More Frequent Flyer Program Devaluation. United will increase the cost of 500-mile upgrade certificates for Premiers from $125 for Premiers to $200 and non-premiers to $325. They will increase the number of miles it takes for upgrades as well: – domestic – Y/B fares – 8000 miles – domestic – other fares – 15,000 miles – international – Y/B fares – 15,000 miles – international – C/M/H fares – 30,000 miles
The TSA’s Air Marshall program
The TSA’s Air Marshall program is facing a flurry of resignations.
The TSA is
The TSA is paying double for security screeners compared to what the airlines paid when security was private.. and in many cases these are the same screeners. The government is paying for screeners that don’t even show up to work. The government was supposed to negotiate prices and terms with the screening contractors after taking over the contracts six months ago, but hasn’t done so yet, the inspector general said. The TSA instead awarded “letter contracts” to the companies, which don’t spell out detailed terms.
Instapundit links to
Instapundit links to this picture and this picture which encapsulate the status quo of TSA airport security.
Darwin Award nominee.
Darwin Award nominee. A man whose fuel gauge was broken used a cigarette lighter to illuminate his fuel tank in order to see if he had any gas left. He blew up the car.
More Room Thoughout Coach endorses
More Room Thoughout Coach endorses Gronk for Senate.
United is beginning to pull
United is beginning to pull a few benefits from their top-tier elites. No more special 1K rooms (for those who fly over 100,000 miles a year). No more free same-day changes confirmed in advance for Premier Executive (50,000 miles a year) and 1K (100,000 miles a year) flyers. Will United follow USAirways lead cutting benefits? The strange thing is that United’s announcement is a cut for their best customers. USAirways announced was a major cut for everyone except their most lucrative customers.
Turns out that I’ll be
Turns out that I’ll be on the Mary Starrett show on KPDQ (Portland, Oregon) at 2:30pm Pacific time tomorrow for a 30 minute segment. I can’t seem to find a link off of their site for streaming audio. though.
Stay away from USAirways. They’ve
Stay away from USAirways. They’ve made several policy changes that make it difficult for me to fly them. If you don’t use a nonrefundable ticket, you can’t just save it and apply the value to a future purchase (less a change fee). Instead, you now have to make your change before the original flight leaves or you lose all value from the ticket. Discounted fares will no longer count towards elite status beginning January 1, 2003. Standby will no longer be permitted on nonrefundable tickets. No more free alcoholic beverages in coach on transatlantic flights. Frankly, I’ll just be choosing someone else to fly — period.
Here’s a Survey
Here’s a Survey from USAirways about ex-Germany travel. It says it offers 500 miles, but it doesn’t have a place to enter a mileage account number.
