e-Rewards, the survey site that lets you redeem points for miles in a variety of programs (unless you sign up via a specific program, in which case your redemptions are restricted to that program), plans to implement (on or about October 1) some pretty extreme tracking cookies to watch your overall web browsing sessions. On the whole, I find that their surveys are less rewarding (fewer points for longer surveys) than they were perhaps five years ago. And the opportunity cost of my time has gone up. I rarely find it worthwhile to complete their surveys on the basis of the rewards they’re offering. But I still complete some surveys because I like to have a small stash of points that I can redeem at-will. The surveys are too cumbersome for, say, the 1000 frequent…
Hotel Industry Rates and Occupancy… What Will it Mean for Starwood Award Categories in 2011?
Starwood assigns hotels to award categories (which determines the number of points it takes to redeem a room night) based on each hotel’s projected average daily room rate for the year. Back in February, Starwood announced that they wouldn’t be changing hotels’ award category assignments (for the most part) for 2010. They spun this as doing a favor for their members — we aren’t raising point requirements! — but my view was that given the way they structure and describe the program, they should have been lowering points costs. Each year when they moved more hotels up in categories than down, it was justified based on the room rates those hotels were drawing. Starwood has even added increasingly higher category levels to the program in order to charge more points for the highest priced properties.…
Another 100,000 Mile Credit Card Signup Bonus
The very best credit card signup bonuses out there are undoubtedly the 75,000 and 100,000 mile bonuses for new American Airlines credit cards from Citibank. The offers run through October 31. The 75,000 mile offer has a landing page that includes the relevant details — no fee the first year, bonus miles after $1500 in spend within 6 months. The 100,000 mile offer is 50,000 miles after $750 in purchases within 4 months, and another 50,000 miles after $10,000 in purchases within 12 months, no fee the first year. It’s just links, though — no landing page — everyone has been confirming that the links which take you to an application directly without mention of the bonus works just fine. The links attach the relevant offer code and that’s what Citibank sees and awards miles…
Are the Business Traveller Awards the Least Credible Awards Ever? Their Results Might Lead You to Think So…
Oliver sends me to the just-announced Business Traveller Awards for 2010. Presumably he does this so my head will fall off my head and begin spinning while steam pours out my eyes. Now, these awards — given by a group of self-appointed experts without transparent criteria — are often nonsense. The better awards give reason to quibble, and individuals can differ, but this one is perhaps the most ludicrous not only because it’s selections are inane but because they are not even internally consistent. They can’t even both to massage idiotic results so that they’re consistently idiotic in the same way across categories! Take Emirates, which they say is a better airline than British Airways (true enough). But then British Airways is a better long-haul airline than Emirate. Questionable at best. But for both statements…
Air France to Commit to Inferior Business Class Seating for the Foreseeable Future
Upgrade: Travel Better notes that Air France is upgrading their business class seats. But that they won’t be introducing true lie-flat seats, and that these below industry standard seats will take three years to roll out. Crazy, huh? It amazes me that Air France continues to enjoy a positive reputation amongst the general public, at least here in the US and among the less-traveled. One assumes that this is driven simply by a belief that the French exhibit quality and style. And that they haven’t actually flown Air France recently. Certainly Air France’s ancient angled-flat seats need replacement. On my last Paris trip I flew the carrier’s business class, wanting the non-stop for the short hop across the pond and for what would be a quick trip. Key elements: Seat had pieces coming off, and…
Reciprocal Upgrades Between American, British AIrways, and Iberia Should Be Coming
There’s some great speculation at the Traveling Better forums about expected soon to be introduced upgrade awards using American Airlines miles on British Airways (and likely Iberia), and of course BA and Iberia miles on these carriers as well. Given the anti-trust approval for the carriers’ joint business ventures, the airlines and mileage programs will certainly become more integrated. Now, most Star Alliance programs already allow for reciprocal mileage upgrades. Oneworld hasn’t had that. But this subgroup of oneworld carriers almost certainly will. British Airways offers four classes of service beyond Europe — economy (World Traveller), premium economy (World Traveller Plus), business (ClubWorld), and first class. So one imagines that an American mileage award would be good for upgrading one class of service. In other words, economy to premium economy rather than economy to business.…
Interesting Credit Card — Fidelity American Express 2% Cash Back or 2 Air Canada Aeroplan Miles Per Dollar
TM Travel World reports that the Fidelity Investment Rewards American Express from Bank of America earns 2 points per dollar spent and 5000 points auto deposits into a Fidelity brokerage account as $50. That amounts to 2% cash back. There’s also apparently an option to turn off direct deposit of cash into Fidelity and convert points one-to-one into Air Canada Aeroplan, which means you earn 2 Aeroplan points per dollar spent. It’s a no annual fee card to boot. Interesting deal! Haven’t done full due diligence yet but it’s got my attention. Anyone out there with experience on this one?
Passengers are as Much the Problem as Flight Attendants…
A couple weeks back I speculated on the causes of variation in flight attendant service levels around the world. I argued that there was a mix of union rules, corporate leadership, and cultural factors which explain differences in service levels among airlines both within and across regions. But The Flying Pinto makes me think that it’s the median passenger that drives much of this. You don’t have to be a flight attendant who believes they’re there primarily for your safety to become jaded pretty quickly if every flight was like the one that Sara describes…
5000 Marriott Rewards Points for 30-Minute Online/Phone Timeshare Presentation
Via Frugal Travel Guy, Marriott is offering 5000 points for a timeshare presentation. The pitch takes about 30 minutes, is described as online but one of Rick’s readers says is actually by phone, but at least isn’t in person. And the report suggests it’s pretty soft sell to boot. So if you expect to have 30 minutes to kill and want a few points, you can schedule a pitch.
Do Frequent Flyer Programs Reduce Economic Efficiency?
Tim Harford, whose writings I usually much like, explores whether frequent flyer programs are inefficient for the economy. He’s right to suggest that they create product differentiation among air carriers that might otherwise be commodity products. And as differentiated products, consumers have preferences (driven by value created by the program’s loyalty program)> Certainly in the context of business travel, employees with a preference for air carrier may make a choice that’s different from what’s in the best interest of the employer. That’s sometimes true. Agency problems exist any time someone is spending another person or entity’s money. On the other hand, the personal benefits from frequent flyer programs make business travel much more palatable. Employees with elite status fly relatively hassle-free, aren’t charged checked baggage fees that they’d otherwise expensive, often receive meals in first…
