Hotels often offer guests late check-out, sometimes just if they ask and other times for an extra charge. Loyalty programs frequently make this a benefit of status – Hyatt and Marriott guarantee this benefit for qualifying members, while Hilton and IHG make it ‘subject to availability’.
However when you ask for late check-out, and the hotel agrees, two things invariably happen.
Marriott partners with UNICEF in the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific in a program where hotels can add donations to guest folios on an opt-out basis. Generally $1 is added per night automatically, but guests can tell the front desk to remove the charge.
Autopilot opt out is the opposite of thoughtful philanthropy, so I was sympathetic to a reader who complained about feeling shamed by hotels that do this.
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.
On Monday my American Eagle flight took a delay for catering after doors close. A crewmember announced to the aircraft that we were delayed “to cater first class.” The glares from coach were palpable.
Last month American Airlines fully rolled out a new tool called AURA, the “AUtomated ReAccommodation” tool to rebook passengers when their flights are cancelled or delayed.
But this tool does so predictively. And it’s causing seats to be given away from passengers that make their flight.
New York’s mayor says half of the city’s hotel rooms are being used to house asylum seekers. Los Angeles said: hold my beer.
In March, voters in LA will consider an ordinance requiring hotels to report their number of vacant rooms each day, and make those rooms available to the homeless.
How much inequality matters, versus absolute living standards which most people think has risen substantially over time, is something people can debate. I just wish they would do this debate less based on their one-off Mexico vacation. And if you are going to insist that it was, maybe spill a few paragraphs of ink considering wealth inequality between the U.S. and Mexico?
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.
Whether or not a single Orlando and Las Vegas flight can work for Delta is a question, though these are two leisure destinations that are said to almost always work for everyone, or that at least can be filled at some fare by everyone.
A couple was caught reportedly joining the mile high club – on video. A passenger who saw the man and woman enter the lavatory pulled out his phone and recorded their exit – one at a time, without anyone else entering in the meantime.
The woman opens the door first, and has a serious look on her face, while you can see the male passenger still inside the lavatory – with a huge grin. A few moments pass and then he steps out, too – a bit more serious but with an eyebrow raise as he heads back into the aisle of the aircraft.
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 »
