Both chains report that 78% of their revenue comes from the U.S. Their international footprints are smaller than you’d think!
Marriott has more than twice as much booked liability for hotel award night redemptions as Hilton. But that does not mean “Marriott’s loyalty program generated a far higher total volume of rewards for members than Hilton’s did” since Hilton pays hotels less when members redeem than Marriott does.
You’re allowed to carry bags onto the plane – but only if there’s enough space on board. That’s the main reason it’s better to board planes early, rather than being last onto the plane. Priority boarding is a benefit to ensure you get access to carry on bin space – even though no one wants to spend more time on board the aircraft than they have to.
Overhead bins are stuffed full, and passengers are forced to gate check their carry on bags, even though airlines are installing bigger overhead bins – bins that are supposed to have enough space for everyone. And it didn’t used to be this way!
Owning a timeshare often leads to unforeseen expenses, restrictive use conditions, and significant resale difficulties, making it a questionable financial commitment.
A woman skipped the TSA ID checker at the Nashville airport, since she didn’t have a boarding pass to fly that day. She went through regular screening, and proceeded to an American Airlines gate – where she got on a flight to Los Angeles without a boarding pass.
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.
Tuesday’s Delta flight 133 from Amsterdam to Detroit was forced to turn around an hour into the trip when maggots fell from an overhead bin onto passengers seated in economy.
Apparently a suitcase in the overhead bin contained rotten fish. It opened, and maggots spilled out. The fish was only wrapped in a plastic bag from a grocery store in the customer’s rollaboard. It wasn’t even packed in ice.
Qatar has one of the best business class product in the world in its ‘QSuites’ that offer doors and movable partitions that allow two and even four passengers to travel together in their own space. Their QSuite is a fantastic hard product, and service and food in the air are outstanding.
Right now there’s amazing award availability for the new second flight they’ve added from Miami. You’ll generally find two business class awards Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays on flights QR781 and QR782 from September through December.
140 members of the House of Representatives have written to Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian telling him to stay out of union organizing efforts at the airline, and remain neutral. This is dumb.
Hawaii service used to be something special. That isn’t really true anymore. It was an exciting development when Southwest Airlines added the state to its route map, especially for holders of the Companion Pass (designated companion flies for just the taxes whether you’re paying for your ticket with points or cash). But the product is standard Southwest — no meals or seat power — and the journey relatively long.
But did you know that Untied Airlines used to offer its own version of the modern Etihad Residence — a private stateroom on their Hawaii flights 70 years ago?
In March 1962, the CIA provided options to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for hijackings and downing of an aircraft, made to look like a civilian airliner, as well as for terrorist attacks on American soil – all ‘false flag’ operations to justify invasion with Cuba.
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 »
