The worst United Airlines club lounge is in Austin. It is small, and it is overcrowded. There is just a single window. A legacy Continental Airlines Presidents Club, for a long time it just hasn’t been a priority. United is the number four airline in the city. But finally they have a plan to make things better, and it has to do with the game of musical lounge chairs that will go on at the airport starting next year.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Around 5:00 p.m. on July 4, a lightning strike triggered the high-expansion foam fire suppression system inside the Spirit Airlines maintenance hangar, flooding the 126,840-square foot floor and spilling onto the adjacent ramp – reportedly reaching several aircraft.
The Chase Sapphire Lounge at JFK Terminal 4 offers attractive views and stylish decor but is significantly smaller than competitors, gets crowded during peak times, and includes a hidden VIP room still controlled by Etihad.
A passenger is filmed at an airline podium while an agent in a red blazer is scrolling an online shopping site. Zoomed-in you can make out handbags and block-heel sandals. She shops as she talks through rebooking the customer.
I don’t fly Alaska Airlines often, maybe just a couple of trips per year. I’m much more active in their Mileage Plan program than with the airline. But every time I fly Alaska I’m struck by the quality of their food.
Just before it was voted on, one provision was discovered that made it into the final bill that will kill off casino loyalty programs like MGM Rewards and Caesars Rewards: recording your gambling transactions is going to mean a bigger tax bill, even when you lose money gambling. People aren’t going to want these loyalty programs to record their gambling!
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Chaos erupted aboard a Ryanair flight preparing to depart Palma de Mallorca Airport for Manchester early Saturday morning on July 5, after passengers panicked due to a false fire warning. At least 18 people were injured during the evacuation, with some passengers jumping onto the aircraft’s wing.
American Airlines now has (4) really nice Admirals Clubs: Washington National E Concourse, Newark, Denver, and Philadelphia A West. However, this club just isn’t large enough. They should have made the whole thing Flagship (since the Flagship side can’t support passenger volume before the evening transatlantics) and kept the A East Admirals Club open. Perhaps they’ll ultimately renovate that space and we’ll have both a nice Flagship lounge and a large enough, nice Admirals Club in Philadephia as well.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
