Frommer’s has a fairly decent overview of playing the miles and points game. Here’s part one and part two.
United is pulling
United is pulling out of E-Rewards, the e-mail survey program, effective August 31st. E-Rewards will still be offering Delta and Hertz discounts, Hilton HHonors points, and Blockbuster coupons. Personally, I valued the United discounts the most, so I’ve redeemed everything that I had.
Trial nears in
Trial nears in castration of town’s beer-swilling goat mayor. (Link via The Volokh Conspiracy.)
With USAirways in bankruptcy and
With USAirways in bankruptcy and United next, it’s time for all of the “I told you so” comments. Well, here’s my “I should have been able to tell you so.” Why should I have seen it with greater clarity? Because of a change in the insurance industry. Insurance companies are generally pretty savvy. As a class (abstracting away from particular insurance companies), they are very good at analyzing risk. After September 11th, the following was inserted into many travel policies: We will not pay a claim that arises because of any of the following: You incur any costs or losses arising from the failure of any travel agent, tour operator, accommodation provider, airline or other carrier, car rental agency or any other travel or tourism services provider to provide services or accommodation due to their…
Another More Room Throughout Coach
Another More Room Throughout Coach Giveaway! Just e-mail an entry including your name and address. I will pick one winner who will get their choice of: (1) a confirmed first class upgrade on Alaska Airlines, (2) two drink coupons on Continental or United, or (3) a USAirways club pass. Winner will be picked at random on Friday, August 30th.
Every Sunday afternoon I
Every Sunday afternoon I check out Punditwatch, a blog which summarizes that day’s political shows.
Travelers are choosing
Travelers are choosing cars over jets. (Link via Instapundit.) That was exactly my explanation in an earlier post. The Transportation Security Administration is making travel more costly and time consuming, and travelers drive instead of fly for trips under 500 miles. USAirways, which serves a large chunk of these short routes up and down the East Coast, has been impacted most — and that’s a big reason they’re in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
It turns out
It turns out that the government requirement for airline passengers to show an ID may not exist. Airlines began requiring IDs as a way of preventing tickets from being resold, in order to maintain their pricing structure. They are now required to request identification, but it isn’t clear that any rules forbid transporting a passenger who refuses to identify himself or herself. One procedure which has been used — but not verified vis a vis a federal rule — is to search any passenger unwilling to show ID.
Pad’s Scratch Pad
Pad’s Scratch Pad links to More Room Throughout Coach, describing this site as “rants, raves, and upgrades.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Got an e-mail from
Got an e-mail from United Airlines that said in the event of a bankruptcy filing, “you will continue to reap the benefits of Mileage Plus(R) membership. WE WILL HONOR MILES PREVIOUSLY EARNED IN MILEAGE PLUS, AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO ACCRUE MILES FOR TRAVEL ON UNITED AND OUR MILEAGE PLUS PARTNERS.” Now, promises are promises, and bankruptcy is by definition a way to discharge promises. However, it would be a silly business decision to disavow accrued miles because they would take away the accumulated incentive for their best customers to continue to fly the airline. Miles are not just a liability — they are the single most successful marketing tool ever devised. First, miles aren’t a true liability — they are a commitment to give away for free seats that otherwise go unsold (and they…
