The Upgrade: Travel Better blog points to a $34 roundtrip (or $17 each way) discount promotion on JetBlue. Start your flight search via their promo page and enter SEVENTEEN in the “promotion password” box. (Apparently teenage girls are worthy of an airfare discount.) The promotion is valid for travel through February 14.
Delta Clamps Down on Award Routings
Jan
18
2007
This is probably too inside baseball and technical for most frequent flyer program members, but Delta has implemented some nasty changes in the way they allow (or don’t allow!) you to book awards. There’s a current discussion of this on Flyertalk, naturally. As of this month, awards can only have two stops each way domestically and three internationally. If you live in, say, Montana and want to get somewhere on the East Coast you already have to make two stops (in Salt Lake City and Atlanta) most of the time. No extra stops in order to find an available award, and no extra stops to utilize your allowable stopover in a non-hub city.You can also only use ‘published routings’ when constructing your award itinerary. I have a United award flying DC-New York-San Francisco-Osaka-Bangkok-Phuket (with stops…
Free Hilton Gold Status
Jan
17
2007
A new promo for Hilton Gold status – this one soliciting Emirates Skywards Gold members, but apparently anyone can sign up using this link, which just enrolls you with promo code EMOD. New accounts instantly receive Gold status, hearsay suggests the promo will only last through January 31 and that status will last until April 2009 (I would have expected April 2008, but Hilton status sometimes just lasts awhile). Some promos have worked out well in the past. Others, like the Citibank Chairman’s offer for Gold status, have prompted Hilton to revoke the status when used by folks not actually eligible for the offer. (I know of some folks that got the letter revoking their gold status, and yet the status mysteriously remained.) So, as with so many of these things, your mileage may vary…
How to Open Bad Wine
Jan
17
2007
I won’t actually drink Sutter Home wine, but I will take a free corkscrew…
I’m Not a Fan of New York Hotels
Most places in the world, if you’re paying $450 a night for a hotel, you expect something out of the ordinary. In New York you can expect a bed. That’s the first reality check for folks not used to staying in Manhattan. The Holiday Inn Midtown usually goes for upwards of $369 a night. If you want to stay under $300, check out the Ramada. If you want closer to $200, there’s the HoJo’s at Penn Station. Even when you’re at a nicer property, rooms and bathrooms are uniquely small. Think 250 square feet. 350 square feet might be considered a junior suite. And — I can say this as a former New Yorker — the hotels are staffed by New Yorkers…. When I’m up in New York I’m most likely to stay at the…
25% Bonus for Converting Hotel Points to Northwest
Jan
02
2007
Northwest is offering a 25% bonus on hotel points converted to miles by January 31. Registration is required.only valid for WorldPerks members who reside in North America. The bonus applies to points converted from Goldpoints, Hilton, Hyatt, Priority Club, and Marriott. Starwood transfers are not included.
United iDine Bonus: 5000 Bonus Miles for 10 Dines by March 31
Jan
02
2007
Register by February 15 and dine 10 times (minimum $25 spend) by March 31 at qualifying restaurants to earn 5000 bonus Mileage Plus miles.
Tumi Winter Sale
Tumi, my favorite luggage brand, is having their winter sale — up to 40% off on discontinued styles and colors. This seems to come twice a year (most recently back in June) and items are available until they sell out. Even with the sale this isn’t cheap luggage. You won’t find any $35 wheeled carryons here. But Tumi is outstanding for the frequent business traveler.
American Raises its International Upgrade Co-Pay and Extends it to… Hawaii
Starting March 1 American’s fee to upgrade internationally with miles increases from $250 to $300, and a new $150 fee will apply to mileage upgrades to and from Hawaii.Full fare tickets remain exempt from the fee, and upgrades requested prior to March 1 (for travel after March 1, even if the upgrade doesn’t clear until after March 1) won’t have the new fee structure apply. $250 to $300 ($500 to $600 roundtrip) isn’t a big deal — once the fee was introduced, a 20% increase in that fee is almost beside the point. The watershed was broken, off course the price would increase. Though extending the fee to Hawaii flights is a huge deal, a real blow to AAdvantage members. And, frankly, it’s not all that good a deal –“YUP” fares that confirm in first…
Varig Exiting Star Alliance
Won’t affect most folks, but Varig is leaving the Star Alliance as of January 31. No great loss in one sense — they’re not a particularly strong or valuable player — but Star Alliance is already really quite weak in Latin/South America (and the former loss of Mexicana was no help, either).
