miles flown after that. The upshot was that 1Ks flying just 100,000 miles would earn only (4) confirmed domestic upgrade certificates, instead of the current system where they earn 2 in each quarter that they fly at least 10,000 miles on United for a standard total of (8). But high-flying Premier Executives who don’t hit 1K would earn a couple, and 1Ks flying 175,000 miles per year would earn (10) so more than current. There was much backlash on…
The TSA Emperor Has No Clothes
Flyertalk member kokonutz asks a series of (not-G rated, as he’s wont to do) questions: Is it illegal to moan with pleasure when the TSA fondles your junk? Enquiring minds want to know. Is it illegal to get wood from a good rub? Is it illegal to tip for a good rub? Is it illegal to request a happy ending? Is it illegal to keep going through security, exiting then regoing through security so you can get your junk rubbed a lot? He follows up with more: Is it illegal to say at the start of the rub down, ‘You can do everything. But I don’t kiss on the mouth.’? … Is it illegal to request hot oil with your rub down? Perhaps my favorite idea for fun at the checkpoint is this: Please be…
