On the Economy Plus One-time Option Page, United details a short-term promotion where customers traveling in economy plus from August 6 – August 16 can request a complimentary drink. Complimentary alcoholic beverage offer for Economy Plus customers is available during first beverage service only on flights departing August 6 through August 16, 2010. Upon request, each customer seated in the Economy Plus section during the promotion period is eligible for one (1) complimentary alcoholic beverage. That’s great for elites sitting in coach, of course. And it might just get some more people to buy up to Economy Plus. More importantly I’d love to see it as a test of developing a real premium economy product, beyond just 3 to 4 inches of legroom. When United was unloading excess amenity kits they were giving old ones…
Jeff Foland to Run the Combined United-Continental Mileage Plus
Holly Hegeman reports that Graham Atkinson will “not be staying with the “new” United.” Though United’s Jeff Foland will run the combined loyalty program in his place. This seems like a strange move to me, they’re cleaning house at the top but leaving a United person in place. I still expect that program to be called Mileage Plus, it’s the name that the larger pool of members are identified with. And I assume they inherit the Mileage Plus architecture. So at least initially more features of the United program than the Continental one, though I fully expect changes between now and the day the switch is flipped to merge membership lists. First, I assume that some time after the United-Continental transaction closes, but before the programs themselves combine, that there will be a way to…
10% American Airlines Discount
Every so often American seems to offer the opportunity for 10% discount codes on purchase of airfare through their marketing partners. Everyone who ‘votes’ in the Century in the Making sweepstakes by September 12 will receive a 10% discount code valid for purchase and travel through October 26.
Southwest Drink Coupons WIll Now Expire
Wandering Aramean reports that Southwest is going to start enforcing the expiration dates on their drink chits. This may seem minor to some (most?) but I have to say, I have a stash of these old drink coupon books and despite having expiration dates on the coupons it’s always been nice that Southwest would take them. I could give them away to colleagues stuck on a Southwest flight, or offer up a bunch to buy a round for the plane. It was just so very Southwest that these coupons would always be taken, no questions asked. But no longer. Southwest has had a VERY lenient policy regarding drink coupons over the years. Most notably was that, although there was an expiration date printed on the coupons, they were always accepted. As of Sunday, August 1,…
Do Kate Hanni and “Flyers Rights” Manipulate Their Data?
Travel Weekly has published a pretty damning hit piece on Kate Hanni, the airline passenger ‘consumer advocate’ of Flyers Rights with hair-brained schemes that seem to make passengers worse off and who seems as inclined towards publicity for its own sake as, say, Chuck Schumer. It’s a rambling piece with a whole lot of irrelevant detail and meaningless facts dropped as innuendo. Still, there’s a good bit in there that helps paint a picture of FlyersRights.org as a confused shop and Kate Hanni in particular as erratic and untrustworthy. There are allegations that she’s misled Congress, especially about the size of her ‘membership’ which appears to be anyone who signed an online petition, and the number of calls her organization receives. Her group hasn’t ever filed a tax return, and seems very lackadaisical in handling…
My Very First Call from a Frequent Flyer Program’s Auditing Department
I was walking into a meeting when my cell phone rang. It was someone in the auditing department at US Airawys. “This is XXXX from US Airways. I see you have an upcoming trip with [my wife]. Are you still planning on taking that trip?” “Umm, which trip is that?” I do have more than one upcoming itinerary, so really didn’t know what she was talking about. “Departing on XXXXX.” Oh, my India trip! Now I was scared, I’m being called by an auditor about an award redemption. And I thought she might do something unpleasant. Like cancel my award. “Yes, of course. What seems to be the matter?” “Well, you don’t have enough miles in the account for that.” “The miles were taken out of my wife’s and my accounts separately for this. And…
Air Berlin to Join Oneworld
Just announced, details to come in their news conference tomorrow, but Air Berlin will be joining oneworld. These integrations usually take 18 to 24 months, so don’t go out redeeming those American Airlines miles for Air Berlin flights between Miami and Europe and on to Egypt and Male just yet! But it’s an interesting expansion, not one I would have predicted. First, with British Airways and Iberia and Hungarian oneworld is relatively well-positioned with European-based airlines. Second, because oneworld has tended to focus on premium carriers like Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and even British Airways. So a ‘discount carrier’ breaks the mold a bit. Air Berlin is apparently the six-largest airline in Europe, and they reach Africa, Asia, and North and South America. They fly mostly all-coach products but their Airbus A330s do offer business class,…
ANA Introduces Draft Beer Onboard
Combine Japanese focus on technology with a commitment to service and what do you get? All Nippon Airways began offering draft beer on Japanese domestic flights on July 20. Draft beer couldn’t be served before because fluctuating air pressure created too much foam, according to Japan Probe. Supposedly, new beer keg technology was developed to remedy the issue. They’re selling the beer in coach, limited quantities are onboard, and the article doesn’t mention availability in premium cabins. But this alone makes me want to take a Japanese domestic flight with ANA.
Extreme Concierge Requests: Roasted Tarantulas, Pig Eyes, and Handcuffs
The Ottawa Citizen describes some of the ‘crazy’ concierge requests that Fairmont hotel properties have received (and fulfilled) in a story supposedly based on a leaked “internal Fairmont Hotels document obtained by Postmedia News.” I always love these sorts of stories, reported straight-faced as inside scoop when clearly a hotel chain is providing a list in hopes of getting free publicity for what kind of great service they provide and the lengths that they will go for guests. It’s brilliant marketing I suppose, but a bit cheeky for a news reporter to suggest cloak and dagger stuff in getting the real goods on a hotel’s concierge offerings. Granted, asking for help securing pig eyes and requesting that the concierge sub in for you on a blind date make for pretty funny stories. At The Plaza…
ITA Software Introduces iPhone Airfare Shopping App
I can’t test this because I’m not an iPhone guy, and a Blackberry version is still in the works, but still seemed worth passing along. Built on QPX™, ITA’s airfare pricing and shopping engine, OnTheFly offers the same advanced, powerful comparison shopping features used by many travel companies and by ITA’s Matrix airfare search application at http://matrix.itasoftware.com. OnTheFly enables users to easily shop for optimal airfares for any itinerary in the world and provides comprehensive choices to tailor the search and shopping experience. It’s even free from the iPhone app store.
